Cale Saurage and Hootie Hurley of DJ Duo Sidequest on Live Performance Energy, Viral Consistency, and Building an Empire

As a part of our series about “How Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand”, we had the pleasure of interviewing

Sidequest consists of DJ’s Cale Saurage and Hootie Hurley who are known for their hit single “SHAKE.” The duo is known to bring the energy to their live sets and getting the crowd moving!

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is your “backstory”? What brought you to this point in your career?

I grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with a life centered around sports, especially track. I had a fairly successful career, running track at Oklahoma State University, and my social media following grew as I traveled across the country for track meets. After undergoing surgery, I felt a bit down, so I turned to TikTok as an outlet and started creating videos. The rest, as they say, is history.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?

Funny stuff happens every single day. Whether it’s an unexpected encounter with a fan, a hilarious mishap during a video shoot, or a memorable moment at a live event, the unpredictability of this career path keeps me on my toes and continuously entertained.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Absolutely, 100%. Every day, I receive messages from people who’ve contemplated suicide, but watching my videos brings a smile to their faces. It moves me deeply because I love entertaining people and making them smile, even if it’s just through a 15-second video. My goal is to bring happiness to everyone, whether they’re friends, family, or strangers.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?

Consistency is key. Stay committed and put in the hard work. Many creatives start with no views and gradually gain traction. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; observe what others are doing successfully, see what editing formats work, and put your unique spin on it.

None of us can achieve success without a bit of help along the way. Is there a particular person who made a profound difference in your life to whom you are grateful? Can you share a story?

My inspiration came from my little brother, Sam Hurley, who was on TikTok before me. In just a month, he gained 200,000 followers, and then a million. He inspired me to dive into the world of social media, even though we haven’t created much content together due to living in different cities.

So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

My best friend and business partner, Cale Suarage, and I started a DJ duo called SIDEQUEST about six months ago, and it’s been a huge success. We’ve been packing clubs and bars all over the country and have a 30-show tour coming up in the fall, primarily targeting college bars, clubs, and fraternities. We’re putting all our efforts into this venture and believe it’s going to be a major hit.

What are your “Top Five Ways That Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” . (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Brand deals — Collaborating with brands for promotions and advertisements on our platforms.
2. Social Media Ads — Earning revenue from views on YouTube and Snapchat.
3. Building Your Own Brand — Like Logan Paul and PRIME, leveraging your platform’s credibility to promote your products.
4. Consulting — Providing expertise to brands like Logitech and Meta.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

It’s all about making people smile. Treating everyone with kindness and love, whether through compliments or congratulations, can make them light up inside. I’m passionate about spreading kindness because when someone experiences it, they’re likely to pay it forward and bring joy to others.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)

There are many people I respect, making it hard to choose just one. However, I admire individuals who achieve success in various aspects of life, such as Shaq, excelling in both basketball and business. Kevin Hart is another example, excelling in entertainment and business, especially with his new restaurant. Both of them are truly killin’ it. My goal is to build an empire like them.

What is the best way our readers can follow your work online?

You can find me on all social platforms as @HootieHurley.

Cale Saurage

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is your “backstory”? What brought you to this point in your career?

I’ve always had a passion for creating videos, dancing, and music. Combining my love for music with content creation has brought me to the point in my career where I aspire to be a DJ.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

One of the most memorable moments in my career, and it’s something I recently discussed with someone, involves receiving the best compliment. People have told me that my videos pulled them out of their darkest moments, bringing smiles to their faces. This impact is incredibly rewarding, especially in DJing, where our goal is to ensure everyone in the room has the time of their lives.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?

A lot of people quit when it gets tough. If you quit when it gets hard, you’ll never get anywhere. The key is not to give up when things get tough. Perseverance and staying focused are crucial. Don’t lose sight of your end goal.

None of us can achieve success without a bit of help along the way. Is there a particular person who made a profound difference in your life to whom you are grateful? Can you share a story?

My family has been the biggest influence in my life. They are incredibly supportive and have taught me valuable lessons about business and how to treat people. They’ve shown me how to find joy, have fun, and laugh in everything I do.

So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

Right now, everything in the DJ space is incredibly exciting, especially with our new DJ duo, SIDEQUEST. From performing at festivals to embarking on a 30-city tour, it’s exciting to know that we’re bringing joy to people through our music.

What are your “Top Five Ways That Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” ?

1 . Brand Deals

2 . AdSense (YouTube and Snapchat)

3 . Consulting

4. Build a brand (Similar to Logan Paul’s PRIME)

5 . Stay Focused

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I believe the festival experiences we create can inspire such a movement. We’re playing for these crowds of 80,000 people and every one of those people are having the best time of their life. It’s so gratifying. I feel like music allows us to reach the most people — its direct gratification because we get to see it. It’s right in front of our face. With DJing, we get instant gratification, unlike someone watching your videos on social media. It’s such a good time.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)

I would love to have a meal with Kanye West, despite his controversies, because of his immense talent and legendary status. I’d also like to meet some of the top DJs globally, such as Fisher, James Hype, and prominent figures in the DJ/YouTube space.

What is the best way our readers can follow your work online?

YouTube: SIDEQUEST

Thank you so much for the time you spent on this, and for your excellent insights!