We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Koron Wilkerson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Koron below.
Hi Koron, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
I believe my parents role in my life is a large factor as to why I’ve been able to grow Jewels of Detroit the way that I have.
Before we move into the art and entertainment side of things, I think it’s important to talk about how my mom sacrificed for me to grow up in an environment where I would be gifted the perspective of multiple walks of life, other cultures, and a healthy means of living that had a strong pillar in being happy. My mom grew up on the east side of Detroit, after having lost both her parents before the age of 4. (One to an alleged overdose and the other illegally at the hands of the Detroit Police Department. Both instances’ police were involved and, in the instance, involving her father, the police were even reprimanded and let go due to excessive force.) By the time I was to come into the world my mom made a decision to put her life on a path that would provide me with the most opportunities and experiences available and that I could possibly have. This involved leaving the inner city of Detroit which at the time, struggled with safety, education. and economic opportunities. Moving herself to a more suburban area allowed for me to live a life with her free of the stresses and strife’s that our environment was plagued with, even though her finances might’ve been better suited in that environment. It was this juxtaposition that allowed me to understand the many different ways people around Michigan were living. Friends and family still in the inner-city referred to us as “high class” while it was always evident and apparent that our neighbors and other members of our community were not dealing with the same financial struggles as my mom. Years down the line, as my mom got the hang of being a mother, elevated her financial situation, and became more aggressive with the thought of “living” and not just “surviving”, she moved us into a house in Redford, Michigan where I would be granted for the first time in my life the chance to stay in one school district as opposed to moving around each year. It was here where I began understanding the value of relationships and nurturing them. It was also during this almost decade long time period before going to college where I learned and was encouraged to sacrifice for the dreams, I said I wanted to live. This included time with friends or play time so that I could finish homework or go to work in order to free my time or have additional resources for an obligation relating to music. Not only was I learning sacrifice, but my mother created the environment in which I would learn time management which is a skill that anyone running a business knows is imperative (or needs to). Finally, my mom is the best. Her heart, her spirit, her attitude towards life, all taught me how to love in a way that transcends both people and art, which I believe is a huge part of the spirit of love people so often refer to when talking about Jewels of Detroit.
Now, for my father. Where do I start? My dad is single handedly responsible for my love (and sometimes obsession) with music. From running a record label, which was born even before I was, to marrying a phenomenal DJ (she’s so much more than a step-mother; this woman is heaven sent) who understands and appreciates a wide array of music, this man kept me, music, and his wife, at the center of his life for over a decade before he finally put music on pause to further develop himself as a man. This development included moving to Houston, Texas to enhance the opportunities available to him via his environment, and to limit any distractions or downfalls as he walked this new path. But even moving 1,300 miles away didn’t stop him from wanting to be involved in my career or anything that I had going on in life. My father would be gone about 2 years before I sent him my very first “in studio” recording, which he knew would come one day after years of filling up notebooks with “raps” (could probably be better described objectively as free writes). This started the relationship between my father and I that would make us partners as I grew and began taking music to heights I didn’t even know existed. Over the next decade plus, my dad would teach me the ins and outs of the music business, instilled me with the mindset of leadership and helping people, as well as exhibited everyday through actions, love and commitment to himself and his family.
It was through their sacrifice, love, energy, knowledge, experiences, and commitment, that I was able to become the person I was at 22 to look up and say “hey, to further advance my music career, I want to start an entertainment company that is an active display of all of these things.” It was also their own tenacity that really drove it home, and the fact that they rarely ever intended to “teach” me these lessons, rather showed me the lessons through actions and love. The most amazing part about them is, they’re still teaching me as much as ever by continuing to bead examples of love and light. If you ask me, good or bad, my parents did EVERYTHING right. I owe the three of them everything.
Koron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1996, I’ve lived most of my life as a music recording artist, but since 2018, I’ve also become a full-time entrepreneur and business owner. My first and current home is Highland Park (a former suburb of Detroit, in the center of Detroit itself) At age 11, my father moved from Highland Park to Houston, Texas, leaving me to be raised in what was an almost completely suburban environment, Redford, Michigan.
