RG's Journey to Mastery

“A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement.” – Bo Bennett As a young boy growing up in Montgomery, AL, I always had dreams of making it in the music business. My dreams have begun to manifest and I choose to follow them. This blog will serve as a timeline of my journey to achievement, to mastery. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-g-daniel-ii-109b69112

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Negotiation and Deal Making

At the start of my studies at Full Sail, we were asked to review the curriculum for the Masters of Science - Entertainment Business and discuss what we would want to accomplish during the class. I will say I have been able to accomplish all the goals I originally set at the start of my studies. It was refreshing to know that the techniques that I use on a daily basis at work are techniques I can use in any negotiation. Negotiations can go become very tense no matter what is at stake, whether it’s a credit on your cellphone bill or negotiating a recording contract for Janet Jackson. However, what I’ve learned at work and reiterated during this class is how to prevent emotions from flaring in a negotiation. Building rapport is essential to any negotiation, you want to feel like you know something about the person you entering into an agreement for goods/service/money with. Each person will come to the table with some title associated with them, so you have to respect their status. If I sat at the table with Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter to negotiate a recording contract for my artist, I would give respect to his status as the label’s head and, hopefully, my artist’s new boss. I would make sure to appreciate him for his time, consideration of my artist and his contributions to the music industry. These are all things he does not have to do but does in hopes of coming to an agreement to all of our benefit. Lastly, I remember to involve him in the process by asking questions and listening to his views, refraining from making demands. Negotiations happen daily, and most come to a mutual benefit for each individual involved. I look forward to utilizing these techniques in my future negotiations and remembering to control the emotions in the process.

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Digital Marketing

It is hard to escape social media these days, as it is has become the “thing” to do for anyone who has a cellular phone or access to a computer with an internet connection. When I saw that Digital Marketing was a course I would be taking during my studies at Full Sail, I was happy that I would get an opportunity to take a closer more in-depth look at marketing and how it can work for my business. I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to technology and the web. I am constantly on my phone doing web searches for anything that comes to mind and social media play a big role in my day to day activities. My understanding of the web and social media marketing was very surface, as I had no idea as to how the search engines I use every day could so quickly provide me with results so exact to whatever keywords I used. Understanding how to improve my website and future website to optimize my traffic will be key to the online success of my company and future artists. The role that the web and social media play in today’s world is undeniable and any business would be missing out on the opportunity to connect with future customers (for free, especially on social media) and exposure to future investors by not having a strong online presence and digital marketing plan.

 I choose the “Top 10 Social Media Management Tools” because I felt it was important to understand the programs and applications out there that can give me and my future artists insight on how people are engaging via their social media platforms. One thing, I learned from this course is that there are applications out there that can basically run your social media sites by scheduling posts and updates by setting up a schedule via the site.  Sites like IFTTT operate off of how people engage with your social media page. Secondly, another takeaway I received was how you can utilize applications like Hootsuite to monitor competitor’s social media activity. This can be great tool for any business to use to understand the competition and their strategy for engaging with their audience. Lastly, social management tools can and will cost money, so it would be beneficial to account for this in my budget for all digital marketing campaigns. Most sites offered some form of a free version but for premium management tools and analytics some cost will be required to take full advantage of these tools.

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Entertainment Business Finance

When I originally reviewed the curriculum the Master’s program and saw that Entertainment Business Finance was a part of it, I was bit anxious about the class. I’d like to think I’m pretty good with numbers, the basics like adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. However, I knew this class would encompass so much more. More in the senses of what it will be like to handle finances for my business. I’d previously taken a finance class and had some idea of the content but the previous class wasn’t industry specific. I’d had a strong feeling we would be creating our own company in some form, so I was eager for that part. Being able to review and understand financial statements is very important to owning and running a business, and can be incorporated into personal finances. Some of the principles for time value of money was a refresher from my previous course but it was great to receive a refresher. Research played a huge part in this class, especially for the Pro Forma assignment. Here’s where imagination is allowed and you are able to create your dream business. Finding out the cost associated with running a business and supporting a staff of employees was very eye opening. Creating a Pro Forma document allows you to show the numbers you predict to for your business. This is an assignment that does take time, but is knowledge that can be used in business and personally. I was glad to have an assignment that focused on creating a resume and gathering reference letters. With me switching career paths, it was important for me to refresh my resume. Overall, this class was very informative and challenging. I learned more about myself during this class than any other class so far. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is key to being successful professionally and personally.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qviM_GnJbOM)

[anarchy-kisses]

This sweet little baby bean has touched my life. Born August 29th, 1958 and passed away June 25th, 2009.

