Christian Anderson
The late Peter Drucker, the famous Austrian-American businessman, once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
It’s not easy to become an entrepreneur. If it were easy, everyone would do it. However, the idea of entrepreneurship still plays a vital role in achieving the “American Dream” and “self-made success” is still worshipped. It seems that there are two options in life: work for an entrepreneur or become an entrepreneur. While most of today’s society fits into the first half of this sentence, there are a few who are determined to do things their own way.
Entrepreneurship has evolved significantly over time, especially in the last decade, as internet communication has become more widespread and people have become more connected. The social media boom that began in the early 2000s set a new precedent of what is possible, with brick-and-mortar businesses being replaced by online e-commerce.
As the business environment changes to more of a web-based marketplace, new opportunities have arisen within the new business ecosystem. You no longer have to put in extra effort to succeed; rather, huge opportunities are right at your fingertips for anyone brave enough to pursue them. This new environment has made success more achievable, thus enabling the modern social media entrepreneurs who have accumulated wealth online.
One entrepreneur who has found success in the digital market and has seen great opportunities is Christian Andersonbetter known as his online alias and artist name,To trustBranded as a “Lost Boy” on social media, Anderson’s story is a success story in the modern business ecosystem. His story of a college dropout turned millionaire is a unique example of how wealth can be built in non-traditional ways in today’s online era. Here, we explain why networking, faith, and self-confidence from a young age played a major role in this marketing guru’s success.
Start Young
Anderson’s entrepreneurial journey began when he was just 16 years old, writing and recording songs in his parents’ basement. Under the stage name Trust’N, Anderson got his music career off the ground early by posting original tracks on Soundcloud and hosting local parties, including one in a stationary train car. Leveraging his status as a local celebrity, Anderson began to attract the attention of his peers, and at school he sold merch out of his backpack with his cover art printed on the front. Anderson still remembers how busy those early days were. “I ordered hats with the Lost Boy logo embroidered on the front and had friends customize the colors of the hats. Before long, everyone wanted to buy my hats, and I was selling them directly out of my backpack. Selling hats was really my first business,” Anderson explains. His other hustle was as a party promoter, sometimes in a small space with hundreds of guests at a time. “We did parties in people’s basements and Airbnbs, but the best ones were the train parties,” Anderson recalls. Anderson organized live music performances on stationary trains and made a profit from admission fees. “I remember having parties and hundreds of people coming and going on the train every night,” Anderson said.
Under the stage name “Trust’N”, he built his early fanbase by releasing his first five songs on SoundCloud, but began to build a more national fanbase with the release of his EP “Lapse”. The extended play garnered critical acclaim on major music platforms such as Lyrical Lemonade. “Lapse” paved the way for other charting releases and viral moments as Trust’N gained an international listenership of millions. And while Trust’N has had success with his music career, it’s not at the top of his priorities.
networking
Anderson started out living in the Midwest with no real connections in the entertainment industry, but with the help of his Instagram page @trustn, he built a personal brand that is well known in the online marketing field. The Peter Pan cartoon character he uses as his social media profile picture is imprinted in the minds of anyone who sees his profile. An entrepreneur, Anderson’s passion for music production transitioned into writing feature articles and marketing columns for major news outlets. Anderson began his journey as a freelance writer by becoming the youngest contributor ever to Forbes’ Communications Council in 2019. His byline in Forbes led to him landing writing jobs in other major publications such as Rolling Stone, Entrepreneur, and Newsweek. Some of Anderson’s biggest works include interviews with celebrities on TikTok and Netflix.
Anderson’s most impressive undertaking to date is Lost Boy Entertainment LLCAn industry-leading public relations and digital marketing company. A “lost boy” founded a marketing company with his college roommate. Bryce Vander Sanden The pair started the business while attending the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. What began in a dorm room quickly grew into a multimillion-dollar operation. “I still remember when Bryce and I met the woman at the school’s small business center who helped us fill out our LLC paperwork,” Anderson recalls. “It’s honestly crazy to think about how far we’ve come from that point,” Anderson says.
