I’ve had good events. I’ve had okay events.

I’ve… I mean, you think one of my events, not a lot of people showed up.

You have to think about the bigger picture.

And I thought about the bigger picture, you know, like some of the biggest promoters in the world, they’ve had events fail.

Some of the biggest concert promoters in the world, they can have so much success, but a lot of them do have projects that don’t do well.

But that’s the game.

No Bullsh*t Talks is a podcast for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.

There’s too much bullsh*t out there, especially when it comes to business.

This podcast aims to highlight what’s true and what’s not in the world of entrepreneurship, bringing you honest and raw conversations about the roller coaster that is entrepreneurship.

Each week, my guest will be a high-performing entrepreneur, sharing the ups and downs of their journey and helping you prepare for the road ahead while providing you with actionable insights and absolute gems of knowledge.

Stay tuned as I introduce this week’s guest.

Ajani Griffith is a music supervisor, filmmaker, and founder of Ajani Media, a creative agency helping musicians and entertainment brands tell their stories through film and content based in Miami.

He works with Grammy Award winners and now also runs the Music Biz Club.

I present to you this week’s guest, Ajani Griffith.

Today’s guest is Ajani Griffith, who is a film producer, a music producer, just an all-round cool creative guy here in Miami, where I’m filming another podcast episode.

I’m really excited to introduce him because he’s going to give us some amazing tips on how to be a content creator as a business owner because I think it’s really difficult to create content as a business owner instead of just being a full-time creator.

So I am very excited to introduce Ajani, who is here in Miami sharing his wisdom on life as an entrepreneur and content creator and what it’s like to move to a different country and come set up shop across the pond.

Welcome to No Bullsh*t Talks today.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for being here.

We are in sunny Miami.

I know you can’t tell from this backdrop, but we are in sunny Miami, which I am super excited to be here.

It’s pretty far for me to come to record a podcast, but I have been finding some of the most interesting people to have a conversation with and sit down with.

I came across you, and I reached out, and thank you so much for agreeing to be part of this podcast.

So, I would love for you to tell my audience about who you are and what you do.

Well, I do a lot of things, but I would say that what I specialize in is media production.

Media production is what I do.

So, primarily, I am a music supervisor, and I produce video, and I’m a director, and that’s my core focus.

So I’ve worked on projects that include Warner Music, Sony, Universal, Heineken, and Red Stripe.

So I’ve done a lot of cool projects, and I’m also a speaker.

Yeah, I saw that you’ve got some really cool stuff along the journey, and I want to rewind a little bit so that people can get a picture of how you got to where you are now.

Because I think a lot of my audience are entrepreneurs who are trying to learn from other entrepreneurs.

I think that, for me, the content out there is always showing people who are super successful and act like they kind of had this really easy path to success and it’s always been really easy.

But I like to delve into people’s journey of how they got there because it’s never really a straight line.

Usually, there are all sorts of different paths taken.

You have not always been doing music.

I know you obviously did film before, which we’ll talk about.

Tell me about your path of how you kind of got to where you are now.

What did you start out doing, and what did you think you wanted to do when you first started?

Well, I always wanted to be in music, and I still do music.

So, I mean, that’s part of the production part of it.

I do film and do music.

It just depends on what I’m doing and what the project is.

Obviously, I’m a music supervisor, so it just depends on what I’m doing and what the project is.

But I started off always wanting to be a music producer.

I started to pursue being a songwriter and producer.

Then I got to a point where I said I wanted to start my own publishing company.

So, I went to college at Florida International University in Miami.

Then I moved to Panama because I was living in Panama before.

I’m the son of a diplomat, so we moved all around the world.

After college, I went back to Panama for a little bit.

I had this idea when I was in college.

I wanted to start my music publishing company and build a very big, successful independent music company.

So that was my approach.

I went around looking for independent artists and signed a few independent artists.

Then I had a friend who was building himself as a director here in South Florida, and I reached out to him.

I said, “Hey, I have some music for you.”

Then he said, “Why don’t you music supervise my film?”

And that’s where I got my start.

I’ve been working with him in tandem for many, many years, probably about 10 or 12 years now.

