Author: Kelli Richards

3 Best Practices for Working with a Coach

Kelli Richards July 15, 2011

#1. Find the RIGHT Coach.  

This is an easy task to throw out there and probably one of the toughest decisions we can make at any given time.  The notion that the right teacher will show up at the right time in our lives is only partly true.  We have to actively participate in our search with a clear picture of what we want in order to attract the right people, no matter what role they are to play in our lives – and also to be open to them when they appear.  Having a crystal clear image of what you need in a coach – what their area of expertise is, how they resonate with who you are & your vision, and how they work with their clients are all vital ingredients in your process.  And while it’s important to check references or take referrals from colleagues you trust or leaders in your arena, don’t underestimate your gut when it comes to this one.  If your best instincts are that someone is right – or wrong – for you, that’s a really important part of your personal, internal guidance system and should not to be aside.   The right coaching relationship can be hugely impactful.

#2. Set your Goals about the Coaching Process.

Once you’re working with the right coach, be sure to be as transparent with them about what you WANT from the process as possible.  Here are the ABCs to remember:

*Absolutely define your most important work and inspirations that you’ve created so far, so your coach can know who you are, and what your value system is

*Benchmarks and clear objectives should be defined as early as possible so you both have a clear path toward your goals, and finally

*Create a set of priorities that will clarify and focus your efforts and maximize your coaching time together.

#3. What would it take to become fearless?

Nobody goes into coaching because they want to stand still.  Once you’ve set your goals, ultimately you’ll want to define — and then BECOME fearless about reaching them.  Fearless people not only live amazing lives and achieve great heights; fearless people take on projects that the rest of us would run from. They challenge the status quo and create change. One of the key goals of working with a coach is to define that deepest desire or goal you have and then to outline a plan that either rises above or sidesteps the roadblocks and fears that get in your way.  And once you’ve done all of that, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is, What would it take to become fearless about this project, right now?

Here are my personal coaching manifestations and intentions for each of you.  Feel free to use this as an affirmative dialogue to have with yourself as you set about to find the right coach for your life and work, right now. If you’d like to inquire about working with me, personally, please visit my page on Coaching under Services on my web site at www.allaccessgroup.com or simply reach out to me directly at info@AllAccessGroup.com

You will have balance in your life. You will manage your time and energies so that you run your business, your projects, and your life without selling out or losing your way. You will discover the Power of Affiliation and Collaboration. You will step outside your comfort zone and take on projects that you once considered impossible. You will get past limiting beliefs, states of mind and behaviors that have been holding you back. You will feel true satisfaction and fulfillment that will spill over into all areas of your life. You will create a momentum for your work and life that is unstoppable. You will have more balance and energy.

An Intimate “Fireside Chat” with Million-Dollar Coach and Author, Alan Cohen

Kelli Richards July 10, 2011

This is an excerpt of Kelli’s Q&A with Million-Dollar Coach and Author, Alan Cohen. Alan Cohen is a respected keynoter and seminar leader for professional meetings in the fields of personal growth, inspiration, holistic health, human relations, and achievement of a work/life balance. He is also the author of 24 popular inspirational books and CD’s, including the best-selling The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life.

His work has been featured on Oprah.com and in USA Today and The Washington Post. Alan’s radio program Get Real is broadcast weekly on Hay House Radio, and his monthly column From the Heart is featured in magazines internationally. (To hear this entire interview, please visit the Resources Page on my Website.)

Kelli:   Welcome Alan! Talk to us, if you will, about All About U., which has been described as a university without walls, dedicated to higher learning for the higher self.

Alan Cohen:  It’s a course that I’ve developed for people who would like to grow from the inside out.  It’s an online course with personal coaching and teleseminars that invites people to look within to tell the truth about where their passion is and where their vision is and what would make their life worth living and what would make you want to get up every morning and want to go to work. It’s really very intensive and yet very gentle and loving course that calls people to step into their own shoes and walk in their own magnificence. It’s a lofty goal, but I wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Kelli:  Alan, Let’s talk about that work and how you support other coaches to clarify their purpose, their goals, and their direction and niche.

