Like a cool breeze of summer, a year has passed…
I am still surprised at how fast 12 months can go. I still feel like I was doing all the paperwork to enroll at Full Sail University. To be honest, my children’s first year didn’t feel so fast.  Being a new mother helps a woman grow and it is just like that that I felt during this year in school. Finishing my degree is like seeing my baby reach all the milestones of the first year; one by one. During this year, I have learned and grown so much that I the only thing I look forward to is to continue to grow in a person and professionally.
Mastering the first month…
One of the things I learned from my first class at Full Sail, Mastery is to believe in myself and to be my biggest cheerleader. This class helped a lot to grow my self-esteem. Self-esteem to accept that there is nothing wrong with following my dreams as long as I work hard to make them a reality.Â
During the course of the Mastery class, I learned how important it is to master yourself and your craft. When one masters oneself is it difficult to fail and very hard to quit because it is in the mastery of oneself that one can become stronger and wiser to be able to achieve goals that otherwise would look or feel impossible to attain. Mastery helped me to strengthen my mind, to not quit and to work hard. This class helped me in my personal and professional life on a level that I never predicted.
The executive second month…
I’ve heard many times that “to lead one must first be a follower”. I learned the power of this statement in my second class, Executive Leadership. This class helped me a lot to see the leader in me and to inspire others to be better in everything we all do. From this class, I can say I learned that I am a very democratic person. I learned that the leader in me loves to inspire people and, at the same time, people inspire me.
In this class I read two books that gave me two different perspectives of how to be and what it takes to be a leader. The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene, gave me and idea of how great leaders came to power and it gave me an idea of the things they did to keep the power. The other book I read for this class was, Developing the Leader Within You, by John C. Maxwell. I’ve gotten very attached to this book as I felt that it had valuable information on how to be a leader that inspires the people. Both books gave me the inspiration to be a stronger and secured person in all areas of my life.
Sometimes, it takes three months to make a thing go right…
It is true that when we are in teams things can be a little harder. Sometimes we feel like we pull the whole project alone. It was during the course of my third class, Project and Team Management, that I learned that the best thing to do when we feel like the weight is all on us is to gives tasks to the team member. Like I learned in the previous month (month #2) is how to be a leader that inspires, and it is in teams where this knowledge should be applied.
I’ve come to understand that when in teams the best thing to do is to assess the members of the team and learn about their strengths and weaknesses. By knowing the team’s individual strengths and weaknesses, tasks can be given according to each individual’s strengths and the team will work smoother because everyone is comfortable with their tasks.
Branding ideas by the fourth month…
When I started the degree I thought I knew what my brand was, but it wasn't until I’ve come to this class, Business Branding and Storytelling, that I have truly understood how to connect with my customers. In this course, I have been able to learn more about what can make my company shine to the customers. I’ve learned what things I can use on my logo and on my statements to make a great impression on the customers and to keep their loyalty.
Reading The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding helped me understand the most common mistakes most companies do and how to work around them to give my brand and company a steady place in my customers hearts. I believe that with all the knowledge acquired this month my company will have a better structure that will create a lasting impression in the world.
With the knowledge acquired from this class, Ethiopian Royalty Records have been able to explore more of what makes you who we are and what is really what we want to accomplish. We have learned how to make our company an extension of ourselves and how to connect with not only people like us but with others to grow and understand the market. I have seen through these studies how brands grow or flop; how these brands or companies evolve or just banish.
Five months to finance my success…
It was during my fifth class, Entertainment Business Finance, that I challenged myself the most and from that challenge I learned a lot. It was during this class that I learn the ways to manage the most important part of a business, finances.
I did come to understand that financing is more than just balancing my checkbook or applying for a loan. For example, I learned how to interpret financial statements. I learned to create, read, analyze, and present business statements. This knowledge also works for my personal finances, an important thing when it comes to running my household.
Another thing I learned from this calls is to understand how my business makes money. This also extends to learn how to invest the money to make the business thrive and grow. I think that a great thing I take away from this class is that I learned to create and implement an effective business and personal financial plan. This is very important because now I understand the risks and tax implications of investing and taking financial decisions.