It’s just crazy thinking about that.

We’ve gotten to a point where we’ve contended for three Oscars just from that experience.

I dabbled into film production, and I wanted to start a vlog, so I started vlogging.

Then I just refined my skills from there.

I have so many questions.

I mean, I feel like you can have a dream of being a music producer.

Not everyone achieves their dream, but you have, plus all these other things.

So I guess my first question is, when you started out, you said obviously your friend gave you a gig, which is great.

But how did you keep going?

I feel like, yes, you landed one gig, but you have to consistently look for gigs.

As a music producer, you are not full-time necessarily in one role, are you?

You have to often do different projects at different times.

Or you consistently have to look for a project.

Once one’s over, you have to go to another project.

How did you maintain that?

Because obviously sometimes it’s quite difficult when you’re trying to look for work that somebody isn’t coming in all the time.

How did you maintain consistently finding work?

I mean, there are definitely ups and downs.

Let’s say, for example, in Miami, there’s high season.

From December all the way into the beginning of summer, that’s pretty much where the bulk of the work happens.

Then things just die down.

Miami is not the biggest hub for media production.

There is media production here, but it’s not like LA.

In LA, there’s 100 times more work.

So, you just plan ahead.

You see that spring is going to come, and it’s going to be a lot of work, and then you plan around that.

One of the things that I’ve learned in that process is that networking and being in the industry where people know who you are and what you do means they’ll call upon you.

Also, you have to take initiative in starting your own projects or finding your own gigs.

So, it’s a mix of those dynamics to continue to work.

Yeah.

I mean, it’s not easy, though.

Like you said, networking, for me, is the biggest thing.

I actually run my own networking club in London, and that’s one of the things I’m setting up, for founders to all meet each other.

I make introductions, and I love doing that.

I love connecting the right people, and I think that’s how you get through life, by who you know, right?

So, networking is super important.

But you mentioned that LA is obviously the hub, and that’s what I think of when anyone wants to work in film or music.

LA is the first place that most people think of.

So why didn’t you move to LA?

That’s a really good question.

I don’t know how to answer that with whatever comes to your mind.

Like the truth is, No Bullsh*t Talks, right?

You just say whatever it is.

It doesn’t have to be the right answer.

I think that I liked Miami.

I love LA.

LA is a different beast.

If you’re not prepared, it can eat you up.

There was once upon a time when every month I knew somebody, either an acquaintance or a friend, who was moving to LA.

That was when I was younger.

So I guess maybe that’s kind of a trend for people in their twenties, or maybe, I don’t know.

But I think that LA is really, really competitive.

To be a player in the ecosystem, you don’t necessarily have to be in LA to make noise or build a portfolio.

So, I chose to work inside out.

I also built my own network.

So, I’m going to have at least good projects that I could put in my portfolio.

I think I’ve done an okay job.

Maybe I’d give myself a B.

A B in terms of how I position myself online because it’s opened up a lot of doors for me.

I’ve been able to speak and travel outside of Miami.

I’ve gotten paid to speak.

I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that.

I could do a little bit better, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job.

So, marketing yourself is important.

I think you have to be able to create your own opportunities.

From that, they will come, but you have to work.

You can’t just sit there, not do anything, and not market yourself.

Yeah, I think a lot of people think you can just sit there and not market yourself, or you do one Instagram post and suddenly people will find you.

I think a lot of people do think like that.

But yeah, you’re right.

Obviously, you can still build a brand anywhere.

You can build a business anywhere.

I was just curious because you said there’s like 100 times more work in LA.

Has it not crossed your mind that, like you said, you’ve got a network here?

Absolutely.

You’re doing really well here, but could you then set up in LA and network out there?

Is it worth going out there and building something?

I know that is a cliché from someone who lives in the UK.

We don’t know exactly what the scene’s like here, but we hear everything’s in LA when it comes to film, music, and media production, and everything’s in Silicon Valley when it comes to tech and that sort of stuff.

So, if you want to be successful, you go to Silicon Valley if you’ve got a new startup.

If you want to be successful in Hollywood, you go to LA.

How realistic is that for you?

Would you be tempted?

