I Never Knew But I'll Consider It

During the past few years while working on completing my bachelor's degree I narrowed down what I wanted to do. I've noticed that I was good at marketing. As another career option, I would like to become a NFL agent. I came across an article about a former agent on how things go in that situation. He spoke about the highs and the lows as far as trying to be successful in that field. He expressed what he went through at the time and how he learned from his experience. He explained the difference in being an agent and being on the team side. He gave a breakdown of whats going on in the NFL as far as agents working and what the process is. After reading his article, it gave me a realistic view from in my eyes an "expert". His opinion is based off experience. I still would like to be a agent but now I have to consider more things that I didn't know before. My major obstacle is having to invest in the player before he gets his money once he's signed. I don't mind competition but in this particular situation  I would need to seriously weigh the pros and cons. I'm not the type to let things hinder me but financially I would need to be in a comfortable place where I can build my clients, get my name out there, and cover whatever expense needed. The bad part is no matter how much you invest in a player,you can still end up losing them to someone else. This article along has placed a little doubt in my mind about becoming a NFL agent but  I'm still going to go for it  and learn my own lessons. That is really all I can do but Mr. Brandt gave me more to think about.



http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8681968/nfl-agent-life-all-glamour

How A CEO Handles Business

I interviewed a rising CEO named Ulyssia Seawell. She has started her own company called Organeyez'd Grind Entertainment. It's an artist management company. Ms. Seawell is a graduate from North Carolina A&T State University. She always had a passion for the entertainment field. She currently manages a few artists in different locations. She plans for her company to flourish into something big, successful and she doesn't plan on stopping there. This is only the beginning for her. I decided to interview her on how she goes about negotiation when it comes to working out issues for her company.Here are some questions I asked and her responses:

1- How do you handle positional bargaining tactics?Do you try to understand the other party's interests?

" I keep in mind the main points of what I want the outcome to be and try to persuade the other party to believe it is beneficial to them as well. Yes, I do try to understand the other party's interests, but I do not let that detour me from my goal.", Ulyssia S. 

2- Have you ever negotiated with another party and couldn't come to an agreement? Or despite the difference in positioning, was there a mutual gain? 

"Yes, I have been in a situation with another party and we could not come to an agreement. The situation was when one of my artist wanted to release an album, and did not have the proper timing for it to be released. It tried to negotiate with him to wait so that we could have good promotion and other factors in place before the release. The problem was he had already done his own promotion promising a release date. We could not come to a mutual agreement. In the end he ended releasing the album anyway. The mutual gain in this situation was knowledge. I learned that he had lack of knowledge on the process of releasing an album and he learned the process in which to do so.", Ulyssia S.

3-A BATNA is a best alternative to a negotiated agreement.Do you have one when dealing with another party in a negotiation?

" Yes I do have one when dealing with another party in a negotiation. I always think ahead, and think of different scenarios that could be the outcome of the negotiation. Once I have the scenarios in place I think of how it could effect the goal I'm trying to attain, and what steps I should take if the outcome has a negative affect on that goal.", Ulyssia S.

4-What would you do if a negotiation isn't going your way? Do you use any kinds of tricks to tame a hard bargainer? 

"I listen carefully to everything the bargainer is saying and I try to sway them back in the direction of my goal. I make them feel as though I am understanding their position but at the same time I know in my mind I am not moving from my position. I often use a questioning method to help guide them back in the direction I want to go. During that method I ask questions that will help them see the subject from my point of view but its never a situation where they are being pressured or tricked.", Ulyssia S.

5- Sometimes its hard to just deal with the problem without dealing with the people and what they bring to the situation. How do you separate the people from the problem when your negotiating?

" I have to look at the people and their different personalities as a distraction from reaching my goal. I can not let the distraction hinder me from reaching the goal. So therefore I have to overlook dealing with them in order to handle business and negotiate properly.", Ulyssia S.

https://www.facebook.com/organeyezdgrind

A Name That Rings Bells

Whether you know his track record or not, you have heard this name before.... Sean "Diddy" Combs. His journey has been a long one but yet a successful one at the same time. Since day one he's been focused on his goals. You don't even have to know him personally to know that he's a focused individual and he's business savvy. He believes that in business you should take risks because in certain situations if you wait to get all the information an opportunity can pass you by. In his interview with Bashir from ABC News, he mentioned that he would market anything that's organic to him. Combs has managed, put out albums, had a few reality shows, restaurants, a clothing line, vodka and a fragrance line. He's an all round entrepreneur. His signature quote is "I thought I told that we won't stop". Sean Combs literally means that and lives that. I almost forgot to mention that he's been in a couple plays and on the movie scene as well. I would want to intern for him because despite his ups and downs he's a great example of a businessman. He has experience in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry. He was named one of the richest people under 40 in 2002. The business ventures don't stop there. He's working on a cable channel too. Forbes mentions, "that he's the closest to becoming a billionaire". His success shows that. Some people that have worked with or for Combs say that he's "cut throat". I think that when it comes to business, you have to do what’s right so you can flourish. If he made every decision based off emotion or what others may think, he might not have been as successful as he is now. I have respect for him as a businessman. The company I'm starting is dealing with artist management and recording so his journey always been of interest to me. So far I've learned that Sean Combs isn't a limited businessman. He not only took risks but he makes sure his investments benefit his brand and that he makes profit from it.

References:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfrxxacWzzE

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45igfm/1-sean-diddy-combs-550-million/

 http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/622/Bad-Boy-on-the-Rise-Sean-Combs-Makes-His-Mark.html

How Important is the RIAA?

The RIAA also known as Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization. They support and promote the creative and financial vitality of major labels. members create, manufacture and/or distribute about 85% of all recorded music and sold in the U.S. The RIAA works to protect the intellectual property and First Amendment Rights of labels and artists. They also conduct consumer, industry and technical research. This association stays on top of regulations and policies. RIAA are the ones that certifies albums gold, platinum and multi-platinum.

RIAA has some technical standards that I believe are good and are definitely in the best interest of the artist.To name a couple would be watermark payload specification and Global Release Identifier. They also have this service called SDMI which stands for Secure Digital Music Initiative. One of the things this service do it enables copyright protection on artists' work. I believe that this organization could affect the industry in a positive way. They try their best on their end to uphold their mission for labels and artists. Now they been dealing with piracy for a long time but slowly they are putting it to an end. Nothing happens over night but they are finding ways to shut down these file sharing websites. In my case I'd like to create a company where I'm dealing with artists so I'm all for what they are doing. There's always room for ideas to make things even better. Its important to have this association in our corner as far as the music industry is concerned because they protect our rights and creativity.If they weren't around we would have a worse problem with piracy. Not only that but people in the industry be able to get away with anything. The music industry wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for the RIAA so I'm one out of millions that is grateful for what they do.


http://www.riaa.com/index.php

Leaders Inspiring Action

I just finished watching a video by Simon Sinek from TED.com. He talked about how great leaders inspire action. He believed in a simple method called The Golden Circle. Sinek's speech helped me get a better understanding of the topic.He broke down how business basically sell their product and used Apple as an example. Apple is regular computer company but what makes them stand out? Sinek figured out that when it comes to the Golden Circle, Jobs started from the inside circle which represents "why" and worked his way out. I found it to be inspiring and informative. Sinek made it clear that this wasn't just his opinion but how the brain work as well.I found him to be inspiring because in my opinion he was thinking outside the box and that is what is needed to start a business. His speeches was clear and to the point. I didn't find nothing confusing about it. I would listen to more of his speeches as resourceful information that i could possibly use in the future. Sinek says,"People buy why you do it". In other words he saying that more people will buy your product because of why you are doing it,not what your selling. People are more interested in your belief or passion for doing something. That is what will attract customers.

Mr. Simon Sinek is a confident and enthusiastic speaker. His speech had me intrigued. Sinek was able to get his point across without losing anyone's attention. I found him to be very knowledgeable. The goal is not to sell to people who need what you have. But to sell to people who believe what you believe. He used good examples of Langley, Wright Brothers, and Martin Luther King. If you talk about what you believe,you will attract those who believe what you believe.


Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

Marketing A New Artist

There's a process to marketing a new artist. No.... marketing doesn't just consist of just jumping on Twitter and Facebook telling members about this new artist.Before you even think about working on a marketing plan just start with the essential information first. The essential information consist of name, title of album, catalog number, price, management and release date. It's important to look at the artist's competitive advantage as well. Once you have done all of that, then you can create a timeline of events for the artist. I can't stress enough how vital promoting is for the artist. This timeline will be the start of your marketing plan. Having a marketing plan puts everything into perspective for you because you can keep track of all dates and events that will lead to your artists' success. Not only that but the artist has confidence in you because it shows that you know what your doing and your aiming to fulfill your duty. It doesn't stop at the marketing plan. There's a few more steps to go.You have to set up publicity ,interviews and media campaigns.When marketing anything there's a huge effort put into it. In this case once you get to this point, now where are you going to sell the album?During this process its also important for the artist to develop. You can market him/her all you want but at the end of the day. The artist has to represent how you are presenting him/her. Its kind of like a domino effect...if one factor isn't right, then everything else could fall apart. Just keep in mind that following these steps can helps not just the artist but the whole management team.Marketing an artist isn't easy at all. The steps you take in doing so can make or break an artist career.Bad marketing can lead the artist to be a "one hit wonder" or it could lead the artist to going platinum. Its up to you!

The Big Brainstorm: Work In Process

Recently, I was having lunch with my cousin. We talked about several things but the main focus was what I wanted to do after my Full Sail education and what common interests we may have. She majored in Communications and she currently manages a few music artists. Like I've mentioned before, I'm into Marketing. As a long term goal I would like to own my own business or go into business with my cousin. I consider it a long term goal because nothing happens overnight. I think building my experience as a Marketing Director would be very essential to owning a business in the music industry. Everyone in some aspect has an interest in the Entertainment business whether its music, movies or games. It takes someone special to run a successful business. I thought since I'm good at Marketing and my cousin has experience in artist management, we could start an artist management company. She thought it was good idea. Not only that but once we get the company started and had some time in maybe we can start representing athletes too. Sports is my second love. I would like our company to eventually expand to the point where we can eventually add a record label to it. Some may think its impossible but you never know until you work hard at it and try. The fact that I'll be working along with my cousin, I feel like its a slight advantage because she has a little experience in the industry. I want to be a business owner in the industry that lasts for a long time to where I can pass it down to my children.I plan to build good relationships with people, be fair, ethical and original.There's always room to learn as I go because no owner knows everything going in.