Google+ has recently opened its website to everyone, dropping the invite only field trial, as reported on September 20 by Brian Womack of Business Week. Previously, Google has been known as a popular search engine. It began adding more features to its repertoire, becoming a one-stop-shop for people to search websites, images, news articles, blogs, and have access to email, share word documents, link to their YouTube account, and now social media.
According to John D. Sutter, CNN columnist, "Google Plus gained an estimated 25 million users by early August." These figures pale in comparison to Facebook and Twitters fan base, but Google+ has just begun releasing apps that separate it from other social media sites. Their newest release is called Hangouts, where groups of 2-9 people can gather and watch each other, hold a conversation, or watch a YouTube video together. There is also the option to record the session.
I believe this feature is an innovation to the world of entertainment. It extends the role of YouTube much further, creating a live "Internet Television" broadcast system. Not only can people watch your pre-recorded material on YouTube, but now they can watch you live. By incorporating a voting and commenting system, you can take your act real-time and gain valuable feedback and criticisms to improve your material.
Google+ is also working on incorporating features "showing friends what's on a users computer screen, such as photos or lesson plans; sharing drawings on a digital sketchpad; and incorporating Google Docs, including word processing documents" (Womack, 2011). By providing these features, the door is not only open to the world of entertainment, but the world of business as well.
As an entertainment business student about to graduate, Google+ is opening the door for myself and others to use social media in a whole new way. It will improve how long distance business meetings will take place by providing real-time sharing and face-to-face interaction so that nobody will have to miss important information. By linking computer-to-computer sharing or Google Docs, others in the meeting can keep up with the presenter, see and hear what they are seeing and hearing, when it should be seen and heard.
Hangouts, on the other hand, provide a unique opportunity for artist to fan interaction. The transparency factor proves more real, bringing the fans into the artists world through the live broadcast. This is a perfect opportunity for people working in the realm of promotions. If the hangouts are opened up to a large enough audience, fans can see their favorite performer make a special announcement, or a select number of winners can see their favorite artist perform a closed show from his/her home. It can create transparency as much as selectivity. Since Google+ has circles, artists can group their fans into regions so they can deliver special messages to a targeted audience, rather than as a broad message across a fan page or group.
These tactics prove more efficient for business professionals because it brings prospect of supply and demand all in one central meeting place. It bridges distance, making people feel closer, yet can block out unnecessary audiences if the timing is not right. Since people can add you and you do not need to add them, you can feel out what type of person they are before adding or block messages from them. This proves to be a more efficient way of targeting your desired audience.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Finding Financing For Your Start-up
There are many ways to find financing for a start-up business offline as well as online. Before an investor will offer money, there are important tips an eager business owner should follow in order to obtain money.
One website that will provide desired financing is the Opportunity Finance Network (www.opportunity finance.net). This company is focused on linking CDFI's to finance low-income people living in urban, rural, and Native communities in order to help them "join the mainstream." The type of financing that is described on the website focuses on "loans and investments that range from $100,000 to $3 million, in terms lasting from 3 to 10 years." In order to qualify for financing, a person must fall into a category of low-income or low-wealth in an urban, rural, or Native community. Opportunity Network is striving not only toward lending, but also toward knowledge sharing through conferences, relevant industry information, and availability to donate.
Other websites, like Associantion for Enterprise Opportunity (www.aeoworks.com), focus on microenterprise. They encourage entrepreneurship through new initiatives. AEO focus on Voice, Catalyst Initiative, Capacity Building in the Southeast, and Green Economy. Voice refers to AEO's effort for awareness, interest, and impact of it's members and small entrepreneurs. Their Catalyst Initiative is geared toward spurring growth of micro enterprises in the US. The Capacity Building in the Southeast is aimed at pushing effectiveness and efficiency at the state and national levels regarding advocacy and operations. Lastly Green Economy identifies planet friendly opportunities. New entrepreneurs can find financing by linking up with micro enterprise organizations and being mentored through the process of developing a business plan and the necessary information needed to create the big picture of a start-up. Through AEO and their partners, members (after paying $250) are included in a network of small business owners with acess to help in order to grow and prosper. AEO provides relevant industry information, with goals of helping their members reach financial stability.
These are two of many websites aimed toward small business financing and support. Getting help through other corporations or even learning the process in school will help entrepreneurs become successful business owners.
One website that will provide desired financing is the Opportunity Finance Network (www.opportunity finance.net). This company is focused on linking CDFI's to finance low-income people living in urban, rural, and Native communities in order to help them "join the mainstream." The type of financing that is described on the website focuses on "loans and investments that range from $100,000 to $3 million, in terms lasting from 3 to 10 years." In order to qualify for financing, a person must fall into a category of low-income or low-wealth in an urban, rural, or Native community. Opportunity Network is striving not only toward lending, but also toward knowledge sharing through conferences, relevant industry information, and availability to donate.
Other websites, like Associantion for Enterprise Opportunity (www.aeoworks.com), focus on microenterprise. They encourage entrepreneurship through new initiatives. AEO focus on Voice, Catalyst Initiative, Capacity Building in the Southeast, and Green Economy. Voice refers to AEO's effort for awareness, interest, and impact of it's members and small entrepreneurs. Their Catalyst Initiative is geared toward spurring growth of micro enterprises in the US. The Capacity Building in the Southeast is aimed at pushing effectiveness and efficiency at the state and national levels regarding advocacy and operations. Lastly Green Economy identifies planet friendly opportunities. New entrepreneurs can find financing by linking up with micro enterprise organizations and being mentored through the process of developing a business plan and the necessary information needed to create the big picture of a start-up. Through AEO and their partners, members (after paying $250) are included in a network of small business owners with acess to help in order to grow and prosper. AEO provides relevant industry information, with goals of helping their members reach financial stability.
These are two of many websites aimed toward small business financing and support. Getting help through other corporations or even learning the process in school will help entrepreneurs become successful business owners.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
What Have The Sharks Taught Me?
In my previous post, Valuable Lessons From The Shark Tank Sharks, I discussed important pieces of advice Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran have said about business plans. John said branding and marketing were the most important aspects of a successful business plan, but Corcoran believes the investor pitch is the most important aspect.
Currently I am creating a business plan for my courses at Full Sail University. When I came across my marketing section, I thought of John’s words of wisdom. I analyzed which pieces of marketing would best fit my company, rather than going all in to the traditional forms. In my company’s case, I have a very specific target market. I know who I am trying to sell to, so it is better for my company to spend lots of money on certain marketing tasks. Traditional forms of marketing, like radio advertisements, flyers, and television advertisements don’t work well with my company. The world doesn’t need to know about it, just my targeted clientele.
