Johnny Q: How I Built a Business Overnight With NO Experience

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Johnny Q is one of Trinidad & Tobago’s most iconic entrepreneurs — but his journey didn’t start in business. It started with DJing, sound systems, and figuring things out in real time.

In this episode of The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit down with Johnny Q to unpack how he built multiple businesses across events, hardware, auto parts, and entertainment — often with zero experience.

He shares the story of opening a hardware business overnight during COVID, the thinking behind his viral marketing campaigns like the “Tarzan” ad, and the mindset required to take risks and execute at scale.

We also dive into:

• The evolution of Trinidad’s entertainment industry
• The real economics behind Carnival and events
• Why customer experience matters more than being right
• Missed opportunities in tourism and local business
• And what young entrepreneurs need to understand about starting

This is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, adaptability, and building a household name in the Caribbean.

00:00 Introduction
00:22 Meet Johnny Q
01:02 Opening a hardware business overnight
02:52 Learning business with zero experience
03:40 The viral “Tarzan” ad strategy
06:26 Early days as a DJ
08:59 Breaking into radio and changing the culture
12:20 How DJs transformed radio in Trinidad
14:20 The evolution of parties and live entertainment
20:19 Building stages and solving problems
25:43 From DJ to entrepreneur
27:10 Expanding into events, tents, and rentals
32:04 Starting in business with no formal training
33:45 The turning point: building a sound system business
38:47 The business of entertainment and networking
42:09 Scaling the rental and events business
45:58 Expanding into security and other ventures
48:05 Getting into the bar business
51:25 Entering hardware and auto parts
53:44 Building the Q Power brand
54:23 Customer service philosophy
57:08 Being hands-on in business
01:02:59 Why the events business isn’t as profitable as it seems
01:06:20 The reality of running events
01:09:23 Creating Monday Madness
01:12:42 The truth about Soca Monarch and performance
01:15:14 The rise of new artists
01:16:51 Giving back with the Evolution band
01:19:49 Developing young talent
01:22:25 Why Trinidad is missing opportunities in tourism
01:32:20 Supporting artists and the Carnival economy
01:34:56 The venue crisis and its impact
01:36:52 Why consultation matters in decision-making
01:41:17 Challenges faced during Carnival
01:45:27 The business reality behind Carnival bands
01:45:59 Fixing the road and parade experience
01:47:01 Final thoughts