Entertainment Business Masters Reflection

Journey…The Final Act

By

Tara C Harris

“Just thinking that in twelve months I will have

accomplished another major goal in my life and that’s earning my Master’s in

Entertainment Business. I have been on this journey for a very long time, over

20 years gaining experience by working with artists, record labels, songwriters,

producers and authors. The things that I have learned thus far have been

crucial to my development and career.”

This was the very first paragraph from my first course. It has been twelve

months and indeed I have learned, struggled, paced and almost drove myself

crazy over thinking on what was needed in order to succeed in the EBMS

program. Personal Development and Leadership showed me what was really

inside of me and what I could accomplish. I had to have an open mind to

receive what was given to me and most certainly I succeeded.

My Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership Timeline PowerPoint

Presentation

(Double Click Pic)

“This month’s course is all about executive leadership and

studying two different styles of leadership. On one hand you have Robert

Greene’s “The 48 Laws of Power” and on the other you have John C. Maxwell’s

“Developing The Leader Within You”. Both of these readings have great points

but different views and I understand both because I have been in the presence

of them and been both. Being in the entertainment industry is most definitely

Greene from what I have witnessed in the over 20 years I have been in it. I have

never seen a Maxwell leader who has not turned into a Greene leader in little to

no time from what they have gone through or been faced with. I myself have

been both Greene and Maxwell but in the end I’m a Maxwell type of leader.”

Executive Leadership pretty much gave me a look at the 2 types of leaders that

were already inside of me. I have used both types of leadership but I was only

comfortable with one. In my opinion, Robert Greene is more of a cut throat type

of leader and even though I have used his ways, John Maxwell’s leadership

type is who I am today. This course brought back so many memories that I

thought I had buried but when it all boils down to it, I had to do what was

needed at those times. Realizing who you really are in leadership makes a

significant difference in how your company will be ran and how you will be

viewed.

“What I have learned is that in order to manage, you must be

in tuned to each person’s strengths and needs and align that with the project

that you all are working on. You must take notice of the specific jobs that are

assigned and make sure that that particular job fits whom it is delegated to.

There is a chain of command and everyone has to play their part and step

forward when it is their turn to present/add to the project at hand. Each

person is assigned a specific job and that person has to be on top of their

duties at all times so that things go as planned. There is no way that a project

can come out successful if all players are not in sync with their roles or the

project is in disarray.”

Project and Team Management was the coolest class to date. Learning how to

work with your team on a project gave insight as to who you are and whether

or not you’re/others are difficult to work with. This course showed me that not

only could I work with others but I could enjoy working with others who may

have different views than I. Managing projects are not hard if you have the

right team behind you and this is exactly what I wanted to know.

“In a world of economic uncertainty, I do believe that there is

room for my story, my business and my brand. I have to offer what is wanted,

what is needed and what is desired and not “skimp” on the quality or quantity

of my product. Creativeness and the desire to give others what they want to

make a better life for themselves and their business is one of my goals. This

course pointed me straight to what I will need to become successful and stand

out from the rest of the crowd. I have to research other businesses and see

what they have done to become whom they are as well as how their brand has

stayed on top for so long. Even if the field is saturated, there is room for fresh,

new and different. What will it be that makes my company stand out from

others? How does my logo tell my company’s story? How does my company’s

motto stand out from the rest? What is my Brand Identity? What colors can

zero in to my customers and make them see my company as a stand out from

the rest? How will my company play on its customer’s emotions? These are all

valid and much needed questions to have answered when it comes to my

company and its brand.”

I had not realized that every company has a story. From beginning to end, each

business has a way that it was started, whether thought out or not. Business

Storytelling and Brand Development gave me “the eye” for research. Exploring

a company’s beginnings and following thru to their “to date” was tiresome but

well worth it. I found myself researching other avenues along with a company’s

history. This is what set a spark off in me to pursue other ways and avenues to

focus my interest.