John also mentions standing out from all of the other businesses. When developing my company, I knew I wanted to do something that wasn’t readily available in my current location, Orlando, Florida. Creating a business that is directed at a specific industry and has limited to no competition is a huge advantage. As John put it, my company stands out from all of the other businesses.
Corcoran’s piece of advice hasn’t come in to play yet, but as I enter my final course at Full Sail University, I will be able to use her tip. She advised presenting your pitch to someone who will give you an honest answer because then you can go back and make necessary changes. This is so true. Many times people take the safe way out and go with what’s comfortable, but when they present, they’re in an uncomfortable situation and are not prepared for preceding question and answers. There’s a saying in sports, practice how you play. For your investor pitch, practice how the situation may turn out. Practice with someone who makes you nervous and gives you honest feedback.
Since I’ll be presenting in my final month, I know I have friends who are blunt, even if it hurts. They are my best option when practicing my pitch. They are not afraid to tear apart the weaknesses in my pitch, but I know it will only make it better.
Currently I am creating a business plan for my courses at Full Sail University. When I came across my marketing section, I thought of John’s words of wisdom. I analyzed which pieces of marketing would best fit my company, rather than going all in to the traditional forms. In my company’s case, I have a very specific target market. I know who I am trying to sell to, so it is better for my company to spend lots of money on certain marketing tasks. Traditional forms of marketing, like radio advertisements, flyers, and television advertisements don’t work well with my company. The world doesn’t need to know about it, just my targeted clientele.
John also mentions standing out from all of the other businesses. When developing my company, I knew I wanted to do something that wasn’t readily available in my current location, Orlando, Florida. Creating a business that is directed at a specific industry and has limited to no competition is a huge advantage. As John put it, my company stands out from all of the other businesses.
Corcoran’s piece of advice hasn’t come in to play yet, but as I enter my final course at Full Sail University, I will be able to use her tip. She advised presenting your pitch to someone who will give you an honest answer because then you can go back and make necessary changes. This is so true. Many times people take the safe way out and go with what’s comfortable, but when they present, they’re in an uncomfortable situation and are not prepared for preceding question and answers. There’s a saying in sports, practice how you play. For your investor pitch, practice how the situation may turn out. Practice with someone who makes you nervous and gives you honest feedback.
Since I’ll be presenting in my final month, I know I have friends who are blunt, even if it hurts. They are my best option when practicing my pitch. They are not afraid to tear apart the weaknesses in my pitch, but I know it will only make it better.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Valuable Lessons from the Shark Tank Sharks
According to Brian Morris of getbusymedia.com, “there are 27+ million small businesses in the U.S.” (2011). A critical component in order to join the ranks of successful small businesses is to create a business plan to attract investors. But what is it an investor looks for?
The ABC television series Shark Tank is a great example of investors looking for a potentially successful business plan. After the people present their plan, the sharks critique and either offer money, or deny the people seeking money. Two sharks to look to for advice when creating a business plan are Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran.
John is the founder and CEO of FUBU fashion. He got his start in New York City, selling his own version of tie-top hats for a more reasonable price. John and a friend grew the business to include hockey jersey’s, sweatshirts, and t-shirts with the FUBU (For Us, By Us) logo emblazoned on them. During a promotional shoot, John used friend LL Cool J as a model. Upon seeing the potential in his bold colored sportswear, he attended a Las Vegas trade show where he returned to New York with $300,000 worth in orders. Not long after, Macy’s picked up John’s fashion line, placing it with the ranks of Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan New York. Currently, John invests in other’s companies and speaks about his experience and knowledge on television programs (Shark Tank, n.d.).
In a blog written by Steven Burhoe he writes, “According to John, branding is the most important part of a successful business plan. The plan should be focused, and the business should be able to be marketed in a way that makes it stand out from all of the other similar businesses (Ribitzky, 2010). Even if you plan on doing something that has already been done, a great marketing plan and good branding can make for a successful business” (n.d.).
Branding is important for a business plan because your target audience, the people buying your product or service, need to be able to associate with what you’re selling. It needs to stick in their minds so they’ll remember the product or service and come back for more. As stated by John above, branding distinguishes your business from others.
Another shark to learn from is Barbara Corcoran. Corcoran grew up with low grads through high school and college while accumulating 20 jobs by 23. On her last venture, she borrowed $1000 from her boyfriend for a real estate company that, over 25 years, grew to $5 billion (Shark Tank, n.d.).
In an interview with mixergy.com, Corcoran reveals her advice for entrepreneurs: “never go to their family and friends to practice on. Because they’re going to tell them they’re the greatest. You know what you ought to do? You ought to go to your brother-in-law that you can’t stand, let him tear you to shreds on your pitch. Because whether you’re going to Shark Tank, or whether you’re going to some other angel investment group to get your cash, you’re going to be questioned on what’s weak–not what’s great about your presentation, but what doesn’t add up, what doesn’t quite click as making sense. You really want someone who’s critical of you to listen to you, before you do the real deal” (2011).
First impressions are everything. You want not only your written business plan to be flawless, but you also want your presentation perfect. Whether it’s Shark Tank or an investor pitch in your hometown, you want them to buy into you so they’re more confident buying into your business.
The sharks of Shark Tank can teach us valuable lessons about what we should and shouldn’t do with business plans. They have years of experience creating their business, as well as investing in others business. Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8pm/7 central.
Resources:
Mixergy.com. 2011. Retrieved from http://mixergy.com/barbara-corcoran-shark-interview/
Shark Tank: Daymond John. n.d. Retrieved from http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/bio/daymond-john/276281
Shark Tank: Barbara Corcoran. n.d. Retrieved from http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/bio/barbara-corcoran/276269
Small Business Stats For Small Business Week 2011. 2011. Retrieved from http://www.getbusymedia.com/small-business-stats/
The Shark Tank Crew. n.d. Retrieved from http://bpexpertviews.blogspot.com/
The ABC television series Shark Tank is a great example of investors looking for a potentially successful business plan. After the people present their plan, the sharks critique and either offer money, or deny the people seeking money. Two sharks to look to for advice when creating a business plan are Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran.
