Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
My Interview with the late Weldon McDougal III
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2010
The Scoop on Weldon McDougal III
To all the fans, brand new fans and followers of J5 Collector’s fabulous blog, I want to introduce to you a very good friend of mine over the last 10 years, Weldon Arthur McDougal III. I first had the pleasure of being introduced to Weldon through a mutual friend, Phoenix, author of the book Touched By The Jacksons. I’ll never forget that day, I was at work and the phone rang, it was my friend Phoenix. He and I spoke briefly and then he introduced me to Weldon. I was like a kid in the candy store! I couldn’t believe I was actually speaking to someone who worked with The Jackson 5! Holy Toledo! I had no idea what I should ask, what I shouldn’t ask, but whatever I did it must have made an impression on him. I do remember asking him if it was ok for me to call from time to time and he said “Yeah man, no problem." And the rest as we say is… history.
For many years, I’ve been a huge follower and supporter of J5 Collector and I thought I would show my appreciation and contribute to the best J5 blog I’ve seen thus far! I offered a suggestion to spotlight an interview with Weldon and J5 Collector was all for it!
Here goes, I hope everyone enjoys it!
How It All Started...
An Interview with Weldon McDougal III
1) What was your role at Motown?
My role at Motown was pretty spread out. When I got there there was only one other promotions man. I took care of the East Coast. The gentleman at Motown, who thought I was fabulous, was Irv Beagle. He asked me to work Boston, New York, Jersey, and Washington, D.C. It was me and a guy named Eddie Biscoe, he was a fabulous guy! He knew everything about all the artists, he lived and breathed Motown. He encouraged me. I felt the same spirit he did and we went out there and promoted records.
2) Where did you first meet The Jackson 5?
I first met the Jackson 5 at the High Chaparral; it’s a night club in Chicago. They were there to do a talent show. At the High Chaparral, whoever won the talent show would get a paid salary to work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was there to see who would be the winner that week. And the winner of that week was the Jackson 5. I was introduced to Joe Jackson as the Motown promotions man and he told me “Hey man we wanna be on Motown” and I said, “Man, that ain’t what I do. I promote records." I didn’t want to discourage him -- I just didn’t want to misrepresent myself with people and tell them that I could get them on Motown.
At that time, I had never gotten anyone on Motown and I never thought of it. My job was to promote records and that was hard enough. When I saw Michael and the guys, I told them that Bobby Taylor, who was a guy I hung out with, got a production deal with Motown. He could produce anybody and they [Motown] would at least listen to the records he produced. Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers were the headliner for that weekend at the High Chaparral. I told the guys "When you come in on Friday, you’ll see Bobby Taylor and he might be interested in you guys." I saw Bobby the next day and told him how good I thought they were and they were interested in being on Motown. Bobby said he would see what he could do with them and the rest is history.
3) To end all speculation, Weldon, you were the one that opened the gates getting The Jackson 5 on Motown?
That’s true.
4) How easy or challenging was it promoting their first Motown single, “I Want You Back”?
Well, part of my job was to personally introduce the artists to the disc jockeys. I came up with an idea to help push them along by doing a five city tour. I was laughed at. There was no money to send them on a five city tour, which included the guys, their father, and their road manager who was their uncle. The people didn’t accept the record at first.
Over the next couple of months in another meeting it was decided that The Jackson 5 would become Diana Ross’s protégés. She would put her name to them since she was #1 at the time. I’ll never forget we made a postcard advertisement and I’d give them out when I would promote the record. It helped a little bit, but not much. The challenge had nothing to do with The Jackson 5, it was Motown. We had Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Temptations, so many artists on the charts already. The average record list at a radio station was 40 records. If we had ten records, we had a little too many because there were other record companies as well. We were fortunate to have that many hits. Anytime a new artist comes in, they (radio stations) weren’t always ready to jump on them.
Now you may wonder how The Jackson 5 really made it. They really made it when they went on the Ed Sullivan Show. The day after the show, I got so many calls asking me for a copy of “I Want You Back” so the radio stations could play it. Ed Sullivan’s show had a great audience, black and white kids saw the show, and even the pop stations called me for the record.
5) Berry Gordy had a goal in making the first four Jackson 5 singles #1. How did all of that happen?
