Founded in early 2016, Hunt A Killer started as an annual immersive thriller event at Camp Ramblewood, MD. Participants would work in teams to solve a weekend-long murder mystery. Although the event saw some initial success, co-founders Ryan Hogan and Derrick Smith realized that their dream of revolutionizing the entertainment industry could not come to fruition through a once-a-year event.They took notice of the growing popularity in subscription boxes and saw an opportunity make their dream a reality. In October 2016, they pivoted their business model to deliver captivating, immersive mystery tales right to your doorstep through objects, letters, and clues from a fictional serial killer; hence, the Hunt A Killer Membership was born. Starting over was not easy. During those first few months, Derrick would pack all of the packages himself and ship them out right from his basement.Fortunately, a lot has changed since then. Starting with just 47 members in October 2016, the company has exploded to over 55,000 active members by the end of 2018. Hunt A Killer now employs over 40 people both part time and full time and has partners from all over the world.For Hunt A Killer, the only way is up. The company is still experiencing explosive growth, which has enabled us to launch a new brand in the horror genre, Empty Faces. Over the next few years, we’re aiming to become a household name in America and throughout the world. Stay tuned.On This Episode:Hear how Ryan started as an entrepreneur in third grade.Learn how to manage a quickly growing company.Ryan explains what he would do differently if he could go back and do it all over again.Key Takeaways:You need the right team around you to be successful.Hire someone skilled in running operations very quickly.Diversify as quickly as possible.Ryan Hogan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanehogan/ (linkedin.com/in/ryanehogan)huntakiller.comResources Mentioned:Visit Travis’ website at https://create.acast.com/episodes/3b48e6da-a672-4e83-9897-ddefc4e88bc7/travischappell.com (travischappell.com)Join the Build Your Network Facebook group https://create.acast.com/episodes/3b48e6da-a672-4e83-9897-ddefc4e88bc7/travischappell.com/group (travischappell.com/group)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy