Senpai Spotlight: Songs of Successful Business
Justin and Mailena Urso, owners of Big Box Karaoke, a popular eater-tainment concept in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Justin Urso (Tokushima, 2006-2007)
Director, McMillon Innovation Studio, University of Arkansas
Founder of Big Box Karaoke
Interview by: Kimberly Matsuno (Niigata, 2019-2022)
Program and Communications Coordinator, USJETAA
As is tradition with every JET Program participant, we must ask the questions: Why JET? Why Japan?
I got my bachelor's degree in International Business Economics from the University of Arkansas. So there was always an interest in international business and working with people from diverse backgrounds. As part of my degree program, I actually went to Japan for a study abroad trip where we visited the corporate headquarters of companies like Sharp, Mazda, Toyota, and Shoyeido. So I had a bit of an introduction to Japanese culture, specifically business culture, from that experience.
I also had a dream of being in the Foreign Service someday. So I thought the JET Program would be a great experience that would lend itself well to the career trajectory I saw for myself at that time.
Tell us about your business, Big Box Karaoke. Am I correct in assuming it was inspired by your time in Japan?
Absolutely. When my wife and I were in Japan, we had plenty of opportunities to go to karaoke, and we just fell in love with it. That love for karaoke turned into a business plan as we wanted to share our experiences with more and more people, and that’s when we developed the plan for Big Box Karaoke.
In Japan, we saw that karaoke is a place for everybody. Being in a karaoke room is a safe place of sorts for so many people. It's a place where you can just relax and be comfortable. And that is something my wife and I tried to emulate with Big Box Karaoke.
We actually tried to open a karaoke place in Chicago right after we got back from Japan, but the timing just wasn’t right. However, Big Box was a passion project of sorts, so we kept the business plan updated while waiting for the right opportunity.
Then one day, after we had moved back to Northwest Arkansas, we were walking around downtown Fayetteville and we saw the perfect location. So we put our plan into action, and we were able to open in 2018 six short months later!
Our location has seven private karaoke rooms that can accommodate anywhere from 2-25 people—perfect for birthday parties, private events, or even just solo singing practice. And our music selection offers over 71,000 songs for people to choose from. We also have a full food and drink menu, which is mostly Asian fusion—featuring rice bowls, soba, and plenty of Japanese sake. At one point in time, we were the largest seller of sake in the state of Arkansas!
Justin and Mailena Urso enjoying karaoke during their time on the JET Program in 2006-2007.
Your business sounds incredibly fun; however, starting a business from scratch sounds like a daunting task for many. What gave you the courage to be able to take the leap and open Big Box Karaoke?
It’s actually not as hard as it sounds to open a business. In fact, it’s incredibly easy. Just about anyone can go online and fill out a business application.
What can be daunting is the point at which you quit a full-time job and support yourself and your family solely through your business efforts. But that’s where having a solid business plan, financing, and going through the process of market research and testing is so important—so, too, is having a network of people to support and advise you.
There are so many resources available today for people who wish to open their own businesses. Most states and cities have some sort of business incubator or assistance program like the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. These types of places offer one-to-one confidential consulting and cutting-edge market research often at no charge.
That said, there is a lot of benefit to going to business school, too. My time at the University of Arkansas certainly laid the foundation for my success, and so many of the connections I’ve made from my MBA program are still playing out today. My wife and I are so grateful to have such an incredible community supporting us, many of whom were my former classmates and advisors.
Senpai Bio:
Justin Urso has been the Director of the McMillon Innovation Studio at the University of Arkansas since 2021 and has advised the university's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation since 2014. Before academia, he was a serial entrepreneur, founding ventures such as Skosay, a retail tech company with clients like Johnson & Johnson, and Big Box Karaoke, a popular eater-tainment concept in Fayetteville, Arkansas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his wife also founded Concord Adams, a marketing agency serving over 50 clients, primarily small businesses. Previously, Justin worked in global roles at consumer packaged goods companies and is passionate about education, innovation, and community service, including being a founding member of the family-friendly BeAware Halloween event.
The Senpai Spotlight series is brought to you through partnership between USJETAA and AJET’s CONNECT Magazine. The series features JET alumni from the US who have made successful careers for themselves in various fields—with the goal of inspiring young JETs and JET alumni to pursue their own dreams while also offering some words of advice only a senpai could know.
If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured as a Senpai Spotlight, please reach out to us at contact@usjetaa.org.
