Lost Boy Entertainment LLC is bringing life to Wisconsin’s entertainment scene

Madison, Wisconsin, as we know it, has never been touted as an entertainment industry hub. The city is often overshadowed by neighboring powerhouses in the music industry, like Chicago and Detroit. In recent years, Madison's music scene has come alive, bringing hope that one day the fast growing city and its artists will be recognized. Some of the stir can be accredited to the young individuals being nationally recognized for their work in the music industry.

Insert Christian Anderson and Bryce Vander Sanden. Two individuals who are home grown Madisonians now putting on for the whole state of Wisconsin on a national level in multiple ways. Back in 2019, while studying at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, the dorm roommates came up with an idea to begin their own digital marketing and public relations company. Oftentimes it can be hard for any start up to come up with a good name, but this wasn’t the case for the entrepreneurial duo. 

They chose Lost Boy Entertainment, filing their original LLC paperwork with UW-La Crosse’s small business center. For Anderson and Vander Sanden, the company name hit close to home. “Growing up, Peter Pan was always my childhood hero. I love watching that movie — how he would just hang out with his friends all day without a care in the world,” explained Anderson. The meaning of being a Lost Boy is something the company and those associated with it have embodied to the core.

“Being a Lost Boy just means being unafraid to be different and stand out from others. When we first started we felt alienated in many ways, but I think people have realized we are just a couple dudes who started a successful business idea,” added Vander Sanden. 

While Anderson and Vander Sanden have multiple other ventures under their holdings company umbrella. Some of Lost Boy Holdings LLC's other ventures include a clothing line (Lost Boy Clothing) and record label (Lost Boy Records), but their main success has been in the marketing field. Four years after its formation, Lost Boy Entertainment LLC has worked with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, all the way to famous celebrities. This year the company will pass the $3 million revenue mark on its own, marking an impressive beginning for any start up so early since its inception.

Lost Boy Entertainment LLC acts as a full service agency, offering unique services including social media marketing, placements in over 1,000 different online publications across the world, influencer marketing campaigns, music promotion, branding services, SEO optimization and so much more. With over 5,000 clients served and counting, the company has their eyes set on expansion. 

For the past two years, Lost Boy Entertainment has been operating on the ground in both Madison, Wisconsin, and sunny Los Angeles, California. Operating partly in California allowed Anderson to build important connections in the media, interviewing some of Hollywood's biggest upcoming social media stars along the way. Anderson began his triumph as a writer back in 2020, being the youngest member ever to be selected to write on Forbes’ Communication Council Column. Anderson would later land gigs at both Entrepreneur and Rolling Stone magazine, inking feature interviews and marketing columns alike. But media connections weren't the only positive that has come from residing in LA.

Living in Los Angeles has also played an important role in Anderson's career as a recording artist, securing a distribution deal with Create Music Group, one of the industry's fastest growing labels. Recording under the stage name Trust’N, the creative’s music has been heard by millions of ears worldwide, being critically acclaimed by major music websites. As an artist, Anderson has charted over five times, making waves in the underground hip-hop and pop scenes. Trust'N has often been referred to as one of Wisconsin's fastest rising acts. And while Anderson handled business out west, Vander Sanden ran the ship back in the Midwest, finishing his degrees in finance and accounting when time allowed. 

Lost Boy Entertainment has evolved exponentially since it began years ago. The company is on a mission to bring the same resources found in entertainment hubs like LA and New York back to the Midwest. “We’ve learned so many new things just by being in a new place and experiencing a different culture. We want to help more Midwest businesses thrive and have the resources to do so,” explained Anderson. 

Despite dropping out of college during his first semester as a senior, Anderson is back on a path to get his degree while still running the business and juggling the beginnings of his acting career for Amazon Prime. Vander Sanden is also continuing his studies, preparing for the CPA exams that stand between him and becoming a certified public accountant. “We are both juggling a lot right now,” explained Vander Sanden. “Running this company can be stressful at times, especially while still leading a life with our education being a top priority,” he added. 

Seeing so much success in a short amount of time, Lost Boy Entertainment’s co-owners have hope for the future. “To think we started this in a dorm room and have achieved what we achieved is crazy. But we aren’t satisfied, we are always hungry to do better,” explained Anderson.

And while the world seems to be ever changing, staying ahead of the curve and on top of change is what will keep the entertainment company thriving. “We are always adjusting with the times,” added Vander Sanden. “So much has changed in our business environment this past year, so we are always working on evolving along with everything around us.”

Next, the company plans to pivot more towards working business to business rather than business to consumer. This means focusing less on the music industry while keeping the door wide open, and shifting the attention on their marketing services for businesses and brands. 

Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.