Resources
3 Best Practices for Digital Distribution & Audience Building in an Ever Evolving Online World
Over the last decade, the shift from physical media to digital distribution is a trend explored literally in front of us every single day. From the music industry, videos and movies, to information and gaming, television and radio, there’s no aspect of the media world that has not been completely transformed. An ancillary trend to this has been the increasing reliance upon service-centered business models over stand-alone content sales. Increasingly empowered consumers, who not only have greater choices than every before, are also actively creating their own content – their own music, videos, films and games – further revolutionizing an industry already under pressure to reinvent itself almost daily. So what is an artist to do to continue to remain vibrant and build their audience in an era when even the audience itself may become a competitor on any given Sunday? Here are 3 Best Practices for digital distribution and audience building in an ever evolving online world: Remember your ABC’s.
A. Audience Building. No matter what tactic you’re taking in your distribution, remember that your overall goal is audience building. You might think it’s sales, and yes, of course that’s true. But if your audience is constantly, consistently growing, your sales will be also. If your sales are there, but your audience remains flat, sooner or later, they’ll definitely be pulled in one of the endless other directions available. Remember, even the amateur entertainers are eating up market share (Justin Beiber anyone?). So be engaged in finding and embracing new fans and friends in as many directions as you possibly can. To take a more in-depth look at one very powerful aspect of audience building (social media), get my comprehensive 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)
B. Basics. Don’t forget that for every great new idea that comes out, you still need to have your basics in place. Wanting to go for every new option that comes down the pike (and believe me, they are almost endless right now) can easily become what I call *shiny new object* syndrome. With all of the possibilities out there in digital distribution, don’t forget that tangible distribution still sells and builds audiences. It’s the reason we all love souvenirs when we visit someplace new (or even someplace old). Holding something in your hands creates an experience. So along with the endless digital opportunities, definitely be handing out CD’s, DVD’s, USB Wristbands, and amazing merch every chance you get. That might mean at concerts and tours, or it might mean contests and giveaways on your website and social media venues.
C. Constant Creativity. There’s no way to stay on top of the ever-changing world of digital distribution without having a team member, mentor, or advisor in place who can keep you abreast of all the opportunities available to you, as an artist. Digital downloads, podcasts, mobile apps, Itunes, Amazon, Virtual Worlds, YouTube, StageIt, GigMaven, EnConcert, Rhapsody, Gigswiz, and the list goes on and on. This is one of the principal reasons that I produce this newsletter each month, because sharing the best practices out there is a vital part of what we do at the All Access Group, and quite simply, bringing that knowledge to a wider audience is exciting to me.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a note at info@AllAccessGroup.com.
To your success, Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC
Michael Robertson Talks about DAR.fm, MP3tunes, Amazon and the Cloud Music Industry…
Excerpt of Kelli Richards’ Q&A with Michael Robertson, the Bad Boy of the Digital Music Industry. Michael Robertson is a longtime provocateur of the music business and the founder and former CEO of MP3.com, one of the most popular Internet music sites ever. His newest startup, DAR.fm, is a centralized Web-based TiVo for radio. Users can search the programming schedules of over 600 music and talk-radio stations and schedule DAR.fm to record up to 4 hours of any broadcast. Robertson sees this as the savior of the radio industry, and he may be right.
Michael Robertson has fought more high-profile battles with the record industry than anybody in technology, and his experience in digital music is nearly unmatched. Over his career he has raised more than $100 million in private capital and orchestrated transactions with a combined value of nearly a billion dollars. This is definitely one of the best fireside chats in a great series of impactful interviews. (To hear this entire interview, visit the Resources Page on my Website.)
Kelli Richards: Let’s jump right into present time, Michael, because it’s so compelling – later we’ll go into your remarkable background in digital music. Although it could be a big competitor to MP3tunes, Amazon’s choice to enter the “locker” business is huge. Let’s ask two questions about that. First, would you talk about the basic structure of MP3tunes and how it changes the digital music world – why it’s a better product than what Amazon’s launching – and finally, explain to our audience why, in this unique case, Amazon could prove to be more of an ally to MP3tunes than a competitor.
Michael Robertson: Amazon recently launched a sort of personal cloud music server that, on first glance, is very similar to what we’ve been doing on MP3tunes for years – in that it lets people store music online. But there are some really big differences that consumers should know about. One of which is that MP3tunes lets you put your music in and get your music out. Amazon will happily store your music, but it’s kind of a sinkhole. So if you get a new computer or you want to download your music to an iPod, etc., it’s almost impossible to do with Amazon. They literally make you click on every single song to get your music down. With MP3tunes it’s quite different. We literally give you software to get your music out in one click. We’re not holding you prisoner. I believe it’s YOUR data – whether it’s your music, photos, whatever – and that should always be in full control of the consumer.
Another important difference is that we have an API. What this means is that you can connect to your music in a myriad of ways. With Amazon, today, you can only stream your music to Android. So maybe they’ll make an Apple IOS application and maybe they won’t, but you’re completely at the whim of Amazon. With MP3tunes it’s the exact opposite. We publish to the whole world how anyone can make an interface to their library. What this means is you can use your Android Phone to hear your music, or your iPhone, or a Windows 7 phone, or your Palm App, or even Internent Radio – Logitech or Audiovox – stuff like that. So we’re really trying to build an open approach – an open platform that isn’t controlled and dictated by any one company.
On the legal side, while MP3 and Amazon may be competitors on the consumer mindshare front, on the legal side they need us to win. We’ve been a lawsuit for nearly four years with EMI music that says we’re in a state of copyright infringement when a consumer stores their music in our application. Obviously, I disagree. Like us, they don’t have licenses either; Amazon is an un-licensed application. So in this regard, they are likely to be more of an ally than a competitor.
Kelli Richards: Michael, what do you think happens with Apple and Google in this niche – now that they’re said to be jumping into the cloud / locker mix?
Michael Robertson: I think that the really fascinating part of where the industry is at, is that there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of stories about what Apple and Google are going to do, but neither has done anything so far. I think for sure they’re working on it on some level. I’m fascinated by the state of the industry. What I mean by that is this: Amazon has basically flouted the industry and said, “You know what, we’re not going to get a license, we’re just going to launch a service.” So the industry is now in a tough spot. If they don’t take a legal stand against Amazon, why would Apple agree to pay them a licensing fee? Why would Google agree to pay a licensing fee? Let’s put this another way: Imagine two competitors decide to have a lemonade stand. Imagine one guy gets all his lemons for free. And the other guy wants to compete, but if he has to pay for his lemons, his lemonade is going to be more expensive and he’s not going to be able to compete. And that’s sort of where the industry is. If I’m Google or if I’m Apple, well, the music industry is very onerous. They want up-front money, guaranteed. They want restrictions and limitations and regional restrictions and things like that. And you don’t get any of those if you go for an unlicensed structure… So the music industry is really in a perplexing situation. If they don’t take a legal stand with Amazon, they’re going to see a big response in the industry. A lot of companies are watching this and will be over the next six to twelve months, to see if they move toward a licensed or unlicensed approach. If I were the industry, I’d wait and see what the consumers wanted.
(To hear this entire interview, please visit the Resources Page on my Website.)
*To get your own 2 GB of online music storage at no cost, visit https://www.mp3tunes.com
Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC
Peter Rafelson – A New Chapter in a Long Hollywood Legacy
When you talk to Peter Rafelson, whether you know him or not, you cannot help but feel like you’ve been friends for years. His open demeanor and easy going style just feel warm and familiar. That laid back nature is a strong irony, of course, when held up to his long list of achievements in the music and film industries. For those of you who don’t know, Peter Rafelson is from some pretty good Hollywood stock. The Rafelson family has an amazing legacy in Hollywood – beginning with Samson Raphaelson, who wrote The Jazz Singer in the 1920’s. Peter’s father, Bob Rafelson, was among the first catalysts of the independent film movement of the 1960’s (and the Producer of cult favorite, The Monkees).
Growing up surrounded by Hollywood royalty, like Jack Nicholson, The Beatles and Bob Dillon, and being immersed in the renegade, independent film business of the 1960’s, Rafelson was blessed with a myriad of artistic role models. He shared this thought with me in a recent interview, “Growing up in that environment, it was very hard to distinguish between dreams and reality. For me, seeing people in my living room and then watching them on TV that night didn’t seem unnatural. Because of that, I was encouraged to and supported in pretty much anything I wished to pursue.”
Of course, it’s a certainty that being surrounded by a successful 
family tapestry can go either way. It can create a weight so heavy that it weighs down its subject – or it can become like wings, moving a person to even higher achievements. Thankfully for Rafelson, and for us, it’s always been the latter. Believing he could create his own legacy, he went into the music industry at a very early age and began a long, long success story that continues to be written.
As a songwriter and musician, Peter has worked with industry giants like Jackson Browne and Sir Elton John. He’s written a long list of successful songs, including Madonna’s # 1 single “Open Your Heart” (with 27 million sold) and top 10 singles for Stevie Nicks and Britney Spears, among others. In fact, Rafelson has had more than twenty #1 songs. (In addition, he has acted in over 10 feature films, including fame.) In his current life, he’s signing and producing artists for his own label, RM Records, as well as developing projects for film and TV – and he recently traveled to Southeast Asia on a diplomatic mission to develop business relations for the entertainment industry. He’s also the President of Rafelson Media, which produces and consults for new technology and media companies, and his client list reads like the Fortune 500, including industry giants like Microsoft, Apple and Toshiba.
None of this defines who Peter Rafelson is as a person, of course, and how the rich tapestry of the Rafelson legacy affected his life. Before going into legacy further, be assured that Peter Rafelson is, quite simply, one of the good guys. He’s gracious, talented, extremely smart, inspiring and a thought leader in the world of technology and media. And he’s always up for a new challenge and a new project.
As a Producer and the CEO of the All Access Group, one of my passions has always been to produce a series of legacy artists who come from Rock and Roll Royalty or film royalty and how that impacts how they live their lives. So this question of legacy is one I take very seriously. Asked about this, Peter responded with his typical, uncanny honesty.
“It was intimidating. My heart goes out to anybody who has a legacy to live up to… It’s tough, because expectations are higher, and the bar has been raised substantially. The caviat is constantly comparing yourself to family members and not being discouraged and trying to find your own identity and establish and position yourself apart.”
Luckily for us, establishing his own identity was only the beginning for Peter Rafelson. A visionary, an artist, a writer, and a friend, his is a story that is surely to be continued.
Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC
To hear my entire interview with Peter Rafelson, see my Industry Insider Interviews at https://bit.ly/AllAccessQandA
Google kills SEO – Stay Alive with Social Media
3 Best Practices for Social Media in a Changing SEO World
I don’t know how many of you saw the news, but Google is changing how SEO is formulated. What? Yes, they’re tossing the algorithm out the window and writing a new recipe for how page ranking works. While some of the formula will remain as it is, a huge new piece will be based on what they’re calling a “social media grid.” What that means is if you are looking for digital video cams, and I recently tweeted or posted to Facebook about digital video cams – if we are connected on either network, my post will come up in your search. This is one of the biggest changes to online marketing to come in the last decade, and definitely ramps up the importance of social media.
To that end, I am sharing with you all three best practices for underused social media avenues. This is a very brief look at a topic I’ve 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)
When it comes to social networks, one of the most underutilized but amazingly useful is BlogTalkRadio. BlogTalkRadio is effective and easy-to use as you share your expertise, to build your fan base and increase your branded recognition. It can take a little time to build a following for your live broadcasts, but the fact that you can build a library of your recordings (at no cost) is huge. It has the added benefit that your shows can be produced live, and easily downloaded to podcast for listeners to enjoy later (so don’t be disheartened if you have no live attendees the first few times you broadcast). Listeners can call in live or conveniently listen online. Depending on the strength of your already-existing platform of fans, BlogTalkRadio could be a super win, as far as audience participation and brand building are concerned.
This is one platform where you will need to do the tutorials so you can run the back end, but trust me, it’s an easy system to learn and use. If you plan to run the “one-man” show, you don’t even need to use the back end – simply calling in to the host number will broadcast you live. If you have a guest, or wish to take audience questions or comments, however, this is essential, so definitely invest the time to create a knowledge base and comfort level. You can even have a live chat session going while you broadcast – another way to engage your audience.
Profile
Like all of your online spaces, be sure to set up a complete and compelling profile. This is how people will find you and your band; it’s also good for SEO purposes, sending your audience to your website, product pages, MySpace, and other social networks.
Go to https://www.BlogTalkRadio.com to get started. Once you’re on the site, click Register (on the top right hand of the page). As you set up your profile, you’ll see that you can choose a “Display Name” – this is vital. Be sure to choose a name that identifies you and / or your band or music. This cannot be changed, so be sure you’ve given this a lot of thought. Consider using an email address that you set up just for social media purposes. Check the “I want to host my own show,” as well as YES for the BlogTalkRadio newsletter. Once you have confirmed your registration, you’ll have an opportunity to add your other social networking sites and a description for your show.
Shows
Be prepared with the date, time and vital information when you go to set up your first show. A few tips, be sure to click on and change the duration button, as it defaults to 15 minutes. I recommend that you keep your shows to no longer than 45 minutes – the shorter the show, the more people attend and download. (In fact, the free version of BlogTalkRadio allows only for 30 minute broadcasts.) You can upload start music for your show if you like, but I recommend NOT doing so until you have the hang of things. It’s easy to start talking once your show begins and forget to wait for the music to queue. Remember, choose a date and time you can do WEEKLY to build a following. NOTHING works as well as consistency.
You are here to build a great presence and you probably have more to share than you might realize. Holding guest interviews to half an hour is not necessarily easy either, so if this is a format you love, consider using the pro version. Do take the time to script your show, at least loosely – this can mean literally writing down every word you plan to say, or it can mean simply making a cheat sheet of things you want to share in case you go off topic or lose your place. If you’re really not sure what to start with, go through old blogs and use them as a guide or a script, or simply have a great intro and three songs that you want to share, then ask for audience questions or remarks. Have a few friends “planted” to ask questions the first time, just to be safe.
Having guest speakers builds a closer relationship between you and your guest, so if you want to collaborate with a great musician or songwriter or producer, this is one way to begin that discussion. Be sure to get permission from your guest to use the show for marketing purposes and even to download into a product. (It’s polite to allow them to do the same, of course.) Other reasons you would have a speaker are to mix up your content, make your show more interesting, and especially to create joint venture opportunities. After all, your speaker will want his or her audience to hear the show also, so it’s fair to expect them to promote it to their various lists. This provides you much-needed exposure to new audiences. Do be sure to have an approved set of Q&A in place at least a day before your call, and if they’re a musician also, you can upload their music as the lead-in for the show.
I’m going to be more technical here on the “how-to” than I have on other networks, just because BlogTalkRadio’s a somewhat of an undiscovered treasure. I strongly suggest you take the tutorials available, but this will give you some quick “get started” instructions. When you’re ready to host your show, simply log into BlogTalkRadio and click the MyBlogTalkRadio button at the TOP right hand corner of the page. Then click the MyAccount button. (This is also how you will add new shows, or edit those you have coming up at a future date, should you need to.) On the left side, you will see a button called My Switchboard. Once you go in there, it is fairly obvious how you will conduct your show. Some things to keep in mind are that you need to call in five minutes early. Your call-in number and HOST CODE are on the right of your switchboard. You can unmute (and mute) callers on the right by clicking on their microphone symbol. Keep in mind that if you intend to have a guest call in, you will want to know their phone number. If you will be the only speaker, you don’t even need to be near a computer, you can simply call in by phone, enter your host code, and voila!
You can also click Start Chat Button to have another facet to your call. This is where callers can type in questions and you can either type your response, or announce their question (and your answer) on the broadcast – a very sexy feature for your audience connect-ability.
Friends, Fans and Followers
BlogTalkRadio actually has a spot on their home page for helping you to promote your show. Simply hover over the HOME button on the top of the page and click HELP. This will give you a page featuring BLOGTALK 101, FAQs, and MARKETING, as well as some other useful pages. Allow yourself an hour or so to surf this info and do the tutorials involved. I realize you maybe be overwhelmed creating great content and working with your team and running your gigs – but if you’re not also a marketing maven, then you’re missing the end game.
If you really embrace BlogTalkRadio it is one of the most interesting, easy and fun ways to build your brand. Remember to also send an email announcement to fans for every show. You can also create an “Event” on your other social networks (such as Facebook, Linkedin, etc., etc.) as well as an announcement on your Blog and Twitter page with a link to your Show. Remember to use a shortened Bit.ly link so that you can track its effectiveness. https://bit.ly
Once you’re on the air, feel free to ask business partners and / or clients, etc., if they would like to sponsor your show. This can be a very good source of revenue for you. It is also a way to create a Joint Venture – simply ask ANOTHER BlogTalkRadio host to swap sponsorship with you. That would mean that they announce you and your show at the top of theirs, and you do the same for them.
Finally, after your show has been broadcast, you can push it out onto your various online portals, such as your Facebook Profile and Fan Page, your Blog, Twitter, etc.
You can also put them up again and again, as your subject matter or music becomes relevant to various groups of people or current events and issues. After a time, these shows become a long-standing library that your audience and client base can refer back to. Finally, you can easily download your audio, use one of many easy software options, like Jing to add a slideshow, and post it to YouTube also.
Meetup Groups – Social Media Network AND Live Networking
Meetup Groups is a very cool idea, a great social network and a terrific way for an artist to engage a fan base both virtually and in real life. In fact, for artists and musicians, I would take the risk to say this is the most important network for you to be on. Here’s why. Meetup is an online portal where participants actually meet through live local, regional events (for instance, gigs, meet and greets, merch events, rehearsals, etc., etc., the list is limitless). Let your fans and followers know about this opportunity for them to meet each other face-to-face and build their community. In fact, SoundCloud (a great resource for bands and artists) has its own Meetup page and over 70 Meetup groups globally. https://soundcloud.com/pages/meetups. This is a way to encourage their users to exchange tips, answer questions, create collaboratively and learn from the success of others. You can also run virtual events – inviting fans and members to tune in for a live BlogTalkRadio broadcast of you and your band rehearsing (for example). (There is a fee to own a group, but you can do it for about $15 or less a month.)
Meetup works a LOT like an online group. To begin with, you can message all of your members with updates – and you can have ONLINE meetings or teleseminars too – not just live meetings, as mentioned above. In fact, be sure to invite your Meetup Group members to all of your events – even if it’s a group you simply belong to, in addition to those you own. If a group you belong to doesn’t allow you to email the other members, ask the owner if they’d be gracious enough to share your event with everyone.
Profile
Once you sign up for Meetup, you’ll be asked a host of questions to help you define yourself. Definitely do this and do it well. Remember, you don’t just want to think about what you want, but what keywords would your number one fans use that would lead them to you. This is a networking effort, after all. Where would your audience be?
Joining Groups
Go ahead! Join a few groups and attend a few events. (You’ll see a big box at the top left of the page that says “Find a Meetup Group.”) There’s no faster way to create a buzz than to show up at a like-minded event and hand out some fliers to upcoming gigs or meet and greets. (If you have a team, obviously you can delegate this and spread the love.) I try to choose groups with large numbers, but even a small group of your best brand advocates (fans) can be a great way to market. Each group you join will ask you to introduce yourself through their profile, so be prepared with your bio handy.
Friends, Fans and Followers
Here’s the how to on this to make your life easy. The button to start a group is on the top left of Meetup.com. They’ll walk you through the whole process. But do have your group description written before you get there, just so you can have it thought out and effectively written. The process of filling your meetup is amazing. You’ll be asked to fill out a few areas of interest when you do your profile – and when you go to promote your meetup, those keywords on other people’s profiles become part of your outreach. Meetup will basically pass along an invite to anyone who’s used the keywords you choose for your group within your regional area.
One thing you’ll definitely want to do is set up an autoresponder welcoming all new members and pointing them to your website or store – that’s a secondary place where you will provide your basic bio, product and corporate info, and where to find you (other social networks, for instance). And definitely take it viral! After you’ve got some momentum going, put the call out in an email and/or blog post to challenge your mob to support you. Make it a routine to recognize those fans / friends and encourage more people to get involved.
Promote it! Send a Facebook event invite out for all of your Meetup activities and get togethers. Then, be sure to send a link to join your meetup through all of your other social media efforts (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc., etc.). Not all of your members have to be local, especially if you are – or expect to be – touring any day soon. Going to Madison Wisconsin for a gig? Change the location of your Meetup to that zip code and start promoting it anew to build a vibrant fan base! Cross-networking is super important by the time you’ve got all of this in place. For instance, Set up a Twitter hashtag for your meetup group (i.e. @KelliRichards and #OnStage). Give people a handout at each meetup with the account, the hashtag and all the presenter’s/participants Twitter accounts and ask your members to tweet about the event.
