Business 101: Relationships Are Key

Chapter 1 | Ms. Toni Talks

In business, but especially the entertainment business, establishing and maintaining relationships with people are one of the most important things you can do. Anyone can be introduced to another person. IT’s what you do with that introduction that counts. We all come across people everyday that we may never see again. You have to leave an impression and cultivate a relationship to make yourself be the opposite.

*Do Your Research

If you know that you will be meeting someone you want to do business with, the first thing you should do is look into their company, brand, label, etc. You want to go into that initial meeting as informed as possible. Plus, it shows them that you have a genuine interest in doing business with them. You would be surprised what a ten minute Google search can do for a conversation.

*BE ON TIME

The WORST thing you can do when attempting to establish a positive business relationship with someone is be late to a meeting. That gives your potential client, boss, rep, etc the impression that you didn’t take the meeting serious enough to show up. Thus, they will feel like you don’t take THEM seriously either. No one likes to be kept waiting. If it is unavoidable, make sure you call and let those waiting know you’re running late. That will show that you are invested and still want to make this relationship work.

*Be Prepared
If you’re an artist, have music available to play for, say, a potential manager or label. Have it in multiple formats as well. If you’re a writer, have your portfolio in print AND on a thumb drive. It is applicable to any field. Have all the tools you’ll need to make that meeting go well. It will show the potential business partner, manager, etc. that you take what you do seriously, and will apply that same preparedness in your dealings with them. We base our reactions to things on the actions of those doing them. The more thorough you are when presenting yourself, the more they will want to do the same when working with you.

*Be a Team Player
No one wants to deal with an uncooperative person. NO ONE! And, regardless of what they may say, no one can do anything out here completely, 100% alone. Every successful person in this, or any, industry has gotten to where they are with the help of others that shared their vision and supported them. In order to have a great business relationship with anyone, you have to be willing to do what it takes to see the team succeed, not just yourself. Otherwise, you will end up, well, by yourself.

Well, those are just a couple of my rules for building relationships in this business. People talk, so you want them to only hear good things about working with you. If you take the time to research, prepare, and present yourself well, you’ll go far in ANY industry.

-Toni

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Ms. Toni C. is Co-Host of "The Hollywood Hangout Show" on GoGoRadio.com.  Her career began after she started working for EZ Street and Radio-One. From there she ventured into promotion and branding assisting local artists in the DMV area. As a Promotion & Branding Professional, Ms. Toni brings years of experience in music journalism. Keep your eyes and ears opened for more news on her as she continues to make her mark in this business. Follow her on Twitter today: @ToniC813

Her motto:

"Live for today because yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't promised."

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President of KnoName New Staff Writer for Khmerican

KnoName Media is proud to present the newest staff writer to join the Khmerican team, our one and only, Jae Om or you may know her simply as "Love."

KHMERICAN was created to serve the people and organizations interested in the state of Khmer America. Their commitment is to provide an online platform that encourages public engagement, discussion and connection of Khmer communities across the US and abroad. To fulfill this commitment, they publish original content and provide resources on and about Khmer America.

“I see Khmerican as a great representation of a generation of Khmers that want to make a difference. It’s encouraging and will definitely inspire others to reach out to those in their communities that want to showcase their cultures and people,” says Jae Om, a Virginia resident who works in the information technology and entertainment marketing sectors. Om is also currently pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism and has experience writing about entertainment news.

As an entrepreneur, a student, and a mother, it’s a wonder that Om has the drive to add yet another role to her list of duties—reporter for the Khmerican. However, it makes sense, given that she has a deep appreciation for her Cambodian heritage and the wisdom of her elders. She cites the local Cambodian New Year festivities as a joyful embrace of the culture, a point of solidarity with the Khmer community. Her parents are her personal heroes for what they survived through; their stories have helped her put her own struggles in perspective. She gives the older generation much credit for raising their children to traditional standards in a culture that in many ways runs to the contrary.

After arriving in the United States from Khao-I-Dang refugee camp at age 3, Om has spent her life on the east coast. “I’m only familiar with those here, and I must say, we need to step up as people and take ownership within our community. Cambodian Americans, in my opinion, are only proud when deemed necessary. Our youth are unaware of the history.”

Om herself would like to share her own knowledge of that history, having learned by taking the initiative and educating herself. But she also has an eye toward the future, wishing to establish herself as a journalist and continue learning about the culture.

