Success is a work in Progress!!!

A little over a year ago, I began the Entertainment Business Masters of Science Online Degree program at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.  Over the course of the year, life around me did not come to a halt.  My daughter celebrated her 13th birthday and promotion to high school and I continued to persevere through extensive work projects, life occurrences, parenting needs, family gatherings...simply life it self.

This journey has not been a simple one.  The course of work was intense and challenging. Completing one course a month--heavy!  I'm thankful and grateful for those who assisted me, encouraged me, prayed for me and are here to celebrate with me.

I will continue to encourage others through this blog for empowering others in entertainment, in life is my passion.  I will use this post to share the quotes of encouragement that helped me through.

Here's to new seasons, new journeys and success!

"Stop underestimating yourself. Convince yourself that you already have what it takes to heal, overcome and prosper." -Robert Watkins

"Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight."
– Helen Keller

"Don't confuse your path with your destination. Just because it's stormy now doesn't mean that you aren't headed for sunshine." Unknown

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.

 

 

Relevance ---- Rick Rubin, Evident He’s Relevant!

Relevance ---- Rick Rubin, Evident He’s Relevant!

In order to remain relevant in this business, it’s important to think out of the box and expand your horizons—your target market my be wider than you’ve ever imagined.  Take the leap, and see what you may get.

This posts focus is music mogul  Rick Rubin has been in the music industry for 28 years.  Although his music was not the most infamous during his senior year of high school, it did not take him long to find his niche in the industry.  

Its clear that having a try at different tenets of an industry con lead to finding ones lane of success.  His career began prior to 1982 when he co-founded Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons; Def American Records followed, along with becoming Columbia Records co-president.

Just a few of his accomplishments:

• 1985 - LL Cool J - Radio
• 1986 - Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
• 1986 - Run DMC - Raising Hell
• 1987 - The Cult - Electric
• 1990 - Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
• 1991 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
• 1994 - Johnny Cash - American Recordings
• 1994 - Tom Petty - Wildflowers
• 1998 - System of a Down - System of a Down
• 2002 - Audioslave - Audioslave
• 2005 - Weezer - Make Believe
• 2005 - Neil Diamond - 12 Songs
• 2006 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
• 2006 - Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
• 2006 - Johnny Cash - American V

Rubins ability to diversify his target market may have very well contributed to his success.  Most recently he can be found in the 3-minute Samsung half-time commercial that debuted during a game four of the 2013 NBA Finals. A commercial that depicted Rick Rubin and other current music geniuses as producer/artists Timbaland, Swiss Beats, Pharell--promoting Jay-Z's album that will be included with every Samsung device. 

"I don't know what makes someone hip. The goal is artist achievement and the best work we can do with no limitation." - Rick Rubin

http://www.biography.com/people/rick-rubin-507309

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Rick+Rubin

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005391/

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZZg1ACCmnzL6khKlP4vDHCaqtxWhWHYXZ-iUKh2VsQgufFI6x5zTT9JKjCgZ6T6OKOFi-vXAHlDj-qhyphenhyphenItCeY5P-gHljz4BbDLHa1fRYhzjorqp55ermZILbVX4FbtL8AjKAX-ChByw/s1600/Ll_Cool_J-Radio-Frontal-pola.jpg

The Experts Speak: Business Plans

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This is my town

Carl Schramm intrigues entrepreneurs everywhere, for he seems to understand and easily identify them.  Carls primary characteristics of an entrepreneur: they are an outsider, ask the hard questions, unashamed to ask why around the status quo, see things differently, competent, have worked in multiple places and industries.  With this being stated, it is important to reflect on the relationship between an entrepreneur and their business plan. 

As a expert on business plans, Schramm, mentions that as soon as a plan is complete—it is out of date.  It is his suggestion that a business plan be limited to a one pager.  Similar to what is required of a resume, list the important information for investors may or may not move past the first page.  The one-pager should include what the product is , who’s going to purchase it , why they need it and how one would build and deliver it based on what they owners knowledge.

Expert Entrepreneur

Chuck Blakeman, a serial entrepreneur and business mentor, suggests that business plans are a waste of time. Blakeman, like Will Hsu have agreed that  a business plan is not the most important aspect of “planning for business”.  Will suggests that the time should be dedicated toward determining whether or not the target market is truly interested in the product, while Blakeman suggest perfecting as time progresses for we do not know what the future holds.