I got into entertainment by way of being an entertainer and recording artist myself. It only took my first experience in music to realize the value of synergy and networking. The friend who gave me the opportunity to record music for the first time, Deonta Joshua, was always so selfless in his approach to helping me as well as our other friends who were doing music, and with his knowledge at such a young age (Deonta is a peer) we were able to learn a lot, subsequently positioning ourselves ahead of our other adolescent competition. I believe this to be a huge reason I was started on the path I was as a 12-year-old demanding to be taken serious as a musician and recording artist. It would only be about 5 years before I elevated my career from microphones and laptops to CDs and venues; also, with the help of Deonta and my father. Doing shows, making music, and connecting with people of all backgrounds set the foundation for what would eventually be known as Jewels of Detroit. (Or JOD as we like to call ourselves)
After 3 semesters of college, I was presented with what seemed to be a major opportunity for a recording artist of my stature, causing me to leave school and return home to pursue the dream and work with a company whose attention I’d been trying to garner for years and who’s resume was steadily building through the countless artists the collective helped reach new heights. After working with this organization for about a year and a half, the company dissolved itself and relinquished all the rights to my music and to me as an artist, leaving me a year and a half behind on academic goals, broke, and unsure as to how to move forward. But during this year and a half, I saw an entirely new perspective on teamwork, synergy, and having a common goal with the people you work/network with. I was introduced to the “upper echelon” of the Detroit music industry which allowed me to establish genuine and long-lasting relationships that would go on to help me in establishing myself separate and apart from the former record label which was once hailed but now non-existent. I was also gifted with a newfound confidence in my own music just from the experience alone, let alone the actual growth I endured as an artist during that time period.
It was at the end of my relationship with that label that I sought out new opportunities. As I scrambled to rebuild and reposition myself, my dad, while visiting Detroit, stumbled across the perfect opportunity for us to open a music studio. One thing leads to another, and the space in which we would build and open up our studio (which was in the basement of a t-shirt shop) would become completely ours, allowing the prospect of events, studio time, printing and pressing clothes and merchandise, and implementing any other skills my father and I had been picking up along this now collectively 30 year journey (20 for dad, 10 for me at the time).
This, Rock Local Entertainment Cafe, is where the business mindset instilled in me by my father was met with a playground and oceans worth of work and fun. Immediately, I knew I needed to assess the market. What other businesses in our market were doing what we do? What are the struggles? How successful are they? Why aren’t there more? All the questions any business owner should ask themselves BEFORE committing to such a venture, I was asking myself just days after signing a lease and taking my dad to the airport where he would return to his home in Houston, Texas. As any other 22-year-old would have; I started with the fun stuff. Making music, doing poetry events, and creating an atmosphere of fun & productivity. This brought up a host of issues that would help me to learn how to lead a group of people, facilitate an environment, and communicate effectively even in uncomfortable situations. All this and maintaining bills, raising money, and supplementing whatever we didn’t make through my own means allowed for very quick and very real lessons and growth; but I was determined. The initial thought about JOD hit me on a car ride leaving a performance at Albany State University. I’d already taken over the building, began working on a synergy unique to our space, and talked to a friend who mentioned a collective of content creators who met once a week with the sole purpose of using synergy to further everyone’s individual goals and agendas. One example I was able to look for in our market that was comparable to what it was I was setting out to do was a locally formed company called CrowdFreak. I’d been a patron and fan of their work for years prior to starting JOD and had even gotten a chance in a few instances to connect with the owner, Curtis Lamar, who’s heart always seemed to be in the right place by the artists his platform helped. This gave me hope that if nothing else; JOD was possible!
Here is where the real work would begin. Mission statements, values, core beliefs…and a group to share these sentiments with. Between May 2019 and November 2019, the infrastructure was formed and erected. “An entertainment company centered around the arts, spreading love and light in our community with each music note, lyric, and brush stroke.” (A phrase that was stumbled upon during that time that always seems to make sense to people who have a hard time understanding exactly how big we aspire our company to be) Now with about ten people, 800 sq. feet of space, and the sky as the limit, JOD would begin making its mark to the world in the form of a weekly poetry event, and our very first music showcase that would result in over 100 attendees and a 100%+ ROI that raised the eyebrows of anyone who questioned the financial potential at that time in our growth.