I mean, I would want to work inside out because LA is a different beast.

A lot of the film productions also happen in Atlanta.

I don’t know if you’re aware of that, but a lot of the Hollywood studios have built sound stages in Georgia because of the laws that they passed.

Well, it’s been like 10 or 12 years now.

So, a lot of Hollywood studios are in Atlanta.

So, to move to LA, I think for me personally, there are a lot of things going on.

I don’t mind.

Well, my whole goal was to travel out to different places, and maybe I’ll work for two or three months or a couple of weeks, depending on what the project is.

I’m still building that out.

I still haven’t gotten to that point.

But living in LA full-time is a huge undertaking.

It’s a huge undertaking.

Also, it’s pretty expensive.

Yeah, really expensive.

Who would you say it’s right for?

If you were to advise someone who’s in your industry and they were thinking about it, because I think a lot of people who are less experienced than you would probably think that way, right?

“I must move to LA if I want the opportunities.”

But like you said, it’s very expensive.

It’s a different beast.

They’re probably going to set themselves up for more failure because actually it’s a lot of pressure on them to perform all the time.

Who is it right for to move out to LA?

I couldn’t even answer that question.

I think there are a lot of what-ifs.

Anything can happen in LA or anywhere, but especially in LA or where the activity is happening.

You’re sort of playing with fate.

A lot of people go out there and they get stuck.

A lot of my colleagues and a lot of my personal friends go out there, and they’re not going beyond what their aspirations are or their final end goal.

So, I think you have to be strategic.

You have to know what you’re going to do and how you’re going to attain it.

You also have to understand that there might be consequences for making that move, which is fine.

But a lot of our great inventors and creators, if they didn’t take the chance to do what they did, a lot of the people that we look up to…

If they didn’t take the chance or the opportunity to get to where they wanted to be, we wouldn’t know who they are.

They wouldn’t be able to be who they are.

So, I don’t necessarily have a direct answer for that.

But for those who want to take the risk and who are willing to do that, I mean, the chances are not on their side.

But I guess, as creators, you have to be mindful, and you have to be willing to take the risk to get those opportunities.

Yeah, absolutely.

So, what is your goal?

Because you’re saying that you have to be mindful and strategic about what you want to achieve.

What is it that you want to achieve?

What’s your big picture?

That’s a very good question.

For me right now, one thing that I’m…One thing that I’m working on is a project that I call the Music Biz Club.

I will change that just for certain trademark and legal purposes, per the many discussions I’ve had with a few lawyers.

But one thing that this project is based on is bringing a community together.

So, I’m starting in Miami and building it out.

The main thing is, one, it’s an evening party.

Two, I’m bringing people together.

And three, I do a live podcast show.

So, that’s one thing I’m building out.

The next step for that is to tap into sponsors and different revenue streams.

Eventually, what I want to do, and I hope I can achieve this soon, is to do a tour.

Nice.

So, it’s not just a podcast.

It’s an event and a podcast.

But I know what I’m building.

The team that I’m going to build and the people who are already working with me, the whole goal is to build IP.

Because podcasts are getting million-dollar deals on Spotify, Netflix, and different platforms.

You’re going to see a lot more of that as the media matures, and that’s where the audience is going.

So, there are a lot of touchpoints within that project that I want to take advantage of, get out there, and build.

Okay.

So, how does it work?

You said it’s an evening party.

You get the community together, and you’ve got a live podcast.

You get people together in the same room.

You have music.

You have a whole thing around it.

You do a sit-down with someone as a guest.

You have a live podcast.

Is that what it’s like?

Then, for the evening, your community comes together and all meet each other.

Is that kind of it?

Performers.

Nice.

Okay.

Wow.

And you do that how often?

Once a month.

Okay.

And is it all for the music industry?

Is that kind of the vibe of it?

Well, I kind of started this idea when I was living in Panama.

Then I came back to Miami.

I did a couple of events, then COVID hit.

So, I just restarted that project a year ago.

I’ve been consistently producing events, and now we’re at the point where it’s a solid idea.

There’s consistency behind it.

Now I can start going to brands and do at least small sponsorships.

