From Nightclubs to Grammys: Marketing Lessons with Connor Treacy 🎵🍸

Today we’re sitting down with Connor Treacy — a marketer who has lived marketing from every angle: nightlife, music, politics, and big brands.

Connor doesn’t just talk theory. He builds movements.

👉 He co-founded Off Sunset, one of Los Angeles’s most exclusive nightclubs, pulling in $4M+ annually through scarcity marketing, celebrity partnerships, and event branding that transformed parties into cultural moments.

👉 At Universal Music Group, Connor contributed to Grammy-winning projects like Future Nostalgia and helped break artists into the mainstream by scaling grassroots campaigns.

👉 Beyond entertainment, he’s brought the same marketing savvy into politics, using digital outreach to drive voter turnout and real community engagement.

What sets Connor apart? He shares not just the wins, but the failures—and the lessons behind them. His POV is simple but powerful:
✨ Great marketing isn’t about chasing hype. It’s about aligning brand, timing, and audience to create results that last.

This episode is packed with insights on:

• 🎉 How to build exclusivity into your brand (nightlife secrets that apply to ANY business)
• 🎵 What entrepreneurs can learn from breaking a new artist into the mainstream
• 🗳️ How political campaigns and product launches have more in common than you think
• 🚀 Why connecting people is at the heart of marketing, no matter the industry

🔗 Useful Links

🌐 MarketSurge Website: https://marketsurge.io

📘 Facebook: MarketSurge Facebook Page

💼 LinkedIn: MarketSurge on LinkedIn

🐦 Twitter/X: @marketsurging

🎙️ Podcast: Inside Marketing with MarketSurge

📅 Book a Call: 15-Minute Value or Free Coffee

👤 Connect with Connor:
🔗 Website: connortreacy.com
📱 Socials: @theconnortreacy on Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn

✨ Don’t Miss Out!

If you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or creator looking to learn how to align your brand with your audience, this episode will give you real, unfiltered insights.

👍 Like this video if you got value
🔔 Subscribe for more weekly episodes
💬 Drop a comment with your favorite insight from Connor

Creators and Guests

Host

Reed Hansen

Reed Hansen is a seasoned digital marketing executive with a proven track record of driving business growth through innovative strategies. As the Chief Growth Officer at MarketSurge, he focuses on leveraging AI-powered marketing tools to help businesses scale efficiently. Reed's expertise spans from leading startups to Fortune 500 companies, making him a recognized authority in the digital marketing space. His unique ability to combine data-driven insights with creative solutions has been instrumental in achieving remarkable sales growth for his clients. ​

What is Inside Marketing with MarketSurge?

Welcome to Inside Marketing with MarketSurge — your front-row seat to the boldest business insights, marketing breakthroughs, and entrepreneurial real talk.

Hosted by Reed Hansen, Chief Growth Officer at MarketSurge and a digital marketing veteran who's helped scale everything from scrappy startups to Fortune 500 giants, this podcast dives deep into what’s really moving the needle in today’s marketing world. Find us at Marketsurge.io

Each week, we’ll break down the latest marketing and business news (minus the fluff), explore tech trends you actually need to know, and feature unfiltered conversations with the most interesting minds in entrepreneurship and marketing.

Whether you're a founder, a marketer, or just a curious hustler looking to level up, this is where growth happens—loudly, smartly, and with just the right amount of sass.

Subscribe, tune in, and let’s scale something legendary. 🚀

Speaker: Welcome to Inside
Marketing With Market Surge.

Your front row seat to the
boldest ideas and smartest

strategies in the marketing game.

Your host is Reed Hansen, chief
Growth Officer at Market Surge.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Today on
Inside Marketing with market Surge,

we're sitting down with someone who's
lived marketing from every angle, brands,

artists, politics, and even nightlife.

Connor Tracy is a marketer
who doesn't just talk theory.

He builds movements.

He co-founded off Sunset, one of Los
Angeles's most exclusive nightclubs,

pulling in over 4 million a year.

Through scarcity marketing, celebrity
partnerships and content strategy that

transformed events into cultural moments.

Universal Music Group, Connor contributed
to Grammy winning projects like Future

nostalgia and helped break artists into
the market by scaling grassroots digital

campaigns into mainstream stardom.

And beyond entertainment.

He's brought that same marketing
savvy into politics using digital

outreach to drive real voter
turnout and community engagement.

What I love about Connor is that he
shares not just the wins, but the

failures and what they taught him.

His POV is simple but powerful.

Great marketing isn't about chasing hype.

It's about aligning brand timing
and audience to create results.

That last, Connor, I'm
so glad to have you.

