Creating Opportunities: Connor Treacy's Journey from Tennis Coach to Entertainment Entrepreneur

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Living the Dream Podcast with Curveball. If you believe, you can achieve. Welcome to the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast. A show where I interview guests that teach, motivate, and inspire. Connor Tracy is an entrepreneur who didn't wait for opportunities. He created them from launching ventures and entertainment and nightlife and working in music and artist development, as well as founding co-founding a high-profile Los Angeles venue to Connor his career in the sex between culture, business, and relationships. And today his focus is on creating meaningful events and making an impact through leadership and civic engagement. Connor's journey is a powerful journey that shows what's possible when vision, persistence, and community comes together. So we're going to be talking to Connor about his story and everything that he's up to and gonna be up to. So Connor, thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Thanks for uh having me, Curtis. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Yeah, so I'm um born and raised in Los Angeles. Um been working in the entertainment industry since I was 19. Um started off doing events, um, basically kind of putting together my own concerts. So um started off super like raw and kind of from the ground up, like doing like house parties and kind of turned into like doing like 18 plus like nightclubs and downtown LA warehouses, probably got them up to like 500 to 1000 capacity rooms on average. And then by the time I had turned like 21, um, I got discovered by like a lot of the big 21 plus like Hollywood celebrity type nightclubs, and so kind of like turned into becoming kind of like the promoter, I guess, for a lot of the like new generation, like younger celebrities um that were going out during that time. Um did that for maybe like three years, three or four years, and then I got hired to Interscope Records when I was uh 24. And um I um developed a rock act named Youngblood, he's pretty big now, got a Grammy this year um with Ozzy Osborne, and then I also managed a producer uh during that time that um produced the lead single on Dualita's album, Future Nostalgia, and that got a Grammy also. So I did both of those um between probably like 2017 and 2019, and then when I was like 28, I opened a nightclub called Off Sunset and um did that for about three years. That was a big hit, also. A lot of big names and stuff came to that, and then now um I basically just have my own entertainment company, so manage uh artists, um, manage talent creators, uh, produce music, um, put together deals in general. Um and yeah, I do civic engag engagement events also. So um I work with a uh state senator right now um in LA, and then I also work for a few different orgs, like doing events and stuff for them.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Well, yeah, I definitely know Youngblood and do a lipper, and as a hip hop artist, I can definitely appreciate uh what you're doing. So um appreciate it. You know, you you uh create opportunities instead of waiting on them. You've built your career on that. So what sparked that mindset early on?

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Um I don't know. I I I didn't really like have a plan for it, and I never like thought about becoming an entrepreneur, it just kind of happened. Like I just had the idea to maybe just do an event for my birthday, I think, like like right when I turned 19, and I just liked how it felt and I wanted to keep doing it, and I just kept like building and expanding on it. It there wasn't like some master grand plan, and I certainly didn't think I was qualified at the time to like work in music or the civic stuff or anything like that. So it was kind of just I liked doing events, um, randomly fell into it and then just kind of kept wanting to like build on it and expand it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Well, looking back at your start in nightlife and entertainment, what are some of the biggest risks that you took that paid off for you?

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Um, I mean, just in the beginning, um I they the events got big pretty quick. So, you know, I I did the first one literally like on my 19th birthday in someone's backyard, and like a hundred people like it was like that type vibe, like very, very grassroots uh start. But I would say that would have been November of 20 uh 10. Yeah, no, no, no, November of 2011, yeah. Cause um and then basically fast forward by like July of 2012, I was already like booking YG and renting out like Dim Max Studios and selling like 500 or 600 tickets on Facebook Live event pages, and I was paying for it all like um with tennis lesson money basically. I was a tennis coach, so I was getting like 20 to 50 bucks an hour or something like that, and so that's how I was kind of funding everything, and so even then it was like super high risk because um I just didn't have any idea what I was doing, I didn't know how much to pay for artists or what bar minimums were or anything like that. So some events would do well and then some wouldn't do well, and so um I would say it was high risk kind of like since the start. But um I think definitely after that, like uh the big one was when I had originally dropped out of college. So I dropped out like um maybe around like March of 2015. Um I was I was in my fourth year of college, but I I wasn't that close to graduating. It probably still had like another semester or two after that, um, like with credits that I needed. So it wasn't like I was like right on the finish line, but I I had dropped out because I started bringing out like some pretty big celebrities, and um I had like a pretty high position at this club called One Oak. And so I felt like if I dropped out and like fully dove in, like that was kind of my time. And so that was like a big risk that I took because my parents definitely weren't happy about it. Um, I didn't have like a plan B. And I I was I put like every dollar I had into all of it. So um that definitely was like some of the earlier like risks and like kind of decisions that I was facing.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Well, I'm sure they're proud of you now.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Yeah, yeah, I sometimes they're still like, what are you doing? But uh but yeah, no, I'm I'm sure uh yeah, it it makes more sense now, but it definitely at the time it like with your question about the I guess like becoming like an entrepreneur or this or that, like it never crossed my mind back then to like do an internship during the summer, apply to jobs, or like I always was just like I'm using tennis lesson money to fund the events, like I know the events are gonna go. So it it was not something planned. Um, and there definitely were a lot of highs and lows, and times that I almost quit, you know. So, but yeah, I think I think they're proud. Never really asked them.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Well, what it working in music and artist development teach you about branding people and influence?