Alan Cohen:  I love coaching because it’s a really fast way to make progress. When I work with coaches, I find that each one has a unique passion, talent, interest and vision.  Half of the game of becoming a coach is telling the truth and getting in touch with where your unique path lives… for you, you’re an expert and master in connecting people and in the media – nobody else does that like you.  We have another guy in one program, who has had difficulty with bipolar, so he focuses on coaching bipolar people. There are people focused on relationships. The process of becoming a coach is the same as being coached, you have to find that sweet spot of where your joy and your passion live, and after that, doors begin to open.

Kelli:  For coaches, finding the right clients and marketing effectively is always a priority.  Could you give one or two insights on how coaches attract clients who are in alignment with their vision, skill, and interests?

Alan Cohen:  Well, the first step is being very clear on the clientele you desire.  You can always tell what you believe by what you’re getting.  So if people either aren’t getting clients or are getting clients who don’t want to pay or are getting clients they don’t like or who don’t show up, it usually points to a call for clarity on your own vision.  That’s why I work with coaches so intensively to be very clear on who do you want to coach.


To learn more about Alan Cohen and his upcoming programs, including his “How Good Can it Get Seminar” and “Life Coach Training – Better Your Life by Helping Others Better Theirs,” offered in September, 2011, visit his website at https://www.alancohen.com/programs/programs.php

 

 

Facebook + Skype = Hyper-Connectivity …. Or Virtual Un-Reality?

Kelli Richards July 6, 2011

What does it mean that Facebook has partnered with Skype to offer video calling?  Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has focused on the “social infrastructure” that’s been created by the Facebook team (and other social networks) and the Orwellian openness that’s become our lives (which he calls sharing).  Is he right?  Is he wrong?

In my recent interview with Jason Benlevi, the author of “Too Much Magic, Pulling the Plug on the Cult of Tech” I asked the author about his book, and the pros and cons of what has become new normal.

“Too Much Magic is the story of how venture capital, media moguls and marketeers use digital magic to distract us, invade our privacy, corrupt democracy, distort our human values, and sell us things that we don’t need.  It looks at all aspects of our emerging digital lifestyle, how it is changing us, and who it is that really benefits.”   Zuckerberg has a completely different view, of course. “Sharing is growing at a fast exponential rate — twice the amount of stuff the world would have shared this day a year ago.”

So how does Skype fit into this equation?  With over 750 million users a day, Facebook seeks to maximize its “free” network’s reach, building more and more features to offer it’s users, who are every moment sharing and actively using Facebook more often than their cell phones at this rate.  So video chat seems like the perfect next step.  Not only will users be able to participate in live video chat – but they’ll also be able to join group chats.

“A few months ago, we started working with Skype to bring video calling to Facebook,” said Phillip Su, a Facebook engineer working on the video calling team, in a post to Facebook’s official blog. “We built it right into chat, so all your conversations start from the same place.

So is new normal reaching even more connectivity – or dividing us further and further, replacing real life with virtual life more and more?  Are we taking the Crowd to the Cloud — or are we in danger of just drifting away?  For thought leaders in the digital space, this is definitely a marriage (um, merger) to watch closely.

Kelli Richards
CEO of The All Access Group

You can sign up for an advance copy of my ebook, “Take the Crowd to the Cloud,” at https://allaccessgroup.com/services/  (just click ebooks when you get the confirmation).

 

Best Practices for the New World of Live Music

Kelli Richards June 22, 2011

In my ebook on Social Media for the music industry (Take the Crowd to the Cloud), I begin with the following statement:  The landscape of how audiences are built has completely, thoroughly changed in the last decade – in fact, it has redefined itself more than once.  Being malleable enough to “grow” with the flow can mean the difference between big successes or devastating failures in the music and digital arenas.  All of us, whether we’re artists or authors or thought leaders, must recognize that, in order to succeed, we must also think and act like CEOs and marketing mavens.