Welcome to the show.

Connor, you've worked in some
really interesting industries.

You've worked in nightlife, music
and politics, you know, so these

are, you know, for, for many
they'd seem totally different.

What do you think connects this
all as like a common thread as a,

as an entrepreneur and marketer?

Connor Treacy: Yeah, so I guess, I
guess it comes down to maybe like

me and like what my skill sets are.

So, know, at the end of the day
I would say I'm a really good

connector and a really good promoter.

So, you know, whether, um, promoting or.

Marketing an event, or I'm marketing
or connecting a product or an

artist or a song or political event.

Um, it's all kind of intertwined in that
sense, where I kind of just understand

like what it is I'm involved in and then.

What I kind of need to do on my end to
like put the pieces together to amplify

it or take it to the next level, you know?

So I know it sounds sometimes random for
people, but it all, everything I kind

of do like intertwines in a weird way.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: You know,
actually I, I really like that.

I, um, and I think you've kind
of reduced entrepreneurship and

marketing to its essence, you know?

It is, it is about connecting people
or com, you know, and, and being a

skilled communicator, um, boiling.

Tricky things or, or, uh, new thing,
new ideas to, uh, a larger audience.

Uh, so that, that's super cool.

And now in particular, I know very
little about the nightclub space.

Um, now you had a very
successful nightclub.

You know, you're still a young
guy, so that's really awesome.

What is, tell, tell us what
running a nightclub is like

and how do you build momentum?

Um.

You know, with using exclusivity and,
and, you know, promoting a brand and

getting high, high level celebrities
to come, how, how, how is that done?

Connor Treacy: Well, yeah, so
I guess for one, you know, I,

I do live in Los Angeles and

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Connor Treacy: know, the space was
in West Hollywood, so it was like,

the heart of it was like the mecca
kind of, of like celebrity culture

and entertainment and stuff, right?

So, um, obviously if I opened up a spot
in like middle America or something, I

probably, uh, wouldn't be as good, right?

So I'm just kind of in the
right place at the right time.

But, um, you know.

It's like a combination of things.

I also, I also have been doing
events really since I was a

teenager, so, and I, I think I
opened off Sunset when I was like 28.

So I'd been doing it for a long
time, like 10 years pretty much.

And um, you know, it was like
something that I always wanted to do.

but you know, I think.

people that want to do the
nightlife and hospitality stuff.

Um, one thing that I really
try to let people know is like,

you have to be there like every

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Connor Treacy: that it's open pretty much.

Otherwise, um, it's not gonna hit
the same and PE people go like.

I'm not gonna, like, not from a,
uh, conceited standpoint that people

go just 'cause I go, but like, it,
it's like, uh, people want to go

and like, feel like they're getting
taken care of and they see you.

It just helps, you know?

So I feel like if you are gonna open up
like a hospitality venue, um, you need

to be very hands-on and you need to be
there a lot, especially when it comes

to like the higher end clientele or the
celebrities or anything in that realm.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: So, so
you probably have to really enjoy

the nightlife yourself, like, and,
and be on that schedule and, and,

you know, enjoy the, the energy,
um, just every, and do it every day.

Is that fair to say?

Connor Treacy: Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean I, um, it, it was like
the first thing that I ever kind

of did in life where I was like,
this is like what I'm meant to do.

Like, I just loved it.

Like it was never, I.

Never really like something where
I was like with a calculator in my

room, like figuring out how much money
I could make from it or something.

I just like really loved like the idea
of like get, like going on Google and

like getting an artist and renting out
a venue and then seeing the numbers on

the Facebook event page, like explode.

And then people go and do like a video.

Like, you know what I mean?

It was just like the whole process of the
whole thing was like what I really, um.

Like, I guess fell in
love with or whatever.

I don't know if that sounds corny, but,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's kind of like, yeah, so, so I really
like, like the nightlife and, you know,

I've been doing it for a long time, so
it's not like, you know, every weekend

when I was doing off I was like, oh, I
can't wait to go to, you know what I mean?

But like, for the most part, yeah.

I loved it and I, um.

It's like, you know, one of the, one
of the favorite things that I do.

So yeah, you, I feel like
you have to like it, right?

Otherwise, if you hate it,
why would you every weekend?

It's crazy.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge:
So the, you know, scarcity

marketing is something that is.

You know, useful and, and, um, you
know, in my audience I have businesses

of all kinds, you know, and so in
the nightclub space, I would, you

know, I, I I picture a, a key.

Like branding element is the line
that goes out the door and the, the

doorman that is, um, restricting entry.

Um, or slowing entry and people,
and the, just the visual of like,

people are lining up to get in.