John is the founder and CEO of FUBU fashion. He got his start in New York City, selling his own version of tie-top hats for a more reasonable price. John and a friend grew the business to include hockey jersey’s, sweatshirts, and t-shirts with the FUBU (For Us, By Us) logo emblazoned on them. During a promotional shoot, John used friend LL Cool J as a model. Upon seeing the potential in his bold colored sportswear, he attended a Las Vegas trade show where he returned to New York with $300,000 worth in orders. Not long after, Macy’s picked up John’s fashion line, placing it with the ranks of Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan New York. Currently, John invests in other’s companies and speaks about his experience and knowledge on television programs (Shark Tank, n.d.).
In a blog written by Steven Burhoe he writes, “According to John, branding is the most important part of a successful business plan. The plan should be focused, and the business should be able to be marketed in a way that makes it stand out from all of the other similar businesses (Ribitzky, 2010). Even if you plan on doing something that has already been done, a great marketing plan and good branding can make for a successful business” (n.d.).
Branding is important for a business plan because your target audience, the people buying your product or service, need to be able to associate with what you’re selling. It needs to stick in their minds so they’ll remember the product or service and come back for more. As stated by John above, branding distinguishes your business from others.
Another shark to learn from is Barbara Corcoran. Corcoran grew up with low grads through high school and college while accumulating 20 jobs by 23. On her last venture, she borrowed $1000 from her boyfriend for a real estate company that, over 25 years, grew to $5 billion (Shark Tank, n.d.).
In an interview with mixergy.com, Corcoran reveals her advice for entrepreneurs: “never go to their family and friends to practice on. Because they’re going to tell them they’re the greatest. You know what you ought to do? You ought to go to your brother-in-law that you can’t stand, let him tear you to shreds on your pitch. Because whether you’re going to Shark Tank, or whether you’re going to some other angel investment group to get your cash, you’re going to be questioned on what’s weak–not what’s great about your presentation, but what doesn’t add up, what doesn’t quite click as making sense. You really want someone who’s critical of you to listen to you, before you do the real deal” (2011).
First impressions are everything. You want not only your written business plan to be flawless, but you also want your presentation perfect. Whether it’s Shark Tank or an investor pitch in your hometown, you want them to buy into you so they’re more confident buying into your business.
The sharks of Shark Tank can teach us valuable lessons about what we should and shouldn’t do with business plans. They have years of experience creating their business, as well as investing in others business. Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8pm/7 central.
Resources:
Mixergy.com. 2011. Retrieved from http://mixergy.com/barbara-corcoran-shark-interview/
Shark Tank: Daymond John. n.d. Retrieved from http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/bio/daymond-john/276281
Shark Tank: Barbara Corcoran. n.d. Retrieved from http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/bio/barbara-corcoran/276269
Small Business Stats For Small Business Week 2011. 2011. Retrieved from http://www.getbusymedia.com/small-business-stats/
The Shark Tank Crew. n.d. Retrieved from http://bpexpertviews.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 22, 2011
Justin Timberlake Wants to Revive Myspace
Myspace has been around since 2003. At that time it was the new, innovative way of talking to friends. Now, in 2011, social media platforms have expanded with technology and knocked Myspace out of the competition. Myspace tried to redefine itself as an entertainment site, but it was too late. With more useful sites like Reverbnation and Facebook apps, there was no need to continue with Myspace.
Recently, Justin Timberlake, former N Sync heartthrob turned actor, has become part owner of Myspace. He bought News Corps share of Myspace because he feels he can save the dying social site. "There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect ... MySpace has the potential to be that place," Timberlake said in an article by BET (2011).
So how could JT revive Myspace? According to Johnny Wright, Timberlake’s manager, JT wants to turn Myspace into a talent finder. Wright was quoted by the Associated Press saying, “"Whether it becomes a talent competition or something like that, those are things that we will still flesh out" (Kaufman, 2011).
Most people have deleted their Mysapce accounts, believing Myspace would fade out eventually. Facebook took the place of Myspace, providing an expansive outlet for not only social networking, but also games and other apps. Now, Google+ is giving Facebook competition, further pushing Myspace from people’s minds. I respect JT’s effort to revive Myspace, but I don’t believe it can be done.
There is so much competition to find new talent. Between free sites, such as Reverbnation and Purevolume, it’s easy to research independent artists. People like the thrill of feeling like they have discovered new talent. Creating a competition online is just bringing the overflow of talent competitions from TV to online. Plus, music festivals, such as Warped Tour, hold their own competition for independent talent to win a chance to play their local date.
Timberlake plan’s to announce his ideas for Myspace on August 17. I’m curious as to what he decides for the site and how he’ll infuse new life into this social media platform.
Resources:
http://www.bet.com/news/music/2011/06/30/justin-timberlake-becomes-part-owner-of-myspace.html
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666784/justin-timberlake-myspace-talent-competition.jhtml
Recently, Justin Timberlake, former N Sync heartthrob turned actor, has become part owner of Myspace. He bought News Corps share of Myspace because he feels he can save the dying social site. "There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect ... MySpace has the potential to be that place," Timberlake said in an article by BET (2011).
So how could JT revive Myspace? According to Johnny Wright, Timberlake’s manager, JT wants to turn Myspace into a talent finder. Wright was quoted by the Associated Press saying, “"Whether it becomes a talent competition or something like that, those are things that we will still flesh out" (Kaufman, 2011).
Most people have deleted their Mysapce accounts, believing Myspace would fade out eventually. Facebook took the place of Myspace, providing an expansive outlet for not only social networking, but also games and other apps. Now, Google+ is giving Facebook competition, further pushing Myspace from people’s minds. I respect JT’s effort to revive Myspace, but I don’t believe it can be done.
There is so much competition to find new talent. Between free sites, such as Reverbnation and Purevolume, it’s easy to research independent artists. People like the thrill of feeling like they have discovered new talent. Creating a competition online is just bringing the overflow of talent competitions from TV to online. Plus, music festivals, such as Warped Tour, hold their own competition for independent talent to win a chance to play their local date.
Timberlake plan’s to announce his ideas for Myspace on August 17. I’m curious as to what he decides for the site and how he’ll infuse new life into this social media platform.
