Did you have a business plan when you established your business? How did you go about starting your business?

No, but I did have concepts about the cost and possible revenue to maintain the theatre. At the beginning, I used my personal contacts to reach out to the community and adopt Facebook as our only way of advertising. It turned out successful and the press came to us naturally. I was acting before I established Oral Fixation, and I quit. I have my own vision and I don’t want any compromise.

Do you think a business plan is necessary when starting a business in your industry? What made you successful (unique)?

There was no competition when I started Oral Fixation. When I came back to my hometown Dallas, I realized that there was no such storytelling show and I got a great opportunity to go into the market and dominate it, even till now. We are unique and we maintain profitable since the first day of operating.

Please, offer three pieces of advice on how to become a successful arts entrepreneur? 

1) Understand your specific strength and what motivates your day.

2) Look at your community and find what is missing there

3) Don’t do what everyone else is doing and think outside the box. That is where your power comes from.

Interview by Chieh-Ya Hsu, student in Developing an Arts Venture Plan, Arts Entrepreneurship, SMU.