Then, you know, just bring the community together.

It’s also a platform.

I was thinking about this maybe two or three weeks ago.

If I can get it to a certain audience or a certain size, it can be a platform where I get an artist, and that artist can gain a new potential audience or fans that watch the content.

Because I’m not just doing the podcast.

I’m producing a whole event.

So, that’s really helpful content.

Then, when the performers perform, they perform five or six songs.

Oh, wow.

So that’s content in itself.

Now I can take the live performances, put them online, and curate them in different places, whether it’s on Spotify, YouTube, or different distribution platforms.

That’s where I am.

The whole goal is to build an audience.

Let’s say 50,000 people are listening to the podcast.

That’s 50,000 potential people an artist can get exposed to.

Yeah, it’s great.

Then I think that helps you attract more artists who want to play and perform for you guys.

It’s definitely a model that I believe in too.

I think it’s where you all kind of help each other.

Like you said about networking, it’s an ecosystem where everyone can benefit from it.

I run events in London, the same sort of thing.

What I’m building with my networking community is exactly that.

It’s all in-person events and bringing people into the same room.

I’m a big advocate for it.

I don’t know how it is over here, and I’d love to talk to you about it because, in the UK, I think so many people are doing virtual events.

It’s easy.

It’s low cost.

It’s kind of a low barrier to entry.

Especially in London, the venue spaces are really expensive.

You’re looking at £1,000, like $1,500 minimum spend for any event.

So, there’s obviously a cost involved, and not everyone wants to do it.

That’s why people use virtual events.

But for me, I’m a massive advocate for bringing people together in person.

It’s just not the same.

You have that real connection.

You bring people into the same room.

The interactions that naturally happen when you’re grabbing a drink or listening to music, especially at your events where you’re connecting through music and everything, are very different.

You can’t do that online.

But events are difficult.

You’ve produced events all the time.

There are a lot of moving parts.

There are a lot of expenses.

Getting people to leave their house and physically come somewhere is not always easy.

How is the event scene in Miami and the US in general, do you think?

I guess COVID was an interesting thing, right?

So, for me, there’s a difference between pre-COVID and post-COVID events.

For example, in the UK, I think pre-COVID events were packed all the time.

It was great.

Then COVID happened.

No one wanted to leave the house.

Even until 2023, people still didn’t want to leave the house.

It got a bit better, but even now it’s touch and go.

Some people are desperate for that human interaction, but some people are still like, “I really can’t be bothered to leave my house.”

So, what is the scene like over here?

How does it compare?

Well, I mean, the US is a big country.

Every state is almost like a little country itself, right?

Compared to England.

Yeah.

So, I mean, everywhere is going to be different.

Miami…

I don’t want to say I’m an event expert.

I don’t work in hospitality, but now that I’m doing events, I’m kind of doing hospitality.

But I’m not an expert.

I would say it’s taken a big hit.

I guess just the general health of the economy.

But generally, in Miami, there’s a lot going on.

There’s a lot of competition, especially around this time.

You’ve got the film festival.

I’m doing my events once a month, and every week until the World Cup comes, there’s going to be a lot of competition.

There are going to be a lot of people going different places.

There are going to be a lot of people who already have plans.

At this point, for me, you’ve just got to do it.

You’ve just got to show up.

Whoever shows up, shows up.

Whoever doesn’t, doesn’t.

The thing about it is consistency is what really matters because you’re building brand equity.

People will see what you’re doing, and as time goes along, that compounds.

I’ve had conversations with the venue that I partner with, and I’ve had conversations behind the scenes.

But generally, I think the health of the economy is just taking its toll.

I’m not going to go into politics, but everything that goes on with politics is trickling down.

Yeah.

I think what you said is a really great entrepreneurial attitude.

You know, you’re building brand equity.

You have to be consistent.

You have to consistently show up.

If you’re there all the time with your brand and people know that every month you’re going to be doing this event,

Then people will eventually come to them, and they’ll build up.

Obviously, once they attend, they’re like, “This is amazing.”

They pass it on, and it should work.

But the problem is people get demoralized.