Today marks the 8th anniversary of Michael’s passing and like most true fans, we mourn but we can still celebrate how wonderful and inspirational he is and was.

Michael Jackson is and will always be the King of Pop. He literally is a king too, King Sani in a tribal village in Africa! Jackson was always proud of his black heritage.

One of the things I love about him is his personality. He was misunderstood by many people (one thing in particular was his love for childlike things, but he always said that if you want to understand this, listen to his song “Childhood”). His personality people didn’t really understand. Jackson was a kind, gentle soul. His thoughts about music, life, and everything he spoke about or wrote about were expressed in a philosophical way. He was intelligent, humble, soft spoken, and very shy and grateful. He had a rich inner world (like a true introvert) and fans like myself always say: watch interviews to get a sense of who he really was!

Another thing I love about him is that he would show cultural appreciation in the things he did. He was all about embracing culture, individualism, love for each other, and the end of hate and ignorance. The epitome of what he was all about was to change the world for the better.

Michael really was a unique man. His attention to detail and his aesthetic-they contribute to why he’s such a legend. He was a genius and knew what would make people crave for more. He reached global fame, one reason for his iconic dances. The moonwalk wasn’t invented by him but it definitely became his signature move. The Thriller dance, the “lean”, Billie Jean? He revolutionized dance. Another reason for his globalization is his philanthropy work. He donated $300 million dollars overall to 39 charities and holds the Guinness World Record for donated the most money as an entertainer. Everything he did was about raising global awareness through his music, his concerts, and videos. He created a scholarship, a foundation, and he’s created worldly renowned songs about encouraging people to help and take action to make the world better.

He really was a genuine entertainer. People had never seen anything like him-his outfits, his moves, his dances, and songs: they were all creative and inventive. Jackson’s carried on legacy reached global impact. The statues and memorabilia across the nation, the albums released after his death, and the reoccurring performances by impersonators carry on his spirit.

His albums: iconic. Thriller is known as the greatest album of all time. It went platinum in a week! Each song on it was literally a hit. It was #1 for 39 weeks; in the top 10 for 80 weeks! It was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for this. With his music, he received numerous awards and is known for winning 8 Grammys in 1984, which is also put in the Guinness Book of World Records. He’s actually in there 39 times! He’s won 26 American Music Awards, 13 Grammys, one of the few artists to be in the Rock in Roll Hall of Fame TWICE, 16 World Music Awards, has been honored by TWO Presidents of the United States, and many many more that I can’t name but because of all of the awards he’s won, he’s now dubbed the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

All of his albums resonated with people. Jackson revolutionized the music industry, fashion, and dance with his innovative work and even paved the way for black artists. Say what you want about Michael Jackson but he is one of a kind. There will never be another Michael Jackson and nobody can deny his tremendous impact on the world.

Thank you Michael for blessing us with your creativity. You’ve touched this earth. You’re one of the most beautiful people to walk this planet (also literally because just look at him??). I love you so much, I wish I could have met you or attended a concert but I’d say that seeing one of my favorite impersonators gave me closure.

Continue to Rest In Peace, angel. And P.S. you may have been lonely sometimes but you were never truly lonely because you had us. You still do, always and forever.

