Being an Entrepreneur in Entertainment
By Corey Graham 2.0
There are many different types of entrepreneurs in entertainment. We consistently hear in the media now, you have to "go hard or go home" basically work hard or go home.
Now I have a slightly different take on this thinking, I like to say work smart. The entertainment arena is one which has a low barrier to entry in that almost everyone has an idea of what it is to plan a party, perform on a stage or to simply entertain guests in your home or country. It’s easy to take the experience from being the DJ or party planner of the last family party and explore doing it on a larger scale. Now of course it is not that easy to simply walk on to a big stage and do your thing. However this is the story of many of the entrepreneurs who are involved in entertainment today, they all started from “humble beginnings”. It is quite easy for us to visualize ourselves filling many of the different roles that exist in the entertainment industry.
Raise the bar year after year
This low barrier to entry means that there are consistently new persons coming into the industry and trying to "make it" and many of them won't be around one, two or even 3 years from now. The turnover in the industry is high and new opportunities along with the latest trends can arise from just about anywhere. I think the key to longevity in the industry lies in navigating these waters. It is key to make sure that the core persons you are working with, are committed to making sure that they raise the level year after year.
Focus on your Core Skills
Who you are and what you do is very important. It is important to be clear on what your core skill is and use that as a bias when you are getting involved in different projects. This is actually the advice of editor in chief of the top hip hop magazine, XXL, Datwon Thomas. Datwon has been able to diversify into several different areas of the entertainment industry including merchandising and sneakers! He was sharing with me in an interview for BoomTribe.com that he is a writer. He always makes sure he remembers that as he takes on new and interesting projects. He believes it’s by keeping his bias as a writer and continuously raising the bar as a writer, that allows him to continuously make these leaps into different areas of the industry.
It’s a people thing
Finally, entertainment is a people's business and there are 2 sets of people you must win over no matter what service you are providing. You must win over the industry and you must also win over the end user. Winning over the people in the industry is a simple key fact most people miss. You are always on show. Yes fashion has a bit to do with it, but for industry people, especially those people who are serious about the business, they are constantly watching and seeing how you handle certain situations. This is the secret to you getting referrals and recommendations. You will notice that people whom you never officially met will start referring you to persons from around the world.
Now winning over the end user. Personally I think that at the end of the day your job no matter what you are doing in entertainment, is to make sure people are enjoying themselves. I think that entertainment offers you the unique pleasure to capture people at their best. It’s a rare pleasure which can be extremely fulfilling but also very frustrating as being in the industry can cause society to "look down" on you and what you doing. Sorry if that was too real for you, but it’s an important thing to be aware of. Entertainment is about understanding people and being able to deliver enjoyment into the lives of persons. At the end of the day if you are not able to be a part of delivering excitement and enjoyment into person’s lives, even when times are challenging for you, then entertainment is not for you. And for those of you who think it’s all about you and your glamour etc., sorry to say, but when it all comes down to it, it’s all about how others feel.
I think the words of Maximus in the movie Gladiator perfectly captures this paradox between frustration and how you make others feel when he says at the end of his battle.
"Are you not entertained?"
I want you to answer that question for me - Are you not entertained?
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