Be sure to send out emails in advance of your meetups that are hand formatted to look different from the one’s send out automatically by meetup. as people tend not to read those. Schedule these with your other emails and newsletters in mind, of course. Remember, your list is your goldmine – don’t abuse your people & never SPAM them..
Mobile Messaging
Like I said, there are many options worth exploring in each of these arenas. I’ll be suggesting only one or two, however, in order to simplify this discussion and help you get started. When it comes to engaging your fans, anyone who’s involved in the direct-to-fan distribution discussion will tell you that getting your fan’s email address and mobile numbers is a huge win. By collecting contact information from followers through a sign-up form, artists can create very effective campaigns utilizing e-mail and mobile promotions. A cool ancillary program you can attach to your Fan Page to accomplish this is Mozes, a leading provider of mass promotional text messaging. Mozes powers the mobile marketing of some big, well-known artists, such as Rihanna and Kings of Leon. It won’t cost your users anything additional to join your “mob” and receive your texts (other than their normal text fees from their carrier), but there is a fee for you – the band or musician, which can be as low as $10 per month for a very simple campaign. You’ll need to actually request a quote through their plans and pricing page. There are a myriad of plans, but the most simple will allow you to create a self-service platform for engaging fans and driving sales. You’ll also be able to run mobile sweepstakes, distribute mobile coupon codes and broadcast trackable links to online storefronts and sales pages. There are higher levels of service with more applications and fan outreach options as well.
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
Join Me for a “Fireside Chat” with the Leading Minds in Tech and Digital Music / Media
I’m pleased to share with all of you that my weekly “All Access Radio” Show has developed a strong and loyal following! Over 15,000 downloads in only a few short weeks.
I’ve also been graced with some of the top digital visionaries and leading voices in the music and technology industries, including Ty Roberts, Ian Rogers, and Tom Silverman (among others). That list continues in the upcoming weeks. I hope you’ll be able to tune in as I interview 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.
Here’s the schedule and some background on each:
Gerd Leonhard – Monday 4/11 – 5pm Pacific Time
Gerd Leonhard is a media futurist, writer, keynote speaker and strategist with 25 years in the tech and entertainment industries in all major markets. Leonhard’s focus is on new technologies in content and media and technological convergence. You can listen online at https://bit.ly/GerdLeonhard or you can simply call in and listen over your phone (626) 696-8608.
Leonhard’s work focuses on digital content, media, telecom, marketing and communications. He was the Co-Founder and CEO of SONIFIC and in 2010 Gerd Leonhard established The Futures Agency. The Futures Agency offers think-tank and training events, workshops and executive seminars, keynote speeches and advisory services to leading companies in the telecom, media, advertising and tech industries.
Peter Rafelson – Monday 4/18 – 5pm Pacific Time
Peter Rafelson is the President of Rafelson Media, which produces and consults for new technology and media companies – with a client list that includes industry giants like Microsoft, Apple and Toshiba. Peter is a well known writer and musician, working with music greats like Jackson Browne and Elton John. He’s written many successful songs, including Madonna’s # 1 “Open Your Heart” (27 million sold) and top 10 singles for Stevie Nicks and Jane Wiedlin of the GoGo’s. In addition to scoring and composing, he has acted in over 10 feature films, including FAME. You can listen online at https://bit.ly/PeterRafelson or you can simply call in and listen over your phone (626) 696-8608.
Peter is currently signing and producing artists for his own label, RM Records and developing projects for the film, TV. Peter recently traveled to Southeast Asia on a diplomatic mission to develop business relations for the entertainment industry. He is currently a staff producer for 2K/Virgin Records, an EMI record label.
Jim Griffin – Monday 4/25 – 5pm Pacific
Jim Griffin is an entertainment technology visionary and one of the sharpest minds in digital music. Griffin is the Managing Director of OneHouse, a company dedicated to the future of music and entertainment delivery.
Jim Griffin is focused on accelerating the pace of scholarly research thru collaborative tools and open access to knowledge. He started and runs Choruss LLC, incubated by Warner Music Group, and successfully led the team that built a new model for sound recordings: Sharing music with flat-fee access to unlimited downloads for students.
He also ran the tech dept at Geffen Records for 5 years (distributing the first full-length commercial song on-line, by Aerosmith). He is often a keynote speaker or moderator (Internet Summit, Giga Conference, Comdex, CES, Webnoize…) and lectures at business schools (Harvard, USC, UCLA, Berkeley). He also serves as an expert witness in digital entertainment. You can listen online at https://bit.ly/Jim-Griffin or you can simply call in and listen over your phone (626) 696-8608.
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
Making a Mark at Digital Hollywood Spring
I’m very excited to share with everyone that I will be moderating a panel session at Digital Hollywood Spring at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey on Wednesday May 4th. Here are the details on my panel, and some more information on the event itself.
Music Apps for SmartPhones, Tablets & Social Media is one of the hottest issues and opportunities in the digital arena right now, and I’m excited to have an amazing panel of experts to lead in that discussion.
My panel:
Wed. May 4th from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Track III: Music Apps for SmartPhones, Tablets & Social Media – Reaching Millions – Monetization
Panel Members include:
Larry Miller, founder – Chairman, ROBA Interactive
Michael Schneider,CEO, Mobile Roadie
Les Borsai, founder, Gridmob
KamranV, CyKiK
Timo Poijärvi, co-founder, Hitlantis
John Rudolph, CEO, Bug Music
Nik Miskov, VP of Business Development, CamUp
Robert (Leo) Rodgers, Sr. VP & Label Liaison, Bungalo Records
The entire event runs from May 2 through 5 and is jam-packed with a schedule of in-depth discussions and networking focusing on the top business issues impacting technology in entertainment today. The Summit’s unique environment enables attendees to engage, debate and refine the latest tech developments in the entertainment marketplace. With an unprecedented group of opinion leaders, the summit will focus on how companies can capitalize on innovations in technology and is a “must-attend” event for individuals and companies working at the intersection of content, technology and entertainment. *Attendees will be free to move from conference room to conference room during the day.
If anyone has any questions or wants to make arrangements to connect with me, please reach out directly by email at info@AllAccessGroup.com
Kelli Richards, President & CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
BIG VISIONS * BIG CONNECTIONS * BIG RESULTS
Author of the forthcoming book:
“You Say You Want a Revolution: An Artist’s Manifesto
for Success in the Digital Age” (due out 11.11.11)
Co-Author of “The Art of Digital Music”
Jeff Brandstetter – Thought Leader in Digital Music and Entertainment
To hear the entire interview, please visit https://allaccessgroup.com/articles-and-resources/blog-talk-radio.
Jeff Brandstetter is a digital music and entertainment lawyer with over 20 years of experience in film, TV, music, literary, new media and entertainment financing matters. He is also the co-author of the highly acclaimed book “The Music Business Explained in Plain English.” He appears frequently as a speaker and moderator on entertainment law matters and is also the Co-Founder and CEO of IndiePlaya, a revolutionary online film distribution platform optimizing the marketing and distribution of independent films.
Kelli Richards: Jeff, what do you think the future of distribution is going to look like in say, five years, and how much of an impact do you think on-demand digital distribution will have on media?
Jeff Brandstetter: It’s interesting that you’re asking me this question. As you know, eleven years ago I was asked this exact same question on a panel about the future of the music industry. I think people tend to accelerate adoption faster in their minds than it actually occurs. I think the reality is that we well see physical product around for a while, and there will still be revenue around physical product for a long time… I think what the landscape will look like in 5 years is that content creators will fast become the hub. Right now everybody is chasing the distribution outlets du jour… because they see the largest numbers in terms of traffic going in that direction…. Indie content providers don’t need huge numbers of their own content to recoup their production budget, and that’s what they should be most interested in. Where are they going to maximize their revenues? As long as they’re passing their content along to 3rd parties, and essentially giving them all of the rights, wholesale, to distribute it and buying into that sell of, “You know, you’re a content provider. Don’t worry your pretty little head about this. We’ll take care of the marketing, promo and distribution. You just focus on making more content.” As long as they buy into that, there’s no rational reason to believe that the outcome is going to be any different than it’s been up until now – which is that the vast majority of them aren’t going to make any money.”
Kelli: I don’t want to live in the way back machine, but that was one of the main impetuses, as you’ll recall, for Todd Rundgren and I crafting Patronet fifteen years ago. The goal was to really encourage artists and other content creators to take the reins and go direct to their fans with their brands – and to see themselves as a brand and, frankly, to model 80 / 20 where they were making the majority of the money – to a smaller audience perhaps, but with fewer middle men.
Jeff Brandstetter: No doubt about it, it was a good model
Kelli: So, Jeff, how important is buzz? Do you think it’s vital to a label that an artist has a social media platform and following – or is having a great sound still the number one driver to getting signed?
Jeff Brandstetter: I think the two go hand in hand. I want to believe that, on the audio side, having a great sound – or a great product whatever vertical you’re talking about – is still then number one driver. Now if you’re talking about getting signed – getting picked up by a major label – you’re talking about the distinct minority of artists who get picked up by a major. But when it comes to social media, disintermediation is happening on the promo side, but it’s not happening in the terms of the monetization. What I mean by that is just because you’re able to promote your brand using social networking doesn’t mean that you, as the artist, are actually reaping the lion’s share of the benefit of that.
Kelli: Unless of course the only way somebody can buy your CD – or one of the ways – is through your website, where the vast majority of the proceeds are going directly into the artist’s pocket, I think most fans would want that to happen. Given the choice, I think if they knew that they could support the artist by buying direct, more would. And that’s why it’s important for an artist to sell their music and to collect email addresses on their website, in addition to having a social media platform to promote from.
Jeff Brandstetter: That’s exactly right.
You can catch Kelli’s show every Monday at 5pm PST. https://BlogTalkRadio.com/AllAccessRadio.
Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC
The Futures Agency
I was recently invited to be part of The Futures Agency by my good friend and colleague, Gerd Leonhard.
For those of you who do not know, The Futures Agency is the name of Gerd’s company, but he’s also created an online industry think-tank of friends and colleagues. I’m super excited to be part of this think-tank and elite group of leaders in the digital industry. I’ll be writing more about this over the coming weeks and months, but for now, I’d like to invite everyone to *like* The Futures Agency Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FuturesAgency to become part of the growing conversation around creating meaningful change in how data is shared, sold and created.