Bobby Taylor was recording them, and he recorded a lot of songs that he felt were ideal for the group. When Berry Gordy finally saw them, he decided to produce them in the way he felt they could sell records. So “I Want You Back” is the song that Berry Gordy and The Corporation came up with, along with the term “bubble gum soul." Berry was a busy guy, he worked closely with The Supremes and he would attend a lot of their gigs. So, as I mentioned, “I Want You Back” didn’t start out like a gangbuster, it trickled in there. But after The Ed Sullivan Show, the rest of it was easy to an extent because everyone was waiting for the next Jackson 5 record. So for the next 3, there it was!
6) Do you remember attending your very first Jackson 5 concert?
The first one I remember was at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Then they started doing big venues. It was a sellout house!
7) How would you describe The Jackson 5?
The Jackson 5 was a big group, the fans loved them all! I don’t believe the fans liked one more than the other. Now the teenage girls had certain ones that they wanted to marry, which made it hard for Michael and Marlon to get that type of reaction because they were so young. I’ll give you an example. When they would have guests come up to the room and speak to The Jackson 5, the guests always wanted to go in Jackie and Jermaine’s room. They would be having popcorn or whatever they were doing, nothing risqué. I remember Michael would be going down to their rooms knocking on the door trying to get in himself. He was the little brother and wasn’t hanging out with his older brothers all the time.
8) Many fans know that you have a book called The Michael Jackson Scrapbook, which contains some of the very best candid photos, how did you start taking photos of the Jackson 5?
That came about because of Michael and Tito mainly. They both bought Nikon cameras. Michael always wanted me to use his camera and take photos of whatever he was doing. We were in Cincinnati at the World Series where they sang the National Anthem and there was strict security on the field. I had Tito, Jermaine and Michael’s camera and started taking pictures of them singing. There was a guy that worked for the press that wanted buy a roll of film for $50. The first guy I ran into was Tito and I told him about the guy wanting to buy the roll of film, Tito said no problem. We split the money. Tito felt really good about making the $25 even though he was making money all the time. I’ll never forget when we were leaving Cincinnati the next day -- the front page of the newspaper had a picture of The Jackson 5 that I took. Crystal clear! It was done very well! After that, I bought my own camera and started taking my own pictures of them on the fly all the time.
9) In the early years, the Jackson 5 eventually caught the attention of mainstream publications like 16 magazine, Fave, and Tiger Beat. How did The Jackson 5 start a relationship with Right On! magazine?
I used to go out with one of the secretaries of Laufer Publications. Mr. Laufer told me he was going to start a magazine just for The Jackson 5. I didn’t believe it and next thing you know, the first issue had nothing but The Jackson 5 in it. At the time, I thought it would only be one or two issues, but it went on for many years.
10) Weldon, there is a photo of Michael wearing a very unique hat in your book The Michael Jackson Scrapbook, what’s the story behind that odd looking hat?
I was in Brazil and there was a guy that was the number 1 entertainer at the time and he dressed like a clown. I went to his show, it was wild and at times there would be watermelons thrown in the audience. So I was introduced to the guy and he said, “I hear you used to work with Michael Jackson”, I said “Yeah”. He took his hat off and said "Next time you see Michael Jackson, tell him I said hi and I want him to have this hat." Michael came to my house in Philly since he was nearby in New York. He looked at my record collection and saw the hat. I told him a guy gave it to me for you, and he tried it on and I took photos of him in the hat. When Michael left my house, he left the hat.
11) Is there any song by The Jackson 5 that is special to you?
Each song that they came out with is special to me, but I’m not a fan of which song is better than the other. I will say “Got To Be There” always rings out when I think of Michael Jackson. That record was easy to promote, they were on a roll, they became hotter than The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. People were ready for them! I remember the disc jockeys would be waiting for the next Jackson 5 record and people would be glued to the radio waiting to hear the new single.
12) Did you ever get a chance to watch the Jackson 5 recording sessions?
Yes, several of them. To be honest, I’m also a record producer; I produced “Yes I’m Ready” by Barbara Mason and if you are producing a record it’s exciting. If you are just standing around and watching it’s boring.
13) What is next for Weldon McDougal III?
On July 4th I went to London and participated in a special that will come out in August or September, called The Real Story of Michael Jackson. Most of the things we’ve discussed today are going to be in that TV special. I provided them with pictures from The Michael Jackson Scrapbook, so the fans will be able to see those photos if they don’t have the book. The guy that is doing the show is David Gest.
A funny story…David told me that he went to Michael’s house and Michael showed him The Michael Jackson Scrapbook and Michael wouldn’t let him touch it, he thumbed through the pages himself and he didn’t want anyone to mess up his book. That was exciting putting together that book and I saw the book for sale the first time at a train station coming home from New York. I still have a copy of my own book and it’s kind of beat up.