They throw an event, 10 people turn up, and they’re like, “Well, that was a failure,” in their eyes, right?

But it’s all about a reframe for me.

It’s like 10 people paid money or spent time to come to your event.

That’s a win.

If those 10 people each ask one person to come next time, you’ve got 20 people the next time, and you’ve got 40 people the time after that.

It grows exponentially.

But it’s hard when you’re putting hard-earned cash up as the stake for the event every time, and you’re putting in all this effort.

You’ve got performers coming, and they have to perform to an empty crowd.

It is a bit of a knock.

So, how do you stay confident and keep that determination to keep going when it maybe doesn’t look successful?

Because I think a lot of people give up, and that’s when they don’t see the success.

Like you said, consistency with everything.

You’ve got to keep going.

People stop, and that’s when they never get to see the success.

But how do you keep going through things like that?

I’m a warrior.

It’s as simple as that.

I’ve had good events.

I’ve had okay events.

You think one of my events, not a lot of people showed up.

But at the end of the day, you have to keep showing up.

Because one day, one night that doesn’t work doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the whole picture.

You have to think about the bigger picture.

I thought about the bigger picture.

Some of the biggest promoters in the world have had events flop.

Some of the biggest concert promoters in the world can have so much success, but a lot of them do have projects that don’t do well.

I’ve had conversations with concert promoters who’ve been doing it for years.

I remember one time I was talking to two of them.

They were in a partnership together, and they did a project.

I forgot who they brought in.

It was some big star, and they lost money.

They were talking about being almost a million dollars in the hole.

But that’s the game.

So, let’s say in that instance they just said, “Okay, we’re not going to continue this.”

Then they wouldn’t be producing more successful concerts and projects.

That’s the same thing here.

The bigger picture is I have something that is a proof of concept.

I’ve had certain people who show up all the time.

I’ve had people who, over the last year or year and a half, have shown up to four or five of my events.

That’s almost 50% of my events.

People show up.

Sometimes I get other feedback.

Some people are not going to be in my demographic, and others will.

You just have to continue to build, continue to work on those details, continue to learn from each event, continue to figure out your demographic, and market better to them.

Or find more of those people who will come out and show up, who want to spend $25.

So that’s my mindset.

You can’t just be demoralized because something happens.

Like this upcoming event, I have a problem.

My audio guy has a conflict with what he has going on.

So I have to make some adjustments.

I don’t know what I’m going to do yet.

That’s something I’m going to work on after I get off speaking with you on this podcast.

There are always moving parts and different variables.

But at the end of the day, my perspective is you just have to keep rolling.

Yeah.

Honestly, that’s a great attitude.

I don’t think everyone could do that.

I think that’s the difference between those who actually last versus the ones who keep giving up and moving on to the next project all the time.

I think even earlier you said that you have a vlog as well.

Is that right?

You started vlogging.

Did you say that?

Yeah, I started vlogging 10 years ago.

Right.

So, I want to talk about that as well, because I feel like vlogging is an interesting one.

I can’t vlog to save my life.

I just find it so awkward documenting my life.

You’re a music producer and film producer.

I feel like when you produce something, you can visualize the end goal, and you kind of know what you’re doing.

I just feel like, “Why would anyone want to watch this?”

So, I’m not a great vlogger.

But I admire anyone who’s ever vlogged.

I watch vlogs, and some people have obviously done amazingly well and made a whole name for themselves through vlogging.

Other people have tried and flopped again.

You’ve been doing it for 10 years.

That’s massive longevity again.

First of all, what made you start?

Why did you feel like you needed to vlog?

And again, how did you know what to do to keep going for 10 years?

I mean, I haven’t really been consistent with that.

My consistency has been on and off because it’s a lot.

Especially when I found myself working on editing other people’s projects and then having to edit a vlog.

It’s very time-consuming.

But to answer your question, Gary Vaynerchuk was actually the one who inspired me to start vlogging.

Also Steven Bartlett afterward, because when he started getting his brand out and marketing himself, he did a vlog.

But it was mostly Gary Vee.

He’s always about getting your name out, getting out there, picking up the camera, and that’s what really got me started vlogging.

I haven’t really been successful with it.

