A Day In The Life: Justen Pohl
Name: Justen Pohl
Age: 34
Where did you grow up? Andover, MN
Where do you live? The North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Who do you live with? Just me.
What is your occupation? Owner and Ringleader at Enticing Entertainment,
When did you come out? When I was 16.
How’d that go? Absolutely horrifying. I ended up coming out after a sermon at Bible Camp to my best friend who then wrote a letter to me expressing her love for me no matter what. Later that week, that letter went through the wash, where my parents found it and pieced it together. I was then put in conversion therapy at the church and disowned by my family. I ended up getting a girlfriend and prayed every night that God would make me straight. This led to extreme confusion and severe depression. At age 18, I had saved up enough money to purchase my first house where I got three of the most loving and accepting roommates. I was then able to come out yet again to a much more loving and accepting group of friends.
Over the years, I have been extremely patient and have had time to forgive my family. I used to be so angry with how my parents reacted and treated me. They had no information about what is was to be gay and they just needed to be educated. As the years passed I grew confident and proud to be a gay man. This gave me confidence to slowly open the communication with my parents and slowly educate them. This was no easy task but was worth every moment. My dad has now attended Burning Man with me twice and my mother has attended multiple drag shows with me. My parents have grown so much, and despite the rough start, couldn’t be more happy with the end result.
When do you wake up? 6:00 a.m.
Phone alarm or old school alarm? I have my lights simulate a sunrise starting at 5:30 a.m. that ends up gracefully waking me up around 6 a.m. No alarms needed… not joking.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Tell myself it’s going to be an amazing day.
Breakfast? Always! Two full eggs and six egg whites, chicken sausage and broccoli slaw.
Coffee? No coffee here. However, a good pre-workout drink on the way out the door to the gym in the morning does the trick.
How do you spend your commute? Whether I am riding my bike or in the car, there is ALWAYS music playing.
If your job were like a yearbook, what would you be voted? Champion of Details.
What inspires you? To inspire others. Traveling the world and experiencing different cultures.
Do you eat your lunch while working or take a break? When you own your own business, you never have time for a break.
Is your work space tidy or a hot mess? I’m a bit of an organizational freak. Everything has a place.
What’s been your favorite job? Enticing Entertainment—owning and running a company like this has always been a dream now turned reality. Bridging the gap between artists and the corporate world has never been so rewarding. Providing performers/artists a platform to showcase their gifts with the world and be able to make a living off it.
Who are your heroes? Larry Harvey, founder of Burning Man; Pink.
Favorite weeknight meal: Go out, take out, or cook in? Meal prep every Sunday. Usually something pertaining to chicken, veggies and rice.
Most embarrassing moment: Being called Justina Plow by Jesse Ventura when receiving the MN Peace Prize award.
On a usual weeknight, you are doing what? Working, working, working.
Bedtime: Sleep? What’s that? All depends on the week’s schedule. Sometimes I get three hours of sleep, and others I get six.
Favorite weekend activity: Traveling the world with my boyfriend.
What are you most proud of and why? The courage to start a company from scratch. Finding happiness and confidence in knowing anything is possible.
Words of wisdom to share: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!
