Meet Aaron Master

We recently connected with Aaron Master and have shared our conversation below.

Aaron, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from seeing opportunity in every situation, no matter how difficult, challenging or enjoyable and fun, and the relentless pursuit for discovering the right and best next steps. Sometimes it’s immediate, and sometime it takes strong collaboration and deep thought and reflection, but I believe in myself and my team, i can always find a path forward. Also when i studied Jazz and especially musicianship, it improved my ability to improvise by listening to what is happening, reflecting and reacting in the moment, and bringing something cohesive and harmonious, or dissonant and striking, but listening to yourself and the situation and letting it flow.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hello All 🙂 Ive had the great fortune and pleasure of learning from and collaborating with a variety of amazing people and personalities, across a multitude of disciplines and walks of life, and created some special memories and a few fun brands along the way. I started out in Pennsylvania working for a family business in the home decor space, working my way up from unloading trucks to CEO, leading an industry leading organization of special people all around the world, along with a robust charitable focus, and working with major retailers like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes and Amazon. I also was able to study music at Berklee and also MI in Hollywood, focusing on jazz guitar performance, and playing the streets, venues and coffee shops of Venice, Hollywood, and NYC. Along the way, I developed a strong passion for Tea and Coffee, and the cultures and rituals involved in the creation of special sensations, flavors and moments with them. That lead to the creation of Sunshine Brands, a company that builds brands and experiences like Little Lunch Coffee, my favorite spot to enjoy a cup with my friends in Venice and Santa Monica, and where locals and travelers alike can enjoy delicious drinks and snacks with friends, meet some new folks, and enjoy the many pleasures our beach communities have to offer. We’ve continue to curate and host events and create unique products with a mix of local and international brands, non profits and up and comers. Today, I travel back and forth between PA and LA, working with various teams and collaborators to continue bringing special moments, products and experiences to communities I love, and still get to make music here and there.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would say that listening, being relentless and not settling, and the endless pursuit of knowledge are the three most important skill sets that I use on a daily basis. I think its easy to listen to your instincts and work with your existing knowledge base which might be deep, but when you unlock other collaborators approaches, ideas and knowledge bases, thats when you can learn and build diverse strategies, hear where your collaborators are coming from, and bring everyone along through the process which usually provides key learnings and growth for all involved, and the collective energy to execute at a high level. Making people feel heard doesnt mean always going with their ideas, but it keeps everyone engaged and builds a collaborative, positive and growth centric environment. Not settling until it’s right, and staying at the table until it’s right is another skill and focus you need if youre going to need to be successful in building anything meaningful. It means staying focused on finding the right way, contemplating, living with each next move, and measuring a hundred times if you have to, to cut once. Finally, studying music really taught me that you never end your studies, so get used to reading, learning and exploring information. Seek out new ideas, concepts, strategies, and take in as much as you can. Not all will be right or accurate, especially learnings from people who haven’t walked the walk before they talk the talk, but if you build your knowledge base with diverse and credible information, you learn what you take and leave from each piece of information and interaction, but never stop learning and be humble enough to put your pride and ego aside for your growth. Its not about you, its about serving others in my line of business, so i never forget that.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My long time collaborator, Vy Nguyen, has had the most impact on me over the past several years since meeting her and starting our company Sunshine Brands. We both have such diverse skill sets and approaches to creating and problem solving, and although it’s important and obvious to leverage your knowledge base and skill sets, the most important thing is working with people you trust, and allowing them to identify underdeveloped skill sets in your approach, and accept help where you have shortcomings. When you can find someone you can trust to shine light in darker, less focused on or areas, areas where you might not have particular interest in, thats when powerful, game changing growth and development can occur. I am very interested in many subjects, and tend to read and seek information obsessively because I’m passionate about them, and they continue to refine my skill sets and approaches for these capacities, but I also tend to neglect areas I’m not as interested in, less skilled in, which is probably relatable and understandable, but to be a CEO or business leader, you need to identify areas of weakness, and double down your effort to build skills in those areas. Having someone who cares about your well being, and depends on your performance is a great person to take feedback from, help you grow into a more comprehensive and dynamic leader, and I am fortunate to have learned and continue to learn and accept feedback from her.

Contact Info:

• Other: [email protected]