That idea, however, of becoming marketing mavens, must be tempered by a deep understanding of where your fan base is – not only insofar as location, but also where they’re at economically.  Of course, this specifically refers to live music, digital music and digital distribution are a different issue, and one that I address often.

If your next live gig is in Los Angeles or New York, then have at it, your ticket buyers are at least in a city that has jobs to offer, giving them a fighting chance at a healthy ticket price.  But if you’re playing in Rhode Island or Flint, Michigan, you have to seriously consider what the market can bear.  A lower ticket price doesn’t have to mean you’re eating PB&J for a week either, it means you have to get creative, so that those who want more contact or have more expendable income, can choose to participate on a higher level.  Consider a paid meet & greet before you go onstage, or an after party with some free merch to go with the separate ticket price.

Whatever you do, you have to do what Bob Lefsetz recently shared in his newsletter, the Lefsetz Letter: You have to align yourself with your fans.

Kelli Richards
CEO of The All Access Group

You can sign up for an advance copy of my ebook at https://allaccessgroup.com/services/ (just click ebooks when you get the confirmation).

 

An Intimate “Fireside Chat” with Hollywood Producer, Gary Goldstein

Kelli Richards June 14, 2011

An excerpt of Kelli’s Q&A with Hollywood Producer, Gary Goldstein, an inspiring voice in the film and music industries. Gary Goldstein produced one of the most iconic cultural expressions of the last generation: Pretty Woman. He has gone on to mentor many of the leading creative voices in music and film. He is an accomplished film producer, an author, a speaker, an innovator, a philanthropist, and a great guy. This is definitely one of the best fireside chats yet. (To hear this entire interview, please visit the Resources Page on my Website.)

Kelli Richards: Gary, put on your consultant’s hat for a moment, if you will.  When you look forward at the entertainment industry, what do you think is the biggest challenge we face, and what kinds of solutions do you see down the road?

Gary Goldstein: Very few people understand – artists and everyone haven’t really been taught — business literacy.  They don’t know the meaning of it.  The value of your intellectual property is so precious that to give it up for a royalty after expenses… well, the landscape is changing.  Make it your mission to find out what works for YOU.  Get engaged, get involved in these conversations.  Become joyful and excited about learning the marketing piece – the business of your art.  That’s never going to be less than central to your success. You know, Lady Gaga, she didn’t invent innovative marketing in today’s sandbox.  But she and her team simply mastered it better than most.  Her talent’s evident, sure, but her unspeakable, astonishing success is the stuff of brilliant, innovative marketing.

 

Kelli Richards: That’s because she herself does that.  She has a team around her that’s wonderful, but she herself, makes it a point to understand and to harness the power of social media and technology.  She actively embraces it, takes it on, leverages it to its fullest – and for example, understands the power of mailbox money with royalties in her retirement years, so she doesn’t give up her publishing rights.

Gary, What do you think are the DISadvantages of artists running their own content, if you see any – are artists at risk of becoming SO independent, that they won’t lean on the amazing knowledge base and expertise out there in the entertainment industry?

Gary Goldstein: Yes, I think that is the risk.  I think the risk is … the deficit is the education gap that we have suffered up until now.  And we have a learning gap.  There are a lot of folks who really don’t know or forget that they do need to become master entrepreneurs, marketers, business people and get excited about that.  Not get so intoxicated just with your music or your website that you forget to get that result, to really drive that relationship with your audience.  So to do that, yeah, don’t forget to seek out more successful people in the space.  Get mentors.  Surround yourself with collaborators who know what they’re doing.  …get noticed, get referrals, get access. …

….Get thee to multiple mentors.  Get thee to five-minute mentors, lifelong mentors.  Get thee to anyone who really has wisdom.  Not information, not data, not opinions.  Someone who really deeply has some wisdom, some success.  Get their counsel.  It will help you become fearless and humble at the same time.  It will help you believe in the possibility of your goals.  So you get out of your cubicle brain and into your joyful, young brain that loves everything new.  The cool thing is that it becomes a deeply personal time and journey.