Anderson’s music and success as a businessman began to be featured in the college newspaper, and he was interviewed multiple times by local television stations. However, it wasn’t until Anderson dropped out of college and moved to Los Angeles, which seemed like a difficult and risky decision at the time, that Lost Boy Entertainment LLC began to grow into a multi-million dollar business. “I remember telling my mom I wanted to drop out of college. Both of my parents were educated, and my education was very important. But I think they saw how passionate I was about what I was doing and supported me,” Anderson said. Anderson packed up and moved west to Los Angeles to expand his company. His time there allowed him to widen his network and interview celebrities face-to-face, which increased his visibility not only in the entertainment industry but in business overall.
To date, Lost Boy Entertainment LLC boasts an extensive client list that includes A-list celebrities and caters to the needs of Fortune 500 companies. The company recently announced a new partnership with Sony Music Group as a trusted marketing partner. Anderson attributes their success to their network. “I can get overwhelmed with all the different marketing campaigns that come across my desk. I have to ask my business partners, ‘Why do you know this person?’ But it’s because of my network that I have the opportunity to work with these clients,” Anderson said. The adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” applies very well in this situation.
faith
From living in a dorm room to having clients from Fortune 500 companies, Anderson continues to grow his network, including over 200,000 followers on Instagram, and make money. While showcasing his lavish lifestyle driving sports cars, wearing expensive clothes and jewelry, and traveling the world, Anderson has worked hard for what he has and built wealth far beyond his years. His drive and desire to prove others wrong, his passion for people, and above all else, his faith, are the cornerstones of his success. “I’ve been doing this for almost six years now, making millions of dollars. A lot of people didn’t believe in me, mocked me, and honestly hated my success. But in my heart, I knew this is what I was meant to do, and I’m thankful God had these plans for me. So much of my life is inexplicable, there are so many moments I can’t explain, but all of my success is a reflection of who God is and what He’s capable of,” Anderson explained. “Without Him, I wouldn’t be here,” Anderson concluded.
Self-belief
Perhaps Anderson’s greatest quality is his undeniable confidence. That confidence and attitude is something Anderson took time to develop. “I wasn’t always the most confident kid. I actually got bullied in elementary school,” Anderson noted. It wasn’t until high school that Anderson started to believe in himself. “Some of my friends would make fun of me for making music, but I think after a while I stopped caring,” Anderson said. Once the “Lost Boy” started to believe in himself, others around him followed suit. “I don’t really know why, but it seemed like once I decided to just go for it and embody who I am as an artist, more people started to look up to me. I remember the auditorium being packed during a performance at school. I sold like 500 hats my senior year of high school. Everyone wanted one,” Anderson recalled, telling the story.
Anderson began to have success as a musician while in high school, but it wasn’t until college that he realized he was a rock star. “When my song (Lucy) went viral on TikTok, everyone knew us. The security guard at the bar would wear my hat so I’d skip the line,” Anderson explains. From the beginning, Anderson has been on a never-ending journey of self-discovery and growth.
While career success has fostered confidence, it was the turbulent times that defined Anderson’s character. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs on this journey. I’ve been able to learn a lot, travel the world, experience a lot. But it’s been really hard, really hard, to the point where I wanted to give up,” Anderson confessed. It was the lows that most strengthened my confidence. “When I think back on this five-year journey, I remember the moments when I really wanted to give up, how scary it was, like when I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars at once and had to bounce back from that. Those moments are what define me the most. There’s no doubt about it, because I know that even if I lost everything tomorrow, I’d wake up the next day and I’d get it all back,” Anderson said. Confidence and self-belief are amply exemplified in a few sentences.
Final thoughts
Anderson’s next steps include expanding his PR and marketing powerhouse Lost Boy Entertainment LLC, releasing more music and enjoying the life he’s worked so hard to achieve.
Anderson’s journey and powerful story from a Midwestern college student with no connections to playing a pivotal role in digital marketing and entertainment is a great example of how starting early, networking, having faith, and having a strong sense of self-confidence can pay off big time.