SPEAKER_00 8:44

I mean, yeah, so branding is everything, but I think it's like um, you know, having like a company or whatever, right? So um, like a guy like a Youngblood, right? Like he is just a rock like act, and you just gotta like really hone in on making them, you know what I mean? So you gotta, if you're going for something or a category, you gotta kind of pick it. But as far as the industry overall, um I would just say like you just gotta do things because you don't really know what out of it's gonna connect or work or hit, you know. So like the one of the I think the first big hit I probably had was the Project X party I did when I was that would have been like March of 2012. So I was 19. Um, and that was like right before the YG stuff and all the other big acts I was booking. And that was the first time I did an event where it like went viral. So like millions of views on like world star hip hop and like CNN and like all the big like news stations and stuff. And that was the first time where I was like, oh wow, that's crazy. Like I didn't know anyone cared that much. Like, and there was like news stations there and this and that. And so um, and that kind of gave me the the idea to keep my foot on the gas and keep building up. So I think that like in the entertainment business, you kind of just have to do a lot of things, and obviously you gotta I I only do it if I think it's cool or I think it's sick, right? So um, but that being said, sometimes they just some things just turn out bigger than others. So that's kind of my take on I guess branding and kind of the entertainment industry as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Speaking of turning out bigger than others, creating a high profile venue in Los Angeles is no small feat. So talk about what it took to make that happen behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yeah, it was it was such a weird time in my life. Um I um it was like right when I quit Interscope. So um I had those two big hits, and I kind of felt like at the time that I needed to like leave and kind of start my own company and like build my own name up um so that I could either like re-enter it later on with more leverage or maybe get some some sort of like a joint venture deal. So I left and then like and I left to become a manager because um like a full-time music manager, and literally like three or four months after I left, COVID hit, and so like the whole industry shut down. So I went from like having my biggest year ever in 2019 to just everything's shut: no nightclubs, no music, no touring, no nothing, no restaurants, and so that was I had times before that where um I thought it was over, but that was one where I was like, this might be over. I don't know. Like this is gonna because I didn't really know how long COVID was gonna last and stuff. And during that time, I think maybe like right before COVID hit, I I got someone floated me the idea of the off sunset venue and everything, and and then COVID hit, so I just was like, oh, it's not gonna happen. And then um, yeah, like we just kept talking about it kind of, and then it kind of started to come to like fruition like a year after that. So like maybe around like Feb January, February of 2021. Um, then we started like negotiating the deal and putting all of it together. And at the time, I I didn't even want to work in hospitality anymore. I was trying to just do like music full time. Um and but I kind of like needed cash and stuff, so I was like, all right, whatever, I'll do this. Um, but I didn't really like think too much of it, and then we launched it like in like August of 2021, and it just kind of like took off. It like it was like the first venue to open in LA, like right after COVID. Um, but we were still like cotton swapping people's like noses and stuff like that, like the first couple weeks when we were open. That's how early it was during COVID. And and um yeah, it just kind of like took off, and it was like a huge hit for about three years, and it kind of was like a lifeboat for me. It was crazy. Um, so I was like super grateful for that. But that was kind of how the whole thing happened. It was like really kind of random, just with like timing and the world environment and kind of just where I was at with what I wanted to focus on. But sometimes I don't know, maybe it's just the entertainment business, but I just kind of I don't try to fight it anymore. I just go where the tide goes. So sometimes maybe there's more action in music, and sometimes there's more action in the hospitality business. So I just stop trying to make stop trying to make sense of it all, you know.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Absolutely. Well, in competitive industries like entertainment, how did you build credibility when you were just getting started?

