CITY FOCUS:Integrating businesses

When Tyler Coleman was asked to create a business plan for a fictitious company in his Introduction to Business course at Vanguard University, it wasn’t difficult for the 21-year-old Huntington Beach resident to come up with an idea.

Coleman simply drew up a strategy for the business he founded two years ago — Trü Production — a company offering music recording, graphic design and photography services with the goal of being a one-stop shop for recording artists.

“Instead of going to three different places to put together an album, I wanted to create an outlet for local bands to record, master and mix an album all in one place,� Coleman said. “Since then, it has blossomed into a really powerful, creative company offering three strong aspects of multimedia.�

Though forging a professional career while still in the midst of academia has not been easy for the young entrepreneur, his enthusiasm for the business makes it possible to balance the two aspects of his life.

“Being a full-time student and trying to run your own company is pretty much two full time jobs,� he said. “But if it’s something that you’re passionate about and you have the drive to do it, you’ll make time to pursue it.�

As a business marketing major, Coleman uses many of the lessons offered at the university to propel his career, such as how to focus on the right demographic and ensure that your product/service is unique and creative.

Bonni Stachowiak, who teaches the introductory course, is impressed by Coleman’s ability to take classroom instruction and apply it in the real world, noting his knack for networking and collaboration. As a professor, she said the current generation of students is much more focused on “relevant learning� — education they can apply immediately.

As the advisor for the Vanguard chapter of Students in Free Enterprise, an international nonprofit uniting business and higher education, she asked him to design the organization’s brochure and annual report.

“Tyler has an eye for design and his creative abilities and good social skills will definitely help him in his business,� she said. “He displays a lot of the traditional characteristics of an entrepreneur, and is constantly looking to put his education into practice.�

Optimizing available resources is definitely a strong point for Coleman, who applies the expert advice of his older sister — the head of concept graphics for Abercrombie & Fitch — and often utilizes the recording equipment at his father’s house in Glendale, which he first experimented on as an inquisitive 12-year-old.

“I’ve had some skills taught to me and the rest I just taught myself through trial and error,� he said. “There’s a wide range of things I’ve dabbled in and experimented with and I just keep trying to incorporate them into my business.�

Photography is the most recent addition to Coleman’s repertoire. In addition to band photos, he now offers head shots, engagement and wedding photos, complete with make-up and hairstyling services.

Lucky for Coleman, his active professional life has had no ill effects on his social life, as he strives to combine the two, recording friends’ bands — including his own, Corvallis — and snapping photos of his buddies hanging around town or surfing in Huntington Beach, constantly looking to beef up his portfolio.

“Not only do I get to photograph and record my friends, which could help their own careers, I also get to hang out with them,� he said. “It’s really cool.