THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND SUCCESSFUL WOMEN ACROSS THE MUSIC AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES SHARE THEIR TOP 5 CAREER LESSONS…
JADA POLLOCK MANAGER (ONE MUSIC ENTERPRISE)
British-American music manager Jada Pollock started out her career as a visual merchandiser for Gucci Mens before starting her own concierge company, EnvyLifestyle, that catered to Premier League footballers. After partnering with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, Pollock expanded her business into Jada Styles. In 2001, she broke into the music world by co-managing Tinchy Stryder before moving on to Bu Vision (Chris Brown, Pia Mia). Most recently, she has been making waves as the manager of WizKid. Having first met the Nigerian star in 2012, she moved from organising his studio sessions to managing the twice Grammy-nominated artist. Pollock is currently prepping to launch her own entertainment company in the near future, but here she takes time out to offer her top tips on managing…
1. Understand your artist “Your basic role as a manager is to bring together
the people and projects that meet the goals of the artist and their record company, if signed. Invest in the relationship with your artist; understand their vision and their goals and set a clear plan of execution. Most music management relationships form into strong foundations, so try to always be on the same page creatively and professionally, have deadlines and build strategies that align with your artist and audience.”
2. Develop a touring base “The live world for your artist is going to be at
least 60% of your income. Build on a short and long-term touring strategy – don’t worry about touring across the country straight away. Work your way out in concentric circles around where you live, growing the fan base organically. Support slots with artists in other markets, who are in a similar position or music genre, are a great way to expand and cross-pollinate your audiences.”
3. Legal documents “Whatever role you take on as a manager, and
regardless of the relationship, it’s best to agree to the legal terms of the management prior to you working. Not making things crystal clear can cause conflicts of interest, bad feelings, and lead to legal problems down the line. Never use the same lawyer to draft a contract for yourself and your artist. Keep legal relationships completely separate, allowing your artist to always feel
confident that there isn’t any vested interest at any point should things not work out between you both. Assigning a good lawyer to represent your artist is a huge essential throughout. Always read through contracts and have a clear understanding of what you are advising your artist to sign off on. Signing off on a wrong commitment could be the make and break of your artist’s career.”
4. Stay authentic “Artists can be quite indecisive and often
second guess things, so understanding exactly what you want to do with your artist and having a vision is essential. Stand firm on your decision making and never agree to something just to please the artist. Gaining your artist’s trust is key and the relationship will not last if this is not at the forefront. The heights in which you position your artist will help determine the perception you leave people with, so be very mindful of this when discussing your artist in a room.”
5. Maintain relationships “A good manager will always have – and
continuously build – strong relationships within the industry. Develop your people skills and make it your mission to leave everyone you meet with a good impression. Build on your selling skills. Who you know can make all the difference between success and failure. You will need alternate insights and other’s specialties to succeed and grow.”
Sign up to Girls I Rate to join their virtual mentoring sessions which take place on the first Sunday of every month
www.girlsirate.com
musicweek.com Music Week | 39
“Gaining your
artist’s trust is key” JADA POLLOCK
PHOTO: Eva Pentel
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