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Business Storytelling & Brand Development

Thinking back to my initial post about steps I would take to navigate through the storytelling/brand course, I had a very narrow scope of what the course would intel. I’d received numerous trainings and meetings around branding at work. Verizon Wireless has embedded brand development into their culture for their employees to cultivate an individual brand to use to elevate their career with the company. However, Verizon itself has a strong and distinctive brand that we as employees were taking part of daily. During this course, I was able to gain insight into what it takes to create a brand and story for myself and my future company. Creating a website for myself was a great start to developing my professional entertainment brand, creating a platform for me provide work examples and accomplishments is truly a great starting point to define and elevate my personal brand. Although my company and ideas for it are fledgling but the steps to defining its brand and story have truly encouraged new thoughts about it. To truly wrap this class up, I have to say this has been the most challenging course so far. The challenge was not in the course work but in finding inspiration when life happens. This course was truly a test of my strength to push through when things around are not going the best. One aspect of my personal brand I hope is truly understood and conveyed is my work ethic and perseverance. Every company and individual should have a strong work ethic and perseverance to withstand an ever-changing world and market. My goal of being able to clearly articulate my personal brand was fully obtained but through continuous brainstorming and drafting of my brand strategy will allow me to continue to mold and develop my brand as I work to clearly understand and articulate my brand.

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Project & Team Management

Over the course of the last four weeks, I’ve worked on my first comprehensive project management plan. When I started this class, I had no idea of what the course would involve and if I could truly succeed in this class. However, I quickly learned that over the years I’ve done some form of project management with different projects I’ve either led or been a part of.  From defining the project to budgeting, I’ve taken part of projects throughout my scholastic and professional career but never thought to put titles on it. I had no idea what the scope of a project was, but I knew that with each project there was an outcome envisioned. I feel more empowered and enlightened by what I’ve had the pleasure of learning throughout this class.

 Operation “Be With U” Launch, although fictitious in some parts, is very much a real project for myself and Coriology. I was approached by Coriology around the time this class began and I immediately knew this was divine occurrence. Everything included in this plan are all ideas and milestones Coriology has set out to do and accomplish. I plan to utilize an amended version of this plan to execute the goals Coriology has set for himself and his music. Through project management, we will be able to maximize our resources to realize and even broaden our scope for Coriology. Risk and quality management are two areas I feel will give us the best results. As a business, risk have to be identified early on to ensure that if they should arise you are prepared for it and can handle it with minimum impact to the company and project. Quality is another factor that must be understood and monitor from the beginning. When working with an independent artist, resources are not in an abundance to deliver a product not up to the standards of quality. Developing a project management plan will ensure my clients risks are low and the quality is high. A project manager who can deliver high quality with low cost and on time is definitely what I aspire to become.

 “When project managers see their job as leading change that delivers business value, they see the bigger picture and increase their contribution to their employer and to all stakeholders.” (Verzuh, 2016)

 Reference:

 Verzuh, Eric. (2016). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. John Wiley & Sons

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Leadership Style: Greene or Maxwell

During the course of the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to read two amazing inspirational books by two equally insightful authors on what it takes to be an effective leader. 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell take a polarizing look at leadership and the skills needed to be effective in a leadership position. Immediately, I was able to distinguish the differences in the two texts and made two totally different connections to each book. Robert Greene’s book takes a more calculated, and manipulative approach to leadership and power, which made for an entertaining read. However, John C. Maxwell’s text took on a more self-actualizing approach to leadership, making the reader take a closer look at his or her actions and thought patterns in hopes of developing wholesome leadership skills that can bring about effective change.

 When I received a notification at work that I had a package in the mail room, I was unsure what it was. I immediately opened the package and saw it was a book titled Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell. I had seen this book on the desk of some my past supervisors, however I’d never read it. When I got on the elevator headed back to my desk, one of our HR partners saw the book in my hand and stopped her conversation with one of her colleagues to acknowledge how good of a book it was. Her face lit up with excitement while discussing John’s take on leadership. For the past 5 years, I’ve worked at Verizon and have had the pleasure to work with some of the most passionate leaders I’ve ever encountered in my career. These leaders have help me understand what it takes to be an effective leader. Reading Maxwell’s book served as “pull it all together” moment for me. Each chapter in this book reaffirmed all the skills I’ve worked on at some point during my tenure at Verizon. So, it is only befitting to see my own leadership style being that of the one depicted in John’s book.