SPEAKER_00 13:46

Um I always try to have the vibe where um if people know that I'm hitting them up for something, they know it's good, you know. So just like if some random company that I thought was like terrible or not good, and they wanted to offer me a crazy amount of money to reach out to some celebrity that I knew, for example, like I probably wouldn't do it. Like I would rather not do it and then hit up the celebrity friend that I have or whatever, and only hit them up if I thought it was like actually a good deal that was on brand for them. And so I think early on, um, and like still up to now, I try to just add value to everybody. Um, and I don't try to make crazy asks, and I try to only hit people up about things that I genuinely think that they would maybe find interesting or beneficial to them, you know. And I think over time, you know, I've been in the I'm 33 now, so I've been doing it since I was 19. I've grown up now kind of with a lot of these people, you know, I've known them since I was like a teenager. And so I think now, like, I especially now that I've had like some success with certain things, like that the phone calls will get picked up if I do reach out because they're like, oh okay, Connor doesn't usually hit me up unless it's something. So and that's kind of the reputation that I have tried to have all along, you know.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Well, everyone talks about resilience. Can you speak about a specific event that tested you and and talk about what you learned from that event?

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Yeah, I think um I think like what I had touched on with um like leaving the record label after having like the big hits that I had, and then like quitting to kind of start my own company, and then just like COVID hitting like three months after that. Um it was tough. I I think like I ended up being okay because I had a few years before that that um were like pretty successful and stuff. So um I at least had like money saved up, but I was still like a pretty young person. I think I was like 27 or something at the time, and so it was like like a huge shock that the whole world basically shut down for like a year and a half, right? So it and then entertainment got like completely hit, right? So it was just like I went from working for like four or five different companies at one time, like like two different nightclubs, the the record label, and like a few other things, and then it just all of it just done in one day, you know. So it was just kind of like how do I guess, how do I guess like survive and then also keep like building up my company, I guess, during this time. Um, and and then also too, like I went from having like kind of the universal music group shield to all of a sudden my value is just my name. So phone calls aren't getting picked up as much, or this or that, or you know, so it was it was a very big rip of the band-aid at the time. But I'm happy I did it now. You know, I feel like um for me at least it felt like I didn't really know what was worse if I did it then when I could still had like time to kind of build it up, or if I ended up staying in all these companies and then getting fired when I was like 40 and then having to re- you know what I mean? So that's kind of why why I pulled the plug then. But that was probably like the biggest test of resilience like up to that point.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Well, I know you operate at the intersection between business, culture, and civic engagements. So talk about how those worlds connect in your work today.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Yeah, so um I um I ended up um actually during COVID um I ended up re-enrolling like back into school, and so um I now I I finished my MBA at USC in like two weeks, and during my time at USC, I started meeting some people kind of like in the political slash civic space, and so um I I kind of was able to break in pretty quick because um I was able to help get them venues for either free or for cheap because I knew how to like kind of speak the language of like to venue owners and stuff, and then I DJ the events, I get the events like press and getty, and I can invite people and stuff like that, and so it kind of just opened up a new lane for me, and and a lot of the causes are good causes too, you know, and a lot of it's like affiliated with the city of Los Angeles and other stuff like that, so um I don't know, I just feel like um it it was um it felt like um a nice progression from what I was doing because I was doing things for a good cause, and then it also kind of like is a good thing to add as well because I I felt like if I just stayed doing the nightlife or this or that, that's kind of it like it's kind of like a weirder look the older you get, you know. Whereas the civic stuff, like I could be a lot older doing that, and it still looks totally fine, you know what I'm saying? So um, I don't know, it's just something I like fell into and I felt like it was a natural progression and also just like a good cause to be affiliated with. So that was kind of how that all happened.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Well, how do you approach relationship building in a way that's authentic but still strategic?

SPEAKER_00 19:54

Um I I just always um you know I guess I guess like uh if I look at anybody, right, where say they're like high profile or anything, like they could be the CEO of a bank or they could be a huge celebrity or they could be a um a politician or they could be, you know, I always try to think like what do they want? Like, because if I just reach out and I'm like, hey, I'm Connor, like blah blah blah, like they probably don't care, right? But if you know they want to meet investors or they need press or they want to get an event done for them for cheaper than they would otherwise, then that's kind of the angle that I always try to like think where like how could I help them with like a problem they have and and then try to like build in that way. So um I don't ever try to like ask for a favor if I don't have to. I always try to like come in and offer uh help on like something that I think they would want, you know, and I think um if you come in that way, it's a lot easier to like kind of get your way in and like climb up the ranks and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