Resources:
http://www.bet.com/news/music/2011/06/30/justin-timberlake-becomes-part-owner-of-myspace.html
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666784/justin-timberlake-myspace-talent-competition.jhtml
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Google Plus Adds Value To Music Promotion
Everybody is familiar with a company named Google. A well-known search engine, its name is infamous for searching anything you could ever want to know. Google is not just a search engine though. They are expanding into social media and possibly showing inadequacies of the popular powerhouse Facebook. This short video gives a glance into the social media platform Google Plus that is currently in the testing phase:
According to hypebot.com, Google Plus will provide several features that will differ from Facebook:
Each of these features seems promising. Google Circles sounds like life will be easier searching for and condensing friends. As said in the video, “sometimes its not relevant to talk about certain things with certain people.” Different aspects of your life are now subdivided as you see fit, supplying more privacy and relaying information directly to those who need to know. Another feature to note, Google Hangout, helps solve the issue of groups and group chats. Who isn’t sick of being added to groups they just don’t care about and the emails that go with them after a stranger updates? Plus, it solves the issues with Skype. You talk to who you want, not some stranger who searched your location. Finally Group Huddle eliminates Facebook Instant Chat. If you’re not at your computer, the message goes to your inbox, clogging it with large amounts of small talk. With Huddle, since you can pull exactly who you want from the list or grab a circle, you’re getting information from who you want quickly and efficiently.
Google Plus seems like an innovative idea, restoring a level of privacy, but still remaining interactive. The features organize social media in order to sift out the clutter and useless information. This also seems like a strong social media business platform. The user remains professional and what has been posted to a cluttered wall will not offend the employer or business professional. Facebook has always acted as a casual site for people to let loose and post anything and everything. If you’re friends, you see what has been posted. You try to be friends and the invites pending, you get some access to what that person does. Google Plus revives professionalism in this social media platform design. You can turn on different aspects of yourself to relevant groups, saving face and impressions.
How does this affect the music industry? Circles will help solve the issue of transparency with fans. Artists can group their fans into a broad circle or subdivide people all the way down to City. Adding the feature of Google Hangout provides the transparency fans adore, face-to-face chat time with their beloved artist. This could take video chatting to a whole new level because multiple fans can interact with each other as well. Also, Group Huddle based off of fan circles could be a great promotional tactic per city. Fans could get special opportunities such as, “First person to respond to BLANK question gets a meet and greet with X band.” Promotions can be tailored to cities now, while others don’t have to be bogged down with information that doesn’t affect them.
The downside to all of this is that it will be on Google. As said by my classmate Jalesia Offer, “I don’t want all of my stuff on Google.” Condensing everything may leave you limited from other options. The Internet is constantly changing and new programs are being developed and released rapidly. Maybe Google will get this right or maybe someone else will create the next best thing.
References:
Friday, June 24, 2011
How Grounded Is Cloud Computing Really?
Cloud computing is on the rise and I, like most, have trouble imagining a tangible medium like a cloud that can store my information safely. It’s hard to imagine a giant hard drive in the sky that collects billions of people’s information, yet that’s what’s implied with cloud computing.
To think of it differently, cloud computing isn’t really a giant, hard drive living in a puffy cloud, but alludes to consumers creating content, downloading content, uploading content onto another company’s server. We as consumer therefore save more room on our personal hard drives. Also, it provides back-up files in case our home computers crash. Simply, it’s like an external hard drive shared by the world, yet you can only access your content and not anyone else’s.
Next the question of security arises: if this “external hard drive” is shared by everybody, how protected am I really? There are smart people in the world who love to hack things; can they get access to my personal information? After reading “Demystifying Cloud Computing For Consumers,” they make a point that cloud-computing services like Amazon have a clause about security (2011). The article doesn’t answer the question, and I don’t feel like they can. Only the services using cloud computing (Apple, Google, Amazon) can answer security questions. There’s always a risk using personal information on the Internet, it’s a fact. As long as the cloud companies are doing their best to protect their customers, that’s all that consumers can ask for.
The brand that Apple’s trying to create with cloud computing left me feeling like my information was going someplace mysterious as I looked toward the sky. The explanation of iCloud seemed too high tech. Yet, the concept is more grounded than it sounds. The whole vision of the cloud keeps people in suspense, yet Apple’s always been great about that. Apple is known for their “out-of-the-box,” innovative technology. So continuing to call their product iCloud holds true to Apple. The other cloud companies, Amazon and Google, haven’t pushed cloud computing in people’s faces, but have still made their presence with this new technology known. They have a chance to ground people’s association with cloud computing so consumers aren’t frightened to send their information out. In reality, the information isn’t going out into a space with no boundaries, but to a tangible place controlled by Amazon, Apple, and Google.
For more information visit:
J.K. Rowling Takes Control Of Her E-books
The collection of Harry Potter novels have been out for several years now, and July 2011 will bring the final movie in series, concluding the reign of Harry. J.K. Rowling isn’t giving up her beloved Harry just yet. On July 31, Pottermore will come to life.
Rowling chose July 31, because that’s Harry’s birthday. Pottermore is a website that will hold more content Potter fans haven’t read. It will also let Rowling keep control over her eBooks. Since eBooks became popular, Rowling refused to release digital versions of her novels. Finally, as the movies have all but wrapped up, she adds some final excitement into they Harry hype. She refused to go the traditional distribution route, so Amazon was out. Yet, the eBooks, even though exclusive to Pottermore, are compatible with any eReader. Also, the website will add new life to the stories (which all seven books will be on the site), and be fully interactive with the reader.
On the Pottermore website, Rowling leaves a teaser video, giving thanks to her loyal readership and fans who continue to write to her and love her work. Even though the release date is July 31, the website will not but fully open to the public until October. But some lucky few will get to experience the website early. Just how isn’t revealed on the site. If interested, you can still submit your email address to get a registration notification.
Since deciding to release ebooks, it was a wise choice by Rowling. If she didn’t, she would have been seen as an author stuck in the past. Also, with her timing, it was now or never. Releasing Pottermore around the final movie installment is great to supply more hype, not jus to the movie, but it’s an extension of the monopoly moving into a new medium. If Rowling had released Pottermore later than the final movie, there wouldn’t have been as big of an impact with fans. There doesn’t seem to be a huge impact now either, but this is the last chance to really hype the world of Hogwarts to readers. Creating eBooks sooner, like at the onset of eReaders, would have had more impact because Rowling would have been current with the times. She’ll still get tons of downloads from millions of loyal fans, but people are just about moved on from the series, engaging in new novels.