Here’s a great example of Gerd Leonhard (at TEDx Warwick). For more information about Gerd Leonhard’s company, The Futures Agency, please visit his website: https://www.thefuturesagency.com
TEDxWarwick – Gerd Leonhard – Friction is Fiction: The Future of Business, Communications and Media
To your success! Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group
* A few notes: TFA is based in Switzerland and is currently comprised of 15 Associates working directly with Gerd Leonard on an independent basis: Jack Myers, Glen Hiemstra, Ross Dawson, Mike Masnick, Alan Moore, Jonathan MacDonald, Kei Shimada and Didier Marlier, to name only a few of them. Gerd Leonhard will serve as CEO and plans to grow his company into one of the most amazing agencies on the planet, based on 5 key principles: 1. Knowledge grows when shared, therefore we share everything 2. Proudly find elsewhere (PFE) 3. Do what you do best and link to the rest (*Jeff Jarvis) 4. Spend less time being important and more time being relevant 5. The leaders of the future are connectors – not just directors.
Gerd’s free iPhone / Android apps are available here: https://gerd.fm/cvd1lK
An Interview with Dave Kusek, of the Berklee School of Music, and the Co-Author of “The Future of Music”
I recently interviewed Dave Kusek, of the Berklee School of Music, and the Co-Author of “The Future of Music.” Dave Kusek is a digital music executive and is responsible for helping to create the market for digital music as an entity, and in 1980 he founded the first music software company, Passport Designs, which made it possible for musicians to record and produce their music at home with its award-winning software.
The Future of Music is a best-selling music business book, and wildly popular among industry executives and musicians themselves. Dave Kusek also provides advisory services to the music and media industries via Digital Cowboys. He is a co-developer of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) industry standard that opened up electronic music to millions of people. His efforts, along with others, set the stage for the multi-billion dollar digital music market that exists today.
He created a hugely successful online music school berkleemusic.com for the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Berkleemusic has become the world’s largest music school teaching over 15,000 students a year globally. Kusek has written for or been featured in the NY Times, Boston Globe, Billboard, Wired, Associated Press, MTV, CNBC, Forbes, NBC-TV, Nightly Business Report, NPR, Financial Times, and is a featured speaker at Midem, Digital Music Forum, NAMM, AES, IEBA, MacWorld, Comdex, Digital Hollywood and has been a featured guest on radio and television stations around the world.
Here’s a brief synopsis of our discussion… you can hear the entire recording at: https://allaccessgroup.com/articles-and-resources/blog-talk-radio/all-access-radio-interviews/
Kelli: Dave, talk about the future of Digital music if you would. With the role of labels changing almost daily, where do you think the industry is headed?
Dave Kusek: I have been working in the music industry all my life. I was one of the first to capitalize on the commercial potential of computers and music and have been having lots of fun in this space ever since. We’re missing a new format. There’s no new format to monetize, and without that, I think it’s going to be very difficult making music. Without that new format, I think that business might just go away. There’s no real indicator that recorded music in any form is going to turn up in any way or become a revenue generator in the next five years. If we had a new format that was valuable enough and hard enough to come by, then recorded music might come back. But it may just be that recorded music was an anomaly in time. Something you could make money at for 70 or 80 or even a hundred years at its end, but only for that moment in time.
Kelli: What role do you think direct-to-fan distribution is going to play going forward?Talk about how you think this could create what you’ve called a middle class of musicians, and in that context, what do you think will happen to the big labels, as a result.
Dave Kusek: I do believe the opportunity to make music is there for anyone who wants to do it – and anyone who wants to try and turn that activity into money or a living has an opportunity to do it. it’s always been difficult, but I think there are tools today to promote and distribute your music and communicate with your fans that are so beyond what we could even think about five or ten years ago. But if you have a good team around yourself, you can make a good living being an artist. Good being a relative term. It’s very difficult to go and make $25 million dollars – but it’s not that hard to make $50 grand or $150 grand depending on how big your team is. … I think there’s a lot of opportunity – more than ever – for people to make a living in music.
If you build a good team around yourself – a business person, a marketing person, someone who understands the web, who understands mobile, who understands cell phone communication, how to build a community, how to build an audience, you can do pretty well.
Kelli: You seem to be very active on social media – what role do you see that playing for artists as time goes by?
Dave Kusek: I think it’s a great way to distribute your music and to distribute information about yourself and what you’re up to. To communicate directly with people if you have the time for that and you have set up a structure that allows that to happen. It’s a way to connect on a local level with people far more easily than any other way to do that. Again, direct marketing techniques applied in the modern era. I mean, I could find everyone in the Chicago area if I go there. Either Meetup or have a meet & greet, or come to my show, or tell your friends, or have a contest, or whatever.
I think the difficult part is doing it all yourself. As an artist, you should be focused on making music, writing great songs, practicing, playing with other people – you should have your brother, your cousin, a friend, someone you hire working on the website, focused on the social. It’s so hard to do it all yourself.
Kelli: Oh yeah, that goes back to the discussion about picking the right team members around you. You’ve got to have somebody focused on that around you. To your point, artists make music. You really need to have some help I think. With all the things an artist needs to be focused on. But I think we both agree that there really needs to be a presence on social media – that’s really driving a lot of activity and traffic for an artist.
Dave Kusek: And it’s so hard to measure the impact sometimes.
Kelli: And yet may artists do. That’s how they fill their shows. They route their tours and reaching out to their fans directly. People tell their friends, and you’ve got a full house when you show up out in Minnesota!
To hear the entire Q&A with Dave Kusek, go to: https://allaccessgroup.com/articles-and-resources/blog-talk-radio/all-access-radio-interviews/
Duran Duran – All You Need is Now
One of my favorite parts of being on the cutting edge of the music industry is watching the innovators cut through the effluent in life’s tides and rise above the noise. That is precisely what Duran Duran has done with their newest release, “All You Need is Now.” The release date ironically falls on the thirtieth anniversary of the band’s first release, “Planet Earth,” released to enormous fandemonium in 1981. “All You Need is Now” was produced by Grammy Award winner Mark Ronson, who has worked with Amy Winehouse, The Kaiser Chiefs, Lily Allen and others. Ronson himself called this album, “The follow up to Rio that never was.” (A big relief for all of us who rocked our way through Rio and simply waited for the next move.)
This is the band’s 13th album and all four original members of Duran Duran – John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon – have joined to recreate the original upbeat sound that made them famous and sold over 80 million records during their three-decade career, With the collaboration with Ronson strongly in place, the band went on to bring in longtime friend, Ana Matronic of the Scissor Sisters and R&B/neo-soul superstar Kelis, with Owen Pallett of Grammy Award winning “Arcade Fire” to do the album’s string arrangements.
Never one to overlook the visuals, the band engaged up-and-coming British visual artist, Clunie Reid, for the artwork and packaging. Clunie’s work is very well known and has been shown at the Saatchi Gallery and the New Museum in New York.
Highly collaborative and innovative, Duran Duran has spent thirty years fusing pop music with art, fashion and technology, bringing music videos from a marketing tool in the 80’s to one of the music industry’s most valued creative assets.
From a distribution perspective, Duran Duran seems to be one band that really understands how important it is to have an engaged fan base. Their website is as much fan homage to their fans as it is a platform and a staging area for their work. For a mere $35 a year, fans are treated to VIP ticket packages, presale events, and meet & greets, as well as direct communication with band members and exclusive video, photo and written content. Each fan also gets to build their own personal fan site – including fan blogs, journals, photos, etc. They’re also able to participate in fan-to-fan forums and private messaging. Basically, Duran Duran has brilliantly built an army of brand advocates to support their every move. Something all bands should emulate in today’s online world.
The group looks as great as ever, and while they’ve evolved their sound to a more contemporary state, hints of their roots are evident and laced throughout several of the tracks on this new CD. “Blame the Machines” is a fun, uptempo, electro-pop track. “The Man Who Stole a Leopard” is a stunning track that diehard fans will relish. “Leave a Light On” recalls the power of their earlier ballad “Save a Prayer.” And “Girl Panic1” will get fans out on the dance floor celebrating like it’s new year’s eve. Hey, why not?
Kelli Richards, CEO, The All Access Group, LLC
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Pay Attention – Our Most Precious Commodity
When you think of our most precious commodity, what would you say it is? Is it time, money, freedom, something else? All those things are definitely important, but it turns out one of the most important things to cultivate is how and where you place your attention. In a noisy, crowded world with an abundance of information and things coming at us every day, it’s never been more important to stay mindful of this. Your attention is money; are you investing it wisely and actively with determination or are you wasting it? As one of my colleagues Roberta Ross recently observed, if you want to be successful and free, mastering your attention is your greatest power. And if you want to create momentum, transform the experience of your business and earn more, you really must invest your attention and your efforts wisely. Simple as that. …
The Power of Presence
I’ve observed that of the things many of us struggle with is being present — not living with regrets from the past or fears of the future, but simply being here now (as Eckhart Tolle or Ram Dass have eloquently expressed it). It’s perhaps one of the greatest skills you can master throughout your lifetime as it allows you to fully be with those around you now, in real time and as importantly it allows you to be with yourself more fully and mindfully in the moment. When you do that you cultivate peace of mind for yourself, you can enjoy our surroundings, feel more ease, and have more joy and balance. You’re no longer carrying the weight of anguish, anxiety and fear with you at every turn — and you can really breathe. How precious is that? …
The Power of a Weekly Sabbatical
One of my business mentors is Alan Weiss (aka “The Million Dollar Consultant”); he’s the global authority on educating and coaching consultants, and I’ve been working with him for well over a decade at this point. Alan shares best practices from his own experience and teaches us how to grow and expand our businesses, how to be leaders in our respective fields, and essentially how to thrive under all circumstances. Alan is constantly re-inventing himself and coming up with compelling new programs and services for his audience.
One of my favorite programs he crafted was a weekly video series entitled “The Weekly Sabbatical” where he’d share five-minute insights on the fine art of taking time for ourselves every week. There were two aspects of this series; one was that we could (and should!) give ourselves permission to work less and enjoy our lives more, and the other was that Alan would share a specific idea for us to consider and try on for size in just five minutes a week. …
Commit to Expansion in the New Year
At this time of the year, people often come up with a list of ‘resolutions’ most of which don’t live past the first month (or even the first week!) of January. They often don’t work out because of one or a combination of several factors. Firstly, they’re often vague goals without specific actions or metrics of success fleshed out to achieve those goals. Further, they’re often about what you think you should do to appease others or be more socially acceptable vs want really matters to you at a deep level intrinsically. And finally, there’s often no commitment and no accountability — so inevitably they fizzle out pretty quickly. So what does work? …
Distinguishing Between Being Interested and Being Committed
Atherton Living
November 2018
Why It Matters!
