Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to $wish. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, $wish thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

This job/industry isn’t made for everyone, but I truly believe I was built for this. Of course the security of a steady and established business is the safer option, but I don’t think I could truly kick back and relax until it’s on top of a foundation I’ve laid and believe in. All of the fire we went through will create a much bigger flame in our soul to be the most desirable record label; not because of what we did, but because we did it the RIGHT WAY. Being a boss isn’t always something you learn, many find it is something that has been inside of them the whole time. You just have to pursue what you’re passionate about and never lose sight of it.

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?

My life story encompasses a kid that felt worthless to the world until he found his passion for music could bring him out of it. Family tradition of working a 9-5 seemed unreasonable for what I knew I was capable of, especially with my dad being the hardest working man I’ve ever known. I never fit into the roles people around me wanted me to fill, but when I heard my teammates free-styling on the back of the bus going to JV football games I knew I could take over any circle you threw me into in the realm of music. I had to relearn what hard work really was and basically change my entire way of thinking for what I thought it took to be great. I asked myself many times “why have I always come up short?” The answer was that I always found myself saying was that I simply needed to work more consistently on my craft. There will ALWAYS be someone out there with the potential to be better than you, but only YOU have the choice to keep it from happening. Once I accepted that responsibility I let my life piece itself together by honing in on the energy of knowing everything is happening for a bigger purpose. My team consists of individuals that share the belief that we move on OUR timeline not the competition’s timeline. We learn from our mistakes and take lessons from everyone else’s slip ups so that we can avoid pitfalls. We will never give you the glitter without showing you the gold it came from. We are here to change the industry by exposing the truth that there is a RIGHT way to do this, and that comes without tearing everyone else down to make it to the top.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

As I stated before, I chose people to operate my business that were driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the way the music industry is being ran. I waited to hear key words and phrases from them before bringing them on the team which mostly consisted of talks about collaborative efforts, making the artist the focal point of operation, and expansion into all corners of musicianship. I can confidently say that this ideology shines through our business, and is the sole reason for our success. We rarely advertise, but we do make it a point to care for and treat our customers with respect. That is the reason we have a customer retention rate of 76%; when you have good service and treat people with honor, they want to return. And not only that- they want to tell their friends and that alone is a full schedule! We are so grateful for our community of clientele and the care they take for our facility.

Any advice for managing a team?

First and foremost, your team needs you to be transparent with them. Tell them when sales are down-they’re your best resources for finding ways out of the downturn. Ask for advice on signing new clients-they may bring up points you had not previously considered. Especially when the team is in its infantry, it is important to include them in decisions and information. Not only is it critical to making the team feel camaraderie, but it can make your work flow and operations much smoother. Once the team is a bit more established and comfortable with one another, leadership from you needs to include pushing their limits creatively. Your success in the entertainment industry relies on fresh ideas. Nobody ever sold a billion copies marketing their artist the same way as everyone else.
Maintaining high morale is simple if you’ve done the other two steps above. Put yourself in the employee’s shoes. You’re less likely to panic in a tough time for the company if you know exactly where the company stands strategically and creatively. Remain calm and strategize. Your employees will follow your lead.

Contact Info:

• Website: progressionrecordsllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_proso/?hl=en

Image Credits
Kohlton Hamonn -PROgression Records CREATIVE DIRECTOR/PHOTOGRAPHER