The unlikely story behind a singer’s journey to entrepreneur and technology innovator

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, smiles as he listens to James Choi during a meeting.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, smiles as he listens to James Choi throughout a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, J Lyons, Chris Barragan and James Choi, talk in a meeting.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, J Lyons, Chris Barragan and James Choi discuss in a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, poses for a photo.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, poses for a photograph after attending a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, Chris Barragan, J Lyons, and James Choi, talk in a meeting.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, Chris Barragan, J Lyons, and James Choi discuss in a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

One of many main turning factors in James Curran’s life — who has been well-known as JTM or James the Mormon — got here when he was 21 years outdated.

After being expelled from BYU-Idaho for the second time, he moved to St. George and located a job at a neighborhood restaurant. He remembers going to a celebration at good friend’s home after work on Christmas Eve. He stated he was drunk and excessive on marijuana when he made the choice to drive house.

Earlier than he might get there, the younger man was pulled over by a policeman who smelled alcohol and requested if he had been consuming. Curran lied and stated no, however he had been round others who had been consuming. The policeman stepped away together with his license and registration. Curran was sure he was going to jail.

However it didn’t occur. When the policeman returned, he handed Curran his license and stated, “I don't know why I’m doing this, however merry Christmas. Drive house proper now.”

Curran obeyed. As he contemplated the unfavourable route his life might have gone that evening, his solely rationalization was that God had intervened.

“He knew that was a turning level for me,” Curran stated. “I might both select to alter my life or go to jail and who is aware of what would occur. I made a decision to alter my life and go on a mission.”

The pivotal expertise led Curran to rectify his life and unlocked the gateway to a brighter future.

As we speak the 35-year-old is the founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm that gives purchasers with trackable content material and real-time analytics to assist get rid of redundancy and focus efforts the place they're simplest. He has beforehand launched different tech corporations and has enterprise dealings in actual property, Airbnb and different ventures.

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, J Lyons, Chris Barragan and James Choi, talk in a meeting.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, J Lyons, Chris Barragan and James Choi discuss in a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

Just a few years in the past Curran was the profitable rap artist often known as James the Mormon, however he now not goes by that moniker. He nonetheless dabbles in music as a passion, however is extra keen about being an entrepreneur and innovating know-how today.

“We're getting higher,” he stated. “We're rising, so it’s an thrilling time.”

Curran, a Brigham Younger College graduate, spoke with the Deseret Information not too long ago about his life and profession path, his enterprise expertise and the way he hopes to make a distinction within the Black-owned know-how area in timing with Black Historical past Month.

Listed here are six questions with the entrepreneur and know-how innovator.

Notice: This interview has been edited for size and readability.

Deseret Information: You had been born in Utah however grew up in a number of completely different international locations. The place have you ever lived around the globe?

James Curran: My mom, who handed away final September, was a U.S. diplomat. My father served a (Latter-day Saint) mission in Chile and my mom was within the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico mission. Then she joined the U.S. International Service. As a result of she spoke Spanish they despatched her to Mexico. She grew to become pregnant with me in Mexico. They didn’t need me to be born in Mexico in order that they got here to Utah. I used to be born, we had been right here for 2 weeks, then went again to Mexico.

From there, we went to Ontario, Canada; then to Taiwan, to Beijing, to Moscow, to Uzbekistan. In between these stints, the way in which it really works with the International Service is that you just at all times come again to the US for a couple of 12 months. So in between all of these I used to be within the Washington, D.C., space, in both Virginia or Maryland, for a couple of 12 months, after which we might return abroad for about three years.

DN: For a couple of years now you might have tried to rebrand your self and transfer away from the moniker “James the Mormon.” How is that going for you?

JC: Terribly. I've discovered that particularly inside area of interest communities, in case you acquire notoriety, that’s who you might be inside that neighborhood. I'm going to die as “James the Mormon,” no matter what I do in my life, even when I left the church, which I've no intention of doing. However I'd nonetheless be James the Mormon as a result of that’s how they had been launched to me. So it doesn't matter what I name myself, and belief me, I’ve tried to rebrand a number of occasions, I’m at all times known as James the Mormon.