 As a leader, I find myself to be most successful when I am able to be authentic in my approach. Throughout my life, I was raised to be a man of good character and integrity. I’ve noticed that throughout my career I refer back to my upbringing and early examples of leadership to make sound decisions when leading a team. One thing I believe in, and practice as a leader is investing time in getting to know the people I lead and building a rapport with them. Maxwell quoted Abraham Lincoln in his book as saying “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his true friend. Next, probe to discover what he wants to accomplish.” (Maxwell, 1993, p.67) By getting to know those I’ve lead, I was able to build trust with them which gave me permission to work closer with them on individual and team goals. As I grow as a leader, I want to make sure I’m always pouring my knowledge into the people I am working with.

 Although I connected with Maxwell’s approach to leadership, I believe that the “laws” Greene divulge into in his text are still critical skills every leader should know and practice in leadership. As I make this transition into executive leadership in the music business from frontline leadership in the wireless industry, I am aware that I will need to lean more on skills outlined by Greene. As an apprentice in the music business, “laws” such as “Never outshine the master” and “Learn to keep people dependent on you” are tools that can help me along my journey. These “laws” are skills that I may not practice as a leader currently but it is always wise to recognize them when someone else is using them against you. I look forward to further development as a leader and learning how to utilize each style to motivate myself and others to be the best leader he or she can be.

 References:

 Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power. Penguin Books (P-US), 20000901. VitalBook file.

 Maxwell, J. C. (1993). Developing the leader within you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

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LA Reid's most famous failure: dropping Lady Gaga | Larry King Now | Ora.TV

LA Reid speaks on signing and dropping Lady Gaga. He mentions how he lacked the patience to develop her and just wanted her ready to deliver the public. Patience is key in the art of music.

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Strategies and Tactics

•       Month 1: Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership

Create     an online presence specific to Music Business

•       Modify existing LinkedIn profile to include music business links and contacts.

Brand     myself.

•       Create business cards and online accounts that are specific to the work I offer to the industry.

Complete     course on Record Labels via Lynda.com.

•       https://www.lynda.com/Music-Business-tutorials/Insiders-Guide-Todays-Music-Biz-07-Record-Labels/450271-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

•       Month 2: Executive Leadership

Complete     online Course on Executive Leadership via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Executive-Leadership/167027-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Seek     out leadership opportunities with current employer

•       Will leverage existing relationships with leaders to create opportunity to practice learned strategies in current place of employment

Complete     online course in “Executive Decision Making” via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Executive-Decision-Making/373992-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

•       Month 3: Project and Team Management

Complete     ”Project Management Fundamentals” online course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Project-tutorials/Project-Management-Fundamentals/424947-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Complete     ”Managing Technical Teams” online course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Managing-Technical-Teams/180272-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Develop     timeline for mock project.

•       Write out timeline of mock project, including roles and deadlines for check points.

•       Month 4: Business Storytelling & Brand Development

Complete     online course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Enterprise-Marketing-tutorials/Branding-Fundamentals/171053-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Create     business and brand narrative

•       Utilizing logo and Microsoft Word, craft a brand and business narrative that can be utilize to promote business via radio, TV, and social media.

Refine     individual brand.

•       Be able to successfully articulate personal brand to potential clients and mentors.

•       Month 5: Entertainment Business Finance

Complete     online Account Fundamentals course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Accounting-tutorials/Accounting-Fundamentals/158665-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Create     a pseudo company to exercise accounting principles.

•       Utilize and practice account with Excel spreadsheets.

Complete     online Music Taxes and Account course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Accounting-tutorials/Music-Taxes-Accounting/408238-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

•       Month 6: Negotiation & Deal Making

Complete     online course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Audio-Music-Live-Performance-tutorials/Music-Law-Recording-Management-Rights-Performance-Contracts/176622-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Complete     ”Strategic Negotiation” course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Strategic-Negotiation/376381-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Conduct     research on famous deals within the Music Business

•       Utilizing student resources and the web, conduct research into deals made within the industry, paying close attention to method and strategy taken to close the deal.

•       Month 7: Product & Artist Management

Search     and acquire internship with production company or record label.

•       Utilize Career Development team at Full Sail, conduct personal searches via online job search engines and personal contacts to secure an internship.

Scout     local open mics and online music streaming sites to connect with fresh     talent to develop.

•       Use knowledge learned through current studies and personal development to work with young talent on career progression and polishing for next level.

