We had the good fortune of connecting with Dion Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dion, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I built Indie Me because I did not want the future of entertainment to happen without talent in the room. Tech is moving fast, and the industry is changing fast with it. If we do not build real solutions at the same pace, performers become an afterthought instead of the heartbeat.

Indie Me exists so actors and creators can keep making work that feels human, while the business stays responsible. That means consent-first models and automated royalty distribution, so talent and estates are still part of the deal, not just the risk. It also means we only create compliant AI assets for booked gigs with explicit talent or agency approval, because permission has to be real, not implied.

Our mission is to blend AI-assisted production with live-action storytelling and build emotionally resonant work validated by real-time audience data. The future needs speed, yes, but it also needs trust. The goal is to help the industry move fast without breaking it.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets Indie Me apart is that we are not treating AI like a magic trick. We treat it like a real force that is reshaping the industry, and we built for the part everyone wants to skip: trust. Indie Me is designed as an end-to-end system across three pillars, ethical likeness licensing, AI content validation, and compliant distribution, so the work can move fast without leaving talent behind or creating chaos later.

I am most proud that we centered the human part. Consent-first models and automated royalty distribution are not side features to us, they are how you keep performers and estates in the conversation while the tools evolve. And we built the platform to be regulation-ready and audit-ready with provenance and evidence packages, because the future is going to demand receipts, not vibes.

How I got here business-wise was not easy. The challenge has never been “can AI generate content.” The real challenge is navigating rights landscapes, PR minefields, and compliance requirements while still protecting the emotional connection audiences have with premium storytelling. I overcame that by refusing to build a point solution. The world has enough tools that solve one slice of the problem. We built infrastructure that connects validation, licensing, and distribution because the gaps between those steps are where people get hurt and projects get stuck.

The lesson I keep learning is simple: speed without principles is expensive. So we validate ideas early with real audience signals, then we ship with rights confidence and provenance attached.

What I want the world to know is that my story and this brand are about one belief: AI should be a tool, not a replacement. We can build a future where the work gets bigger, the opportunities get wider, and everyone gets a real cut of the game. Never give up. Never surrender.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When my best friend comes to LA for a week, I treat it like we’re living inside a movie. We start with something that feels instantly iconic, art that makes you feel awake, then we roll into a dinner where everyone is dressed like the night has a purpose. After that, we go rooftop first, let the city lights do their thing, and then we find a real dance floor and stay long enough to forget what time it is. The next day is pure blockbuster energy, theme park chaos in the best way, laughing like kids, taking pics like tourists, and ending the night in something fancy where the food feels like a performance. Midweek, we slow down just enough to remember why this town exists, a museum, a screening, a moment that reminds you stories still matter, then back to a hot spot where the music is loud and the room feels like possibility. Toward the end, we take the coast for a sunset dinner that looks unreal, and on the last night we do a proper wrap party: a place that feels like Hollywood, one last toast, one last dance, and a promise to run it back.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my team, the ones who keep choosing faith over fear. Thank you for carrying the weight of the dream with me, and for protecting what matters when it would be easier to take shortcuts.

I have never been motivated by “dog eat dog.” I have always been moved by the opposite: the idea that we can build the kind of future where everyone gets a cut of the game, where the win is shared, where people are not pushed out of their own art. That is why my North Star has stayed the same through every chapter of my career in entertainment technology: make amazing art, change reality, and widen the circle so more people can win.

AI is a tool. It is not the author. It is not the soul. It should never replace the human beings who make stories feel real, and it should never erase performers from the conversation. I care about consent being real, and people being treated fairly, including models that support consent-first use and automated royalty distribution so talent and estates are respected, not sidelined.

Never give up. Never surrender. Even if you do not know how yet, do not let society convince you it is not possible. Build anyway. Learn anyway. Bring people with you.

Website: https://indieme.studio/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dionjohnsons/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/indiemestudio

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dionjohnsons

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.