How, uh, how do you like.

Keep people lining up, how do you,
um, get them to wait for your services

and, um, you know, like, you know, when
you're, say when you're starting from

scratch, how do you get, how do you
get people, uh, to, to help you with

that visual of the line out the door?

Connor Treacy: Well, we at off Sunset,
we kind of did like anti-marketing where

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Uh.

Connor Treacy: had like, no,
we had like no sign out front.

It like wasn't on Google Maps
for a few months or a while.

Um, didn't have like a big
opening night, like we kind of.

I dunno if we like lied, but
like, we kind of like, were just

telling people, oh, come by.

Like, we're gonna do some showings
to like close personal friends.

Like, tell us what you think.

But like, we were fully open, but like we
were just showing like select people and

then like word would get out and people
would start talking and stuff like that,

and they'd be like, oh, like what is this?

Or, you know what I mean?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: There was that, and
then we were like putting stickers on

people's phones so they couldn't take
photos of like whoever was inside.

So it was like a whole thing where
people, and then I, I would say it

was like more like after three or
four months, then it like popped.

But we had built up the momentum,
but we didn't try to like make

a huge splash immediately.

So that was more how that worked.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge:
Well, so that's interesting.

I like that anti-marketing, uh, term
and you know, then also you just being

kind of playful with it, you know,
like, hey, it's it, you know, we're

letting a few people in, you know,
don't, don't, uh, you know, make it

seem like they're the first to the.

You know, first to the show and um,
you know, I imagine having like a

who's, who there really helps too.

Um, you know, I'm sure tho
those are draws in themself.

Um, now you've gotta be a great
networker to make this happen

on, on the regular basis.

Um, how do you do it?

Do you make calls?

Do you like work with agents
or how, how is that done?

Typically?

Connor Treacy: Yeah, so, so
it was basically, um, off

Sunset, it was me and um.

Four other partners.

And so one of the guys, um, that I
was partners with, I knew him from

working at Universal Music Group.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

Connor Treacy: the other guy, um, I
was partners with, I knew him from when

we were working at One Oak, together.

So we had been in entertainment
for years, you know, and, and, um.

Knew a number of celebrities or artists or
label people or managers or any of that.

So it's more like Especially in the
West Hollywood nightlife or la um,

you know, when you're opening a new
spot, people will go check it out.

Like, you know what

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: So it's kind of like
we're just sitting at a table, like

at lunch and we're just figuring out
who all of us are gonna text, right?

And so it's like if I bring three
or four celebs and they bring

three or four celebs and the other
one brings, you know what I mean?

All of a sudden you have like
15, 20 celebs that are gonna be

there one night and then all of a
sudden it's like this crazy thing.

So.

that's kind of how it's done.

There's not some crazy
curtain or anything like that.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

No, that, that's really helpful.

You know, like you say, the kinda,
there's some network effects.

Connor Treacy: or anything like that.

I promise it's not.

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Thanks for, thanks for clarifying.

Not that you'd tell us if you were
actually in the Illuminati, but.

Connor Treacy: Not that I would
disclose that either, but you know,

you have to take it for what it is.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: That's great.

Well, you know, I think that's helpful.

I, you know, I, we, um, as business
owners occasionally have our brushes

with influencers or famous people, and
it's, um, kind of helpful to keep that

in mind because they have a real currency
that is, is valuable for, for promotion.

And, um, now you've worked in the music
industry too, and, and, uh, you've, you

know, help, uh, promote new artists.

Um, now in terms of, of the new
artists, how, you know, what could

we learn or what, what are like
the principles of promoting a new

art artist that's like unknown.

Um, what, what do you like to, what
information do you like to get out there?

What channels are the most effective
to, uh, promote these new artists?

Um.

And then I'm just interested in like
how we could maybe apply this to like

promoting a new business or a new product.

Um,

Connor Treacy: Yeah, you, um.

Are you just saying in general,
like how, like what it takes to kind

of blow up a new artist or like.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: exactly.

Exactly.

Connor Treacy: Yeah.

So I mean there's so many
factors that go into it.

Um, you know, for one, maybe
like look at their situation.

So do they have a good management team?

Um, are they already signed?

Do they have like a big budget available?

Do they already have money going into it?

do they produce their own music?

Um, you know, because if
they produce their own music,

then they don't have to buy.

Beats are instrumentals from other people.

So there's like a lot of cost thing
because at the end of the day, you know,

I don't know if people talk about it
enough, but like you're essentially,

if you're a new bi, like a new artist,
you're a startup you're a business and

it's gonna take money to keep growing it.

Right.