Maybe it’s the consistency, and YouTube is a different beast.

But I think with the moves I’m going to be making, especially with this project, once I get back into it consistently, I’ll be able to do it consistently and definitely be able to do something with it.

So, that’s how I got into vlogging.

What’s your plan with it then?

You said you want to do something consistently.

What would be your plan for your vlog?

One, it’s all about continuing to get my name out and my brand out.

Obviously, like I said, I’ve done a pretty good job with that.

I mean, we’re here because of that.

Yeah, exactly.

Also, looking at how the algorithm changes now with AI.

So, that’s the start.

Document what?

Like I said, I hate vlogging.

A lot of people consider me good at content.

Loads of people say that to me.

They go, “You’re great at content.”

“I love your content.”

I think I’m terrible at content.

So, obviously people have different opinions.

Compared to someone like you, I would be terrible at content.

What are we documenting?

Again, I see a lot of people these days, for example on Instagram, saying, “I’m stuck at X amount of followers. What am I doing wrong?”

I see a lot of the comments saying, “You’re talking about yourself a lot.”

People document things, but why would other people be interested in that documentation?

As a business owner, what should I be documenting?

What you’re doing in the moment?

Okay.

At the very least, to start off, you just put a tripod up, or start recording what you’re doing, whether it’s meetings or meeting people.

Then you move on from there.

I mean, there’s AI now.

You have AI tools like Opus Clips, where it’ll chop up your video and give you 30 or 40 different types of clips.

That’s how you get out there.

I mean, that’s a start.

Yeah.

I mean, we use Opus for the podcast.

It’s great.

I totally vouch for it.

I would just say that, for example, my day-to-day is a lot of meeting people because I’m building relationships.

My business, like I said, my entrepreneur members club is all about connections, real, genuine connections.

So, I’m just sitting there having a coffee with people.

Do I just get out my phone and be like, “Hey guys…” when I’m having a coffee?

It feels unnatural.

Where do I draw the line between that natural connection versus ruining the moment by sticking a camera in someone’s face?

Well, I mean, at the end of the day, it’s not up to you.

It’s up to your audience.

That’s a good point.

I guess that is a good point that I’m totally forgetting.

I guess I need to get over the whole, “Yeah, it is about me.”

You see what content works, what doesn’t, what resonates with your audience, and then you double down on that.

Okay.

So, what have you found through trial and error?

What has worked for you and your brand?

I would say now, obviously, the algorithm has changed.

LinkedIn has been my biggest platform.

At one point, I was just posting what I thought sounded good or what I thought was good advice.

That created traction.

Now, LinkedIn is a completely different beast from three years ago.

So, the curation has to change.

Obviously, you have to adjust.

LinkedIn has worked for me.

But you said it’s changed in three years, which I want to know about because I said to you earlier that I did that LinkedIn Creator Accelerator, which was a few years ago.

I think three years ago it was a very different thing.

There’s a lot of talk now about how LinkedIn has changed.

How do you think it has changed then?

You said it’s a very different beast from three years ago.

Explain that.

I think you’re reaching fewer people.

But are you reaching more of the right people?

I would say I was reaching a lot of the right people on LinkedIn.

I think LinkedIn is shifting more toward advertising.

It’s becoming more mature.

But I’m still reaching the right people.

Not the same volume, though.

I guess, in terms of the copy that I have to write, you really have to think about it a little bit more.

Okay.

So now it’s more nuanced, and you’re having to target people a little more specifically as opposed to generically.

Okay.

Would you say it’s still worth spending time there, though?

Because obviously you’re reaching fewer people, but you said you’re still reaching the right people.

So it’s still worth it, right?

Of course.

You mentioned YouTube and LinkedIn and obviously different types of platforms.

What would you say are the main platforms that you think are still worth investing time in?

I mean, YouTube.

YouTube is connected to Google and Google Gemini.

That’s going to be a massive ecosystem that everybody should be tapped into.

I don’t necessarily think people should get too wrapped up in followers.

Okay.

Because you can still create a good…

Well, whatever your objectives are.

But you can still create a good following.

You can still create memberships.