“This month Entertainment Business Finance has totally

gotten on my last nerve but I am so thankful and grateful that it is a part of the

curriculum for the Entertainment Business Master’s program. Net Profit Value

and Profitability Index and some of the terms that will make a difference in

whether or not to pursue getting loans for a business and whether or not I

should be interested in going for a project. Knowing how to calculate

depreciation into items that you may purchase will help you decide if it is

worth the purchase. Understanding amortization and calculating interest are

all a vital part of buying a home or purchasing property. There is so much

information that I had not known that is connected to starting and running a

business that can make a difference in all of my decisions as a business owner.

Finance is vital and critical in starting, running and owning a business that it

is necessary to know more than the basics. I don’t think I could just let my

financial department/accountant/advisor handle all of this without knowing

what it is that they are doing or computing. Assets, liabilities and expenses can

make or break you in your personal life and in business if you do not

understand what is going on. The idea is to have/gain assets that produce

enough that you acquire wealth without having the need to worry about

whether or not you can pay your mortgage or the next set of bills that are sure

to come. Out of all the courses that I have taken so far and will take in the

future, Entertainment Business Finance has prepared me to go much further

and secure my understanding of it all and expand on what I have learned

within this month. Finally, one of the biggest lessons that I have learned comes

from Robert Kiyosaki, “Work To Learn—Don’t Work For Money”.

I still stand by Entertainment Business got on my last nerve but guess what? I

made it through it and conquered a great fear…finance and numbers plus I

know how to do a Pro Forma.

“My original goal for this course was just to understand the

art and walk away knowing what should happen and what should not happen

when negotiating but it was so much more than I anticipated. You must take

into consideration all sides that are present no matter how bad one side may

be. The best outcome is the goal for either side and it is my job to make sure

that that happens. I’ve learned that even if a side is difficult, there is hope for a

successful negotiation. My willingness to overlook the negative and keep the

positive in circulation during talks is the key to gaining success. Research and

facts play a major part in negotiating a deal and you must come prepared and

focused to show your strength.

There were a couple of tactics that stood out to me and one was “Game

Theory”. Even though in game theory it’s all about successfully getting what

you want, you must anticipate others who are involved moves. Knowing how

they will/may operate will place you in a solid position and get you what you

want out of the deal. Anticipating someone’s moves isn’t an easy job but if you

know the person and how they usually go about things, it can make for a great

outcome on your behalf.”

“This month’s course Product & Artist Management has

given me new life. Even though I think this could have been Advanced

Business Management, it certainly made a few more things clear business

wise. SWOT Analysis is so important in your quest to having your own

company and does the work of not having to figure out later what you have to

take care of in the now. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

all matter and should not be taken lightly in running your own business. You

must know who your competition is and not fall into the trap of doing the

“same old” thing that has been done. Look for new and exciting ways to run

your business, look for the silver lining that no one else has bothered to give

thought to. Whatever it is that you are attempting to sell needs to be that niche

that has never been presented and/or looked over so many times.

Your product represents you and your company. It represents everything you

have ever wanted accomplish and make people understand that you ARE the

best at what you do. What is it that separates you from others? What do you

have that no one else has? How does you company outshine the rest? Why

does your product or service even matter? Why should anyone purchase your

product or service? And why should I give you my money, time, air or space?

These things matter and will become your reason for existing in business. What

you are and whom you represent are factors of importance and you should

already know WHO you are.”

This course wasn’t what I expected but I

gained new insight and learned how to assess my

company.

I really wanted this course to focus more on Artist Management & the products

that go along with Artist Management but I absorbed information business

wise that I had not previously known.