“Working as a staff writer for the Khmerican, I hope to educate, inspire and motivate my fellow Cambodians and others alike to step up and make a difference in their communities.” Jae Om is our first representative in the mid-Atlantic region. - EC

Read more about The Khmerican here at http://www.khmerican.com/. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter using the same handle.

Please take some time and congratulate her on her wonderful accomplisment! Congratulations!!

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Paulina, More Than Just a Story

Paulina is a 17 year old girl living in a Cambodian gambling community in the United States. Immersed in a vibrant world where bets and wagers are a part of everyday living, young Paulina has found herself attracted to the game; a love understood and shared by her father, Sam, and an avid community of Cambodian gamblers. Met with strong disapproval from her sister Sopheap, Paulina remains strongly tied to the community. But soon she finds herself in the midst of her father’s war with addiction, and the realities of this world is unmasked; Paulina must inevitably choose between the world she is drawn to and the life she might someday want.

Written and directed by Caylee So, a Cambodian American from Northern, Virginia, Paulina is a story of family, addiction and sacrifice. A story that for some, might hit pretty close to home.

This short film goes into production in December, filming in Southern California. And due to the nature of the film, numerous personals of Southeast Asian decent are needed to fill the roles of patrons of a gambling house. All the support is needed from the SoCal community in order to make this project a huge success. Those interested are encouraged to email paulina.film@gmail.com or visit http://www.paulinafilm.com/ to learn more about this remarkable story.

The visual style for “Paulina,” the movie, aims to define the three main stages to which the protagonist goes through her journey:

• The enjoyment of the perfect world (fun, vivid, colorful, inviting)
• The realization of a menacing habit (asphyxiating, dangerous, mysterious, disappointing, confusing)
• The decision to grow up and save herself (hopeful, controllable, promising) Likewise, the cinematography of this project also attempts to portray the culture that Paulina is part of, as a way to bring the audience closer to the main character, and thus, to the story.

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Ali Kulture Leaves an Imprint in Hip-Hop

We have the pleasure of introducing a head turner from the DMV that goes by the name, Ali Kulture. He's had the opportunity to perform at numerous venues in DC and Virginia opening up for major acts in the game. Born in Pakistan, raised in San Jose CA and currently residing in Virginia. Mr. Kulture has been turning heads for quite some time now with his witty lyrics, brash delivery and unique rhyme patterns. Life is a test of will and Ali has an uncanny ability of capturing moments in his life with his music. Connected with family from the bay area under the umbrella of Greenhouse / Hunnitproof records, he carries the torch in the DMV. The recent momentum of hip hop in the Washington Metropolitan area has created a great arena for talent to shine and Ali Kulture is turning a lot of heads. Lyrics without substance are a façade and Ali puts soul into what he speaks. Being Muslim and an entrepreneur, Ali is dedicated to bringing about a change in the industry and leaving his mark one way or another.

Let it be known that Muslim rappers have influenced Hip-Hop for many years now. There are prominent players in the industry that share the same beliefs as Ali. Some are only rumored to be Muslim while others have proudly displayed their beliefs in the media. Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Mos Def, Freeway, Beanie Siegal, T-Pain, Jurassic 5, Rhymefest, AZ and Akon have all publicly expressed their religious beliefs using Rap music as their medium. Q-Tip, a former member of A Tribe Called Quest, converted to Islam back in the 1990s as well as Flesh-n-Bone of Bone Thugs & Harmony. Both Nas and Common have written lyrics inspired from the teachings of Islam.

How is Islam connected to Hip-Hop?
"It's part of our history and culture in Islam," says Tai, 25. "The traditional books of law and philosophy in Islam were written in poetry, and students memorize them with drums, basically singing out the poetry. And if you `beat' that up, it sounds just like rapping."

The connection between hip-hop and Islam was a natural one in the African-American community, where the religion already had strong roots.

"Islamic beliefs and values are seen as the standard in hip-hop," says Adisa Banjoko, a San Jose author who is writing a book on hip-hop and Islam. We used to go by Jihad, which means struggle in Arabic, but after Sept. 11, it was misinterpreted to mean holy war, and that's not the message we bring at all. Islam says to keep positive and be a role model, to make a difference. We try to reflect that in our music."

Read more about this topic, here.

Needless to say, Ali Kulture is making his way to the top of the DC music scene. You can catch him LIVE IN CONCERT this Thursday, November 10, 2011 at Dirty Martini located at 1223 Connecticut Ave NW, DC. Doors open at 8:30pm with performances scheduled to being at 10:30pm. Also performing that night will be Dope Inc. of the DMV and Paradise Inya Citi, lead vocalist for Cultural Affairz Band.

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