For more information visit:
http://media.theage.com.au/entertainment/red-carpet/jk-rowling-unveils-pottermore-2449251.html
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Legal Podcast Review
Throughout my time at Full Sail University, I have gained valuable advice on things I need to do or keep in mind in order to build a small business. I found a podcast from Stanford University's Entrepreneur Corner with DLA Piper partner Martin Nichols. Stan Christensen, Stanford lecturer and Arbor Advisors Managing Director, interviewed Nichols about legal advice for start-up companies. Nichols brought up many great points that I found useful to help me in my search for the right attorney. According to Nichols, initial questions people should ask when searching for an attorney is where did they practice law and are they an equity partner? Those aren't the only two important pieces of information needed though. Find a referral and ask that person what their dealings with the attorney have been: did the make good judgment calls, did they get the deal done, are they as valuable as they claim? Also think about who you deal goes to, does the attorney get personally involved, hand it off to an associate, or get too involved and therefore increase fees? If they are a large firm, will they make time for your start-up business? Nichols tells anecdotes that help convey his points. He discusses that you want an attorney who you can trust, who will listen to you, who has experience in the start-up area, and who doesn't get emotionally involved.
To view this podcast go to Stanford's Entrepreneur Corner.
The next podcast I found was a lecture by Keith Weinstein at MIT discussing Copyright Applied to Music and Computers: Peer-to-Peer File Sharing. I chose this lecture because it breaks down the area of copyright that has been infringed upon for years. He thoroughly breaks down copyright law using everyday examples. I need to be aware of copyright when building my business because I'm using other people's work to run my website. If I don't get a license, I'll be broadcasting artist's music videos, breaking the copyright performance clause. Weinstein breaks down what it means to buy copyrighted material for personal use versus broadcasting it to an audience. He also discusses mp3.com and their copyright infringement case where they allowed people to have a copy of the music, claiming the person has the original CD, so it's not an issue. They later went out of business because they were found to have reproduced material, which is in violation of copyright law.
To watch this podcast visit Copyright Applied to Music and Computers.
The final podcast I watched can be found on iTunesU titled Anatomy of a Record Breaking Trademark Victory. I decided to view an actual case, involving trademark because I need to be careful about trade marking logos for my company and not infringing on anyone else. This example helps put into perspective how serious trademark infringement is and what can happen during a court case. The speaker is R. Charles Henn, Jr. speaking in front of UNC's law school. His case involved his client Adidas versus Payless. Adidas claimed that Payless copied Adidas' signature three-stripe pattern with a four stripe pattern as well as other similarities. Henn says that Payless is "the world's largest retailer with 5,000 stores in the United States." Based on that fact and their revenue, Henn revealed that Adidas was awarded $300 million at the conclusion of the case. There were 268 styles of shoes involved in the case. Henn says that the interesting part of this case was that Payless relied on the advice of counsel if they should produce the shoes and their attorney's gave them the green light to produce. Payless sold $400 million worth of their knockoffs, so Henn feels that what Adidas was awarded was still low. When discussing the case, Henn says that they needed to focus on is the question "is this infringement? is the mark strong?" Henn also used a commercial tactic and included the commercials as evidence. The first commercial he showed was of a game show asking the teams which of four brands used three stripes. It's consumer knowledge that it's Adidas and any shoes that look similar will be thought to be Adidas. It's the visual marking that makes Adidas recognizable. They also showed athletes that use Adidas to show how revered the show company is to not only everyday consumers, but also to athletes.
All of the podcasts helped me to gain a better understanding of considerations I need to build my company. I need to be aware of the attorney I'm choosing as well as avoiding any copyright and trademark issues. My attorney needs to be able to fit with my company and have an interest in the future of it. When dealing with copyright, I need to get all of the proper licensing and have protections against any kind of file sharing. Lastly, the trademark court case brought up many great points about what I need to avoid when designing items and that owning a trademark is beneficial to protect my brand.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Legal Issues For My Business
Designing a business plan concept has been difficult because I change my mind every other month. Yet, I developed an idea that I believe I’m happy with. My plan is to create a website that streams only music videos. Think Pandora/YouTube cross. Developing a website with other people’s content comes with several liabilities, one being copyright on the Internet. An example of this is the case of Viacom vs YouTube.
In this case, YouTube was alleged to have “distributed illegally copied videos that were uploaded to the site by individual users” (Arcamona, 2010). New York judge, Judge Stanton ruled that YouTube simply has to remove videos that infringe on copyright upon discovery of them. Since 20 hours worth of video gets uploaded every minute, I feel this was a fair ruling. Viacom threatened to appealed. The case called into question the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). DMCA states that producers are not liable under “Safe Harbor.” Also, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act says that producer’s are not accountable for the comments their users post. Both DMCA and Section 230 provide great arguments for YouTube. Scanning through 28,800 hours of video is impossible to do in a week and assigning someone to the task would be torture. I agree with the ruling, if Viacom is so worried about copyright infringement, then they can police it themselves. If they find something, YouTube will take down the video without a fight.
Another area I may be liable in is how I make income. Some sites use ad revenue to pay for their business. Pandora for example, did that, but got in trouble for how their ads were displayed. Fowler Woods LLC vs ten online-radio websites and web applications consisted of Fowler alleging that these sites infringed on a patent for showing ads while audio was playing (Meyer, 2010). One would think anybody could do this, but a team did in fact come up with the idea and protect it, meaning to use this concept, I’d have to pay Fowler Woods LLC and get permission. Seems ridiculous, but it’s true. If you want to investigate the patent, the number is 6,351,736, and it’s titled “System and method for displaying advertisements with played data” (Meyer, 2010).
One website that I got inspiration from was Ruckus and their Ruckus Music Player. Ruckus tried to combat the issue of piracy on the web. According to an article published by Reuters, Big Champagne Web consultant’s estimate 1 million free songs are swapped every day (2007). Even though this article was published four years ago, I’m confident that the amount of free songs swapped among peers has quickly grown. People use the Torrent sites frequently, downloading music and movies. It’s the old cliché “If it’s free, it’s for me mentality,” yet it hurts the industry people love. Revenue streams come from elsewhere because music sales are unreliable. Yet, the judicial system still tries to cut down on piracy. In the Pirate Bay Trial, the four men accused were sent to jail and each had to pay $905,000 for copyright infringement. In my business, I need to be extremely careful about gaining permission and what could be downloaded. Being a legitimate site like YouTube gives me the protection I need to grow my business. Torrent has the looming threat of being shut down because of their known dealings distributing copyrighted material.
Reviewing these past cases helps to make wise business choices when creating my business. Copyright is a huge issue on the Internet and needs to be taken seriously. I’ve learned that even the smallest details need to be considered so that way I am not sued, like the online-radio sites and applications, because I didn’t know about a patent or trademark previously in place.