So you're gonna have to pay for photo
shoots, you're gonna have to pay

for a feature if you want an artist
to feature on one of your songs.

If, if you don't produce, you're
gonna have to pay like a really good

producer to make some beats for you.

Um, gonna have to pay for probably
to travel, to go to shows unless

like you have, you know what I mean?

So,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: And these are all
things that I had to do myself

when I was doing my own events.

And, you know, I was, I was funding all my
stuff by teaching tennis lessons, right?

So this is all stuff I, I always
tell artists this, this is

all stuff that I did myself.

So I'm not telling you guys to
do anything that I wouldn't do.

You know, but aside from that, like
in the beginning, you just gotta

do a bunch of cold outreach, right?

So my mentality is like, I'll hit up like
50 or a hundred people and then usually

like out of that, like one like little
Easter egg comes out of it, you know?

And then you use that to leverage
it to then get another play in

another play and another play.

So that's kind of like how I approach, um.

Management or development or
a and r, you know what I mean?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah, no.

You know, I, I love the, that response
because, you know, for those of us who

haven't worked in, in the LA area or in
entertainment, you know, there's some

assumptions, you know, that like they
just have the it factor, you know, they

just blew up because they were talented
or beautiful or, you know, and, and.

I mean, I love to hear that
the same principles apply.

Like you've gotta like put, you
know, put miles on your shoes.

You gotta like, you gotta make the cold
calls and, and you gotta put in the work,

you gotta find funding, you've gotta, um,
do all the same things in entertainment

that you have to do in other industries.

So, I, I, I'd love it, Connor.

Thank you for that insight.

Ha.

Have you.

Uh, you know, I'd love to
ask actually any specifics.

You don't have to name an artist, but
have you had any interactions with

artists that are particularly, um,
hardworking or those that are like

really avoidant of putting in the work?

Any, any come to mind?

Connor Treacy: Well, I can give
you, I can give you an example, um,

on like how I ended up getting the
Grammy plaque for the Dua Lipa record.

you know, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So.

Basically like I was working at Universal
Music Group as a and r, um, and I

actually was trying to sign this other
artist and um, I went to some party to

meet them and this producer, I ended
up just talking to this producer, had

no intentions of working with them,
and he was like, Hey, can do you

or would you be down to manage me?

And I didn't even.

I didn't even know that I could manage.

Um, I didn't know

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Connor Treacy: about it.

And then I also, I also was like
so new that I didn't understand,

like the producers in the music
business are super important, right?

Because they're the ones that,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Connor Treacy: make the
beats or the instrumentals.

And so I always thought the artist
was super important and the artist

is very important, but you know.

What the song sounds like is
like, you know what I mean?

So like a, like a lot of times people
don't realize the producers have a

lot of juice, you know what I mean?

Because they could

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: those beats to anyone.

So anyways, I, um, I started managing this
producer, his name's Skyler and um, he.

He had been producing, you know,
if I, like, if I look back at his

stuff now, he had been producing
for, he had a similar sort in me.

He probably was doing it for like 10
years or whatever, but had like some

things here and there, but he wasn't
like a big name or anything like that.

Um, and.

We just started going to like every
publishing company in LA and every

management company and meeting with
artists and songwriters and produ.

I was just, I don't even know what
I was doing, to be honest with you.

I was just kind of like, just trying to
get him out there as much as possible.

And then nowhere.

My, my, uh, boss at the time, at the
record label was like, Hey, like.

I'm managing a producer.

Um, he's working on Dua Lip a's album.

Do you like know any producers or songs
that you think might be a good fit?

And I just sent him of Skyler's stuff
and it ended up getting selected to be

like her lead singles future nostalgia
on her album, future Nostalgia.

I.

Still, I didn't really like think
anything of it too much at the time.

And then like I remember just watching
the Grammys or whatever it was during

COVID that year, so it was only
on the computer and then it ended

up winning a Grammy and then I, it
still didn't really register like.

Wait, that's crazy.

Like I think I just, like, I think
me and Skylar just qualified for

like the grant, you know what I mean?

Like that's crazy.

And so that's kinda like how
that whole thing happened.

It ended up being like the biggest credit
that I've probably had so far, you know?

So, um, it's like, I guess I could say it
was lucky, but it also was like or two of

me and him just traveling around meeting
with a bunch of people and pitching

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: and, you
know, so that's kind of.

At least my life or
entertainment in a nutshell.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: That, that
No, that is a great anecdote and, um,

I, I mean it's, it's, it's interesting
to hear that, you know, people in

entertainment are not only more talented
than the rest of us, but they are also.

