Meet Don Strom: Executive Producer & Managing Partner Salt Productions

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

Hi Don, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
To me, risk equals opportunity and growth. One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken proved to be the most life-changing and worthwhile. I grew up in a suburb of Omaha, NE in the late 90’s where you could start working at age 14. It became clear to me that if I wanted something, I was going to have to jump into the workforce and pay for it myself. I graduated from high school at 17, enrolled in EMS training, and by 18 was one of the youngest firefighters in my local department. A year later, a friend contacted me about joining a 3-month European tour with a performing arts company he worked for in Southern California. I would be helping with the technical aspects of the shows, something I was familiar with having worked in the theatre department during high school. It seemed a little crazy – I had a great job, paid my bills on my own, had a promising career ahead of me…but also, I was still in the closet, trying to figure out who I was emotionally. What would happen if I left my comfort zone and took this leap? Turns out, amazing things would happen, it was the best decision of my life. I have now had a fun, crazy, exciting career in the entertainment industry, and taking that leap set the stage for everything I’ve done since. I am analyzing and taking risks weekly both in my personal life and in my business. With every decision, I analyze risk through multiple lenses. Who can be affected by this decision, what financial impacts can it have, how can it change the timeline, what unknown factors could change the outcome? Living life as a business owner in the live events industry has tested my risk judgment in so many ways. At the end of the day, after I answer all the questions I can think of, I ultimately have to make a decision. I typically follow my gut. Many people say how do you know what is the right move? The truth is, you don’t always know. That’s why it’s called risk – you have to take the leap and then work your ass off to get the right outcome.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart and knew at some point I would start my own business. Because I like working with others, and I thrive on collaboration and conversation, I also knew it had to be with the right people at the right time. I knew for sure I didn’t want to own a company by myself; I knew I wanted partners I could trust, who would lead with the same moral compass as mine, who brought skills to the table that I didn’t possess but that complimented my own. When the stars aligned and that team became a consistent part of my working life, I knew the time was right. All of us knew we wanted to build a company that delivered quality work with a team of people our clients would love. We saw an opportunity to approach the work in a way that lets production lead the creative process and conversation, all the while keeping it fun and not overly stressful. At our company, Salt Productions, LLC, we often talk about how we “lead with production”, highlighting how our approach ensures that the client gets outstanding creative work while staying within budget. It’s not always easy but we love big ideas and finding the best ways to make them come to life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Any of the theatres, go see a good show – Hollywood Pantages, Ahmanson Theatre, LaMirada Theatre Hit the beaches – My favorite ones are in south Orange County around Laguna Beach Disney Land – I am a huge fan of the history and success of Disney. I think they have an amazing creative team!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My career and success is because of the relationships and the experiences I’ve had, even the ones that have come and gone. Each chapter of my life has introduced me to amazing people, individuals who have shared their talents with me, guided me through challenges, shared lots of good laughs, cried in stressful moments and at times, had hard honest conversations. I think everyone I have met, good and bad are who I want to give a shout-out to. They have been instrumental in molding who I am today and who I am going to be. So to everyone who I have crossed paths with in person, online or through others, THANK YOU.

Website: www.passthesalt.com
Instagram: @salt_losangeles
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/in/don-strom-67280682

Image Credits
Tj Stoltz, Russ Keith, Adam Brown, Lindsey Wilde Titus, Mason Eisenberg, Nina Sokoler