Along with starting Lost Future Music Group, Andre Herd founded Daybreaker, a popular early morning dance party. Erik Huberman, CEO of Hawke Media, talks to Andre about Daybreaker, how he became an entrepreneur and Silicon Beach.
Erik Huberman: What made you want to become an entrepreneur?
Andre Herd: I don't love having a boss, but the main reason is that I felt you don't really leave your mark on the world by being in a system where you climb a ladder to get to the top of a company that already exists and is already doing it's thing. I feel like you leave a mark on the world when you start your own thing and you change the world from your perspective and what you want to see changed.
EH: Tell me about Daybreaker.
AH: Daybreaker is an early morning, pre-work dance party from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. It's completely sober and it's totally wholesome and healthy. We have as much juice, coffee, tea, kombucha as you can possibly drink included in the price of the ticket. We have a DJ and trombone players, trumpet players playing along with the DJ. At every party, we have about 300-400 people come out. That party lasts for two hours. You dance for an hour and half, and then we'll come up, say hello and sit everyone down. Then we'll bring on a spoken word poet, a freestyle rapper, or a singer-songwriter who will perform for a couple of minutes. We'll pass out intention cards which contain a quote we've selected, and all 300-400 people will read it aloud together, setting our intention for the day. Then we'll get up and dance for 15 minutes and people go on with their day, go to work or do whatever they do. That's Daybreaker.
EH: Why the Santa Monica area?
AH: The girl I started it with and I felt like our community was largest on the Westside. The first party was really us reaching out to our personal communities and we had about 300 people of just our friends. They had a great time and told five or 10 people that day. That's how our community really grew and now we've gotten to the point that word is definitely out. We've just had our first Downtown party, so we've spread it to the Eastside of L.A. It's starting to take over.
EH: What do you think of the Silicon Beach scene?
AH: I think it's great. In terms of the future, I think it's absolutely phenomenal. I have so many friends who work in startups and are involved in Silicon Beach. I think it's really cool.
EH: Do you have one piece of advice for an entrepreneur starting their own business?
AH: Follow your heart. Follow what feels right. I think so many people confine themselves to what they think they have to do. They see it one way. They think, "I'm going to get an internship in college, graduate college, I'll be an assistant for a year, then get this job and I'll be promoted by the time I'm 27, then I'm going to be here when I'm 30." My advice is that that's just not true. Do what you want to do. If you have an idea you think will change the world, it doesn't matter if you don't know anybody or where you live, start it, do it, try it. You'll find a way.
EH: Is there anything you'd like to share with the Santa Monica community?
AH: Our next event is February 11 on the Westside at V Lounge in Santa Monica. You can sign up for our L.A. email list at dybrkr.com and we'll only email you about parties in L.A. You'll meet amazing people, you're all very conscious and aware of your surroundings, you'll get a great workout in, and it's the best way to start the morning.