The Scoop on Weldon McDougal III
To all the fans, brand new fans and followers of J5 Collector’s fabulous blog, I want to introduce to you a very good friend of mine over the last 10 years, Weldon Arthur McDougal III. I first had the pleasure of being introduced to Weldon through a mutual friend, Phoenix, author of the book Touched By The Jacksons. I’ll never forget that day, I was at work and the phone rang, it was my friend Phoenix. He and I spoke briefly and then he introduced me to Weldon. I was like a kid in the candy store! I couldn’t believe I was actually speaking to someone who worked with The Jackson 5! Holy Toledo! I had no idea what I should ask, what I shouldn’t ask, but whatever I did it must have made an impression on him. I do remember asking him if it was ok for me to call from time to time and he said “Yeah man, no problem." And the rest as we say is… history.
For many years, I’ve been a huge follower and supporter of J5 Collector and I thought I would show my appreciation and contribute to the best J5 blog I’ve seen thus far! I offered a suggestion to spotlight an interview with Weldon and J5 Collector was all for it!
Here goes, I hope everyone enjoys it!
How It All Started...
An Interview with Weldon McDougal III
1) What was your role at Motown?
My role at Motown was pretty spread out. When I got there there was only one other promotions man. I took care of the East Coast. The gentleman at Motown, who thought I was fabulous, was Irv Beagle. He asked me to work Boston, New York, Jersey, and Washington, D.C. It was me and a guy named Eddie Biscoe, he was a fabulous guy! He knew everything about all the artists, he lived and breathed Motown. He encouraged me. I felt the same spirit he did and we went out there and promoted records.
2) Where did you first meet The Jackson 5?
I first met the Jackson 5 at the High Chaparral; it’s a night club in Chicago. They were there to do a talent show. At the High Chaparral, whoever won the talent show would get a paid salary to work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was there to see who would be the winner that week. And the winner of that week was the Jackson 5. I was introduced to Joe Jackson as the Motown promotions man and he told me “Hey man we wanna be on Motown” and I said, “Man, that ain’t what I do. I promote records." I didn’t want to discourage him -- I just didn’t want to misrepresent myself with people and tell them that I could get them on Motown.
At that time, I had never gotten anyone on Motown and I never thought of it. My job was to promote records and that was hard enough. When I saw Michael and the guys, I told them that Bobby Taylor, who was a guy I hung out with, got a production deal with Motown. He could produce anybody and they [Motown] would at least listen to the records he produced. Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers were the headliner for that weekend at the High Chaparral. I told the guys "When you come in on Friday, you’ll see Bobby Taylor and he might be interested in you guys." I saw Bobby the next day and told him how good I thought they were and they were interested in being on Motown. Bobby said he would see what he could do with them and the rest is history.
3) To end all speculation, Weldon, you were the one that opened the gates getting The Jackson 5 on Motown?
That’s true.
4) How easy or challenging was it promoting their first Motown single, “I Want You Back”?
Well, part of my job was to personally introduce the artists to the disc jockeys. I came up with an idea to help push them along by doing a five city tour. I was laughed at. There was no money to send them on a five city tour, which included the guys, their father, and their road manager who was their uncle. The people didn’t accept the record at first.
Over the next couple of months in another meeting it was decided that The Jackson 5 would become Diana Ross’s protégés. She would put her name to them since she was #1 at the time. I’ll never forget we made a postcard advertisement and I’d give them out when I would promote the record. It helped a little bit, but not much. The challenge had nothing to do with The Jackson 5, it was Motown. We had Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Temptations, so many artists on the charts already. The average record list at a radio station was 40 records. If we had ten records, we had a little too many because there were other record companies as well. We were fortunate to have that many hits. Anytime a new artist comes in, they (radio stations) weren’t always ready to jump on them.
Now you may wonder how The Jackson 5 really made it. They really made it when they went on the Ed Sullivan Show. The day after the show, I got so many calls asking me for a copy of “I Want You Back” so the radio stations could play it. Ed Sullivan’s show had a great audience, black and white kids saw the show, and even the pop stations called me for the record.
5) Berry Gordy had a goal in making the first four Jackson 5 singles #1. How did all of that happen?
