We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Janice Mclean Deloatch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Janice below.
Janice, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Risk-Taking is not for the Faint of Heart!
My journey with risk taking is that I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners so to me this is second nature. This is also what leads me on the path of many small risk that is a culmination to a big risk that has lifted and documented women’s history in music. Purely by accident.
My parents owned a small (soul food) restaurant. My father also owned a taxi-cab that he worked on the weekends and worked at Bethlehem Steel Full-Time when the steel mills were popular in the inner cities.
As a youth I learned firsthand what it takes to run a small business, by watching my parents with the restaurant daily and from my job as the potato chip rack filler and soda machine filler. (Mostly-my niece and I ate and drank more of the potato chips and sodas than we actually filled on the racks and in the case).
This was also a family venture as my grandmother, (2) aunts and (2) cousins also worked at the restaurant when they were not doing their other jobs. It was really a family group effort that was supported by the family for the good of the family and community. Although my parents, grandmother and most of those family members are gone now. The lessons and memories of those magical days for me are still with me and mostly drive the choices, ideas and some decisions I make now. Some good, Some not so good. Before there were degrees in entrepreneurship and small business. This was where I learned about business, entrepreneurship and risk taking that when it pays off is a great reward and benefit for so many.
Risk I have taken include:
1. Starting a modeling agency when I was 14 for short models, full-figure models, male and diverse models in the inner city of Baltimore Maryland. I did this because other modeling agencies at the time would not accept me because I was too short, orrrr whatever the day would bring. I fixed the situation by starting my own modeling agency, including all of the folks who always seemed to be left out and became pretty good at it too. Enough to land a few modeling gigs and land a few models on Candid Camera as model extras standing in the background, They received pay for these jobs and I received commission for representing them. Yippee!!
2. Started a Pantyhose Vending Machine (When people were really professional and wearing hosiery) because the models were always getting runs in their hosiery and I went to a job interview, got a run in hosiery and could not find anywhere close to purchase hosiery. My idea – Invent a machine that sells pantyhose and put them in the bathroom where people could change into them immediately and solve this problem. This too was a risk I took that worked pretty well while hosiery was really popular. Some of my clients included: Churches, Airports and Staffing agencies – one staffing company that was owned by the NFL Ravens Football Owner – Steven Biscotti.
3. Songwriting – I have always played music as a kid growing up I played Clarinet through high school. But as Prince (The Artist) became more popular I too was inspired to play different instruments like the flute, guitar, piano and some drums. Not nearly as well as Prince (the artist) by any stretch of the imagination. But I did become pretty good at crafting and writing songs. I even submitted songs to the Tv Show -The Wire” in particular a song called “Im addicted” that talked about drug addiction because mostly that is what “The Wire” Tv Show was about. I don’t do any drugs so for me this particular song was really hard to write as everything I ever aspire to do is uplift, educate and inspire people. This song was the polar opposite of who I am as a person. In addition I did get to be an extra on “The Wire”, also The Corner, Something the Lord Made (about Black Doctor at Johns Hopkins). I also got to meet this incredible Casting Agent named (Pat Moran). She was this little red-haired fire-ball that I really liked and was intrigued by how tight she ran the ship on casting shoots. Unfortunately my life changed with the passing of 1 parent and the other parent not doing so well – so I halted my songwriting due to financial constraints and not being able to have the freedom or mindset to work on music the way I would have liked. I always wondered where I would have been if I continued with my songwriting, singing and working toward a career in music.
4. Entrepreneurs Edge Tv- Before “The Apprentice” (which pitched the next year NATPE after I was at NATPE the year before pitching the same concept), Shark Tank, The Profit, Undercover Boss and others was a risk I took because I felt like there is really noone teaching entrepreneurship the way people can easily understand and see it. This risk did not necessarily pay off for me – it did big for the shows I named above. But the point was to open up dialogue so that at least people can see why we should be having these conversations the way people can understand them. So Your Welcome to all of the entrepreneurs and businesses who made deals that elevated their brands stemming from Entrepreneurs Edge Tv. I still have episodes out there somewhere people are probably still watching and hopefully learning from.
I won’t go through all of the areas I moved to. But I will tell you that each time I moved it was always a risk that has always elevated, inspired or opened doors for me, others, the world I think. So in this instance it’s definitely worth the risk for good.
This brings me to well the Greatest Life Changing Risk – Women Songwriters Hall of Fame
There really is no one way to sum up the incredible opportunity that has been sent my way to help others. WSHOF is a labor of love, hard-work, dedication, stress and pleasure all at the same time. But I understand the magic of what it means to celebrate the legacy of some of the most incredible girls and women in music some that you have never heard their names, but you know every song they have written or contributed to. This risk has turned out wonderful and made a huge impact on how women songwriters are now being seen. Just over our 4 short year existence we have seen numbers for girls and women increase raising the current industry standard of female songwriters to 12.9% at last check up from 7,7% in 2020. If I quit today this risk has paid of for female beneficiaries and recipients and has shown the rewards for girls and women in music.