Meyer, 2010
Arcamona, 2010
Pirate Bay Trial
Reuters, 2007
Meyer, 2010
Arcamona, 2010
Pirate Bay Trial
Reuters, 2007
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Al Schlesinger's Experience with A&R's
As a master’s student, I have a foggy direction of where I’m headed in my career. I never came from a musical family, I’m the only one who has an understanding of the music business, and roles within the music industry are not always clearly defined. I found myself searching for answers that the Internet could not begin to supply with just a simple search of terms. I knew I had to go to the professionals for some guidance. When I heard the great Al Schlesinger was arriving on campus to meet with students, I knew that speaking with him would be a great start.
Some background on Schlesinger: He is a music attorney with an emphasis on intellectual property. He served as Chairman and President for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for two terms. He has also taught music business courses at UCLA and Full Sail University. The accomplishment that I formulated most of my questions around was his experience working as an artist manager and dealing with A&R representatives while managing the group Bread.
Schlesinger revealed that he was practicing law in the 1960’s; he had David Gates (lead singer of Bread) as a client. In 1968, Gates told Schlesinger he wanted to bring some friends over and perform for Schlesinger. After performing, the group wanted Schlesinger as their manager. Schlesinger wasn’t sure if he wanted to accept the offer, but after seeking advice from another attorney, took on the band.
A&R representatives are the people in a label that you have to sell your group’s sound to; in the 1960’s and 1970’s, which was by cassette tape. Schlesinger met with Elektra Records where both he and Bread were impressed with the company, the artwork, and the caring nature the label conveyed. Schlesinger took a three to four demo to Elektra’s headquarters in New York and presented it to their A&R who loved Bread’s sound.
Schlesinger has seen A&R do a complete 360 since the ‘60’s. “A&R started 30-35 years ago,” Schlesinger said. “In the ‘60’s it was about cassette’s, in the ‘70’s disco came along and changed everything. There were no record sales, so A&R’s were getting fired. It became about the live show. A&R’s had to travel to concerts to see if the live show was marketable. They would bring the public relations representative, the marketing representative…it became a company decision. It took six months to a year to sign an act.”
It seems as if the signing process was simpler 30 years ago; acts could be picked up off of a few songs. Now, it’s about the complete package and the value the artist(s) would bring to the company in terms of dollar signs. A&R’s have to be confident in their decisions because the burden of who to sign is no longer as simple as the talent’s sound. Interviewing Schlesinger helped me to see how far the industry has come since the days of Bread, and how A&R’s developed.
Friday, April 1, 2011
When you’re young, you feel invincible. The world has endless opportunities, and you want to try them all. I know that’s how I felt in undergrad. I broke out of my once shy and reserved shell and became a “jack of all trades.” I learned the in’s and out’s of broadcasting, journalism, and public relations. I learned how to manage others in order to pull off a successful live concert. I learned what stress was and maxed it out. I also learned what I was most passionate about; working with artists.
Taking four years of undergrad taught me many things that helped build my resume. In hindsight, it was a fun ride, but redefining goals and narrowing them to what I really want is more important than trying everything. You have to figure out what you want most, such as, in your career. I had no idea until last month. I knew my interests and skills, but I didn’t know where they fit in the music industry. I tried graphics; eh, that was okay, I am proficient at Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I tried AVID video editing; yeah I can handle that, but it’s boring. I tried writing straight news stories; great articles, but I felt like nobody read them. Live concerts were the only time I was truly excited about working.
So I knew how to narrow my passion based off of feelings, but how else could I figure out what I wanted post graduation? Where did I see myself in five years? What did I want from my career and what path should I take? Mindtools says that setting goals improves short-term motivation (2011). You need motivation in order to achieve your goals that you set in place.
Step 1 of mindtools says that you should set lifetime goals (2011). Basically, this covers all aspects of your life, things that you want to achieve before you die. This is like a brainstormed bucket list that gives you the big picture, spanning many years. A tip mindtools provides is setting a personal mission statement to focus goals (2011). Pick goals that you know you’ll achieve; distinguish what you really want from what you’d like to do. Ask yourself, am I going to make time to pursue this or not? Get serious with yourself. You don’t want an overwhelming list, because you’ll never look at it again if you do.
Step 2 talks about setting smaller goals. Mindtools suggests creating several plans that help you to reach your lifetime goals starting with a five-year plan, then a one-year, six-month, one-month, and lastly a daily goal sheet (2011). Everything should go back toward something you have set forth for yourself in your list of lifetime goals. After you have all of your goals broken down further, don’t forget to review them. Hang them up somewhere you’ll see them. Write them down in places that you’ll know you’ll look at them. If you’re trying to lose weight, hang a goal on the fridge to remind yourself to back off the ice cream. For the long term plans, review them once a month and alter as necessary.
If your goals seem too vague, write them using the SMART method: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time (mindtools, 2011). I want to lose five pounds in four weeks. (Your monthly goal) How will you get there? I will run 20 minutes on the treadmill and eat healthier foods and portions everyday.
Other tips that mindtools provide are make your goals positive, use the SMART method, prioritize from most important to least important, write them down where you’ll see them, stay small because large goals are overwhelming, set action goals you can perform, and make sure you are capable of achieving them (2011).
When the time comes that you’ve achieved your goal, celebrate. Don’t go all wild a crazy, because then you’re more likely to lose all of the progress you’ve made. Instead, give yourself an enjoyable reward that is you way of patting yourself on the back, such as going out with friends to that new movie you wanted to see. But before you move on to the next goal, evaluate the one recently completed. What went right? What went wrong? Did you achieve the goal in the time period expected? What was successful? What was unsuccessful? What could you have done better? Is this a goal that needs to be maintained (like dieting), how can you maintain it? Looking back at the path taken can help you strengthen future goals.
When I went through my undergrad, I had a vague vision of what I wanted. I was all over the place, skipping from one thing to the next. If I had taken time to focus on what I really wanted to achieve, I would have specialized my talents in one area rather than having a mash-up of skills. It was definitely a learning experience that I don’t regret, but now that I’m older and wiser, I understand how important it is to understand yourself and your goals.
