Date: November 17, 2024
Executive Leadership
Leadership is taught from the beginning stages of life. Babies and small children follow one another while playing. You can tell who is in charge by their body language, amplification of voice, tone, etc. The leader barks orders and the other kids humbly oblige. This produces a relationship solidified in everyone’s mind of who is in charge and who will jump up to volunteer. Leadership is fluid. The type of leadership required for various circumstances must change for an intended outcome. This means being flexible when necessary.
Robert Greene gave the world a cheat sheet when he wrote 48 Laws of Power. He educated others on how to attain power, increase it, and keep it. The methods described carried a tone of deception and apathy. They asked for someone to become another person, the dark alter ego that gets the job done. Not all methods were dark in nature. Greene offers a light at the end of the tunnel via chapters 10 and 11, my leadership styles. Chapter 10 is called “Infection”. It describes the importance of avoiding unhappy and unlucky people. This type of environment stifles growth and causes delays in all areas of life. Chapter 11 is titled “Learning to Keep People Dependent on You”. Chapter 11 explains why it is important to remain indispensable.
I came from a hostile environment that caused me to grow up fast. Once out on my own, I found it hard to adjust to people that were happy, or those that were nice to me. As I got older, I realized I was in control of my own happiness. This meant staying in control of my environment. Toxicity and negativity can sneak up in your life at any time; this is why Greene’s 10th law is so relevant for my life. I have a responsibility to myself to keep my peace. The 11th law explains how talent and skill are necessary to keep others dependent on you. If other’s see me as a commodity for their organization or lives, then it is a win-win relationship. There are other laws that I live by. However, these two define my professional and personal attributes the most.
Date: February 2, 2025
Entertainment Business Finance
My initial objective for this course was to learn the importance of finance as it related to the entertainment industry. I had little knowledge of finance from other courses, but this course proved to be more detailed and diverse when it came to various components of entertainment. These areas pushed the course in the direction of learning at a steady, yet necessary pace on ways money could be used in entertainment.
Examples of things learned in the course were the amount of time it would take to see a return on investment. Some of the methods shown included looking at how many concerts would have to be played or how many shows would need to be performed to recoup the initial money invested into a project. This concept was known as breaking even. Breaking even on an investment meant looking at when profits were equal to the costs. This could be achieved by viewing Opportunity costs. Opportunity costs are determined by comparing the possible advantages or value of the option not taken when making a business decision. These costs mean looking a price, time, perks, etc.
Professionally, I learned that looking at future investments are important when making present decisions. These decisions can save a lot of money and show how to make the best career choices. These choices are based on looking at money in form of annuities or lump sums. Four tables can be used to get the answer for the choosing the best method. Personally, I was able to use the information taught in the class to pick three investments that would help me in the future. Those were retirement, real estate, and stock. Retirement is something all people should consider when looking toward the future for income that is protected once working has ceased. Real estate appreciates (increases) in value. This is attractive to the average investor. Finally, stock is something that must be considered. Results fluctuate, meaning they can increase or decrease in value.
DATE: March 1, 2035
Digital Marketing
My original goal for this course was to gain an understanding of digital marketing and the role it plays in business plan development. This goal was met during teaching sessions and discussions. Digital marketing is highly used today as the main marketing tactic of advertising products and branding. The internet has made digital marketing available and accessible to massive audiences across the globe. Availability encompasses various digital platforms to include social media, video, and blogs. Accessibility includes visiting company websites of products and third-party sites that include ways to purchase products.
I learned many things in this course that helped me understand the impact marketing has on a product and brand. The first, was the importance of having a marketing campaign. This campaign may deal with increasing profit or increasing brand awareness. Both require a plan to reach the masses. This can be accomplished via a digital marketing campaign. This campaign has a business concept, target market, keyword strategy/digital properties, competition identification, content strategy, campaign objective, marketing channels, creative content examples, and analytics. Each objective requires a different campaign for reaching the target audience.
Professionally, this class has been one of the hardest concepts I have learned in business. It requires a mindset of thinking outside the box and using analytics for testing products. The results can make or break a campaign and require the ability and willingness to pivot when necessary. It has also showed me the importance of organization in business. An example is organizing and planning when and how a company should post to social media. Different sites may contain different audiences, but the integrated message should be the same across all platforms. Personally, digital marketing has helped me understand why and how certain ads are geared towards me while online. This includes allowing or denying certain sites permission to my information. Allowing permission can include accessing browsing history; to include keywords searched that can be used for marketing products.
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May 4, 2025
Product and Artist Management
My expectations for this course were very high. This is because the course is my main concentration. Upon graduation, I intend to become a full-time artist manager. I expected the course to refine the main objectives of information needed to be productive in my field. I wanted to know what I had to do for clients and what challenges may be presented to me over time. I was also interested in learning about different types of products and how to market them for my clients. Understanding how products are used for advertising was another important concept that needed to be known.