Super hardworking and you know,
the, those that are successful,

that, that, um, I find that kind of
inspiring, you know, that they, um.

You know, they have to put in the
same effort, uh, uh, that, that,

you know, any other business would.

Um, now you've also, uh, started
working in politics as well.

Um, talk a little bit about that.

You know, I, I can totally see the
common thread between all these roles.

You know, like it's a lot of
meeting people and connecting.

Um.

Or how, how is marketing to voters
different or, or the same as, as

working, uh, in entertainment?

Connor Treacy: Yeah, so, um, for
one, I had the same approach.

To the political stuff, um, that I
did with like music or nightlife.

Like, I don't, I didn't
know anyone in it, you

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Connor Treacy: So like, I just was like
DMing a bunch of electeds and groups and

orgs and I kind of was just working with
whoever, um, was kind of responding to me.

So that was kind of for
one, like how I got in.

and then two, I mean, my strong
suit is that I do events for a

lot of these like democratic orgs.

And so, um, you know, I know
how to secure these venues.

I also dj so I'm able to
cut them costs on that.

Like I know the people from Getty, um, to
take the photos 'cause I did all the stuff

with them when I was doing all the clubs.

So there's like.

I'm able to add my world to
their world and like help,

um, at least add like a piece.

You know, obviously doing events
and parties and stuff for political

groups isn't gonna save the whole
world or something, but that's kind

of like how I'm able to add value.

So that's kind of how I got
involved and what I do with them

at least now for the time being.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: That's awesome.

Um.

Well, you know, Connor, I, I,
I feel like you're gonna be

successful in whatever you do.

I guess it's probably just a matter of you
deciding, you know, what, what you wanna,

um, spend the rest of your career on.

Um, and, you know, maybe it'll be a
series of pivots and you'll just be

super successful at, at a lot of things.

Um,

Connor Treacy: Yeah.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: so let me
ask though, if, if you had to boil

down the lessons you've had, you've
worked in different industries.

Um, had success, uh, you know,
doing, taking similar efforts.

Um, but if you had to boil down
what are these marketing and, and

pr and entrepreneurial truths,
what do you think would be the key

lessons you'd, you'd share with,
uh, an audience of entrepreneurs?

Connor Treacy: Um, I think for one.

You need to, um, know, kind of have like
an open mind and be ready to like, pivot.

Because my career started off one
way and then I kind of just went with

whatever opportunities I had, you
know, so when I started I was mainly

doing like 300 to like a thousand
capacity, like rooms where I was like

booking an artist, selling tickets.

D, yada, yada, yada, you know?

And then it morphed into me becoming
kind of like this promoter that worked

at all these high end nightclubs
and do all these like celebrities.

And then from there I got hired
by a record label and I'm working

as like a a and r and a music man.

You know what I mean?

So.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Connor Treacy: I didn't, I didn't know any
of this was gonna happen in the beginning.

I kind of was just like, okay, cool.

Like this sounds like the right next step.

So I think, um, when you're starting off,
like you kind of just need to have an

open mind and also like you really need
to love it because you know, a lot of

the stuff that has happened with me, it.

It was like an element of luck, but I
also, it was like every, I, I thought

about it every day and I was always
trying to think of like how I could

get better and how I could improve.

And so, I kind of made my own luck
in one way, or I maybe like put

myself in a position to receive
the luck and like run with it.

So I You get what I'm saying?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah, I do.

Yeah,

Connor Treacy: I do,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: no, I
think that's totally applicable.

Well, well, Connor, this is, you
have a super interesting background.

You know, definitely a candidate
for World's Most interesting man.

Uh, one or more, um,
entertaining guests I've had.

Um, you know, and, and uhm sure
you have a million stories with the

people you've, uh, made contact with.

Um, Connor, if people would like to.

Find you work with you, you know,
maybe have you as a guest on a

future podcast or, um, you know,
just, just network with you.

Where, where are the
best places to reach you?

Connor Treacy: So, um, we
have, we have connor tracy.com.

Uh, you could hit me up
on LinkedIn, Connor Tracy.

Um, I think Instagram and x.com

are both at the Connor Tracy.

TikTok, also the Connor Tra.

We're on.

We're on it all.

We're doing it all.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: All right.

Connor Treacy: Connor, Tracy, so whatever.

But I guess like the website probably.

And then you could email me.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Perfect.

Well, I'll include all these links
in the show notes and, uh, yeah,

really, really glad we connected.

Um, you know, I think, you know, just
even, even you reaching out to be a

guest, I think is, you know, an example
of your hustle and, and, uh, you know,

I know big things are in your future.

So, thanks for, thanks
for joining us today.

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