Many entrepreneurs simply try to catch a wave and ride a popular trend to success while others focus too much on their idea at the expense of gaining public support. Steven Dorn is the life-long entrepreneur and investor melding the best of these worlds to develop a truly unique entrepreneurial and investment stye, amass a wide range of experience, and achieve a high level of success at a young age. Dorn is an expert at taking the market’s pulse and offering products and services that are not only meaningful to the consumer, but that actually drive consumer behavior and start cultural movements. It should come as no surprise that Dorn has been intricately involved in various important projects across the music, entertainment, film, and sports industries.
Recently, Dorn has been investing his time and resources into his film production company, Couch King Productions. Specifically, Dorn and Couch King Productions are involved in a new docu-series titled “Tiger Kingdom.” Dorn created this docuseries in order to reclaim the conversation about tiger conservation after the chaotic mess that was Netflix’s Tiger King.’ Of course, Dorn produced this docu-series to give Doc Antle a chance to dispel the gross rumors started by Tiger King producers as well as raise awareness for charitable causes; Dorn also knew that with the popularity of Netflix’s original documentary, the time to strike was now. Antle disproves the gross claims of maltreatment of tiger cubs at his facilities as well as clarifies misconceptions about the number of tigers located in sanctuaries in the United States, which totals less than 1,700 in 2017 compared to the number of tigers located in the wild, which is around 3,000. Further, Antle spends time highlighting his conservation and philanthropic efforts with Soraya Station located in Sumatra as well as with The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.).
Dorn’s docu-series walks the perfect line between entertainment and education with gorgeous and sprawling shots of Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari’s grounds and exotic wildlife as well as serious conversations about wild-life conservation. Dorn’s documentary is making waves in the media with positive reviews in Haute Living, Forbes India, Yahoo Finance, People, Elite Daily, and more.
Dorn’s multi-faceted success is not limited to the film industry. Dorn actually got his start and built his brand in the music industry. Dorn’s rise to the top of the music industry is actually a story of Dorn’s unique style and savvy. Of course, Dorn has the skills needed to make it in the music industry — being a great networker as well as judge of character — but it is Dorn’s ability to nurture talent and put them in a position to succeed that sets him apart.
Dorn runs his music management and investment business out of his XYZ Media operation. This music management and VC firm allows Dorn to make his deep network and resources work for the artists he is invested in. Forbes recently did a feature on XYZ Media, Dorn’s ear for talent, his capability to connect artists with the people they need (producers, partners, et cetera), and his specific style.
This ability to nurture talent by getting artists into creative as well as lucrative environments with the right people is Dorn’s calling card. Dorn may be one of the most well-connected people in the industry as he has been running in elite creative and business circles for over a decade. Not only can he put artists in the right position with people in the music industry, but because Dorn is a serial entrepreneur and investor across various industries, he is able to connect his artists with the right people for any endeavor.
Furthermore, Dorn made a risky, but on-brand choice when it came to marketing XYZ Media. Believe it or not, Dorn decided to forgo regular advertising methods and to avoid creating marketing material altogether. In a world full of non-stop content and influencing, XYZ’s ‘behind-the-scenes’ and downplayed vibe is striking a chord with both artists as well as consumers in a way that corporate competitors cannot realistically achieve. Beyond this, XYZ Media is the best in the business at creating sincere and one-of-a-kind marketing campaigns for the artists, focused on going a mile deep instead of a mile wide.
Dorn’s track record speaks for itself. He played an integral role in discovering and developing the career of Grammy-nominated Bryson Tiller. More recently, Dorn has also been involved in the career of the new R&B star Pink Sweat$. Of course, Dorn’s influence is not just contained to the states as he is also part of the team for the international singer Yo Trane.
Despite providing value in any environment, Dorn’s steady hand and out-of-the-box thinking are valued at an even higher premium than usual since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dorn is making sure he is doing all that he can, creatively and monetarily, to help the artists he is involved with during these trying times.