Kelli Richards: And everybody will benefit from a guide on that journey.  There’s no reason to do it alone.  And the reality that there are people out there like you and I who are such mentors and coaches and guides, and we have a lot to offer those kind of people who are looking for us, who are seeking that support. …

 

Gary Goldstein: Here’s the beautiful thing about being stubborn enough and hanging out long enough and having a little age on you.  For me, the past is a gift but I don’t live there.  For me, everything is about where I’m going.  The stuff ahead of me, I’m so excited about.  Using every learning, every piece of wisdom, every strategy, every relationship that I’m blessed to have in my life.  Tribe Hollywood is a great example of that.  Instead of me  mentoring people one at a time, I want to mentor them a thousand, two thousand, three thousand at a time.

 

 

To hear this entire interview, please visit the Resources Page on my Website.) And to learn more about Gary Goldstein’s latest project, Tribe Hollywood or to sign up for his “5 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me About Hollywood” go to https://tribehollywood.biz.

 

Connectivity – A Vision of the Future

Kelli Richards June 10, 2011


Sometimes I have to remind conference attendees, groups that I speak with, or even clients that digital content and digital distribution are a lot more than just music.  When we consider the amazing growth around music, however, it is easy to get stuck there.

But we shouldn’t. Digital goes far beyond songs and iTunes and singles and lockers, it goes past movies and downloadable books and content, it’s way bigger than anything we could have imagined five years ago, and I have no doubt that five years from now will showcase something else that’s beyond what we might imagine today.

Recently, at the 2011 MRC European e-Commerce Payments and Risk Conference, Mitsue Venture and Neolabels.com offered up some mind blowing statistics and projections that anyone in the digital space should be aware of.  I’ll include their video here, which is featured on their website itself and on YouTube.  (It’s 7 and a half minutes long, but stick with it if you can, it goes fast.)  Below the video, I’ll highlight some of the more amazing statistics and projections that they offered.  My personal favorite bears special attention however, simply in regard to web users, traffic and connectivity.  It’s this:  Web traffic generated by only 20 homes in 2015 will be greater than the total traffic of the Internet way back in 1995.

Please enjoy the video, and as always, if you have any feedback, your comments are most welcome.

 

(Source: Mitsue Venture and Neolabels.com)

More consumers will access the Internet by mobile devices than by desktop or laptop by 2014.

2015 forecast of annual global mobile data traffic (75 exabytes) is equal to 19.000 million DVDs https://digitallife.neolabels.com.

Mobile-only Internet population will grow 56-fold up to 788 million by the end of 2015.

In 2015 mobile devices will exceed the home PC base installed.

500 million mobile using mobile health Apps in 2015.

In 2015 revenue mobile Apps will be an amount near to $40 million.

Social Networks revenues will grow more than 4-fold from 2010 to 2015.”

It is expected that in 2015 it will exist 2,5 Internet connected devices per inhabitants worldwide.

Yes, the bottom line is that digital is the brave new world, and we are the forefathers of what it becomes. Whether we’re in the music industry or any industry, we need to be ready for the digital revolution to completely renovate how we do business and how we meet our customers’ demands.

To your success.

Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC

Source:  Mitsue Venture and Neolabels.com https://digitallife.neolabels.com

 

Cloudy Weather at Apple, Then and Now

Kelli Richards June 6, 2011



It will come as no surprise to anyone that Apple’s stock will rise the moment Steve Jobs takes the stage later today.  By any estimate, Apple is worth billions – with or without Steve Jobs – but like it or not, Apple is not a democracy.  It is an autocracy.  It is a company carrying out the vision and changing the world, all according to the dictates of its leader, Steve Jobs.

