Leadership Portfolio Month 11: Business Plan Development

LP Assignment: Research and analyze two experts on business plans

I put my own twist on this assignment. Instead of choosing typical experts that would basically have the same insight on business plans, I tailored it to fit the industry of my business. My two experts were 50 Cent and Jay-Z, both from very humble beginnings, got their start from their success in music and are well-respected businessmen. From these two experts I learned that aiming high and diversification is key. Having one business idea is fine, but being able to use that idea as a catalyst for another (or a few other) business plan would open so many more doors. Also, creating a solid brand can create a lot of opportunity and business ventures. With that in mind, image, product quality and consistency are that much more important when running a business.



8th Leadership Activity: Became co-chair of Cotton Club committee for BSU’s Black History Month Event’s

With Black History Month soon approaching, BSU (Black Student Union) started planning for the events we would host so that the month could be observed campus-wide. One of the events is called the “BSU Cotton Club” (which is a rendition of the club venue in Harlem from the 1920s) and will be held on February 25, 2011. I have taken on the role as co-chair of this event, which made me partly responsible for the coordination and execution of the event.

A BSU member or a general Full Sail University student will fill every role in this event like: musician, singer/rapper, host, stage manager, usher, greeter, etc. Aside from the co-chair position, I also have taken on the main stage manager position and coordinator of the music component of the show.

Flyer Designed by Bill Hudson

Leadership Portfolio Month 10: Mobile Marketing and Commerce

LP Assignment: Conduct a survey of up to five people on mobile device usage

I conducted an interview through an online and face-to-face survey with mobile device users. Upon completion of the survey, I took five of them from different age groups between 20-63 years old so that I could get different results. I was able to get an idea of the type of device they used, how often they used them, their reason for usage and even their perspective on how the future is affected by having various devices at our disposal. From this I learned how to conduct an effective survey that is relevant to almost everyone. I learned that we all have different purposes for our mobile devices and that a plethora of features do not always affect a consumer’s purchase. Style, quality, service, nostalgia and many other components drive consumers interests. In the end option is key because a consumers decision can be tailored precisely for them.

Leadership Portfolio Month 9: Digital Marketing

LP Assignment: Find and save job search feeds on Google Reader Account

This assignment was geared toward becoming familiar with Google Reader as a focal point and more convenient way to stay updated on feeds that match my interests like twitter, blogs, websites, job searches etc. We simply searched our favorite websites and subscribed to them so that they would display on Google Reader. I learned just how many ways Google has made a lot of things easier to execute for us.


7th Leadership Activity: Facilitated BSU General Body Meeting featuring panel discussion w/cast members from The Wood 

 In the absence of the current President, as Vice President I had to facilitate BSU’s (Black Student Union) general body meeting for this month. Like normal I addressed old and new business, announcements and other components of the meeting’s agenda. Aside from that we were given the privilege of having Sean Nelson and Duane Finley (cast members of “The Wood”) come into the meeting and speak to our members about themselves and the film industry.

Leadership Portfolio Month 8: Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution

LP Assignment: Create a business strategy for a record label

The assignment was to formulate a media and distribution strategy for a record label. Since my business plan project was based on a record label (ForeQast Entertainment), I used it as a reference to develop my strategy for this assignment. Everything from the address, mission statement, executive summary, company description, product type, manufacturing and distribution plan, and marketing and promotion plan were coordinated in this assignment. This helped me learn to consider and measure all the elements needed to create a successful business strategy in order to reach my target market.



5th and 6th Leadership Activity: Volunteered for American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Cancer Walk and hosted BSU Late Night Breakfast at IHOP

This was the month of October, which is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With this in mind, I was privileged to be apart of American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Cancer Walk as a volunteer. At this event I directed the event participants to the sign in tables, cheered the participants on as they walked passed their 2nd mile and cleaned up the presentation area at the conclusion of the event. Later that night BSU (Black Student Union) hosted our social event “Late Night Breakfast” at IHOP (International House of Pancakes), which was an opportunity to network and fellowship with our members outside of meetings and the campus atmosphere.

Flyer designed by Bobbi Ruffin

Leadership Portfolio Month 7: Advanced Entertainment Law

LP Assignment: Interview a law professional in the entertainment industry

I interviewed Shannon A. Ligon, Esq., she is the managing member of Ligon Law Group, member of the Florida Bar and she is apart of many other related organizations that keep her tapped into the various areas of the law industry. This industry was not a strong suit of mine, nor was I very interested in it. This resulted in being curious about a lot of things involving Shannon’s reasons for choosing this career path and learning as much as I could about something I had very little knowledge of. I learned a lot about Shannon and how she got her start, her shining moments, her challenges, the people in entertainment she has worked with and even some of the rates she charges for service. The advice I took away from the interview were things like: gain hands on experience, network, build credibility and stay up to date on my industry of choice (whether through books, websites, looking at contracts, etc.)



3rd and 4th Leadership Activities: Became the Black Student Union’s Vice President and hosted panel discussion with The Nappy Roots 

This was also the month that I transitioned from Public Relations and Marketing Chair of BSU (Black Student Union) to the position of Vice President. By this time I was well adjusted to the new campus, the people, the program and BSU. It was my time to step into a higher rank and that is exactly what I did. Upon my transition, we were given the opportunity to host a campus wide panel discussion featuring the well-known hip-hop group “Nappy Roots”. Students were allowed to ask questions they were anxious to know the answer to straight from an industry source. We also allowed photos and light conversation with the group after the panel discussion. 

Leadership Portfolio Month 6: Product and Artist Managment

LP Assignment: Interview an artist manager 

I interviewed a producer manager by the name of Sarah J. She is the founder of SubUrban Entertainment, LLC and PMPWorldwide.com. She is a well-connected, industry savvy professional who shops projects for producers of all levels (new and established). Producers need managers too and getting an interview with Sarah J was my way of exposing myself to the fact that there are different areas to artist management. It is not always the typical singer/rapper and manager relationship. Sarah J helped me understand some key points in a management contract like: exclusivity, commission, and to always have a contract in black and white (hard copy). I also learned to be fully committed in my interest or passion, have paperwork as precise as possible, constantly network and stay ahead of trends.

Leadership Portfolio Month 5: Negotiation and Deal-making

LP Assignment: Interview a professional negotiator in the entertainment industry

 

For this assignment I interviewed DJ PC, who is a radio DJ for 94.3 FM WKUF in Flint, MI. Aside from being a DJ, he has been in many scenarios where negotiations take place like: local showcase venues, radio interviews and at the time he was working on a deal with Fontana Universal Music Group. We talked about some of his essential values and techniques to being a successful dealmaker. From this interview I learned that I have very similar values as DJ PC when negotiating and handling business. However, I also learned the importance of planning before approaching negotiations so that I am never going into the situation blindly and to know exactly what I plan to take away from the negotiation. I also learned that I should never expect to get a “NO” from the other party, I should always go into the meeting confident and expect to get exactly what I came for if not more. And most importantly, I learned that communication is important. Body language, speaking clearly, listening and building a rapport are the foundational tools to being successful in negotiating.