Black people from a Christianized perspective and a lot of it is very good , don ’ t get me wrong , but there is much more to the story that ’ s being left out specifically as it pertains to us . When it comes to the Christ Collective , I want it to be a place of excellence , but a place that is accessible to all mankind . I want to continue to teach about our history , a very encouraging and empowering word , but also teach about the truth of the kingdom . God is coming back , and He will judge us . The thing is , unlike many pastors , I don ’ t necessarily want to be the one that has all the answers . I want it to be a multifaceted group of individuals . A collective , a remnant , a very Auguste group that comes together , just to worship God on a Sabbath . And really , I ’ m hoping that they ’ re a very resourceful collective of people that they can help others . We can become a very interdependent group of individuals , a house of resources like God talks about in the book of Malachi . We can focus on the tithes but he says he wants meats and supplies in his house . We want the Christ Collective to be a house for those who can come in , to be refilled , refreshed , and seek the resources they need to go out and be a better individual .
This is ENSPIRE Magazine , and you most certainly will inspire many others to learn more about their faith or possibly inspire them to pursue the role of leadership . What advice would you give our readers on this journey who may have doubts ?
You know , it ’ s fine to doubt . But don ’ t ever doubt God , let him teach you let him lead you . Let him , show you the right & correct way . Don ’ t always get so caught up in reality because reality is not necessarily the truth . There ’ s a supernatural world outside of our natural world , and open and avail yourself to what God can say , and do in your life . If you feel called and compelled , you know there ’ s an old song that says only what you do for Christ will last as if it ’ s edifying his body edifying his kingdom , go for it . What is it about music and entertainment that caught your interest ? I grew up in a family of performers so the entertainment industry was instilled in me since before I could walk . That also gave me a first-hand look into what it takes for an artist to succeed - the entrepreneurship that ’ s required and how many ‘ hats ’ must be worn at all times . My mom brilliantly instilled in me the financial responsibility that was required to live as an artist and also the importance of continuous education ( and that knowledge truly is power ).
My mom ( I affectionately refer to her as Mama Sue ) also helped develop my discipline by having me begin to play piano at 4 years old . I can ’ t tell you the amount of fights we went through , her requiring me to practice for at least 30 minutes a day , me wanting to play with my toys and friends after school .
Per usual , Mama Sue was spot on . This discipline helped me develop the respect and passion I have for artists to this day . This eventually turned into me educating artists to help them get their music out to the masses , in the most cost-effective way possible : DIY-style .
How has your TV and behind the scenes experience helped you in being humble and to put your energy into helping others build their dream ? Humility is the key to everything in my opinion . We are all in the same boat , wanting to find our purpose and belong . Doesn ’ t matter if you ’ re Beyonce or her makeup artist . Both are important pieces of the puzzle . We ’ re all striving to follow the clues life gives us as to what we ’ re meant to do and how to be happy . ( Life is meant to be fun !)
I ’ ve worked with many multi-platinum artists , Grammy winners , Emmy and Oscar winners . I wouldn ’ t have a job without them and they couldn ’ t do their job without the help of their team . It takes a village and we ’ re all on the journey . Independent artist , publicist , Taylor Swift . We ’ re all in this together .
What was going wrong / mistakes were you seeing in the industry that you felt the need to create your Music PR Bootcamp ? A few years back I noticed a massive void in the industry for independent musicians - most couldn ’ t afford PR ( it ’ s not cheap ) and many were being held back and disempowered due to lack of education and / or financial capabilities .
Many times there ’ s also a sort of ‘ smoke and mirrors ’ around PR . Artists know they need it but aren ’ t sure exactly what it is and why it ’ s so crucial ( and why is it so dang expensive ). I wanted to create options for artists . There ’ s something truly empowering about knowing the strategy you ’ re using is proven and has gotten the results you ’ re looking to achieve in your career .
With one placement , an artist can reach hundreds , thousands ( maybe millions depending on the outlet ) of new fans , increasing their fanbase dramatically and improving their SEO ( search engine optimization ).
Why is it important for you to show indie artists how to save or utilize their money to grow their careers rather than paying someone else to do it ?
If an artist has the skill set to do PR outreach on their own , then lack of funds can never hold them back . Usually , an artist ’ s hard earned money is going towards their craft and creating art . But , let ’ s be honest , odds are your art isn ’ t going anywhere unless it ’ s supported by a rock-star worthy promotional plan .
With the DIY Music PR Bootcamp , my ‘ students ’ learn exactly how to implement a PR campaign themselves for their next new music release but they also then know what to look for in a PR agency if the time comes that they want to hire someone .
At the beginning of an artist ’ s career , it ’ s rare that hiring a publicist is an appropriate allocation of funds . PR is meant to support the opportunities already in the works for an artist and they are not meant to rely on PR to create them ( opportunities ). A great example of this progression is Dallas String Quartet . They have been steadily building their fanbase DIY style since the group formed . They ’ ve been featured by The Wall Street Journal , secured sync placements on ESPN and A & E and now receive over one million streams on Pandora per week . They ’ re now at a point in their career where hiring team members helps optimize these opportunities . And congrats to them - they just hired their first publicist !
When I speak at industry events one of the main questions ( or moreso statements ) I hear is , “ I hired a publicist and got nothing out of it .” It ’ s true , there ’ s no guarantee of publicity and if someone guarantees a placement or tells you you ’ ll go viral , I urge you to run for the hills . A successful PR campaign comes from telling a strong story and creating relationships with the writers , bloggers , photographers , and playlisters you think would be truly enjoy your music . Who better to start creating this momentum than the artist themselves ? When the momentum reaches a place that can be challenging to manage yourself , THEN it ’ s time for a publicist .
All of that being said , the beauty of a DIY PR campaign is that it ’ s free to do and the artist can begin to create that ripple effect that will lead from one opportunity to the next .
Can you tell us about some of the success stories of your Bootcamp ?