End Well Symposium – Dec 6; SF
LinkedIn.com, October 2018- One of my clients, Dr Shoshana Ungerleider, is focused on transforming how we end this life. End Well is a dynamic gathering of individuals, led by Dr Ungerleider, committed to generating human-centered, interdisciplinary innovation for the end of life experience.
We all have something to contribute to this vitally important movement — which affects us all and our loved ones. Join us as we re-imagine and co-create the end of life experience. Last year’s event was a sell-out, so I encourage you to register right away if this strikes a chord. This one day event takes place this year on Dec 6th in San Francisco. For more info visit: https://www.endwellproject.org/ — and help us spread the word if you’re inclined.
Read the entire article here- End Well Symposium – Dec 6; SF
Kelli Richards – High-Powered Connections
Atherton Living, Author: Abbie Burgess
October 2018
Kelli Richards has made a career out of forging high-powered connections…
Best Nonfiction Books Recommended by 16 Experts
October 5, 2018,
We asked 16 experts: “What are the Best Non-Fictions Books?” (Kelli Richards’ featured answer…)
…
A Great Celebrity Wrangler Can Create Big Impact for Your Event
LinkedIn.com, March 2018- Are you looking to bring a major celebrity of big artist/band to perform at one of your corporate events this year? Would you like to create an unforgettable experience for your employees and premier clients? Or maybe you (or someone you know) is having a milestone birthday or anniversary where you’d like to have top talent perform. Did you know that, among other things, I’ve been serving as a celebrity wrangler for over 30 years bringing the right top tier talent to my clients for these types of experiences and more? Contact me to discuss your plans — and let me help you add some real sizzle to your event by pulling in the right talent with big impact that will have people talking and smiling about the experience for years to come.
Read the entire article here- A Great Celebrity Wrangler Can Create Big Impact for Your Event
Everyone Needs a Coach (The Secret Game Changer)
What do major athletes, tech innovators, actors, rock stars, and successful CEOs all have in common? Many if not most of them have a coach, mentor or trusted advisor in some form or fashion. I only recently learned that Bill Gates did a TED talk awhile back entitled “Everyone Needs a Coach” where he stressed that no matter who we are we can all benefit from having people around us to give us feedback, provide perspective, and help us reach our goals. There are many examples of corporate CEOs and other highly successful and influential people using coaches — like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos, who shared Bill Campbell a coach, Alan Mulally (Ford CEO) & Frances Hesselbein (Girl Scouts CEO), who shared Marshall Goldsmith as their coach, and Oprah — whose coach was Maya Angelou; and on it goes. …
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Living and Working in Separate Cities: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between
July 5, 2017, Inc. When you split work and play between two cities, you can have the best of both worlds — if you make it work for you. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/living-and-working-in-separate-cities-the-good-the.html
Taking Care of Business (cash flows & taxes)
Do you ever notice how one day can flow into the next, as can the weeks/months/years if you’re not careful? If we’re not mindful, we can get into the drift and ‘check out’ as a slave to a routine and habits we’ve created that may at one time have worked for us but no longer do. As responsible adults who seek to go beyond ‘getting by’ and instead ‘thriving’ in our lives, it makes sense to stop and re-assess what’s working for us and what isn’t periodically. This applies to our own personal health and well being, and that of our business as well. I’ve been running my small business for nearly two decades now. There are plenty of joys in running your own business — and I can tell you without a doubt that the most challenging aspect of it, in my experience, is managing cash flows and working capital. What do you do when clients make commitments (or suggest that they intend to), but either don’t come through as you had planned or are delayed (sometimes for extended periods)?
The True Meaning of Freedom (at least for me)
For many of us here in the US, we’re celebrating our country’s Independence Day this week (on the 4th). A lot of people gloss over the real meaning of the day…how many lost their lives to ensure we have the many freedoms most in this country take for granted, but which are responsible for us being a global leader. I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to pause and reflect on that as we’re spending time with family and friends this week. That’s an external orientation. There’s an internal view as well, and that is we’re halfway through the year. It’s a great chance to pause and take stock of whether your year is on track, and whether you’re making progress towards the key goals you outlined at the beginning of the year.
Dave Jaworski Shares Microsoft Secrets
With over thirty years of experience in sales, technology, and executive management, Dave Jaworski currently serves as CEO of Meta Media Partners, which leverages technology, techniques and processes to help people and organizations achieve their dreams and potential. Previously Dave held positions as VP of Sales and Marketing at NetSteps; CTO of Intero Alliance; and founder and CEO of PassAlong Networks, which was the first company in the world to implement micro-payments with PayPal.
A Conversation with Ken Kragen, Legendary Organizer of “We Are the World”
Among his many other achievements, Ken Kragen is the legendary organizer behind “We are the World”, with an illustrious career that transcends the music and entertainment industries where he has managed several notable entertainers including Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Olivia Newton-John, The Bee Gees and Burt Reynolds. Ken was a recent guest on my podcast show, All Access Radio, and I thought I’d share some of my favorite parts of our talk.
Thought Leadership as a Differentiator
First of all, what is a thought leader and why does it matter in the business world? A thought leader often refers to an individual (or sometimes a firm) that is recognized as an authority in their unique business niche and whose expertise is often highly valued and sought out within that business niche. The reason this matters is that it’s important from a branding and repute standpoint to be stand out as a credible industry expert with rich knowledge and curated opinions of value on select topics to contribute. This allows us as entrepreneurs to stand out, differentiate ourselves in an otherwise crowded marketplace, and to be sought after as experts and authorities with value to offer clients, the media, and our peers. You don’t typically call yourself a thought leader; it’s an acknowledgement that others grant you. Bottom line: someone who rises above the din and is probably worth listening to.
Beatles Fans Rejoice — Plenty of Reasons to Celebrate!
Many people in my world know that the Beatles are far and away my favorite group of all time; in fact, I’m known as a “Beatle-ologist” given my vast knowledge of far too much trivia having to do with the band. Like so many others, they inspired me to pursue my career in music from a very young age (I can recall being very deliberate about that choice as early as when I was 8 years old as a direct result of the Beatles). The Beatles have never really gone away (well their music hasn’t anyway), and to that end Beatle fans have a couple of reasons to celebrate of late including the following:
4 Ways to Elicit Invitations to Private Business Events
June 5, 2017, Inc. No matter who the titans are at your industry’s luminary events, you need to be there.
Jim Messina, Musician, Songwriter, Singer, Guitarist, Recording Engineer and Record Producer
Jim Messina reflects on his dynamic career, collaborations and 2017 tour. Jim’s legacy of musical prowess spans five decades, three acclaimed rock super groups, a vibrant solo career, and a dizzying array of game changing producing and engineering credits, including Lee Michaels and Kenny Loggins.
Serendipity at Airports and on Flights
Those of us who fly often have learned that it pays to stay observant and opportunistic when you’re on flights and in airports. Most people are in their own little world — focused on their laptops, Kindles or iPads, or immersed in their smartphones. I enjoy looking around and experiencing what’s going on around me — you never know who you may bump into.
3 Ways VR and AI Startups Are Alleviating the Isolation Mentality
May 22, 2017, Inc. The smartest VR and AI startups are already targeting this market — besides being good business, it presents an opportunity to actually improve people’s lives. Read the entire article here: http://3 Ways VR and AI Startups Are Alleviating the Isolation Mentality
“Supermensch” Shep Gordon on Creating the “Celebrity Chef”
Shep Gordon is the visionary Hollywood manager, agent and producer responsible for building some of the biggest careers in entertainment, and has been named one of the “100 most influential people” by Rolling Stone magazine. The subject of the acclaimed Mike Myers-produced documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, Shep came to Los Angeles in 1968 and landed in the heart of rock and roll, instantly (and by sheer coincidence) falling in with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and, a short time later, Alice Cooper, whom he continues to manage today.
Observations from the set of “The Voice”
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years (or just don’t watch network TV), you’ve probably heard about or watched the wildly popular TV show, “The Voice” on NBC; where aspiring singers compete for a recording contract with the help of four successful artists as coaches. Having been an A&R exec at EMI Music in my past, my role was to scout, sign and develop artists for the label — so I’m intimately familiar with the process that these aspiring artists are going through in an attempt to become a star in the music industry For awhile, we had “American Idol” and “The Voice” on air at the same time — but since Idol wound down, “The Voice” has reigned supreme in this category. The current celeb coaches are Blake Shelton, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine. Recently I was invited to take a tour of the set and watch a taping of the show as a member of the studio audience. I’ll admit right upfront that I’m a bit jaded as I’m in the industry, and it wasn’t my first taping of a show; whereas nearly everyone else participating was a tourist where this was a first time event and a really big deal for them. Having been a talent producer as well for decades, honestly I couldn’t stop myself from wearing my ‘behind the scenes’ glasses.
Ken Kragen, Legendary Organizer of “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie
Ken Kragen Shares His Best Tips on Career and Cause Marketing A graduate of Harvard Business School Ken Kragen’s illustrious career transcends the music and entertainment industries where he has spent many successful years and managed some of the world’s most important entertainers, including Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Trisha Yearwood, Olivia Newton John, The Bee Gees, Burt Reynolds, The Smothers Brothers and many others.
Get Out of Your Own Way — Allow Things to Flow Easier
Have you ever noticed how we can make things more difficult than they need to be? Either by overthinking something, making it more complicated than it needs to be, getting worked up in a way that doesn’t serve us, or otherwise being fixed on things having to be a certain way in our lives? That’s how we sabotage the good things that want to come our way. We can actually stop our good from getting to us because we don’t allow it in when it shows up on our front doorstep! Conversely, when we take time to ‘pause’ and reflect on a situation (and what we most want to have happen), when we trust our hearts over our heads to make the choice that will serve us best, and trust that the Universe is doing its best to deliver us what we say we want — things can flow to us more readily and with much less struggle and strife.
Slow Down to Speed Up
Many of us move, work and live at breakneck speeds, often to our detriment. We create or participate in accidents, we make mistakes, we create stress in ourselves and others, we create tension and illness in our bodies, and we simply don’t do our best work in that state. It’s true that my favorite business magazine ironically is “Fast Company”, but I’m also a fan of the Slow Food movement which started over 30 years ago now. The truth is we do have enough time and we can get everything done
Why It’s Time to Buck the 24/7 Work Trend
April 11, 2017 Ellevate Network Americans are still working too hard and too long. The average American puts in 258 more hours per year than the average European. Read the entire article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-its-time-buck-247-work-trend-kelli-richards/
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn About Monetizing Their Brands From Musicians
April 10, 2017, Inc. Like musicians, entrepreneurs can embrace the power they have to connect with a wider world.
