What motivated you to start your business?
Ever since we were kids, we had a passion for making music and creating content, but we always lacked the money, direction, or space to practice or establish ourselves. After years of working out of our bedrooms and garages, we collaborated with one of our good friends, Mikeyy, and decided it was time to create a space not only for ourselves, but for other creatives as well.
We felt that creating this space would provide local talent with the opportunity to work in a supportive environment and encourage them to pursue their dreams.
What did you do before First Generation Studios?
Before we opened the studio, we were all working full-time and studying while trying to pursue our dreams. Baban and Kovan are aspiring artists and Saman is a social media content creator. Since starting the studio, we put everything aside and jumped into the deep end of the business. We haven’t looked back since.
New Zealand has showcased some talented artists on the world stage, but what challenges do industry players face in breaking into the country?
As artists ourselves, the biggest challenges for us were finding a reliable workspace and navigating the business side of creating.
In the beginning, it is often difficult to know how to release music, let alone how to reach an audience. As we went through the different stages of our careers, we learned a lot about the industry, complicated though it can be, and discovered many resources at our disposal.
Today, we are grateful to be able to pass on this knowledge and help others share their art with the world without feeling overwhelmed by the complexities involved.
How big is your team?
We are three co-owners and work with four temporary staff who are our close friends. Our entire business model has always been based on a sense of community and we enjoy working with people who share the same vision as us. Ultimately, First Generation Studios would not exist without the help, support and encouragement of our friends and family. Although our immediate team is only a few of us, we consider it to be much bigger than ourselves.
How have you financed the business so far?
We used savings and worked individually to raise as much money as possible to put into the company. We believed strongly in the First Generation movement from the beginning and were more than happy to invest every single penny.
What were your biggest business challenges?
Since we financed everything out of our own pocket, it was difficult to find the balance between low prices that match our philosophy and keeping the business going. Also, finding a suitable space for a studio was a challenge – but the result was incredibly worth the wait.
What have been your highlights in the business so far?
We love seeing people’s smiling faces throughout the entire process; from the moment they are greeted at the door to the moment they hear or see their finished product that they can proudly share with the world.
A big highlight for us was when an artist released art they created in our studio for the first time, as it reinforced our mission to support Aotearoa’s talent.
Where do you see First Generation Studios in the next two to three years?
Although we work in a studio, our long-term mission is to foster a movement of creativity and mutual support across Aotearoa and eventually globally. By hosting free workshops, running live events, helping people build networks and staying true to our original goal of making creative work accessible to all, we are confident we can achieve this.
What advice do you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Whatever business idea you have, whatever creative vision you have, just do it! We know how clichéd that sounds because we’ve heard it many times before we even started. It’s scary to throw yourself out into the world, but know that others will always find value in what you love to do. And no matter what happens or what obstacles you have to overcome, just trust the process, keep working, and the results will follow.