Well, talk about what creating your own lane looks like in practice for someone who is starting from scratch.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

Yeah, so um I can just I guess talk about the progression of kind of like how it went for me, right? So I was just a tennis coach, and you know, if you're a tennis coach at like 18 or 19, like you know, 20 to 50 bucks cash like at the time is like a pretty decent amount of money, especially if like you're in college and you're not paying rent and you're in a dorm and your like food meals are paid for, whatever, right? So I had like a decent amount of money coming in, and then I basically used that to start booking out like venues, and then once Once I was doing that, then I was starting to get the contact info for like artists and managers, and I was starting to kind of build a base of people that would come to my events and stuff like that. And then once I had that and I had all the contacts, then by the time I was 21, you know, a lot of the big 21 plus clubs that a lot of the like celebrities and high-profile people and whatever else go to, they're like, oh, like this guy already has like a pretty good base of people. Like he has artists, he has managers, he has a college, a college crowd of people that come, like we'll just pay him to bring these people. And then it turned into like I didn't have to put up like 15 or 20k sometimes and try to invite 500 or 1,000 people. I was just getting paid a flat fee to bring people, right? And so that's kind of how that happened. And then once I had all the celebrity contacts of people who were going to the clubs, then the record labels found out about me. And then they're like, oh, like we can just hire him and we can use him to maybe put together some song deals with these artists for cheaper than we could otherwise, or we could have him, you know, find a young artist or work or develop a young artist, like a young blood, and put them around the scene and this and that and build them up. And then all of a sudden, then I all I get plaques. So I have the music credits, like the platinum plaques and the Grammy plaques and whatever. And then all of a sudden, people come to me and want to hire me to you know develop them as an artist or manage them or whatever. And so that's kind of like the progression of how it all happened. And so um I didn't I didn't have like a master plan or a blueprint, I just kind of was like going with it and trying not to like plateau or get phased out, you know.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Well, as your focus shifts more towards leadership and impact, what legacy are you hoping to build?

SPEAKER_00 24:10

Um I don't know like um I don't know the exact like message um that I'm trying to like leave behind necessarily. I haven't like thought that far ahead. Um I just kind of support causes right now that um I like or I support, or you know, just doing stuff for the city in general, like doing events and we just give out like free food to the neighborhood and people that come and the schools and stuff like that. But I haven't I don't I don't know yet like what I want people to like remember me for. I haven't really like thought about that. I think right now the focus is just kind of like building more in the space and um trying to like do things that I like I enjoy or support, but I don't know. Um I haven't thought that far ahead, I guess. I'm 33. I hope I still live a bit longer, you know.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Well, tell us about any upcoming projects that you're working on that listers need to be aware of.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Um I mean, yeah, as of right now, I'm um just managing a lot of DJs and a lot of like talent and creators. Um I have a few big civic events coming up this summer. Um finished my MBA in two months or two weeks, uh like May 15th. And then yeah, other than that, um no big nightclub or restaurant as of now in the works. Um, and then music projects. Um we just had um a DJ we manage release a project with this big DJ group called Disclosure. So that was a big one, but um nothing nothing too crazy right now in the works. So I'd say right now it's more just I kind of want to figure out where I want to put most of my energy once I finish um my school stuff.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

They'll watch your contact info so people can keep up with everything that you're up to.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I um my I have my website, Connor Tracy.com, and then I most of my um social media handles is just at the Connor Tracy. So pretty easy to find me.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

We'll close us out with some final thoughts, maybe if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on, or any final thoughts you have for the listeners.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

I mean, I I don't have anything particular. I think just if you have any other like questions or things that you think people might enjoy, like happy to answer it and and talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

All right. Well, we can end it right there. We got a lot of a lot of information from you. You're definitely a inspiration. And for everybody who wants to keep up with everything that Connor's up to, visit Connor Tracy.com. Website will be in the show notes. Follow rate review, share this episode to as many people as possible. Also, follow rate review and share www.curveball337.com to everybody that you know, so they will know about all the things living the dream that we will be doing on the show. We got some great guests playing for you and uh might even be releasing some bonus episodes from time to time. So thank you for listening and supporting the show. And Connor, thank you for all that you do when it comes to leadership and impact and civic engagement, and thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Thanks so much, Curtis. I really I really enjoyed this. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

For more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball podcast, visit www.curveball337.com. Until next time, keep living the dream.