The Power of Collaboration
One of my mentors, Alan Weiss, is about to come out with a terrific new book called “Lifestorming” co-authored with Marshall Goldsmith who is himself one of the most sought after executive coaches on the planet. This veteran author duo have collectively published nearly 100 books on human behavior. Neither needs the other, but they opted to come together to create something of value to their shared audience. This collaboration between two very successful juggernauts in the business world should produce a pretty powerful result given what each of them has achieved on his own. We’ll find out when the book comes out on May 1st! I’ve always been a big believer in the power of collaboration — to harness and leverage the gifts of two (or more) talented individuals to create an outcome that’s even more valuable and impactful than if each was crafting something on their own. John Lennon and Paul McCartney are another great example of this; there would have been no Beatles (or arguably they wouldn’t have been nearly as successful) if those two hadn’t come together — pun intended.
Why AI and VR Startups Should Be Targeting the Music Industry
April 3, 2017, Inc. Despite meteoric growth, one industry has been curiously left out of most VR/AI discussions: music.
Embracing Serendipity: Seizing Opportunities as they Arise
Have you ever stopped to notice how things are always working in our favor? It may be time to start doing so. A chance encounter turns into the creation of a new friend or collaborator, a flight delay turns into creating a client, and a flash of intuition can even save our life by avoiding an accident or some other mishap. Maybe you’ve experienced some of this for yourself, and almost certainly you’ve heard of others who have. In my own case, a dramatic example is that I avoided getting on Flight 93 on 9-11 (the one that crashed over PA) simply because I had a very strong intuition that led me to abort my trip to NYC to participate in producing a big Michael Jackson event — and I’d been booked on that flight to return home afterwards.
3 Leadership Secrets I Learned From Steve Jobs
March 1, 2017, Steve Jobs believed that the people you choose to surround yourself with affect the whole ecosystem of your business. Read the entire article here: https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/7979-3-leadership-secrets-i-learned-from-steve-jobs
Honoring the 48-year “Marriage” of Shep Gordon and Alice Cooper
Earlier this month the annual Pollstar Live event took place in LA; if you’re not familiar with it, this is the largest gathering of concert industry professionals in the world. It’s a chance for colleagues to come together and exchange best practices, get current on the latest goings-on and network with each other. I’ve been co-producing the annual Awards Show that caps it off for over 15 years. The Keynote at Pollstar Live is typically one of the highlights of the whole event and this year was no exception. It was Shep Gordon (aka “SuperMensch”) and his longest client, Alice Cooper, coming together to share stories about their 48 years of working together.
How I Manage a Large Network Spanning Two Industries
February 20, 2017, Inc. In every interaction, you want to add reciprocal value so you’re working toward a mutually beneficial proposition. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/author/kelli-richards
Talking with Uber Drivers
You know how when we used to take cabs and you’d never make eye contact with the driver let alone have a conversation with them. I’m not sure what’s changed in the transition to Uber, but I’ve noticed that in virtually every ride I’ve taken via Uber, I find myself having fascinating conversations with the drivers. Maybe it’s just me, but the ones I’ve had rides with inevitably have surprisingly interesting stories and backgrounds. It’s easy enough to hide behind your smartphone and detach, but I’ve come to enjoy engaging with my driver more often than not.
Add Accountability to Adopt New (Improved!) Habits
This is a time of year when many decide to shift habits with the best of intentions, but unfortunately good intentions alone won’t do the job. Ingrained habits need more than a nudge to bust through in favor of replacing them with those that will support us with where we want to go. One powerful tool that will help you go the distance is accountability. The acronym SMART comes to mind — Specific, Measurable, Action, Relevant, and Time-based; and all that is true. A way to manage all of that is by creating a simple accountability matrix that you review and track daily; it only takes a few minutes.
Jessica Mastors, Speaker, Story-Teller, Writer and Creative Coach
Jessica Mastors is a dynamic speaker and storyteller, teacher and writer, artist and entrepreneur, creative coach and consultant specializing in helping founders, free-thinkers and change-makers “make magic” with their stories – where magic is defined as “the art of changing consciousness at will.”
A Conversation with Beth Harrington, Producer, Director, Writer
I met Beth Harrington at the Portland Creative conference last year where we were both honored to be speakers, and we clicked immediately. I knew she would make a great guest for my podcast, and last week I had the pleasure of interviewing her on All Access Radio. Beth is an independent producer, director, writer, singer, and guitarist. Her love for American history, music and culture has led to a series of award-winning and critically acclaimed films including her most recent film, The Winding Stream, The Carters, The Cashes and the Course of Country Music.
Beth Harrington, Independent Producer, Director and Writer
Beth Harrington is an independent producer, director and writer, whose fervor for American history, music and culture has led to a series of award-winning and critically acclaimed films. Beth’s most recent works, The Winding Stream – The Carters, The Cashes and The Course of Country Music and the Grammy-nominated Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, reflect her long-standing love of music.
Resolutions — Time for a Different Approach?
Each year at this time many of us sit down to make a list of resolutions for the new year. And then that list gets filed somewhere, not to be re-visited, and we go about our lives throughout the year mostly status quo. By February the gym returns to its normal flow of truly committed fitness mavens vs those who are merely well intentioned. The thing is, resolutions require new habits to be adopted; taken on with commitment and consistency. And that takes a little rigor and grit, especially during the first 30 days — after which science shows the new habit has taken hold. So this year, what can you do to ensure that by the end of the year your intentions are in alignment with your results?
Wrapping up the Year
Each year about this time, as we wind down the year and get ready for the next one, many start to think in terms of goals and resolutions for the New Year. What you’d like to have happen next year that didn’t happen this year. And that’s fine, but I’d like to offer a few thoughts to consider.
How I Leverage My Presence at Networking Events (And You Can, Too)
December 19, 2016, Inc. The challenge is to stand out from the crowd and leverage your unique voice to draw those opportunities to you. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-i-leverage-my-presence-at-networking-events-and-you-can-too.html
A New Lens On “When One Door Closes”
We’ve all heard the phrase “when one door closes, another opens” — but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Certain doors close on us with respect to jobs, relationships and opportunities — and they’re meant to close and stay closed because they weren’t right for us (even if we didn’t see it at the time).
Marshall Goldsmith, America’s #1 Executive Coach
World-renowned business educator and coach Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the leading expert in his field and the author of three New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling books – Triggers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.
Put on the Spot? Here’s How to Own Your Response
December 12, 2016, Success Magazine No one likes being put on the spot, but it teaches you to anticipate the unexpected, a lesson forever useful in life and in business. Read the entire article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/put-spot-heres-how-own-your-response-kelli-richards/
How Steve Jobs, Jerry Seinfeld, and Being a Super-Connector Boosted My Brand
December 12, 2016, Inc. The benefits of connecting with influential people can work for anyone, no matter where you are in your career. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-steve-jobs-jerry-seinfeld-and-being-a-super-connector-boosted-my-brand.html
Athena of BlissQuest Shares Her Vision for Creatives – No Longer Needing to Sacrifice Their Passions!
Last week’s guest on All Access Radio was Athena, CEO and Founder of BlissQuest Publishing, and author of Pillars of Dawn and Murder of Crows. As you know, I work with creative people who have big visions and Athena’s vision is certainly no exception. At the cornerstone is her company BlissQuest, which she founded after receiving multiple market-based rejections from traditional publishers for her book, Murder of Crows. By self-publishing she gained more control over her work, and more royalties in her pocket, and she hasn’t looked back since. Fair trade is her passion and a large focus of BlissQuest –which is a publishing house in concept and will be the first ever anywhere to offer healthcare benefits and retirement planning to artists and writers — including a 50/50 royalty split.
Athena, CEO and founder of BlissQuest Publishing, Author of “Pillars of Dawn”
Athena is the CEO and founder of BlissQuest Publishing, an online publishing house concept which when funded will be the first publishing house in the world to offer healthcare and retirement planning to artists and writers, as well as 50-50 royalty splits. Her first novel, a fantasy called “Murder of Crows,” was published in 2012 as the first installment in a trilogy called “Pillars of Dawn, which follows heroine Fable Montgomery on a treacherous, magical journey through the mythical land of Aria. Listen to the full podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/2016/12
How Podcasting Can Help Grow Your Business
December 5, 2016, Inc. Podcasting is the new blogging — everybody’s doing it. And if you do it well, you’ll see massive benefits for you and your business. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-podcasting-can-help-grow-your-business.html
Harvest Summit 2016
Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending the Harvest Summit — an outstanding intimate invite-only event (its first year) — held at a private estate in Sonoma County. The event was the brainchild of Jessica Kilcullen, whose husband John Kilcullen used to run Billboard Magazine (where we first connected), and it was designed to bring together innovative thought leaders in a variety of fields from tech, entertainment, sustainability, food and wine, and a host of forward-thinking authors and visionaries. The goal was to foster inspiring conversations about trends and issues shaping our future — by those who are leading the charge (all of us present). Examples of some of the intimate conversations included:
Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit 2016
Last month I had the privilege of attending a fantastic relatively intimate invite-only event. The third annual Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit was held in San Francisco. This event brought together some of the most successful and influential philanthropists, thought leaders from technology, politics, business, media and the arts for truly inspiring conversations about trends and issues shaping our future. Examples of some of the intimate conversations include:
An Intimate Chat with Greg Kihn
NBC has described Greg Kihn as Rock’s True Renaissance Man” and I could not agree more. With a career that spans the dawn of punk and Indie rock, to the disco of the 70’s, to the glory days of MTV, you may know him best for his worldwide #1 hits “Jeopardy” and “The Break-up Song”, and for those of you local to the SF Bay Area, you likely tuned in to DJ Greg every morning on KFOX Radio during his 18 years with the station. He’s also a published author of four novels, the most recent being Painted Black, a mystery/thriller about the death of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. I interviewed Greg recently on All Access Radio to discuss his career, his life philosophy and what he’s up to these days. I’ve been a colleague, collaborator and supporter of Greg’s for many years so it was great to have him in the hot seat for a change to catch up, and to be able to share with you insights from someone I think is one of the greatest success stories in music — a true renaissance artist.
