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:
Resources Mentioned:
- Visit Travis’ website at travischappell.com
- Join the Build Your Network Facebook group travischappell.com/group