Jewels of Detroit is now known for a host of different forms of entertainment, from poetry and music, to events, to art murals, a battle rap league, and now, one of the most anticipated up & coming festivals in the mid-west, our music, art, & poetry festival, M.A.P. Fest. We take our roles as creatives very seriously, and it’s reflected in our individual skills & talents as well as how we impact our community. We make sure to give the new, up & coming, just for fun, and professional creatives of every industry a place to come and be. Be able to express, be able to be themselves, and to be able to exist in an environment so many people like us in our market long for. (Supportive, loving & a light.)
In our five years of operation, I’m most proud of the community we’ve built. If one were to look at the landscape of creatives in Detroit before JOD and then compare that same landscape to the post JOD landscape, it’s pretty apparent how infectious our energy has been as a collective. I’m always mindful to pay attention to not only what people say but how they say it (can you tell I’m an artist?). One underlining theme I’ve heard, and the team has witnessed time and time again, is the fact that people and creatives feel safe when they’re in our space or in one we’ve curated. That is something that I as a creative struggled to and never actually was able to find on my journey prior to opening our Cafe and starting JOD. The longing for safety, understanding, compassion, and love are all things that in my opinion binds all creatives since the beginning of time, and that energy is always on full display with the Jewels of Detroit (which references anyone who identifies with themselves or their passion/business as being a “jewel” in their life that loves/cares about/lives in/or is from the city of Detroit.)
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
From my perspective, we’ve been able to build our reputation as Jewels of Detroit through integrity, compassion, and our unique business model. (Not to mention how extremely talented most of us are in our respective fields) I believe that having integrity has allowed for our customers and our market to trust us. Trust us to make sure their safety was considered, trust us to know that we’re doing good business by each and every creative & customer; no exceptions, and trust that we are who we say we are and not just making an empty dream look cool. I think our compassion has allowed us to garner the respect of a city that has been callous or just hard to reach at various points throughout history due to the environment. Lastly, I think molding so many visions, ideas, & dreams into one has given us a leg up on experiences provided by an entity that say only does 1 or 2 of the things we do as opposed to all 10+ things our company does and does at a high level. Did I mention everyone is REALLY good at what they do AND are great people you’d bring to meet your parents? That’s the spirit of being a JOD member. Passion + people + progress = good reputation.
Any advice for managing a team?
Some advice I’d give to anyone managing a team and responsible for that team’s morale:
1. If you aren’t a natural born leader, I think it prudent to educate yourself on becoming one. There are many different layers/levels to leadership but if it has never been something you’ve focused on as an entrepreneur/business owner, now’s the time to start. This can come in the form of reading (EntreLeadership is a good read), seminars, or even finding a mentor who is already actively leading a team/group of people in a way you deem fitting for your own brand. (Or maybe someone polar opposite if you know how to learn from that perspective as well) Remember, as things work from the head down, so if something is wrong with an arm of your business, it’s likely because the brain can send the signal better.
2. Prioritize organization and structure. Don’t be slow to separate personal from business finances. Do not think you can remember everything (Or anything for that matter) write it all down and reference your notes daily. Get familiar with administrative duties of companies further than where your company currently is so you’ll know what you’re growing into and how to set a foundation that can be built on instead of one that constantly needs to be shifted to support your growth as a company. If you can, find someone who is passionate about the administrative work like you are with the business itself and make them your best friend (if not a partner).
3. This might be something you learn if you follow the first piece of advice, but if I can save someone any time, be proactive. If you see a problem before it happens, address it then and there (within reason of course; be sure not to assume any behaviors but instead, try to keep the culture in line with the mission and your overall vision) Also be mindful to be understanding and always lend an ear before your voice, as often times, people just need to be heard/understood, but in the other scenarios, it also gives you the best insight as to how to navigate through a situation or a conversation. We don’t all process InfoMation the same way, nor do we all express emotions the same way. Therefore, as the leader/owner, it’s up to you to instill the culture of success that you want present within your organization. Remember, your team is a reflection of you and only as strong as its weakest link. If you win, it’s the team’s doing, if you lose, it’s something you did wrong or could’ve done better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jewelsofdetroit.com
- Instagram: www,instagram.com/jewelsofdetroit_jod
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jewelsofdetroit
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/Jod_Detroit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JewelsofDetroit
- Other: https://www.themapfest.com
Image Credits
Jai Gifted
Joel Blac
Kerrigan Productions
Super Official
Team Rosa Productions