Mindtools. 2011. Personal goal setting. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
Monday, March 21, 2011
Negotiating, it's a part of life
I originally designed this blog, thinking that I wanted to be a tour manager, hence The Tour Life name. Now I look back and think, that’s not what I’m good at. Road life would probably chew me up and spit me out. I was determined yes, but misguided. I should have stuck with what I was always skilled at, Artist Relations. I learned skill sets needed for that area throughout my four years at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. I learned how to talk to people, how to mediate, how to deal with pressure, and how to deal with difficult people. I didn’t realize it then, but I was learning important lessons about negotiating.
The other day, I was speaking to my mentor Clarence Crisp (former Director of Student Activities at Mansfield University), about the artists we worked with and how we dealt with situations. “Miller, you were always my second in command,” Clarence said. He knew he could count on me because I would be professional and work as long and hard as needed. We met some terrific acts where the biggest negotiation was booking the artist and finalizing the rider based on Mansfield policies. Other artists, such as Third Eye Blind, and their manager gave us a rough time. But with the combination of “good cop” (me) and “bad cop” (Clarence), there wasn’t a situation we couldn’t smooth over. He’d always send me in first, all dressed in my security shirt and “war paint,” to make the first impression. Really, who wants to yell at a young, polite blonde? Then if I didn’t have the authority or needed assistance, Clarence would come through. Yet, Clarence rarely had to be “bad cop” because he towered over everybody. Yet, his interpersonal skills were what smoothed over any problem. He was kind-hearted and cooperative, as long as the other person wasn’t unreasonable. There were some high demands during the course of 3EB, but we stood strong. Clarence’s philosophy was always “this is their home for one night, so treat them right, show them the best hospitality you can, and they’ll put on a great performance.” This of course was within reason.
After talking with Clarence, I decided to interview someone currently in the field: Dale Rock, Full Sail University Artist Relations Director. I was also able to interview Jen Tackett, Full Sail University Artist Relations Coordinator. I wanted to compare my past experiences with how the professionals dealt with negotiating. Some background about my interviewees: Dale Rock came to Full Sail University after gaining experience on the road and owning his own business. He became a lab specialist in audio and then became a course director for Show Production while also taking on the role of Artist Relations Director. Jen Tackett graduated from Full Sail University with an Entertainment Business Bachelor’s Degree. She was hired to help Michelle Bunker (who was Artist Relations Director at the time) with booking. When Bunker left the position, Rock was hired and Tackett began booking both studio sessions and live sessions. She became interested in the field after being involved with performing arts. Tackett felt that if she “wasn’t going to be in a band, she wanted to work around them.”
Rock and Tackett tend to use the “good cop, bad cop” tactic when dealing with artists. Credited toward his military background, Rock never let’s emotions get in the way of a deal because it affects decisions. They deal with a variety of musicians, so they all need to be handled similarly. “I let them vent, but I stand my ground. I let them know it’s my decision because I’m responsible for the students. Policies need to be followed so it doesn’t go against student’s curriculum or put student’s at risk,” Rock said. “Artists either do what I want, or don’t do [the session] at all. Student’s curriculum needs to be met first. If Full Sail is left vulnerable, then I didn’t do my job.”
Artists that do no cooperate with students, whether it is in the session rooms or at Full Sail Live, may not be invited back. “A small temper is okay because it’s like the real world, but we want them to be reasonable, not over the top,” Rock said. Tackett added, “material is for students and use for educational purposes.” Coming to Full Sail means that artists get free studio time. This saves them on tracking expenses because students do all the hard work. “If something’s wrong they’re welcome back, if they had a good attitude,” Rock said.
Rock’s strategy is one that is beneficial for Full Sail University and students. Since Full Sail is an educational setting, negotiations within a college are different than negotiations with a label. Yet mutual gain for both artist and Full Sail lies in the deal that has been set. Free sessions; money saved for artist to invest in other areas. Full Sail obtains a range of excellent clients and its students gain hands-on experience. The value of standing your ground as a negotiator still leaves room for mutual gain, and strong individuals working on behalf of Full Sail University and its students.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thoughts About A Financial Future...
Financial literacy is so important in today’s world because everything is changing at a faster pace. People want to buy the newest technologies or bigger, fancier cars. Yet, not everybody can maintain the level of income needed to purchase these items. Living paycheck to paycheck is the norm, unless you’re an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship seems like a difficult idea to grasp, that only the intelligent and elite can handle. Really, it’s not. You just need a solid idea that is so unique it catches everyone’s eye. Then the money will start coming in. Seems easy, but finding that niche, that missing piece in a specific industry can be tough. It may be nowhere near where your passion’s lie or what you studied in school. The idea needs to be well thought out in order to be successful, emotions aside.
I never thought I’d be interested in entrepreneurship. I felt like I was a financial dummy. Learning financial literacy was the first step in opening up my eyes to the world of investments and small business. I know I want to make my own business, but I’m still in the planning stages, striving to create a unique enough idea that it’s a worthwhile investment and will create cash.
The other issue is money. I, like most masters’ students, am broke. It’s hard to create a business with no money. So funds need to be built up. The idea of investing money is the stock market also seemed like a crazy idea that was out of my league, but is an attainable goal. Think about it this way, you have the chance to get paid, just by buying into a company, and watch your money grow. Both my professor and my financial advisor at Charles Schwab have the same advice, buy low, sell high. And hang in there when the market drops because it will always go back up.
Another way to increase cash is to buy assets. I never knew what an asset was until taking my Entertainment Business Finance class and reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. Asset equals money in my pocket. Who wouldn’t want that? Buy I need to buy something that will do that for me, like stocks, or create some type of business. My financial advisor believes that in the future, people my age will need at least $3 million to live day to day. A person in her 60’s can’t even live off of $50 thousand today.
All of these financial realities are something to consider. Do you want to live paycheck to paycheck, or do you want to take charge of your financials? I want to take charge and feel I can because I became financially literate.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
As I was reading through my RSS Feeds today, I found an article the caught my interest: Indie bosses and experts react to Citigroup’s EMI takeover. This takeover occurred Tuesday, February 1. I researched an article by Billboard.biz to gain background information on the buyout. Basically, Guy Hand, who owns Terra Firma private equity group, bought EMI in 2007 for 4 billion pounds. The debt due to Citigroup (3.4 billion pounds), could not be provided by EMI. So, Citigroup gave them an alternative, “debt-for-equity swap.” This deal decreased the debt by 65%, bringing it down to 1.2 billion pounds with approximately 300 million pounds available in cash. (Billboard Staff, 2011).
