The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Putting lipstick on the pig

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego
This is a brick and mortar tale.

It's my very recent story of going from this:

[GALLERY=media, 139]20170109-IMG_8065 by Gary posted Jan 28, 2018 at 6:46 PM[/GALLERY]

to this:

[GALLERY=media, 132]AC_Lounge_back-117 by Gary posted Jan 28, 2018 at 6:43 PM[/GALLERY]

I own and an operate a small nightclub in San Diego, the Air Conditioned Lounge. It's 14 years strong but long-in-the-tooth in my industry. I wanted to maximize my property's income so I dreamed up a plan to convert the dormant area directly behind my bar into a private event and corporate meeting space. I saw a distinct need in my market for an alternative to hotel banquets rooms and ill-equipped restaurants. I designed the space to mirror some of the elements of the club, but with it's own unique retro-modern feel.

It took 1 year longer than I wanted, 20% over budget, but earlier this year I declared it 90% complete and have started to market it. My net operating space is now 2000 square feet inside the club and another 1300 square feet for the event space.

It's called the Glampisphere (Private Event Space San Diego | North Park | The Glampisphere) and will be a completely separate stream of income for me. My goal is to bolster my financial statements for the company, as both the nightclub and event space are owned by the same entity, and sell the business in 3-5 years. I own the property and with current lease rates in my neighborhood in San Diego, I could get $9000/month in rent today from the potential buyer.

I'm very excited about what lies ahead. Many, many challenges lie between me and my financial goals for this business, but the entire process of developing the property, creating my marketing plan and talking to business leaders face-2-face about utilizing it has energized me.

Another view:

[GALLERY=media, 130]AC_Lounge_back-111 by Gary posted Jan 28, 2018 at 6:43 PM[/GALLERY]
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego

amp0193

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
444%
May 27, 2013
3,637
16,157
United States
Here's a short video from a podcast done recently with San Diego Magazine that speaks to my venue's history and the meaning of 'Glampisphere'.


Nice video, I wish it didn’t cut short at 6min!

“Elevatin’ and Celebtatin’ since 1994” - loved that line!

Really cool looking business man, the Glamisphere looks awesome! I agree, way better alternative than a stuffy hotel ballroom.
 

SteveO

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
456%
Jul 24, 2007
4,228
19,294
@Gary
My wife and I will be in San Diego the 8th-11th. We do plan on coming by your place to check it out and would love a tour if you are available. No need for you to take time for us. We will still stop by. But if you have a moment....
 

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego
Nice video, I wish it didn’t cut short at 6min!

“Elevatin’ and Celebtatin’ since 1994” - loved that line!

Really cool looking business man, the Glamisphere looks awesome! I agree, way better alternative than a stuffy hotel ballroom.
Appreciate the love. Thank you @amp0193
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego
@Gary
My wife and I will be in San Diego the 8th-11th. We do plan on coming by your place to check it out and would love a tour if you are available. No need for you to take time for us. We will still stop by. But if you have a moment....
@SteveO , I have plenty of time for you and the Mrs. I'll pm you my cell. Let's have some fun!
 

GPM

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
376%
Oct 25, 2012
2,067
7,775
Canada
Hey @Gary your photo's are not working.

Mind putting them back up?

You showed me the "after" photo's when we were chatting in Phoenix, but I never saw any before ones! The place looked amazing. I am not in to clubbing, but when I am down that way I am coming for a visit.
 

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego
Hey @Gary your photo's are not working.

Mind putting them back up?

You showed me the "after" photo's when we were chatting in Phoenix, but I never saw any before ones! The place looked amazing. I am not in to clubbing, but when I am down that way I am coming for a visit.
I'm perplexed @GPM . I can see the pics on my end and the 'EDIT' button is missing on the OP so I can't go back into it and re-insert the photos. I'll have to investigate and get back to you.

Thank you for the heads-up.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
445%
Jul 23, 2007
38,076
169,492
Utah
@Gary, I changed the permissions of your album to be MEMBERS, you had it set to private so no one can view pics. Now registered users can view.
 

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego
@Gary, I changed the permissions of your album to be MEMBERS, you had it set to private so no one can view pics. Now registered users can view.
Duh. Thanks for bailing me out.
 

Gary

Elevatin' the Celebratin'
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
313%
Mar 18, 2011
155
485
San Diego

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top