Katie Marple: When did you realize you could make money off of what you love to do?
A’ron Easton: I was fresh out of prison in 2014, after learning the wrong way to hustle. A friend of mine, who was connected to a clothing brand, let me know they were looking to hire a model for an upcoming photo shoot. I wasn’t a model, yet the designer assumed I was
and said he liked my look. He offered to pay me $150, which at that time in my life, was a lot of money. So, I played the role. The collaboration and my first paid gig sparked all the motivation I needed to get into character and do whatever it took to make it. That’s when I realized I could tap into any given skill, attribute, or talent to become lucrative. Fun fact: Polina, the executive director of PATTERN, was actually the photographer on set of this first photo shoot.
KM: Once you figured out you could make money off your talent, how did you do it?
AE: As an unsigned independent artist, I had to ensure that I could record, engineer, market, and produce music, videos, and content. I hustled by creating merchandise and selling to fan bases. I also have engineered for a recording artist for a nominal fee. I provided consultation to other creatives to expand their brand visibility. Because I’ve been making music for years and have had experiences with music executives, I have been able to educate others on the things I’ve learned from the game.
KM: How do you keep the momentum going in such a cutthroat industry?
AE: The relationships that I’ve cultivated over the years have opened other doors for me to collaborate or get paid in various areas. I take every opportunity and apply lessons learned and share that real industry knowledge with others. I capitalize on it by helping other people get paid for the insights that I have that can take them to the next level. I often gain new relationships and business opportunities from collaborations.
KM: What does “the hustle” mean to you?
AE: Hustle for me is to non-stop grind. I go and make things happen. Basically, I’m consistently making moves that generate profit. I get paid to model. I get paid to do features. I get paid to write music. I get paid to record and engineer for others. I get paid for event creation and planning. I get paid to give advice on marketing and expanding my fan base on social media. I get paid to repost someone’s post or brand or music. Everything I do is to somehow generate money. As more people stream my music, I’m able to get checks in the mail from publishing (wink wink).
KM: Musician turned model and now actor—tell me how you landed that role.
AE: Having confidence and feeding off the confidence others have in me has led to modeling for Lids, Nike, and global campaigns for Finish Line and JD Sports. I have also been booked for paid appearances at events!
I was recently cast for my first movie role, produced by Mike Epps and directed by Tommy Smalls, who both started out in Indianapolis. I play a character named “Swift” who, ironically enough, uses crime and other people to hustle for him.
A motto I live by is, “You must invest in yourself if you want to grow. If you don’t spend money, you can’t make money!” The main takeaway is that you can’t expect others to invest in you if you haven’t invested in yourself.