While starting a non-profit in the music industry is not without its challenges, its potential rewards can be immense. For those who are passionate about music and committed to making a positive impact, it is deeply fulfilling and a rewarding endeavor.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As I mentioned my foray into being a compassionate entrepreneur who follows their heart and causes. My beginnings came from working at the family restaurant as a child, playing instruments through school years, having access to education, arts, business and entrepreneurship. I have held positions as a teacher, librarian, at an oil company and bank.
I started and created several businesses that had some measures of success in their own ways like: modeling agency, Songwriting/Band, Pantyhose Vending Machines, television and radio programs writing books and being active in the community with community groups as well as non-profit groups like: ASCAP, Grammy on the Hill, Meals-On-Wheels and American Red Cross.
Currently with Women Songwriters Hall of Fame – We are widening opportunities for women to be seen, heard and their legacies shared with history and the world who had never heard of some of these women.
I am currently working on a new book kinda in the same vein on educating people about the great works of women. This time it is in an inventor area about – Lyda Newman.
She is credited as the lady who invented the hair brush. However: when you google her name and photo. the photo that comes up shows Madame CJ Walker who invented Black Hair Care Products. So who really is Lyda Newman?
As a Tv Host and Radio Host (Radio One Networks) I have interviewed: Magic Johnson, Fmr. President Bill Clinton, Arianna Huffington, Usher, Berry Gordy, Jr., Kate White, Fmr. Cosmopolitan Editor, Vint Cerf (known as one of the Godfathers of the Internet), Alicia Keys, Emme (Full Figure Model) and many others.
I have always been big on research and putting together the whole picture of why or why we do not do and don’t things. I am a National Press Foundation Fellow, Kiplinger Foundation Fellow, Clinton Global Initiative Fellow, Graduate of Penn State Women and Leadership Program and Babson College Women’s Leadership Programs.
Needless to say I study and research so I can tell the story from a passionate, caring and informative perspective no matter what it is that I am working on.
As a member of the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame, I’ve dedicated my career to celebrating and championing the contributions of female songwriters. Having been involved in the music industry for a number of years on and off, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most talented and inspiring women in the business.
My work currently primarily focuses on songwriting, producing, and mentorship. I’m passionate about empowering female songwriters and promoting diversity in the music industry and the world in general. Through my work, I aim to inspire the next generation of female songwriters and as the work of one of our past WSHOF Inductees -Marilyn Bergman advocate for fair compensation and recognition for women in music.
What sets me apart is well just being myself and my unique ability to see what can be achieved for women in music and the world if there is a concerted effort to understand the process of songwriting and all the different avenues of music and musical opportunities that are available, I have a strong network of many different industry contacts. I’m proud of WSHOF’s achievements thus far such as mentoring successful songwriters and organizing events that are and have raised awareness about female songwriters.
If you’re a female songwriter seeking mentorship, collaboration, or industry advice we hope you will reach out to WSHOF.ORG. We are here to support you. I believe that every woman’s voice deserves to be heard, what better way to let it be heard than using music to do so and we at WSHOF are committed to helping you achieve your goals. Please reach out to: www.wshof.org
WSHOF will celebrate 5 years in June, 2025. In support of the incredible work we are doing please consider purchasing tickets to attend, sign up for the songwriting contest, become a member or make a donation of $50 and up to help support the work that WSHOF continues to do. Thank you. www.wshof.org
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I have had to unlearn thinking I can do everything by myself and well.
I have had to unlearn that I do not know how to do everything or have knowledge about everything and to surround myself around and within folks who are creative, smart, sharp, kind and have a willingness to want to see the world better than it is in certain areas when they see it.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish that all of the organizations like SBA, SBDC’s and SCORE offices that say they help upstarts and small businesses had business attorneys in each office to help people starting businesses with structure and business creation advice.
I also wish that the funding that we have always been told that was available for entrepreneurs, small businesses, non-profits and upstarts from these entities mentioned above was really available to the sector of people who seem to never be able to access these supposed “Funds/Funding”.
I can’t help but think how may successful businesses we would see today if the agencies that say they have money to help upstarts, small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits really give the money to these type of companies typically started by women, minorities, disabled, veterans and youth. The sector that always seems to be left out.
What these agencies do not report is that the people who receive the funding typically already have cash on hand, great credit or consigners with lots of money or the write connections to access the funding. Same problem 20 years later that I had when trying to start the pantyhose vending machines. Yup! Same Problem
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wshof.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/women_songwriters_hall_of_fame/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWomenSongwritersHallOfFame/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-songwriters-hall-of-fame/?viewAsMember=true
- Twitter: https://x.com/RealWSHOF
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@womensongwritershalloffame.
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@womensongwritersh?lang=en
www.womensongwritershalloffame.org
Image Credits
Photos Courtesy of:
1. Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.Org
2. Janice McLean DeLoatch