The book and lectures served as important content in the course. The teacher made everything mentioned relatable to everyday life. He also made things relatable to his own career. He set aside ample time for studying the material presented and allowed time to address things we did not understand. He explained the importance of having products when touring and how they can help the artist become more known. The discussions also played a pivotal role when listening to others challenges and successes in their respected fields. It was interesting to hear stories of classmates that were already in the music industry and how this course will help them become more successful in their field.
Professionally, this course will serve as a reference for future endeavors and milestones. The textbooks are excellent material that can be used repeatedly. I also liked the idea of researching how different groups are influenced by products. Different age groups can be compared and studied when appealing to various audiences for product development. Personally, the material can help me develop as a better manager by using skills learned when dealing with different artists. Real life happens to us all. The course gave tools and ideas for dealing with life’s obstacles when in the limelight.
June 22, 2025
Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution
The original goal for this course was to grasp an understanding of the importance of publishing and distribution. I was unsure how these two concepts differed. The goal was met through review of the course material, lectures, and other curriculum sources. As a music agent, it is important to become familiar with all aspects of the business. This includes legally, professionally, and even personally. This course has taught me the importance of knowing the difference between an agent and a publisher. It has also taught me the important of knowing approaches used to gain recognition of artists and the various methods used to earn compensation for all parties.
Some of the ideas learned from the course include copywriting, Performance Organizations, a pitch query, One Sheet, and Electronic Press Kit (EPK). I also learned the importance of not sending unsolicited material to a publishing company. Representation is needed for correspondence of media or musical material. The teacher authored the book and served as a great expert for the material taught. She went above and beyond to make sure we understood the material. She achieved this by providing material that complimented her course book, including PowerPoints, extra videos, etc. She also explained her professional career and position held. This served as credibility for us, because she was not just teaching a course; she lived it as well. I also learned by reading discussions from other classmates. Many are also in the music industry. A few will be agents upon graduation or are already agents now.
Professionally, this course will serve as a reference for my position as a music agent. I am also interested in pursuing film and television in the future. This class has set me up for success, because I was able to learn about many fields in the entertainment industry and the ways of breaking into the limelight to be seen. The industry includes film, TV, books, music, and video game production. Personally, this course helped me continue to develop my communication skills. It provided me with the confidence and drive necessary to learn.
July 27, 2025
Project and Team Management
My original goal for this course consisted of learning more about the concepts needed to excel as a team while working on projects. Before this class, I did not know what to expect. We started off pretty fast paced, staying focused and on task was paramount to comprehending the information. The instructor did a great job preparing us for what was to come in the course by giving a course timeline, providing textbook resources, posting zoom sessions, and offering other videos and information in advance for our understanding. I feel like I have been able to accomplish my goal for this course.
As mentioned, the course consisted of material that was new to me. However, I was able to follow along once I watched the zoom presentations and read the material. The discussions posted also offered different outlooks from classmates. The brainstorming activity was a great way to open the class. It provided awareness to everyone’s ideas via discussion and activity. It served as the foundation of getting the course project started. The project management methodologies expanded more on the brainstorming activity. Conflict resolution was addressed by making a Conflict Resolution Policy for the team, and by finding out the different ways various members on the team operated during a conflict. Finally, the course closed with finding out team members personalities via the MBTI personality assessment and completing the final course project. The project was an accumulation of all prior week activities.
Professionally, this course has taught me to stay on top of material more. Learning new material means reading more and providing more time to grasp new concepts. This means using time management skills to the best of my ability. Personally, this course taught me that my personality was very unique from others, (ENTP) and I need to study more to identify how I can be more cohesive working in a group setting during a team project.
August 31, 2025
Business Plan Development
Before starting this Business Plan Development course, my original goal was to expand on the foundation I gained from my Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. While I had some prior knowledge of business plans, I wanted to gain a structured, step-by-step process to bring my ideas together in a professional format. My objective was not only to understand the content of a business plan but also to be able to execute one that could realistically support my entrepreneurial ventures.
This goal was met through the course because each assignment walked me through the detailed components of a complete plan. I was able to connect theory with application by breaking down financial statements, industry analysis, marketing strategy, and operations into manageable sections. The class guided me through the tasks that often feel overwhelming when attempted independently and gave me a clearer roadmap to follow.Throughout the course, my insight and skillset grew significantly. I moved from a surface-level understanding of what belongs in a business plan to a deeper ability to justify financial assumptions, research industry codes and trends, and evaluate realistic startup costs. My outcomes changed as well: I am now more confident in presenting my business ideas in a format that appeals to potential investors.
The most valuable thing I learned from this course is how all the sections of a plan tie together to tell a consistent story. A business plan is more than just numbers and descriptions; it demonstrates strategy, credibility, and foresight. The pitch serves as the foundation of the plan. It describes the company and should stand out to investors.I will apply this knowledge both personally and professionally. Personally, I now have the confidence to structure my own ventures with clarity. Professionally, I will use these skills to refine my management company’s plans and to support artists and clients in developing sustainable business strategies.