Negotiating with the sixth month…
When I started this program I thought I knew how to close a deal. I said to myself, “I have been doing sales for a long time, this should not be hard.” Oh, how little I knew then! Truthfully, up to when I started the Negotiation and Deal-Making class, I had this silly idea that I had this in the bag. But it has been this month that I realized where my weaknesses lie when it comes to how I deal with others and how the way I express things can make things different, especially in business.
I have learned what is the process of negotiating and what are the ways to do it. I have learned that the goal is not to win but to have something that all the parts involved can feel accomplished. The negotiation process is one that can and should benefit all the parts involved as long as both parts are in it to work for equality of benefits of the results.
“It is not what you do but why you do it”; this is the motto of the negotiating process. Keeping in tune with the source of your motivation to negotiate. I have come to understand that when you speak clearly to people about motivations and expectations things go more smoothly. This has shown me a new way to communicate with my peers and even when new people in both personal and business relationships. Which reminds me of another thing I have learned this month; to always separate the people from the problem. This helps us see things more clearly and be able to find solutions that are beneficial for all the parts involved. I have even seen a change for the better in the way I interact with my family and the response I get. The skills I have taken from this class have helped me a lot in my professional and personal life and I will use them in my growth as I go along in life.
Managing the seventh month…
My idea of the Product and Artist Management class was that all I needed to learn was how to assist my artist or product in getting recognition. But it is now that I understand that I have a bigger responsibility as a manager. I have to understand my market; who they are, what they like, how do they consume it, etc.
During this class that I came to realize that being a manager is more than just making sure your artist is continuously booked. I now understand that I am only a tool to assist the artist and the fans to connect and keep that connection with his/her fans. I facilitate that relationship by mindfully creating and strengthening that connection.
Throughout the seventh month, I also have got a lot of information and understanding of the industry as a whole. I have come to see the mistakes I have made until now and how I can fix them or just not making them again. From this class, I take a lot but the most I take is to identify my market, to understand them, and how I (as an artist and as a manager) can connect with them. I have also learned a lot about how to approach them and how to create a lasting connection.
I have also learn that as my company grows, my market will grow too and how to keep advancing in an ever-changing market. I have come to realize and understand that the relationship between the artist and the fans is one that changes, sometimes it contracts and sometimes it expands and how to survive that tide is very important. I have learned how to surf the waves of the ever-changing market that the music industry has.Â
The entertaining laws of the eighth month…Â
Going back to when I started this program I expected to learn more about cases and how I can do things in the most legal way, but throughout this month, I have learned that there is more than just learning to do things “legally”. I have learned about the process to get permissions, clearances, etc. and also what kind of permissions are needed according to the project that we are doing.  This class has helped me understand what are the liabilities and how to cover my company’s back and me as much as possible.
The Advanced Entertainment Law class helped me realized what areas of my business need to be tighter and what things I have overlooked when creating my business plan. I have also realized that just because I want to do something, like filming in an extremely dangerous environment or sampling a song with no permission, can get me to court, give my company a liability case, and even send me and my colleagues to jail. After all, no one wants to go to jail or have their name damaged due to no following security measures and regulations.Â
I have come to the conclusion that the more research I do the more questions I have and the more I seek answers. This research and these questions are important for the success and permanency of my company. After this class, I now understand where to do things, who to ask for permissions, and what kind of permissions and clearances to have in order to have fewer liabilities that can and will hurt me, my colleagues, and company in the short or long road. Lastly, I have learned from this class that the key to success and fewer problems are to research and ask as much as we can.Â
Publishing and distributing the ninth month…
When I started the Entertainment Media Publishing & Distribution class, I thought I was going to “learn how to overcome issues affecting the industry, such as piracy.” Another part of my goal was to “learn how to protect my art from this issues and know my digital rights”. Now that I have taken this class I see that I have learned more about how I can publish my art and at the same time protect it and get money from licensing it.