“This month in Advanced Entertainment Law has been a

great one. Reading and summarizing actual cases and realizing the extent of

the law can be exciting. Studying cases can place you in the mind of someone

else whether it’s for good or for bad. Seeing how things can be viewed as

intentional or not gives better insight in reviewing. Also, seeing how a case may

be headed one way but turns out a totally different way is now understood. The

burden of proof is where the judgment lies but you also can see where

persuasion takes its stand. Trademarks, copyrights, liability, use of likeness,

fraud, intentional torts and other things that can rear its head when

conducting business can be the best or worst of being in business. You must

be careful with whatever you are a part of when liabilities are concerned.

Knowing your business and what your business consists of is the great

knowledge you could ever have. Be very cautious and know the laws that

pertain to your business so that you have a clear understanding if an issue

may arise. Considering that people are suing for just about anything these

days, you must know the laws as it pertains to you and your business.”

Advanced Entertainment Law was a true highlight of the EBMS program.

Contracts, trademarks, copyrights, liabilities and Intellectual Property are must

know in the entertainment field. There is no way one can say that they are in

the “Industry” and don’t know anything about these. There are so many little

bits of information that one must know in order to operate in the truest form of

the law when it comes to entertainment and this course gives much more than

one could expect. I knew that this would be one of the classes that I would love

because I came in the industry not knowing certain parts of entertainment law.

This course filled in the blanks for me and I can’t wait to go deeper in depth

with entertainment law. I truly enjoyed this course.

“I have been a songwriter for over 30 years, I have a nephew

who is an excellent author/writer and I have another nephew who writes and

produces music. Considering that the majority of my immediate family are

talented individuals who are embarking upon the field of entertainment, I

found this course to be a “breath of fresh air”. Learning how to write a Query

Letter and doing a Made for Television Treatment provided me with the

necessary tools to help and guide myself and my family in their entertainment

careers. Now I don’t know everything there is to know but this course has given

a path to starting and later on mastering. Hearing the joy in both of my

nephew’s voices when I tell them what I am learning and have learned is the

greatest joy for me.

Receiving knowledge from Professor Craft and her course book “Entertainment

Media and Publishing Distribution” 2 edition lists very critical information to

show you what is needed to self-publish or go the route of getting an agent. The

samples and examples gives me an clear understanding of what is looked for

and expected when you are in the business of publishing and distributing for

the public. It is necessary to research how others have done it with success

also to get an idea of what and how things need to be presented at the present

time. There are so many websites, associations, guilds and blogs that can give

you the information needed that can help on your journey to success.”

I have heard so many people say, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” but

this is the farthest from the truth for me. What you don’t know can and will

hurt you when it comes to business especially. I have authors in my family that

depend on me to know what they don’t. I in turn prep them for what could and

may come so that they will know what to expect. My family and I are preparing

to self-publish one of my nephews’ books. The vital information that I received

has shown me what I can do and what to look out for in self-publishing.

“I did not know what to expect in DMK and had no idea that

it would show me how to set up web analysis and connect people to any of my

various sites through SEO (Search Engine Optimization). I just figured that it

would be more marketing information that was to be added on to what we have

already studied. Even though it is adding on to our previous knowledge in prior

to courses, it is the heightened elevation of marketing into showing us how to

collect data by infusing our various sites into the main stream web. DMK is

showing us how to creating direct portals to our online information about who

we are and what we do in this journey of obtaining our Master’s degree and the

company that we represent in business. I understand the saying “Saving the

best for last” with this course. It is truly the best coming in the last stage of

knocking on graduations door.

Divine Royalty Productions Group is the company that I am a part of and we

are already using what I have been taught so far in DMK. We are connecting

Google Analytics to our company’s website and infusing SEO also. This is going

to be a ride that I will never forget because DMK is helping to make our

presence felt in social media as well as the World Wide Web. When we present

of our company to the world in a few months, we will have DMK and a few

other courses to thank for it. Divine Royalty Productions Group is built on

respect, trust and honesty with a huge dose of respect for the people that we do

business for and with. DRPG will never take the job that is done lightly and we

are a confident company. Thank you once again DMK for helping this company

get to the “world.”

