Amazon, YouTube, NFL: How DJ’s side hustle grew to $25m empire

A former NSW DJ has become a global sensation, growing his Covid-era side hustle into a $25m empire, counting giants like Amazon, NFL and celebrities including Justin Bieber as clients.

Kings of Neon has grown into a $25 million global business.

A NSW-based former DJ’s start up has grown from side hustle to global sensation, raking in more than $25 million in revenue and landing major celebrities and giant brands Amazon, YouTube and NFL as clients.

Kings of Neon founder and chief executive Stephen Pastor has had a dazzling rise since his Covid-era start up was born, having now sold more than 50,000 custom neon signs and expanding internationally.

Based on the Central Coast of New South Wales, the now international brand is illuminating spaces from local cafes to global giants like Amazon, YouTube, Heineken and the NFL and F1.

But Mr Pastor’s journey wasn’t always lit in neon.

Before founding Kings of Neon, Mr Pastor was saving for a home deposit while working in a diamond mine in Western Australia..

Stephen Pastor's Kings of Neon has been the creative force behind iconic signage for names like Amazon, BMW, YouTube, Visa, Reddit, MGM Grand, Hyundai, Toyota, Lexus and Nivea.

He moved through sales jobs and built a DJ and event management company from 2017 to 2020 that eventually led to offering extra touches like neon signage.

That side hustle quickly became a full-time obsession for Mr Pastor.

A light bulb moment stayed dormant until a competitor’s offhand comment about his business lit a fire.

“I was like, ‘let’s just do what she’s doing, but better’,” he said.

“That rebellious spark was all it took.”

When Covid hit and the events industry collapsed overnight, Mr Pastor was left with two kids, two mortgages, and no income.

With no capital and only time as his investment, Mr Pastor said it was pure hustle and customer service that built his brand.

“Being from the events management background, we were always looking for cool props for parties, neon signs just made sense,” he said.

“It was more of a survival. So I opened my laptop and built the first Shopify store from scratch.

“But I sold myself before I sold the signs.”

Soon orders trickled in.

Then the start-up surged.

Kings of Neon quickly surged with orders flooding in from giants including the NFL.

Within months, Mr Pastor hired his first employee - who was told he might only be paid for three months.

That employee is still with the company.

From $70,000 in early revenue to more than $800,000 the following year, the business skyrocketed.

Mr Pastor realised early on that neon signs were a niche and high average sale business. It needed to go global to maximise local support.

Last financial year, Kings of Neon crossed over $10 million in annual revenue, with expansion hubs in the US, UK, and Canada.

Kings of Neon’s lifetime revenue has topped $25 million.

The business model now includes international offices and remote teams, with about 40 people working worldwide.

He said what sets Kings of Neon apart isn’t just flashy signs - it’s speed, innovation and service.

“We can manufacture and deliver a sign anywhere in the world in as little as three business days or on average, it’s eight,” he said.

They’ve lit up events like Lollapalooza and the F1 racing and worked with celebrities including Gordon Ramsay, Justin Bieber, and Janet Jackson.

Kings of Neon signage at a Jean Paul Gaultier event.

The company has also delivered signage for the Paralympic team, Taronga Zoo and Optus Stadium, luxury brands like Valentino, and drink giants like Heineken and Grey Goose along with other big name brands including BMW, Ferrari, Visa, Reddit, MGM Grand, Hyundai, Toyota, Lexus and Nivea.

The signage requests come from near and far.

The innovation continues, with Mr Pastor now working on designer.ai, a Canva-style AI signage configurator designed to simplify and speed up the customisation process.

Kings of Neon is taking founder-led creativity to scale by offering new AI powered tools to help customers create custom signage in minutes.

His signage has also lit up the F1.

Despite the success, Mr Pastor keeps his feet firmly planted.

“It’s about obsessing over the customer journey and doing it better than anyone else,” he said.

“We’ve grown through referrals and repeat business - that’s the real win.”

His message to budding entrepreneurs was ‘sell it before you build it’.

“Don’t go spending thousands on your dream before testing the market. If you can sell your product before it even exists, you’re onto something,” he said.

Originally published as Amazon, YouTube, NFL: How DJ’s side hustle grew to $25m empire