The aforementioned advise by business plan experts collectively remind us of one thing.  As entrepreneurs we must remain sharp and knowledgeable about the market we plan to serve, writing and perfecting the plan as we grow in business. Business plans are living documents that define the business at any given time, however limited to the time they were written.

Blakeman, Chuck. (n.d.) How: the worst, most asked planning question. Retrieved from http://chuckblakeman.com/2012/8/texts/how-the-worst-most-asked-planning-question

Stein, Andrew. (2012.) Carl Schramm—Straight Talk on Entrepreneurship . Retrieved from http://steinvox.com/blog/carl-schramm-straight-talk-on-entrepreneurship-why-we-need-it/

Business Plan or Not???

Business Plan or Not?

Business Plan

As entrepreneurs, dreams can get the best of you.  Surely, time after time there is a great idea waiting to be birthed into a revenue generating business.  Many quotes can be found that speak to ensuring that a plan is devised to follow for success.

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." ~Jim Rohn

Entrepreneur.com describes a business plan as "A written document describing the nature of the business, the sales and marketing strategy, and the financial background, and containing a projected profit and loss statement".  Whether or not one needs a business plan, can be a hot topic of discussion. The article, "Write a Business Plan or Not? 2 Experts Debate", David F. McShea--partner at a law firm in Seattle, Washington and Will Hsu--co-founder of LA-based MuckerLab, a start up accelerator are at odds as to whether or not one should create and utilize a business plan.

Yes!

Business Plan

David McShea, gives pointers toward the advantages of having a business plan.  First and foremost he mentions that the plan will give insight as to whether your idea is a solid business concept, or just a great ides. McShea lends other pointers for a business plan:

• - the "hard-headed research, analysis and thinking" will create wiser businesses decisions.  
• - "it is the margin between success and failure"
• - it allows on the the opportunity to be better prepared in creating the clear picture for investors.

David also mentions the importance of keeping the business plan clear and concise.  Its important that investors are able to clearly comprehend the business' goals and strategies.

 Of Course NOT!

On the other hand, Will Hsu disagrees completely.  Hsu company MuckerLab is a 3 to 6 month program that includes up to $21k in funding, office space, access to world-class mentors, and hands-on product, marketing, legal and fundraising support.  

Competition

Will suggests that an entrepreneurs time should be dedicated toward whether or not the target market will utilize the service or purchase the product you're offering. Hsu mentions that cutting out the time to do research will allow the entrepreneuruer the time to gain advantage over the competitor.

He also mentions, instead of creating a concrete business plan--utilize a whiteboard.  The whiteboard should list all of the tenets of a business plan; a brainstorm of a couple of days will allow the flushing of "failed" ideas.  The whiteboard acts as a living business plan--one that is easy to amend.

 After completing this step, Hsu recommends focusing on building and selling the product to consumers.  If there are any problems along the way, go back to the "drawing board' and make the need adjustments.

Conclusion

Overall, the difference between the two views involves risk.  What type of risk and time do you have to take toward your business.  There are some basic tasks that must be completed to begin a business, however a business plan, for some, may be a thing of the past.

http://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/should-you-write-a-business-plan-2-experts-debate.html
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/plan.html

Russell Simmons: Man of Relevance!

 

Russell Simmons: Man of Relevance!

      In Infinite Possibilities, we thrive on exposing the freshness and relevance in the industry. Prior post reveal artist in entertainment who exemplify this very trait – Shaquille O’Neal, Joe Clair and now we will lead to Russell Simmons. 

Russell Simmons

Simmons is a mogul in his own right.  Not only is he equipped in reinventing himself, but he does very well in remaining relevant.  "USA Today recently named Russell Simmons one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years,” calling him a “hip-hop pioneer” for his groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, finance, television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy. " 

He has a track record of success like none other¹:

      Artist Promotion:

             Kurtis Blow 

             Run DMC

     Founded:

     Def Jam Records with Rick Rubin

     Artists: Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys

     Hip Hop Summit Action Network, the Rush Philanthropic Organization

     Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

     Rush Communications

     Phat Farm Clothing

     Philanthropy:

     Hip Hop Summit Action Network

     Foundation for Ethic Understanding

     Films:

     Krush Groove

     Russell's newest feat is Narrative. It speaks directly to digital marketing and how it should not be compared nor in competition with traditional marketing agencies.  Narrative is a "company that provides marketing solutions for publishers, agencies and brands...creating digital campaigns that are rooted in social media, branded entertainment and celebrity-driven content..."  In other words, Narrative is a creative tool that traditional agencies can use to enhance their digital marketing campaigns --> ² .

