Justis Kao
Will you please help us welcome one of the most inspiring friends of ours, Justis Kao, to the Dreamos Round Table? Justis is currently Chief of Staff & Head of Communications for Loop.tv, a new short-form premium streaming platform with one of the largest music video, game and movie trailer libraries.
He graduated from Berklee College of Music, and worked on Season 1 of TheXFactor USA, singing background vocals for the live show - Working with Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, LA Reid and Paula Abdul. Justis later went on to manage Quincy Jones’ first pan-asian girl group, “Blush” before joining Loop. Justis is an absolute legend, and we know you’ll be encouraged and inspired as you hear from his heart, story, and pursuit.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
It honestly took me a long time to pinpoint what my dream was. As a kid, I dreamt of being a musician and artist. I dreamt of living a specific lifestyle. I dreamt of traveling the world. But, I’ve realized that I dream of “building.” Building songs, building a career, building relationships - Building other people and their dreams. I’m currently building a company called Loop.tv.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
I started writing songs at 13. I played shows in Toronto and then started touring. Being an unsigned artist at the time meant that I needed to do everything myself. So, I learned how to build a show, how to build a team and budget to support that show. That was the start of it for me. I deeply loved being able to constantly conceive something in my head with a specific vision and see it to completion in a tangible product.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
Dreams always start out as things that feel far away. Faith often feels that way for most of us. When we align one with the other, we get closer to both. And each drives the other journey, constantly for me.
What encouragement would you give someone who’s going after their dream?
You hear everyone say “never give up” - And it’s 100% true. Dreams start as an idea, but we achieve them when we understand that there’s a process and a journey to get to the finish line. So, dream with the goal of constantly learning on the way there.