Austin 2019 Elevate My Business Challenge/Spring 2019 Founders Bootcamp Alumni
Audience Choice Award Winner Spring 2019 Bootcamp
Company Website: www.saulpaul.com
Company Bio: Part rapper/part singer songwriter, SaulPaul is an entertaining artist who blends his voice, his guitar and his loop pedal to create a live show that is nothing less than an EXPERIENCE.
SaulPaul Productions is a thriving young company that is run by none other than SaulPaul himself. SaulPaul is a “Musician with a Message” who is inspiring the next generation using his story to capture the hearts of youth, young adults and young professionals. He is the co-founder and CVO (Chief Visionary Officer) of SaulPaul Productions. SaulPaul Productions produce events that entertain, inspire and equip. SaulPaul wanted to create a platform to empower the planet via his keynotes, concerts, coaching and consulting. His vision was always very clear but his path to success was not. Before he launched his company, SaulPaul was a musician and motivational speaker. He decided to restructure and venture into something new. He wanted to take a risk because he saw that entrepreneurship would allow him the most autonomy over his vision. Launching his own company was his only option.
SaulPaul graduated from the prestigious University of Texas at Austin with a 4.0 GPA. However, before that he was in prison for four felonies. He was able to overcome his mother dying at the age of three, a father that abandoned him, growing up in the ghetto, and even going to prison. He was able to turn tragedy into triumph. SaulPaul believes that his past adversity gives him a competitive advantage in the business world. His struggle has lit a fire under him to show that there is more to life. Even now, 20 years after prison, he visits jails and juvenile detention centers to tell those that are locked up that it gets better. He knows that though many may see their situation as a liability, they don’t have to see it that way. Overcoming adversity can definitely be seen as an asset. SaulPaul recognized his resilience as an advantage. Every year thousands of people graduate from University of Texas at Austin, but not many can say they have graduated while overcoming what SaulPaul had to overcome. He has caught the eye of so many because of his redemption story. You can see him doing events like TEDx Talks, America’s Got Talent, and even the Super Bowl.
One of the obstacles that the business has had to overcome is that people had a perception that the company wasn’t bigger than just SaulPaul. People misunderstood the company as just a personal brand, one person that wasn’t scalable. In reality, it was much more than that.The reality was SaulPaul is a leader of people who has always organized teams around him to assist him in accomplishing his goals. He said that while there is only one SaulPaul, he recognized that he could train and create many “SaulPauls” across communities throughout the globe. He has made it past that pain point, by creating, inserting, and training like minded inspirational coaches.
SaulPaul decided to join the Austin Elevate my Business Challenge because he saw that the organization had quality individuals that aimed to help businesses that were underrepresented in the marketplace. After he graduated from the Challenge, he was even more excited to join the Founders Bootcamp. The two programs offered him different ideas of how to scale and grow his business. The Challenge was great because it covered the basics that every business should know like trademark, copywriting, bookkeeping, and more.
The Founders Bootcamp catapulted SaulPaul to the next level because he realized that the problems he was facing were not unique to him. Being able to see how the other entrepreneurs in the program tackled those problems helped him create solutions. Before joining both of our programs SaulPaul did have some knowledge about business growth, but he was always willing to learn and absorb new information. Since graduating the programs, he has brought on two new employees, launched a new division/revenue stream, and his revenue has doubled. His company’s eight verticals allow them to diversify, but also focus on the ones that work well. This has led to them increasing their profit margins significantly.
With the success came more and more recognition. SaulPaul was nominated for the Best Children’s Album at the Grammys in 2020, finished his autobiography “Be The Change: A Story of Transformation,” and finished a theatrical family production called “SaulPaul’s Alien Adventure” that will be released in February 2020. In the next five years, he envisions that his company will have surpassed the $10 million mark.
His advice for other small business owners is to get clear and surround yourself with a group of individuals that are willing to offer help. He says that mindset is everything and in today’s world you are just a Google search away from connecting with someone. SaulPaul is heading into 2020 with a lot of confidence to scale and grow his company. Here at Founders First CDC we want to congratulate SaulPaul on all of his success. If you want to check out his website and learn more, please go to saulpaul.com.