So now a bank owns a record label, what’s going to happen? EMI has signed artists such as Lily Allen, Beastie Boys, Lady Antebellum, Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, and Thirty Seconds To Mars (EMI, 2011). There has been an array of reactions from influential people in the music industry. Alan McGee, former owner of Creation Records commented that, “The problem with Guy Hands buying EMI was that he bought it in 2007, at the height of the market. It’s like buying a house at the wrong time, obviously you’re going to lose money when the market dips” (NME, 2011). Peter Quicke, CEO of Ninja Tune label, felt that “EMI handled the last 10 years of the recession badly” (NME, 2011).
Another speculation, Ben Cardew the news editor of MusicWeek noted, was that Citigroup might break up the company (NME, 2011). Yet nobody can tell for sure what will happen to EMI. A question that came to me, Bob Lefsetz a music industry analyst, commented on: what would happen to the artists? Lefsetz believes that “new acts will be stranded,” but artists who are now involved in the industry will be fine. “If you’re developing, you’re screwed,” Lefsetz said (NME, 2011). Only time can tell what will happen to EMI and the artists it supports.
Resources:
http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/54801
http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/citigroup-takes-over-emi-1005017112.story
http://www.emimusic.com/about/history/
Friday, January 28, 2011
Digital Impact Conference - How It Can Help You
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is an organization that brings professional public relations organizations together in order to help them network, gain professional recognition, learn from each other, gain intelligence from published works, and job search within the industry. PRSA has a conference coming May 5- 6 in New York, NY called The Digital Impact Conference. This conference will update attendees about the changing trends and technologies within public relations, to acknowledge social media traps, update about new social media outlets, and other topics.
This conference is important to the music industry because we live in a fast paced, technology driven world. Promoting online is important, but the campaign efforts can get lost among the thousands of sites. Yet, people gain a large portion of their information from the Internet, so public relations campaigns need to drive their customer base to their site over competitors. Also, Smartphone’s are an important part of today’s technology, giving people access to the Internet at all times. According to Sarah Perez in her article Social Networking Now More Popular On Mobile Than Desktop, she states, “more people are using the mobile web to socialize (91%) compared to the 79% of desktop users who do the same. It appears that the mobile phone is a better platform for social networking than the PC” (Perez, 2010). This has become true because social media is easy to use and easy to follow. Plus, it provides information within seconds keeping pace with people’s “I need to know now” mentality. Learning how to effectively get people to follow your social media sites is an important promotional tactic. Also keeping their attention so they continue to follow you is important as well.
Going to conferences, such as the ones PRSA supports, is a great way to keep on track with today’s evolving world. For anybody interested in promotions, PRSA provides useful information. Visit http://www.prsa.org/ to find out more.
Resources:
http://www.prsa.org/
Perez, S. (2010, Feb. 18). Social networking now more popular on mobile than desktop. Read Write Web. Retrieved from
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/social_networking_now_more_popular_on_mobi
le_than_desktop.php
Monday, January 10, 2011
When You Reach The Top...Then What?
Everybody has been creative at some point in their life. Sometimes the creativity has come easily, other times it has been a struggle to find even the smallest ounce. People may think that they are just having an off day, that the right side of the brain has taken a vacation, or their "creative juices" have all been drunk by the previous days splurge of brilliance. Yet, I have been inspired to think in a new direction after watching a TED speech by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love. It wasn't until Eat, Pray, Love that she became a household name. But why wasn't she well known before? Gilbert credits it to a genius. I'm not talking about another person of high intelligence, but rather a creative force beyond our "realm," like a higher power, or a muse.
I was listening to WJRR 101.1 Sunday night and they were playing a half-hour devoted to Cage The Elephant to promote their upcoming release Thank You Happy Birthday. I caught part of an interview with one of the members who was asked about how the band felt about people expecting their sophomore CD to be as good as their freshman release. The member stated that it was difficult to live up to those expectations because the band deals with that self-concious feeling that the CD won't be good enough. Even if you don't believe in a higher power as Gilbert hints toward, her overall message is still one that everybody can learn from. Gilbert wants us to accept that sometimes we hit a creative peak where, like in her case with Eat, Pray, Love, we are successful. We may never reach that level of success again, but we should not quit our job and fall into a depression over it. We should just continue to keep writing, dancing, drawing, etc.
Her speech inspired me because not only did she make a strong argument about altering our way of thinking about our own creativity, but you could tell she was passionate about the subject. Gilbert did her research to prove her point. She used historical references from Socrates, and the Greek and Roman way of thinking. She also incorporated modern stories from people she interviewed. Ruth Stone, an American poet, is one such interview that supports Gilbert's argument. The flow of the speech, sprinkled with bits of present examples and humor, kept me engaged with her telling of the genius and how she believes it should be viewed. Using the idea that after we have reached the peak of creativity and we should continue to live out our days as is normal, is inspiring because we should not live in fear of meeting a standard. Rather, we should live knowing that we have produced a solid piece of work and let it stand at that. That single piece of creativity was given all of the effort, and maybe a little help from a genius, to be what it became, a success.
I was listening to WJRR 101.1 Sunday night and they were playing a half-hour devoted to Cage The Elephant to promote their upcoming release Thank You Happy Birthday. I caught part of an interview with one of the members who was asked about how the band felt about people expecting their sophomore CD to be as good as their freshman release. The member stated that it was difficult to live up to those expectations because the band deals with that self-concious feeling that the CD won't be good enough. Even if you don't believe in a higher power as Gilbert hints toward, her overall message is still one that everybody can learn from. Gilbert wants us to accept that sometimes we hit a creative peak where, like in her case with Eat, Pray, Love, we are successful. We may never reach that level of success again, but we should not quit our job and fall into a depression over it. We should just continue to keep writing, dancing, drawing, etc.
Her speech inspired me because not only did she make a strong argument about altering our way of thinking about our own creativity, but you could tell she was passionate about the subject. Gilbert did her research to prove her point. She used historical references from Socrates, and the Greek and Roman way of thinking. She also incorporated modern stories from people she interviewed. Ruth Stone, an American poet, is one such interview that supports Gilbert's argument. The flow of the speech, sprinkled with bits of present examples and humor, kept me engaged with her telling of the genius and how she believes it should be viewed. Using the idea that after we have reached the peak of creativity and we should continue to live out our days as is normal, is inspiring because we should not live in fear of meeting a standard. Rather, we should live knowing that we have produced a solid piece of work and let it stand at that. That single piece of creativity was given all of the effort, and maybe a little help from a genius, to be what it became, a success.
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