The Hustler's Digest StaffEvery great entrepreneur has a downfall at one point in their life, and some say adversities are how dreams are made. In the case of Elliot Tousley, Co-Founder and COO of De Novo Agency, his downfall was just that, the beginning of his dreams coming true. Elliot Tousley, a talented and passionate musician, being laid off from a Fortune 50 insurance company, a few hundred bucks, and some Instagram ads into building a wildly successful agency centered around helping independent artists navigate the music industry. Given Elliot’s first-hand experience as an independent artist, he and his Co-Founder James Landry were able to identify the common mistakes and obstacles independent artists face in the music industry. The agency has now created over 20 million organic streams, taken on hundreds of new clients, and given them the tools to succeed in under 18 months.
Building a Career
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “turn lemons into Lemonade,” you understand fundamentally working with what you have to get to what you want is a crucial skill for succeeding in this day in age. Elliot was dealt a hand most would have no idea how to navigate, being laid off from what many college graduates would consider a “dream job” to having his back against the wall and taking a risk on pursuing his passion. Elliot’s passion has always been music; it’s evident when you consider he’s been writing and self-producing music for over ten years. So given his music acuity and first-hand experience, he was able to turn his passion into a side hustle.
Elliot’s side hustle was quickly growing into a full-time career, seeing growth from his clients all across the board made that a reality. Elliot, alongside James, took $200, some Instagram ads, and a lot of creativity and built De Novo Agency to where it is today.
A New Chapter: De Novo Agency & Songflowr
Elliot’s Venture into the music industry has worked out quite well, considering DNA is now on pace to disrupt an industry with such a confusing barrier to entry pathway for independent artists everywhere. Growing in the industry takes innovation, something that Elliot and his team at DNA have done for countless musician’s, Elliot’s perspective as an artist brings a dynamic to their business that identifies the information that independent artists are struggling to find. By leveraging that perspective DNA has been able to give away information that many companies would squeeze thousands out of you for. Carrying that value first initiative has resulted in DNA’s fast scalability, and customer’s seeing the results they’ve been looking for.
Seeing that Elliot is now fully vested into an industry full of opportunity, Elliot is also taking on new challenges that independent artist’s face and bringing a refreshingly helpful business to the scene ‘Songflowr.’ The software is aiming towards bringing an artist-friendly distribution platform that will distribute music to every streaming platform for a one-time payment. As an entrepreneur, Elliot is completely innovating every angle within the music industry and will be pioneering a path for independent artists worldwide.
Key Takeaways
Elliot Tousley is a prime example of building a career out of something you’re passionate about rather than pursuing a career solely for money. His unique perspective of the music industry is shaping the lives of independent artists everywhere, and helping them get a few steps closer to becoming the artists they have the potential to be.
