ARON

Lost Vegas to Ladera Ranch

Born and raised in Las Vegas, or Lost Vegas as I call it, I've always let things unfold on my own terms.

Hoops came first. I tried out for the Denver Nuggets in their 2002 open tryouts, scored a live Fox Sports West interview, and made the USA Today front page the next day alongside a local standout. I kept grinding through NBA D-League and ABA opportunities. Along the way two random moments dropped in supernaturally: I was an extra in the 2002 movie Undisputed with Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames, and in 2005 I auditioned for a Dockers commercial. I never chased acting. Those were just universe gifts that taught me to show up sharp when the spotlight hits.

The entrepreneurial rabbit hole kicked off later. My college roommate Tricky Vic wore ties short as a casual style, and years down the line in 2011 I saw the potential. I created and trademarked The ShowTie, built theshowtie.com, and turned it into a real clip-on accessory line with men's bold versions, women's sleek fits, and customs for groups and events. It landed features in Huffington Post and Extra TV, gifting suites at the Daytime Emmys, Pre-ESPYs, and International Fashion Film Awards, and got worn by China Upshaw, the celebrity stylist from We TV's LA Hair, right on the show. That small indie fashion win showed me ideas can take on a life of their own.

Music was never a pursuit either. It started as a college hobby with most beats and songs made between 1997 and 2002, influenced by Outkast, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, 8Ball and MJG, Mary J. Blige, and Prince. In 2022 I uploaded the old catalog plus a few new tracks as ARONLABEL with some DJ BLANK collabs. Somehow it has over 4 to 5 million total streams across all platforms and still pulls about 2.8K monthly listeners on Spotify. I could care less about music now. It's just quietly making a small dent in the indie world on its own.

From the tryout spotlight and random film moments to turning a roommate's style into a trademarked product with TV exposure in 2011, to a forgotten hobby racking up millions of streams, to AI that actually helps business owners run smoother, it's all connected by persistence, creativity, and letting things manifest naturally. Based in Ladera Ranch, California these days, still open to whatever comes next.