The Launch of Amazon Music Unlimited
This past week saw the launch of Amazon’s foray into an unlimited music streaming service to rival Apple Music and Spotify — it’s called “Amazon Music Unlimited” (AMU). It’s designed to add more value to Echo users offering “tens of millions of songs and thousands of hand-curated playlists and personalized stations” according to Amazon. It’s effectively an upgrade from Amazon’s Prime Music offering. Prime is now the basic service, Unlimited is the full one. This is a really strategic move for Amazon
4 Steps to Landing the Sexiest Projects
October 24, 2016, Inc. In my experience in the world of creative entrepreneurship, two types of projects and clients exist: sexy projects and cash projects. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/4-steps-to-landing-the-sexiest-projects.html
Thinking of Steve (Jobs) — Five Years On
Many people in my world are aware that in addition to my years as an Apple employee (music & entertainment), I was also very fortunate to have been able to call Steve Jobs a personal mentor. The things we discussed and the insights he shared with me over time are an indelible part of my DNA. Steve often crosses my mind, but even more so last week as we hit the 5 year anniversary mark of his passing. I can hardly believe it’s been that long! So I thought it would be fitting to share a few of the lessons and insights I cherish the most:
Coping with Demands When on the Road
These days many of us spend a good portion of our time on the road — whether for business travel or personal time away. It can be a real challenge to deal with demands from others when you’re away from the office. But it’s important to manage your time and priorities as much as possible — and to set healthy boundaries. For myself, when I’m at a multi-day training or just taking a couple of days of business meetings in another city, for example, I do my best to ensure my clients know that I’ll be away and slower to respond during that time period.
Lessons I Learned From Being A Woman In Tech In The Heart Of Silicon Valley
October 10, 2016, Forbes While women held 57% of all professional positions in the U.S. in 2014, they filled only 26 percent of tech jobs. Nonetheless, being a woman has never held me back — and it doesn’t have to hamper your career, either. Read the entire article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2016/10/10/lessons-i-learned-from-being-a-woman-in-tech-in-the-heart-of-silicon-valley/
Vacations and Business Can Co-Exist — Here’s How
October 10, 2016, Inc. There are lots of ways to recharge, even though most of us think of lazing on the beach when we hear the word “vacation.” Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/vacations-and-business-can-co-exist–heres-how.html
“Renaissance Man” Greg Kihn Talks Fun, the Creative Life and Rock n Roll
NBC has called Greg Kihn “Rock’s True Renaissance Man.” His career stretches from the dawn of punk and indie rock to the discos of the 80’s to the glory days of MTV. As a pioneer with the legendary Beserkley Records, he helped write the book on revolutionary west coast rock and roll. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/renaissance-man-greg-kihn-talks-fun-the-creative-life-and-rock-n-roll
James Wallman, Trend Forecaster and Futurist, Journalist, Speaker, Activist
James Wallman is a noteworthy trend forecaster and futurist, esteemed journalist, keynote speaker and activist, as well as the author of the groundbreaking book Stuffocation: Why We’ve Had Enough with Stuff and Need Experience More Than Ever, which has been described as the intersection of “The Tipping Point and Freakonomics, but with a huge idea at its heart” by the Sunday Times. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/james-wallman-on-stuffocation
4 Creative Secrets I Learned From Influential Music Artists
September 26, 2016, The Huffington Post Why do we idolize and celebrate famous musicians? It’s simple: They’ve achieved greatness, a certain “glow” we wish we had. Read the entire article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/4-creative-secrets-i-learned-from-influential-music_b_57e9733ce4b00267764fcaba
Learning From the Best: What Guy Kawasaki Taught Me About Evangelism
September 25, 2016, Inc. A few of the biggest takeaways about being a great thought leader and influencer.
How to Prioritize What is Important…And Get it Done!
We are all juggling so much, and we each have the same 24 hours each day. One of the ways we suffer is that we have so much on our plates that we can easily get overwhelmed, and we forget that we have control over how to structure our days around the most important things that we need/want to make happen in our lives. It comes down to prioritizing our day ahead of time (ideally the day or night before) — so that we make progress on just the three or four things that are most important to us. When we accomplish those tasks we feel great. Then there are the things that we need to make happen but that we don’t want to do or that don’t light us up. Those are tasks we tend to procrastinate around and push off for another day/week/month/year. I recommend the following approach…
The Serenity of Surrender
As I write this, today marks the 15th anniversary of 9-11; a day that is especially important to me, not only in terms of honoring those who were lost — but also in gratitude for avoiding being one of the victims myself. A near-miss because I was booked as a passenger on United flight 93 that morning headed to SF from Newark; one of the planes that was directly impacted among the flights that were taken over by terrorists on that awful day. Trusting my intuition and surrendering to that little voice in my head saved my life.
Barbara Newman, Creative Director/Writer
You Don’t Need a Horse to Be a Cowgirl – A Creative Director/Writer for over 25 years, Barbara Newman’s iconic work has left an indelible mark on contemporary brand culture. She’s written award-winning campaigns that have been featured at Cannes, and has developed content across multiple media platforms for global brands around the world. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/you-dont-need-a-horse-to-be-a-cowgirl
4 Ways to Align Yourself With What Really Matters
Are you focusing on what really matters in your life? Or are you just going through the motions jumping from one distraction to the next and being tossed around like a row boat in rough seas? If you want to experience a life well-lived, then it’s probably a good idea to pause and reflect on how aligned you are with the things that carry the most meaning for you on a regular basis — ideally once a week, minimum. Here are a few suggestions you may want to try on for size:
An Offer You Could Refuse (But Shouldn’t): Trusting Your Trusted Advisers
August 28, 2016, Inc. There are three key things you can do to enhance your ability to take advice.
Re-ignite Your Passion!
A topic has been brewing in my mind over the past couple of weeks that I wanted to touch on today; and that is the power of enthusiasm, energy and vitality. I think what sparked it was going to a couple of concerts during the past couple of weeks — Rick Springfield and Earth, Wind & Fire — both of whom have been performing for over 45 years each (and the lead members all in their mid-to-late sixties). Same thing when I saw Herb Alpert and Lani Hall play a show last Fall (he was 80 at the time). None of these guys has to work or tour any more. But all of them exuded passion, vibrancy, energy and vitality. They love what they’re doing, they get high on the interaction with their audiences, and clearly they’re still having a great time performing and entertaining. It’s inspiring and infectious to watch… But you don’t have to be an artist to experience the same level of energy and enthusiasm; you can cultivate it for yourself. And when you do, it creates an upward spiral that fuels you, makes you feel alive and is contagious; others want to be around you and engage/collaborate with you in whatever ways make sense. It comes down to your attitude about yourself and about your life. If you want to feel this energy boost (and experience all of these benefits), here are some things you can do to encourage it:
3 Ways to Succeed as a Woman Entrepreneur (They’re Not What You Think)
August 21, 2016, Inc. There have been challenges along the way, of course, but being a woman has never held me back. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/3-ways-to-succeed-as-a-woman-entrepreneur-theyre-not-what-you-think.html
Lori Stoll, Celebrity Photographer and Filmmaker
Lori Stoll is a notable photographer, writer and director who quickly became a sought-after celebrity and advertising photographer in the late 80’s. Her photographs of popular icons Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson and MC Hammer were ubiquitous at the pinnacle of their careers. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/get-behind-the-scenes-with-celebrity-photographer-and-filmmaker-lori-stoll
Jared Cohn, Award-Winning Writer, Director and Producer
Jared Cohn is an award-winning writer, director and producer – specifically in the sci-fi and horror genre – with such credits to his name as Atlantic Rim, Buddy Hutchins, 13/13/13, Jailbait, Born Bad and the last Sharknado movie. This year alone Jared has released five new films – all very different in style and tone. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/serial-filmmaker-jared-cohn-on-why-invest-in-your-own-movies
The Power of Your Voice: 3 Steps to Finding and Embracing It
July 21, 2016, Inc. Follow these three steps to discover and celebrate your voice as a female entrepreneur.
Sherry Cagan, Equestrian, Artist, Founder of Stand4Lyme
Sherry Cagan has had great success in her past both as an award-winning equestrian & a talented bronze sculptor. These days Sherry is a patient advocate and facilitator, a leading voice and a driving force for the millions debilitated with Lyme disease. Her near-death experience from Lyme disease, and her daughters and mother being infected with it, catalyzed her passion for Lyme research – initiating the Stanford Lyme Working Group at the Stanford School of Medicine. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://cl.ubook.com/podcast/367156/kelli-richards-presents-all-access-radio
A Grammy Winner, A Circus Master, And An Apple Veteran On Career Reinvention
July 15, 2016, Fast Company Stewart Copeland cofounded The Police. Kelli Richards grew up where her Apple office later stood. These are their career-change tips. Read the entire article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/3061833/a-grammy-winner-a-circus-master-and-an-apple-veteran-on-career-reinvention
Taylor Swift and Other Top Artists Stand United Against DMCA & YouTube
In the past couple of months things have been getting more heated as a coalition of over 180 top musicians have aligned to complain about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The 1998 law governs the way big internet companies can use material uploaded by their users. As technology has progressed over the past two decades, the artists’ stance is that their royalties have been diminishing relative to the many new devices and services that have sprung up in that timeframe. And in tandem as they’re making their voices heard about concerns suggesting that the DMCA is broken in today’s terms, they’re taking aim squarely at YouTube as a primary example of how this structure no longer works for artists (if it ever did).
Oprah’s Real Secret to Success May Not Be What You Think It Is
July 7, 2016, Inc. Oprah Winfrey came from nothing and built a media empire, but her most impressive quality worth emulating is her EQ (emotional quotient). Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/oprah-s-real-secret-to-success-may-not-be-what-you-think-it-is.html
Mark Silverman, Coach, Consultant, Author
Mark Silverman is not a Coach or a Consultant per se, although he has Coaching and Consulting Clients. For him, every engagement is unique, with the common thread being a leap forward towards the intended result. Mark has generated over $90 Million in sales and received numerous awards over his 15 year career at fast moving, fast growing companies like NetApp, VMware and EMC. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/ditch-your-lists-access-your-flow-intuition-and-creativity
4 Things Successful People Don’t Do
July 1, 2016, Inc. Follow these steps to utilize your own storytelling narrative and be more authentic with your audience.