Here Simmons discusses innovation and business...it further defines the elements of taking ownership of your future and developing one's brand.....

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Russell Simmons on Innovation and Business

One can learn and absorb a lot from Russell Simmons, not only in entertainment, but simply as a successful entrepreneur.

Simmons social media:

• Facebook
• IMDB
• Website
• Twitter

Articles referred to:

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-simmons/
• http://www.biography.com/people/russell-simmons-307186
• http://adage.com/article/agency-news/russell-simmons-venture-digital-marketing/240787/

                                                   

 1.http://www.biography.com/people/russell-simmons-307186  

2. ^{http://adage.com/article/agency-news/russell-simmons-venture-digital-marketing/240787/}

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SXSW: Staying Relevant

SXSW: Staying Relevant

In prior blog post, we’ve spoken toward staying relevant and fresh—in Reinventing Yourself in Entertainment we highlight comedian Joe Clair and his ability to stay fresh and relevant throughout his career.  We’ve also spoken to taking ownership of one’s talent –often time businesses, entrepreneurs, and events alike; get caught up in the everyday hustle and loose grip of where their future is headed.   Case and point; South by South-west (SXSW) is an example of an event loosing “relevance”.

facebook.com

SXSW is a music conference and festival that began in 1986.  In 1994, the conferences added a film and interactive component to accommodate the growth in these industries.¹ Every March, Austin, TX was flooded with consumers, businesspersons and fans alike for the event.  However in the years prior to 2007, the conference began to loose its relevance.  In 2007, an interview with Mark Zuckerberg² may have been the jumpstart to the explosive results SXSW has received in recent years. 

angelrstone.com

Companies are wrapping their vans toward their target markets to ensure brand awareness, and attendance numbers are skyrocketing.  Increasing attendance numbers had a USA Today article asking, “With attendance up 30%, has SXSWi gotten too big?”³  . The article speaks to Internet inclusion of the conference.  Not only does the conference speak to the music culture, but also was one of the first to embrace the culture of the Internet—allowing digital marketing, interactive tweets, Facebook, LinkedIn and other booths throughout the city.

Forbes.com

SXSW has also become the arena for start-ups to find their investors—Shaquille O’Neal himself stated that he was “packing for his business trip to South by Southwest Interactive. Yes, a business trip.”⁴  In his article, SXSW - more relevant than ever, author, Joe Braidwood makes one thing clear “while it's clear that the scale and organization of the show has definitely changed since the early years, I'm strongly of the view that the event has never been more relevant.”

Overall SXSW is the ideal go to place for anyone wanting to succeed in Music, Film or Interactive technology.  Austin, TX is definitely the place to be in March.

1. http://sxsw.com/about/history

2. Braidwood, Joe. (2013.) SXSW - more relevant than ever. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sxsw/9918291/SXSW-more-relevant-than-ever.html

3. Swarts, Jon. (2011) USA Today: With attendance up 30%, has SXSWi gotten too big? Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/03/final-thoughts-from-sxswi/1#.UT0_IOhMZgM

4. Hernandez, Brian Anthony. (2013) Need Funding? Pass Shaq Your 15-Second Startup Pitch on Tout. Retrieved on March 10, 2013 from http://mashable.com/2013/03/09/pitch-shaq-tout-sxsw/

Reinventing Yourself in Entertainment

In the Entertainment Industry it is very important to stay relevant and fresh.

Infinite Possibilities would like to bring your attention to comedian Joe Clair.  


  One generation remembers him from Def Comedy Jam,
another generation remembers him as a  host of BET’s Rap City,
and most recently VIBE magazine features the debut of his online talk show The Booth.

Joe has done a wonderful job of keeping himself relevant.  He contiously maintains a busy comedic schedule, touring  the country.  While in Atlanta, he has opened an opportunity for couples to enjoy comedy, penned the best date night ever,  at his event “Joe Clair’s Shows and Shenanigans”  

While continuously keeping the generations laughing, he has also released his first mix-tape - "20 Years Too Late" which provides a nostalgic feel of hip hop music.  Overall, Joe Clair is the perfect example of consistent relevancy in the entertainment industry.

Follow him:
JoeClair.com
SoundCloud
Facebook
Twitter