Community Highlights: Meet Justin Fugate of Clock N’ Key Mobile Escape Rooms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Fugate.

Hi Justin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Since I was a little kid, I’ve been fascinated by the intrigue of adventure and mystery, and loved games that satisfied this fascination. Just like most children, I got bored pretty easily and was told to entertain myself, so I often looked for ways that I could do something fun. If I was playing hide and seek, it had to be hide and seek plus one step extra.

I often made scavenger hunts and treasure hunts, hidden object games, or riddles to entertain myself, but it just wasn’t enough to make me feel like I was in a real adventure solving a real mystery. On a summer camp field trip, we went to do the local escape room. After getting the opportunity to play, I fell in love with the concept. I had never done anything like it. It was so surreal and immersive, as though I was walking through the door into another world. My love for adventure and mystery, as well as my love for games, fit perfectly together.

Of course, I had to make my own now, so I spent the next 2 years creating, testing, and trying different things, continuing to try until I finally made my first full-blown, living room escape room that my parents played first. It wasn’t much, and it was made out of a collection of household items, however, it pushed me even further into this passion for escape rooms. Soon after, my neighbor heard about my escape room and invited me to make one and host it for her Halloween party. After getting paid a very generous tip for my game, I realized I could make a real business, doing something I love, in a way that isn’t seen yet…mobile escape rooms.

Now, 2 years later, I have built on my passion as an escape room enthusiast and entrepreneur, making my own legitimate, youth-run business. I have also had the awesome opportunity to be involved in a series of groups such as FBLA (through my high school), CSN (chamber student network – a student run addition of the chamber of commerce of Longmont), and Young Americans center for Financial Education (competing in 2 YouthBiz competition in Denver and more to come) while also navigating the waters of being a teenage, high school student and after school weightlifter.

I have had such great opportunity as a youth entrepreneur to learn vital skills, meet incredible people, and do something I love in such a supportive environment, while also getting to use my business as a way to propel myself into the future and start crafting a path for my future career.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have come across a series of struggles with my business. As a teenager with no knowledge of business going into it, I struggled to understand financial management and often was impulsive with the little money I made starting. I also struggled to get my name out there and get games booked. I struggled to understand how to market a business and how to make proper prices. I struggled to manage the time for business, school, and extracurricular activities.

Most of all, I struggled to gain respect. Most people didn’t think what I was doing was legitimate because I was a youth and my prices were low. However, as I began to learn more about business (especially finances and marketing), began networking, becoming involved, working hard to better my product and online presence, and started to gain better promotion skills and business strategies, things started getting better.

I learned from my mistakes and grew as a business owner, and as time goes on, things have started to get better and better. I am still not that big yet, but I am projected to keep growing and I am excited to continue building on my visions and ambitions far into the future and even past escape rooms.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Clock N’ Key Mobile Escape Rooms?
Clock N’ Key Mobile Escape Rooms is a youth-run business that brings the Escape Room experience to players in their house or corporate location for recreational or team-building exercises. The client will provide the room, and Clock N’ Key will do the rest, setting up a fully immersive Escape Room experience and watching over the players as the game progresses.

Players can easily book games online at my website clocknkey.com and have a simple way to contact me if they have any questions or concerns. As of right now, Clock N’ Key is a sole proprietorship, so the bookings and behind the scenes business is all run by me, the owner and founder. Clock N’ Key is known for its unique games that are brought to clients. Something that sets Clock N’ Key apart from other Escape Rooms is the concept of being brought to the client.

This idea of mobile Escape Rooms is a rarely seen concept and no other Escape Room business in my service area provides this unique experience. I am proud of all my unique, entirely original Escape Rooms; however, I am most proud of my newest Escape Room, “The Hidden Tomb”, an Ancient Egyptian styled Escape Room. Readers should know that Clock N’ Key Mobile Escape Rooms is a new and upcoming Escape Room company that will bring the amazing entertainment of the Escape Room experience to you in the convenience of your own home.

Each adventure packed game comes with an immersive and unique setting and storyline that has puzzles for everyone to enjoy. Whether it be a birthday party, team building event, or just something fun to do, Clock N’ Key Mobile Escape Rooms has you covered. It is important to note that Clock N’ Key works in specific towns in North Colorado; if you are interested in a Mobile Escape Room, check online at Clock N’ Key’s website to see if you are in the service range.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Don’t let the world tell you something isn’t possible. Most great things start with a dream…don’t be afraid to chase yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: clocknkey.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clocknkeyescapes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550477218742