Complete     online Product Management fundamental course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Product-Management-Fundamentals/479069-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

•       Month 8: Advance Entertainment Law

Conduct     sit down conversation with local entertainment lawyer

•        Conversation will explore Entertainment/Music Law from a lawyers’ perspective to gain insight to successes and failures of artists/labels from a legal prospective.

Complete     online courses by Richard Stim on Music Law via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Music-Management-tips/Music-Law-Managing-Bands-Business/376618-2.html?org=fullsail.edu  

Be     able to review and understand a contract.

•       Utilize course materials to review a music contract.

•       Month 9: Entertainment Media Publishing & Distribution

Complete     online course by Steve Rennie via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Music-Business-tutorials/Insiders-Guide-Todays-Music-Biz-08-Music-Publishing/450270-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Be     able to distinguish the difference between current music publishing     companies.

•       Utilize school resources, conduct independent research into each publishing company and their benefits to the artists and labels.

Gain     at least one contact per each publishing company.

•       Leverage existing relationships with music professionals to establish a working relationship with at least one working member of each publishing company.

•       Month 10: Digital Marketing

Complete     at least one online course in digital marketing via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Analytics-tutorials/Online-Marketing-Fundamentals/188429-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Work     with local artist to develop and launch digital marketing campaign.

•       Utilize working relationship with local artist to assist with development and launch of digital campaigns utilizing social media platforms.

Understand     analytics from online presence to develop strategy for future projects.

•       Review statistics and followers to develop audience target goals.

•       Month 11 and 12: Business Plan Development & Final Project

Watch     video “9 Steps to Developing a Business Plan”  via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Nine-steps-developing-business-plan/115426/136618-4.html?org=fullsail.edu

Complete     “Creating a Business Plan” course via Lynda.com

•       https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Creating-Business-Plan/373107-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Strategize     with mentor on points within business plan

•       Present mentor with rough draft of business plan for feedback.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4pPNxUzGvc)

Words of wisdom from one of my biggest inspirations in the music business, Beyoncé. This is a retrospective video she made to celebrate the 1yr anniversary of her industry-shaking self-titled fifth album “Beyoncé”. She reflects on life, self-worth, celebrity, loss, love and motherhood.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOMEnykYvck)

Berry Gordy - Inspiration 

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View Robert G Daniel II’S professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's largest business network, helping professionals like Robert G Daniel II discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts, and business partners.

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RG Daniel II 

Logo.

I went this direction with my logo as a tribute to my father. It incorporated his favorite color blue and script close to his first business’ logo. 

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Feedly Screenshot. Focused blogs and sites to follow on my journey to mastery.

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rgdanielii | Papaly

rgdanielii - Journey To Mastery, My First Board

Have a look at the sites I frequent to provide insight into the world of music business.

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The journey begins.

On December 31, 2016, as I began to bring in another year with friends and family, I made a vow to myself that 2017 would be the year that I would actively pursue my lifelong dream of success within the entertainment business. Life has taught me that if you truly want something in life, you have move out of your comfort zone and go after whatever it is that your heart desires. On February 27, 2017, I left my comfort zone and started my master’s program at Full Sail University, pursuing a M.S. in Entertainment Business. With this blog, I will chronicle my journey through this program and the start of the career of my dreams. My intentions are to use this blog as a window into what it takes to make your wildest dreams a reality. I would like this blog to inspire anyone to dream big and when life tells you it’s time, follow that dream. We are our biggest enemies in life. When we have those big dreams, we start to tell ourselves all the reasons why we shouldn’t or can’t follow those dreams. I’ve given myself ever reason over time as to why I can’t follow my dreams, and now I’m telling myself everyday why I can follow my dreams.

 By having this blog, I hope to learn more about me, to challenge myself to see my dreams to fruition and to monitor my growth through time. I hope by sharing my views, ideas, and glimpses into the things and people who inspire me, I will be able to motivate someone else like me to follow their dreams. Life has thrown me many curve balls that have tried to take me away from the one thing that brings me joy, which is music. I never forgot my dreams and they have only manifested into a religious experience over time for me. This blog will be a testament to my determination to follow my dreams with all my heart and leave my mark on this world.