The joy of Digital Marketing…The Marketing Plan!

Yes I did it! Sixteen pages of how my company plans to market our business. I had no clue at first

but once we got started, it all came together.

“As much as I hate math and doing financials, this class was

one of the best throughout these last 11 months. Business Plan Development

gave me exactly what I was looking for. I have always feared writing a business

plan because it looked difficult to put together but when you have the right

tools and Instructor guiding you, it becomes a piece of cake but not without

challenges. Dr. Burhoe is so awesome in his feedback of what was needed

inside my business plan and when I thought that I had truly messed up, he

returned feedback that showed me that I was on the right track. The research,

financials and marketing information may have been the most challenging but

I got through it.

The original goal for BPD was just to understand what it was that I was

supposed to do as far as putting together a business plan but in the end it

became so much more than numbers and a new company. Learning how to put

together your own vision of what it is you want in your company made me

think about so many things like when would people start to get paid and what

if you make no money in the first three years of business? These things made

me view the way I would setup my business and how could I operate a

business without going broke and having funds left over to continue to running

this business. Yes starting a company can be difficult but if you keep at it there

could be light at the end of the tunnel as well as a rainbow with a pot of gold.

You must know all aspects of running a business and what you need to do to

run it. If the funds aren’t there, there are ways to get the funds you need with

Angel Investors, Crowd Funding Projects and other capital fund raisers.”

BPD was another top course but not without challenges on my part. Here we go

again with research, numbers and statistics, the very thing that I hate but

made it through. I have never been a math or numbers person but now that I

know I can do it, I have an ease about it all. Your business has to be

thoughtfully and carefully planned out. It’s not like you can just wake up one

day and say, “Oh I think I’ll start a business today”, no that’s not how it works.

You need to know how much will it cost to start, what legal issues if any can

and will arise or who will give me money to do this if I don’t have enough to do

it myself. Your plan for your business has to be developed and carefully

thought out. BPD gave me the necessary tools to do all of this and possibly

succeed if I stick to the plan.

DIVINE ROYALTY

PRODUCTIONS GROUP

LLC.Divine Royalty Productions Group, LLC better

known as DRPG, is a music production, publishing and songwriting company.

Tara C. Harris

Final Business Plan Presentation

(Double Click Picture)

Well this is the end of the line. The actual Business Plan is the final project and

it seems like it was just yesterday that I started the program (well okay not

really). Every course that I have taken has led up to this project. The project

that when I began I was so afraid of, the project that intimidated me and made

me doubt myself. What I have learned in this final month is that I could do it

all the long. It was nothing to fear and nothing to get all twisted up about. I

remember breaking out in a sweat when it came time for the Marketing Plan. I

was so unsure if I would do it right but I did. I read and re read everything that

was needed and prevailed. What was different about the business plan?

Nothing really just a little more information with some graphs and statistics.

More detail was needed with an in depth look at my company from the top to

the bottom, inside and out.

The Business Plan is just a collection of what I have learned in the previous

eleven months, condensed into a compact project that could net financial

freedom for my company and I. An overall look into what I love to do and a view

of how I would present what I love to do to others. This final project is a

collection of work that showcases if I understood what the last eleven months

have been all about and if the public could accept what I have learned and

possibly pay me for my talent and knowledge on it.

References

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fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

Allen, P. (2011). Artist management for the music business (2nd ed.). Oxford:

Focal.

Anuzis, M. (2007, April 24). How to Negotiate a Pay Raise with Game Theory.

Retrieved November 11, 2014,

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikE1pn034WA&feature=related&nor

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Fisher, R., Patton, B. M., & Ury, W. L. (1991). Getting to yes: negotiating

agreement without giving in (2nd ed.). New York: Penguin Books.

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money– that the poor and middle class do not. Scottsdale, Ariz.: Plata Pub..

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Books.

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All pictures are from Google Images 2015

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