I know something about this personally, albeit from a distance.  I worked for Apple for over ten years.  And yes, my claim to fame is that I worked in music.  In fact, I launched the focus on music that led the Music and Entertainment initiatives during my 10 year tenure there. The tragedy of that story, for me, is that it was during what I call the “dark days” at Apple, when Jobs was not sitting on the throne, lobbing ideas faster than the technology could keep up with him.  It was when the helm was run (and run into the ground) by others, with the phrase, “Et tu Brute,” hanging in the air.

I can remember saying to anyone who would listen that the only hope for us was somehow if Steve Jobs came back to Apple.  Nobody believed he would, of course.  He was running not one, but two companies by that time.  Surprising everyone, however, he did come back. Sadly, one of his first moves was to trim off as much as he could; to focus on the fundamentals in order to turn the company around, and my department was part of those cuts.  But turn it around he did.  Even though it meant a big career shift for me, I’d have to say that almost every single project Steve Jobs created, once back at Apple, was the right thing at the right time.  Quite simply, he has a passion and keen sense for what the consumer wants.  In my opinion as an insider AND an outsider, it never would have worked without him.

Here’s the coin flip on that one.  He’s built a Martha Stewart or Oprah type of empire, one that may not work without him on the throne.  Let’s look at the biggest example to date. The iPad.  When the iPad came out, Steve Jobs literally, single handedly changed a lot more than how people used computers or exchanged information.  He literally changed the economic structure of the publishing industry overnight, by his own design, just as he had previously done with music, film and TV – and nobody got a vote.  The technology is in place …and the consumer will now drive what comes next. Publishing companies will either get on the bandwagon, or run the risk of being left behind. It’s just that simple.

And with all of the controversy around clouds and lockers, especially in the music industry, Jobs has again stepped into the ring with a technology that consumers will trust.  Yes, some would say that he’s behind the curve – that lockers and clouds are already available, but it is the trusted brand of Apple that will bring clouds out of the status of rebel and into the accepted mainstream.  With Steve Jobs carving out legitimacy for a niche in the digital industry that is long overdue, perhaps music will finally stop bleeding revenue.   And Apple?   Well, as any good cloud knows, the sky’s the limit.

 

Kelli Richards, CEO of All Access Group

 

 

 

 

Join Me in June for a “Fireside Chat” with the Leading Minds in Branding, Coaching and

Kelli Richards June 3, 2011

I’m pleased to share with all of you that my weekly “All Access Radio” Show has developed a strong and loyal following!  Over 20,000 downloads in just a few months.  I’ve been graced to interview some of the top digital visionaries and leading voices in the music and technology industries, as well as some great voices in the music and entertainment industries, including Finbar O’Hanlon, Hollywood Producer, Gary Goldstein, Media Futurist Gerd Leonhard; the President of Rafelson Media (and well known songwriter) Peter Rafelson; and entertainment technology visionary (and one of the sharpest minds in digital music) Jim Griffin. That list continues in the upcoming weeks.  I hope you’ll be able to tune in during June as I interview:

Monday 6/6 – 5pm Pacific Time – Libby Gill, CEO of Libby Gill & Co.

Branding Guru, Libby Gill is an entertainment industry veteran. Libby Gill spent 15 years heading public relations and corporate communications as senior vice president at Universal Studios; and vice president at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting. She was also the PR/branding brain behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show.  A widely acclaimed speaker, Libby has delivered keynote speeches to organizations including Microsoft, Disney-ABC, Cisco Systems, Comcast, the US Travel Association, The Conference Board and many others. She is also the author of the best seller, “You Unstuck – Mastering the New Rules of Risk Taking in Work and Life.”