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, poses for a photo.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, poses for a photograph after attending a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

I’ve additionally realized that making music is difficult to outshine, no matter what it means to me. What I’m doing with Whistlepitch and these different entrepreneurial ventures are a lot extra thrilling and profitable in my thoughts that what James the Mormon was.

However it doesn't matter what I do — “Yeah, I’m doing Whistlepitch, we’re rising, we simply hit this metric of success” — persons are like, “Oh, cool. What about music?” It’s humorous. So I assume I don’t suppose I’m going to actually outshine that. I feel that can simply observe me the remainder of my life. It’s simply one thing I’m going to need to cope with.

DN: As a music artist you’ve produced 4 albums and several other singles. Do you continue to make music?

JC: I make music as a passion. Should you look again on previous interviews, even after I had the No. 1 album in America, I stated this can be a passion. It’s a passion that I favored doing. I can’t management how many individuals prefer to see what I make or create, there’s waves of success with that. However yeah, till the tip of my life, I’ll most likely create music as a passion and if individuals take pleasure in it, then they will take heed to it.

DN: February is Black Historical past Month. Is there someone in Black historical past that has influenced or impressed you?

JC: Sure, there are a number of individuals. One which involves thoughts is Barack Obama. The explanation why Barack Obama is so essential to me in Black historical past is as a result of I genuinely believed all rising up, till he grew to become president, that there was a ceiling for me due to the colour of my pores and skin. When he grew to become president, simply the truth that he grew to become president, there was an “aha” second for me as a human being, a Black man in America. The world is now my oyster. I can accomplish something. Something is feasible if I work arduous sufficient.

In order that second when he grew to become president was very essential to my life and I’m certain to the lives of different Black individuals in America, who seemingly had comparable “aha” moments.

If I can present just a little little bit of the “aha” second that Barack Obama supplied for me to different individuals, then I'm very pleased with that. We hope to do this.

DN: When did you notice you needed to be an entrepreneur?

JC: I’ve been an entrepreneur since I used to be like 12 years outdated. I used to promote sweet at college to earn money. I'd go get these fun-sized baggage for $5 after which promote the 30 items in there for .50 a bit, make a $10 revenue.

I'd promote CDs at college. In faculty, I'd arrange occasions. Earlier than my mission, I'd tour occasions from Rexburg, Idaho, all the way in which to St. George — all the school cities — and throw these huge events. It might price a pair thousand dollars to place the get together collectively. Then we might promote tickets and cost $5 an individual. My take house was most likely $5,000 a celebration.

I went on a mission (Washington Everett Mission, Russian talking) and actually discovered who I used to be. I spent each dime I needed to serve a mission. After I got here house, I used to be utterly broke. I labored for Vivint to make some cash. I used to be their No. 1 gross sales rep for a whole 12 months in 2012. From that time on I’ve been an entrepreneur.

I simply was fortunate sufficient to have a roommate who gained the BYU marketing strategy competitors. He launched me to the tech world. We had been the co-founders of Stickr.co. I offered my fairness to pursue music for a few years and see what that needed to supply, however got here proper again to tech.

I feel my best power is seeing a possibility, then appearing upon it.

James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a technology company, Chris Barragan, J Lyons, and James Choi, talk in a meeting.
James Curran, founder and CEO of Whistlepitch, a know-how firm, Chris Barragan, J Lyons, and James Choi discuss in a gathering at The Store coworking area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

DN: What's it about your work that provides you probably the most satisfaction?

JC: The good half about Whistlepitch, particularly as a enterprise proprietor, comes once we are demoing the software program. It’s cool to see how rapidly they will see the worth in their very own processes. We plug issues in and we make their lives simpler to allow them to really stay life. To have the ability to work collectively to resolve their particular issues and add worth to their particular processes is basically cool.

I additionally wish to encourage individuals of shade to suppose past what they advised they’re able to, like past being athletes or musicians. They could possibly be tech innovators or enterprise leaders in each doable business. That’s actually essential to me as a result of I noticed different individuals doing it, then I stated, I can do it. I would like them to see, not simply me, however different Black leaders or individuals doing issues to allow them to say, I can do this too.

I actually wish to present the “aha” second that Barack Obama did for me and I genuinely imagine that illustration is so enormous in altering the minds of what individuals suppose they’re able to.

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post