You can still do a whole lot just by delivering to the right people.

This isn’t 2015.

This is 2026.

So again, the algorithms are interesting.

You could have a really, really good day, and it just delivers to the right people.

But the volume does matter, I think.

Okay.

Amazing.

I feel like you’ve given so much good advice to loads of people who are trying to create content.

Because this is the No Bullsh*t Talks podcast, what would you say is the biggest bit of bullsh*t out there in your industry or in content creation?

I feel like you’re also a content creator.

What would you say is the biggest bit of bullsh*t out there that people should ignore?

I mean, there’s a lot.

From the outside or inside?

Both.

Whatever you feel like.

I wish people knew that this was bullsh*t.

It really irritates me, and I wish I could tell the world that this is just bullsh*t and people should ignore it.

I would say, in production, yeah, we create amazing and beautiful projects, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of nonsense going on.

Like what?

I would say there are a lot of predatory things going on.

People won’t pay on time.

People try to shortchange the crew.

There’s a lot of politics behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t get to see.

Unless you’re working within it, you don’t get to see it.

I’ve worked with and been around a lot of celebrities.

There are some really cool ones, and there are some really terrible ones.

I would say just because you might look up to somebody doesn’t mean that, behind the scenes, they’re good to work with.

So, there are a lot of nuances that a lot of people don’t know about.

If you get into those rooms or you start building your career, you just have to be mindful of that.

Also, if you’re getting these roles, not everybody wants to, but I think you should look into owning your own productions and having your own clients because you have control.

You get to set your own parameters and decide how you want to treat people.

One thing that’s very prevalent in production is that a lot of these production companies will pay you net 30.

Oh, okay.

And net 45.

Yeah.

A lot of times, people don’t get paid on time.

It’s also an industry where you can earn a lot of money in one day.

Obviously, there’s a lot of equipment.

There’s a lot of expertise, especially if this is what you do.

It’s easy to run into a project where people don’t pay on time.

Then all of a sudden you’re $20,000, six months past due.

Yeah.

So, you have to make sure you find projects where there’s a contract.

Make sure they’ll pay.

Make sure they pay on time.

Make sure you get a deposit.

Make sure you do all those things just to protect yourself.

Yeah.

I feel like it’s similar even in our industry.

There are a lot of things happening across loads of different industries at the moment.

People just don’t pay on time.

They don’t pay at all.

They do what they can to try and get out of paying invoices.

Have there been anything that you’ve learned along the way?

Because I think a lot of people are going through this at the moment where clients just aren’t paying.

The UK has a very silly legal system where sometimes it’s not even worth pursuing.

Are there any red flags that people need to look out for, or little tips that you’ve learned to protect yourself and make sure you don’t run into those situations?

If everybody’s talking about this…

If everyone’s talking about one production company or one producer and they’re not paying on time, if a bunch of people are complaining, that’s a red flag.

If you have to keep chasing people, that’s a red flag.

I would say the first step is to start with a contract.

Then you see who’s for real and who’s not for real.

Also, get a deposit.

Yeah.

I think protecting yourself is important for so many different things.

It’s hard out there.

That’s the problem.

If someone wants to be naughty and not pay you, they probably can get away with it.

That’s a problem.

You just have to learn the signs.

I guess it’s about doing your research.

Like I said, if lots of people are saying things, then avoid them.

Maybe actually finding some references, finding other people who have worked with them, and doing some due diligence is a good way to protect yourself.

I think it’s hard, though, when you’re an entrepreneur and you want to take on work.

You’re like, “Oh, this is great. Let’s work with this person.”

But actually getting some references about what they’re like to work with may be a good way to protect yourself.

Yeah.

The main thing is don’t leave your house without a deposit.

Yeah.

And a signed contract.

Yeah.

Well, thank you so much.

You’ve been amazing today.

Where can people find you?

What’s the best way people can get in touch if they want to know more or they want to come to one of your music events every month?

Just follow me on my social media, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Mostly LinkedIn.

Okay, perfect.

I will put those in the show notes, and people can get in touch with you.

Thank you so much for being my guest today.

It’s been a pleasure.

Thank you for having me.