Monday 6/13 – 5pm Pacific Time – Terry McBride

Terry McBride is the current CEO and one of three founders of the Nettwerk Music Group, which includes Nettwerk Productions (Canada’s largest independent record label), Nettwerk Management (artist and producer management), Nettwerk One (publishing), and Artwerks (graphic & fashion design). Nettwerk has corporate offices in Vancouver, Boston, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Hamburg and London. Since its inception, Nettwerk has released over 500 different albums and sold over 150 million albums worldwide. In the past few years McBride has spoke at dozens of international conferences about advances in digital technology, intellectual property rights and the future of music distribution. Terry has twice been awarded the Pollstar Industry Award for Personal Manager of the year for his work with Sarah McLachlan (1997) and Avril Lavigne / Coldplay (2002).

Monday 6/20 – 5pm Pacific Time – Alan Cohen

Alan Cohen is a respected keynoter and seminar leader for professional meetings in the fields of personal growth, inspiration, holistic health, human relations, and achievement of work/life balance. He conducts Life Mastery Trainings around the world, and is the founder of All About U., a university without walls dedicated to higher learning for the higher self. Alan is a faculty member of Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, and has appeared on national radio and television, including Good Morning shows around the nation. His seminars have regularly been broadcast via satellite on the Wisdom Channel.  Alan is the author of 24 popular inspirational books and CD’s, including the best-selling The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life, and the classic Are You as Happy as Your Dog? He is a contributing writer for the New York Times #1 bestselling series “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and his books have been translated into 24 foreign languages.

Monday 6/27 – 5pm Pacific Time – Ian Miller, CEO of The Brand Practice

Ian Miller is the CEO and Founder of The Brand Practice LLC, a business and brand strategy consultancy. Ian Miller is an expert brand and marketing strategist with 30 years experience in building rapidly accepted/competitively advantaged brands. A recognized expert / lecturer in Ingredient Branding, Ian Miller has led the creation and global launch of the ingredient brand, NutraSweet, and worked closely with 50+ partner brands including Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. Ian has applied this expertise to the successful growth of the Splenda brand and similar launches in consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, retail and grocery.  For 10 years Ian has lectured and authored and founded a successful business/brand strategy/design company based primarily on his Rocket Branding strategic and insight research techniques. Additionally, Ian has taken on partnership and leadership roles for RightPoint, a fast growing digital technology and marketing firm with several fortune 500 clients.

So please join me each week as I host an intimate “fireside chat” with some of the leading minds in technology and digital music and media.  You can find my entire library of recordings at https://allaccessgroup.com/articles-and-resources/blog-talk-radio as well as some personal interviews where I share about my own experiences over a twenty plus career in music and tech.  See you there!

Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC

 

 

 

Can MySpace Save itself by Porting into Facebook? Social Media & Digital Music.

Kelli Richards May 29, 2011

Yes folks, Myspace Music has finally brought in an app that will let artists transfer their digital music content from Myspace into Facebook under a new “Music” tab. You can check out the program here.

Gratefully, this app includes streaming everything: music, photos, videos, events, etc.  With the global domination of Facebook continuing – and showing no signs of slowdown (yet), Music was one of the FEW remaining holdouts on MySpace…  MySpace still remains prime real estate, with over 14 million artists housing profiles there, but even that had begun to erode at the speed of light.  After all, the audience just wasn’t there any more.

This new Facebook app will allow artists to port digital music and other content from MySpace over to Facebook and manage one profile, which will show up on both Facebook and MySpace, and will have the added benefit of attracting audiences and traffic on both platforms.  This could prove to be a real problem for some of the other social app newcomers – but at this point, it just seems like a good solution to the millions of tunes lost in space on MySpace.

 

This is a very brief look at a topic I have covered comprehensively in a 50-page ebook. If you would like to be on the waiting list to receive this ebook (and be offered a special discounted cost), please register here. (select eBook Pre-Order)

 

Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC

 

 

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