Bobby Taylor was recording them, and he recorded a lot of songs that he felt were ideal for the group. When Berry Gordy finally saw them, he decided to produce them in the way he felt they could sell records. So “I Want You Back” is the song that Berry Gordy and The Corporation came up with, along with the term “bubble gum soul." Berry was a busy guy, he worked closely with The Supremes and he would attend a lot of their gigs. So, as I mentioned, “I Want You Back” didn’t start out like a gangbuster, it trickled in there. But after The Ed Sullivan Show, the rest of it was easy to an extent because everyone was waiting for the next Jackson 5 record. So for the next 3, there it was!
6) Do you remember attending your very first Jackson 5 concert?
The first one I remember was at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Then they started doing big venues. It was a sellout house!
7) How would you describe The Jackson 5?
The Jackson 5 was a big group, the fans loved them all! I don’t believe the fans liked one more than the other. Now the teenage girls had certain ones that they wanted to marry, which made it hard for Michael and Marlon to get that type of reaction because they were so young. I’ll give you an example. When they would have guests come up to the room and speak to The Jackson 5, the guests always wanted to go in Jackie and Jermaine’s room. They would be having popcorn or whatever they were doing, nothing risqué. I remember Michael would be going down to their rooms knocking on the door trying to get in himself. He was the little brother and wasn’t hanging out with his older brothers all the time.
8) Many fans know that you have a book called The Michael Jackson Scrapbook, which contains some of the very best candid photos, how did you start taking photos of the Jackson 5?
That came about because of Michael and Tito mainly. They both bought Nikon cameras. Michael always wanted me to use his camera and take photos of whatever he was doing. We were in Cincinnati at the World Series where they sang the National Anthem and there was strict security on the field. I had Tito, Jermaine and Michael’s camera and started taking pictures of them singing. There was a guy that worked for the press that wanted buy a roll of film for $50. The first guy I ran into was Tito and I told him about the guy wanting to buy the roll of film, Tito said no problem. We split the money. Tito felt really good about making the $25 even though he was making money all the time. I’ll never forget when we were leaving Cincinnati the next day -- the front page of the newspaper had a picture of The Jackson 5 that I took. Crystal clear! It was done very well! After that, I bought my own camera and started taking my own pictures of them on the fly all the time.
9) In the early years, the Jackson 5 eventually caught the attention of mainstream publications like 16 magazine, Fave, and Tiger Beat. How did The Jackson 5 start a relationship with Right On! magazine?
I used to go out with one of the secretaries of Laufer Publications. Mr. Laufer told me he was going to start a magazine just for The Jackson 5. I didn’t believe it and next thing you know, the first issue had nothing but The Jackson 5 in it. At the time, I thought it would only be one or two issues, but it went on for many years.
10) Weldon, there is a photo of Michael wearing a very unique hat in your book The Michael Jackson Scrapbook, what’s the story behind that odd looking hat?
I was in Brazil and there was a guy that was the number 1 entertainer at the time and he dressed like a clown. I went to his show, it was wild and at times there would be watermelons thrown in the audience. So I was introduced to the guy and he said, “I hear you used to work with Michael Jackson”, I said “Yeah”. He took his hat off and said "Next time you see Michael Jackson, tell him I said hi and I want him to have this hat." Michael came to my house in Philly since he was nearby in New York. He looked at my record collection and saw the hat. I told him a guy gave it to me for you, and he tried it on and I took photos of him in the hat. When Michael left my house, he left the hat.
11) Is there any song by The Jackson 5 that is special to you?
Each song that they came out with is special to me, but I’m not a fan of which song is better than the other. I will say “Got To Be There” always rings out when I think of Michael Jackson. That record was easy to promote, they were on a roll, they became hotter than The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. People were ready for them! I remember the disc jockeys would be waiting for the next Jackson 5 record and people would be glued to the radio waiting to hear the new single.
12) Did you ever get a chance to watch the Jackson 5 recording sessions?
Yes, several of them. To be honest, I’m also a record producer; I produced “Yes I’m Ready” by Barbara Mason and if you are producing a record it’s exciting. If you are just standing around and watching it’s boring.
13) What is next for Weldon McDougal III?
On July 4th I went to London and participated in a special that will come out in August or September, called The Real Story of Michael Jackson. Most of the things we’ve discussed today are going to be in that TV special. I provided them with pictures from The Michael Jackson Scrapbook, so the fans will be able to see those photos if they don’t have the book. The guy that is doing the show is David Gest.