Licensing my music will help me get more money (royalties) for my art. There are many ways to license my music. For example, after copyrighting the song I can release it but also if someone wants to do a cover or perform my song live they will have to get a license and pay me royalties for doing so.
Even though I had attempted to make an EPK before, at that time I thought it was too difficult. It probably was my regular overthinking behavior that made it seem difficult. I learn during this month is how to do an EPK (electronic press kit) for me or any other artist. I have the knowledge of what to include and how to creatively and effectively design an EPK to get attention from potential buyers (agents, publishers, event planners, etc.). Now I can say that making an EPK is easier than what it looks like!
This class showed me the way to publishing. I have learned that I can always do my own publishing and get more money for my art. It is through this class that I am more interested in the publishing part of the industry, not only for my own art but also, for my company and all the artists that I might work with.
Digitally marketing the tenth month…
 The Digital Marketing class taught me that marketing is about connecting with the people in a manner that they will give you their loyalty. It’s about freedom and understanding. This can be difficult when competing for attention, but it is attainable.
As Seth Godin said in our textbook (p. ix), “You can’t learn marketing without doing marketing.” Truthfully the best way to do marketing in this century is through social media. Taking this course has helped understand how social media can be a tool to promote and also a great way to connect with customers. Social media, such as Twitter, can also be used customer service and technical support, making the customer feel closer to brands they already love. This keeps in mind the concept that we all want to be heard and the need or connecting that we all have and exploits it to create deeper and meaningful connections with fans and customers.
The most important thing that I take from this course is the importance of the analytics of a site and how to read them, like a blog or a company’s website. I found this particularly interesting because of the reports I have come to see. Being able to see the countries of origin of our fans and customers is very rewarding as an artist. It makes worth all the effort and love that we, as artists, put in our art because we know that the message is being spread and that people are receiving it with love or hate but someway, somehow receiving it. Another thing I take away from this class is learning how to create and implement a marketing plan and strategize the plan according to the business.
This class is really opening a new way to spread the message and let my fans know what is really in my head. I am grateful for this knowledge and the tools that are helping me and my fans connect even more.
Developing the business plan of the eleventh month…
When I started the Business Plan Development course, I thought I already had an idea of how to do a business plan. I thought all my previous courses had given me the knowledge I needed to create a business plan and analyze if a company will be successful or not and how to manage the situation so that the business can flow positively.
This course helped to be able to put all the knowledge from previous courses into what is Ethiopian Royalty Records’ business plan today. I have been able to clarify things that were not clear and fix what could be a downfall for my business plan. With the guidance of amazing professors, I have been able to expand my knowledge and create an amazing business plan that will assist my company and me in getting to the places we wanted and far beyond the places we thought we could reach.
I am now full of experience and knowledge to not only help my business flourish but also to assist other business and individuals in flourishing and attaining the goals that they had set for themselves.Â
The business of the twelfth month…
 During the last class, Final Project: Business Plan, I have been able to implement all the knowledge from the previous courses. It’s been great to be able to finally put all these knowledge in something tangible like it is Ethiopian Royalty Records’ business plan. In this course, I was able to clearly show how my company can thrive, grow, get funding, and be successful at all I do by simply knowing myself, my company, and my industry.
I have been able to finalize my business plan in order to show to investors, possible partners, and customers what my company is about and what are the aims of the company. With the knowledge received from this class, I feel like I am able to be successful with my business because I can understand and take the necessary steps to fix any discrepancies in the plan and in the way my business runs. This class showed me how to plan for success. I am ready now!
Time is up!!! Twelve months has gone… Mission complete...
And as the cool breeze of summer, a year has passed. It’s been a great year, full of challenges, learning, creating but overall, achieving. I am grateful for all the time and knowledge given to all of us from our professors and the school personnel. I am grateful for this experience. After twelve months, the mission is now complete. I have finished a Master’s of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. I am ready to take the entertainment industry by storm!
vaporwave
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
snowghoul
blakekathryn
gamechangershow
ellievsbear