Life Gets Easier When You Operate in the Zone
Many of us run our lives off “To Do” lists — and have issues managing time, priorities, and eliminating distractions. We’re all over the place and our attention and mood is scattered, stressed and we’re inefficient. It doesn’t have to be that way! We can increase our productivity and save our sanity when we operate ‘in the zone’ more of the time. When you are in the zone, you are focused, firing on all cylinders, getting things done, accomplishing your goals, meeting expectations of yourself and others, all while staying in a calm, neutral place emotionally. You feel good because you’re taking care of what you need to and are honoring your commitments to yourself and others; you’re doing what you said you were going to do. There’s no greater sense of satisfaction than that! I know that’s been my experience. Here are a few tips for getting in the zone:
Becoming the Person You Want to Be is Simple but It’s Not Easy
I had the rare privilege of spending time with Marshall Goldsmith a couple of months ago courtesy of my mentor Alan Weiss at an event that Alan hosts annually called the Million Dollar Consulting Convention. Marshall was the Keynote speaker at Alan’s event this year, and is in high demand as one of the most successful executive coaches on the planet. He’s the author of many terrific and insightful books like “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”, and he was delightful and very generous in his time with us. Marshall was kind enough to provide us all with copies of his latest book “Triggers: Creating Behavior that Lasts & Becoming the Person You Want to Be”. I read a lot of books on self-improvement and personal growth, and Triggers offers fresh insights that I haven’t come across elsewhere to this point.
Lorenzo Lamas, Actor, Author
Lorenzo Lamas is an American actor well known for playing Lance Cumson on the 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest (Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/what-i-learned-about-donald-trump-from-celebrity-apprentice
3 Ways to Keep the Art of Storytelling Alive
June 16, 2016, Inc. Follow these steps to utilize your own storytelling narrative and be more authentic with your audience.
Creel Price, Serial Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker
From scaling some of the highest mountains in the world, to working with Richard Branson on the future of philanthropy, exiting his business for over $100m and captaining Australia in the World Elephant Polo Championships, Creel Price is the high-octane adventurer at the forefront of what he now calls “The Entreprenaissance.” Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/the-1-magic-ingredient-for-joining-the-entreprennaissance
Libby Gill, Consultant, Author, Speaker
Libby Gill is the founder and CEO of executive coaching and consulting firm Libby Gill & Company. The former head of communications and public relations for Sony, Universal, and Turner Broadcasting, she is an international speaker, bestselling author, and former Dallas Morning News columnist. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-bestselling-author-libby-gill
Carolyn Elliott, Entrepreneur, Author, Coach, Super-Connector
Carolyn Elliott is an entrepreneur, writer and author, coach, super-connector, and modern-day magical person. She is the host of the Superconnectors Podcast, which interviews top Superconnectors from around the world who share the tools, attitudes and resources they use to grow and nurture their world-class social networks. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-carolyn-elliott
The Importance of Taking Regular Breaks
You work hard; we all do. But at the same time, I’ll bet you don’t play hard; most of us don’t. We live and work in a culture that would happily take all we choose to give and more — and often does. AND we have a life beyond our work – really and truly!
These 4 Books Are an Entrepreneur’s Best-Kept Secret
June 6, 2016, Inc. The truth is, many of the most successful people in the world are–and will always be–avid readers. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/these-4-books-are-an-entrepreneur-s-best-kept-secret.html
May the Force Be With You
You know that old saying by Woody Allen that “Showing Up is 80% of Life”. Well I’d argue that the other 20% (maybe more!) is HOW you show up that really determines whether you’re going to be a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’ in terms of the impact you have on others. Leadership is more than about showing up, and it’s more than just a mindset — it’s your presence, your intention, and the energy you bring to your interactions.
2016 is Not the Year the Masses Pick Up Virtual Reality
May 14, 2016, VentureBeat. Mark Zuckerberg (along with many others) believes that virtual reality will change the way we live, work, and communicate in many ways. Zuck may be right about the long term, but the truth is, VR isn’t quite ready for mass-market adoption. Read the entire article here: https://venturebeat.com/games/2016-is-not-the-year-the-masses-pick-up-virtual-reality/
4 Daily Habits of Exceptionally Well-Connected People
May 12, 2016, Inc. The reality is that the more influencers you know, the better your chances of realizing greater success.. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/4-daily-habits-of-exceptionally-well-connected-individuals.html
Close Encounters with Prince
We lost a unique legend and pioneer last month in Prince’s passing. The man was multi-dimensional, and though he was revered as an artist by many, he was so much more — and I think the other facets of who he was and his contributions will be revealed as time goes on. I was fortunate to have interacted with Prince on several occasions during the past couple of decades, and I’ve been reflecting on those experiences over the past few days. I never really shared much ’til now about these interactions because he was fiercely private, and I respected and honored his desire for that.
Deborah Perry Piscione, Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker
Deborah Perry Piscione is a serial entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, speaker and innovation process expert. She is a Principal and Co-Founder at Vorto Consulting, a Silicon Valley-based boutique-consulting firm dedicated to enabling companies to innovate and grow. Deborah is the architect of the new innovation methodology, Improvisational Innovation™, which engages all of the organization’s talent in bottoms up innovation. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-deborah-piscione
Four Female Entrepreneurs Who Have it All (and How You Can, Too)
May 6, 2016, Huff Post Women Recently, I’ve observed a growing trend: Young female entrepreneurs launching ventures, creating social impact that matters, winning awards, and starting families — all at the same time. Read the entire article here: https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/7321-four-female-entrepreneurs-who-have-it-all-and-how-you-can-too
Conscious Entrepreneurship: Lessons From Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg
May 5, 2016, Inc. Incorporate these four habits into your daily life to produce better work from a healthier mindset.
How to Achieve Success by Connecting 2 Seemingly Different Worlds
April 21, 2016, Inc. Harness multiple interests and translate them across industries to build a larger network of connections, stronger relationships, a unique brand position, and greater impact. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-to-achieve-success-by-connecting-2-seemingly-different-worlds.html
Sexy vs Cash Projects
For those of us who work for ourselves (and for those who aspire to), there’s a phenomenon that people don’t often talk about because it’s assumed that we’re intended to be performing and achieving high levels of success at all times. However, sometimes there are periods of feast and famine in our businesses, especially for those of us in creative professions. My colleague Rich Litvin has shared his observations on this with a nod to Hugh McLeod’s “Sex and Cash Theory of Creative Work” — and I really resonate with this. The basic notion is that the creative person has two kinds of jobs — the first being the fun, sexy kind (those projects and clients we love to work with), and the second one is ensuring that we have enough cash flows that the bills get paid each month. Sometimes the task at hand covers both bases, but not all the time. So there can be a tense duality between the need to make a living and the need to follow one’s passions. You can’t run a successful, thriving business if you have no money and your only thought is “I NEED money!”.
Guy Kawasaki, Evangelist, Author, Speaker
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, a brand ambassador for Mercedes Benz USA, and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley). He was also the chief evangelist of Apple. Guy is the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and nine other books. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-guy-kawasaki
Three Lessons On Innovation I Learned During My 12 Years At Apple
March 28, 2016, Fast Company As one veteran of Apple’s early forays into digital music explains, nothing slows things down like seeking consensus. Read the entire article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/3058271/three-lessons-on-innovation-i-learned-during-my-12-years-at-apple
The Chief Reason to Become a Trusted Adviser: The Ripple Effect
March 28, 2016, Inc. Through helping others, advisers can unlock different opportunities for their own careers.
3 Ways You Can Benefit From Serendipitous Run-Ins
March 14, 2016, Inc. Are you making the most of your chance encounters?
The Quiet Passing of a Giant
The music industry has experienced what seems like an unprecedented string of losses since the year began. Add to that list, a legend in Sir George Martin who passed a few days ago at the age of 90, and was considered by many to be “The Fifth Beatle”. Sir George was perhaps among the most talented record producers, music arrangers, and A&R men of all time. He was a true master at his craft — he pioneered all mann er of unique things artists could do in the studio — and truly co-created with the artists he worked with to amazing results.Unusual things like running the tape backwards to create new sounds as in “Tomorrow Never Knows” or adding in unique instrumentation like strings over “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yesterday” or weaving a mellotron into “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”. And as gifted as he was and a master at his art, equally important is how well-loved and respected he was by all who had the chance to meet and work with him. I’ve never heard a bad word said about George by anyone throughout his career which is telling; quite the contrary.
4 Basic Skills Entrepreneurs Still Can’t Seem to Master
March 7, 2016, Inc.
Andy Cunningham, Strategic Marketing and Communications Expert
Andy Cunningham is the Founder of Cunningham Collective, an innovation to market firm that helps enterprises and start-ups through challenges of traction, transformation, and turnaround. An entrepreneur at the forefront of marketing, branding, positioning and communicating “The Next Big Thing,” Andy Cunningham has played a key role in the launch of a number of new categories including video games; personal computers; desktop publishing; digital imaging; RISC microprocessors; software as a service; very light jets; and clean tech investing.
Zeeshan Zaidi, Ticketmaster
Zeeshan Zaidi is the General Manager of Artist Services at Ticketmaster, a division of Live Nation Entertainment, where he works with artists, managers, agents, promoters and labels to help make tours more successful through leveraging Ticketmaster’s marketing reach, data insights, and commerce opportunities. He’s also the lead vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and founder of alternative rock band The Commuters. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-zeeshan-zaidi
Carolyn Elliott, Super-Connector, Interviews Kelli Richards
As a super connector, I was recently interviewed by Carolyn Elliott on her Super Connectors Podcast where I shared how I create authentic, trust-based relationships, and my favorite strategies for nurturing a high-powered network the intuitive dimension of super-connecting.
How Apple Can Improve Its Watch And Boost Sales
February 8, 2016, TechCrunch Apple isn’t releasing exact sales numbers, but some expert digging has led many to believe that sales of the Apple Watch haven’t reached expectations since its launch in spring 2015. Read the entire article here: https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/07/how-apple-can-improve-its-watch-and-boost-sales/
Tammi Leader Fuller, CAMPOWERMENT
Tammi is the Chief Empowerment Officer of CAMPOWERMENT, a transformational weekend sleep-away camp for grown women hailed by Oprah and MORE Magazines, the TODAY Show, FOX News, the NY and LA Times as THE place to reboot your life in just 72 hours. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-tammi-leader-fuller
The 4 Tech Trends That Will Explode in 2016
January 25, 2016, Inc. These cutting-edge, scalable trends are attracting not only lots of investment, but also great talent — which are two of the key drivers behind any successful startup.
Klayton of Cell Dweller
Klayton is the artist behind the acclaimed one-man musical project Celldweller, and is a multi-instrumentalist, artist, producer, songwriter, performer, programmer and remixer. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-klayton-of-celldweller
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