A funny story…David told me that he went to Michael’s house and Michael showed him The Michael Jackson Scrapbook and Michael wouldn’t let him touch it, he thumbed through the pages himself and he didn’t want anyone to mess up his book. That was exciting putting together that book and I saw the book for sale the first time at a train station coming home from New York. I still have a copy of my own book and it’s kind of beat up.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
R-E-S-P-E-C-T...it ain't Aretha
Rolling Stone Does It Again…
I am a lover of music and I have no limits with regards to
what I will or won’t listen to. Rolling
Stone has created a list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and I’m
personally disappointed yet again. When
I think of the word “greatest”, it defines unbelievably great, no competition,
golden, perfection and sets the standard for music.
I’m bias; I love Marvin Gaye’s music and am a huge fan of
Michael Jackson’s work including Thriller and everything that came before
it. Marvin and Michael were two wildly
successful artists from the Motown stable that had such a huge impact on the
world during the early 70’s. Although
both artists achieved adoration during their careers, the material they left
behind is thought provoking and everlasting.
Rolling Stone suggests that Marvin Gaye’s lp, What’s Going On ranks #6, while Michael Jackson’s Thriller ranks #20. Can you say, WITW? Short for “what in the world”! Marvin Gaye’s (WGO lp) was released into the
universe into 1971 and the story behind the lp is absolutely unbelievable. Berry Gordy, the president/CEO of Motown did
not want to release the album and kept it on the shelf for 1 full year before
he was forced to do something. A good
friend of mine whom promoted records for Motown in the early years remembers
taking WGO to radio stations. No one
wanted to hear it, everyone thought it was trash. One night he took the WGO 45rpm to a radio
station in Philadelphia and recommended the DJ play the record. Oddly enough, overnight, the song became a
hit in Philadelphia and spread like wildflower.
He remembers the orders coming into the sales department for the WGO
single and Berry Gordy learning a huge lesson.
The WGO album is such a pivotal album for the entire country to grab on
to. It contains elements of social,
political and spiritual fuel. It was one
of the first records in which each song transitioned into the next, which is
why most DJ’s wouldn’t play it because they weren’t prepared to stop the record
at the right time. WGO also is one of
the first Motown lp’s which was conducted by a full orchestra. An album ahead of its time that once was
ranked #4 by Rolling Stone and has now fallen to #6. How is that possible? The message is still relevant 42 years later.
Michael Jackson’s Thriller lp ranks #20. Something is terribly wrong. I can’t take anything away from The Beatles
who still hold the #1 spot with their Sergeant Pepper lp, but come on Rolling
Stone, MJ smashed the industry with this lp and put plenty of people back to
work in the music business. Pay your
respects to MJ, he changed the direction of music, video and record sales. Have you forgotten that MJ still holds the
record for units sold with Thriller?
Have we forgotten the Thriller video pushed the creative envelope? Have we forgotten that MTV wouldn’t play MJ’s
video Billie Jean? At some point, they
recognized they weren’t being fair and look at what happened, MTV’s viewership
increased. Have we forgotten MJ still
holds the record for Grammy’s received from the Thriller lp. I could go on…but who’s really
listening?
Until next year…
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Kanye is Back To Work
He's Baaaack....
It looks like Kanye West is ready to return to music after
he’s had an extended break from the Watch The Throne Tour and becoming one with
Kim Kardashian. I enjoy Kanye’s music as
he has created his own sound and everyone recognizes a Kanye West sound within
seconds.
Kanye is seeking help
from the producer Rsonist from the production team, Heatmakerz. Going back to his soul roots will be a fresh
air to the hip-hop world. For the last
several months most of the hip-hop heard on the airways does not include a
recognizable sample that most can remember.
However, Kanye has borrowed from The Jackson 5, Steely Dan, Otis Redding
and Gil Scot Heron. I respect his taste
in music and it never fails, he brings a creative element to the world of sampling. In Kanye’s early music many of his samples
were sped up giving a “chipmunk-like” sound, which put him on the map. For example, check out his sample of Chaka
Khan’s hit “Through The Fire” and experience the millennium chipmunks.
Kanye can be considered a musical genius because he takes
the time to research the music that makes hits for him. If we take a look at his 2008 release of
808’s and Heartbreak, Kanye really dug into the crates. He discovered tracks that appeal to various
genres and made them work. Kanye gets
help from the likes of Nina Simone, Tears for Fears, The Alan Parsons
Project.
I have a lot of respect for an artist that appreciates those
that came before him/her. Kanye shows
versatility with his production and gives the hip-hop community a template to
achieve results and respect. Looking
forward to his new project, we can expect that Kanye will make his mark in
hip-hop once again. If I had the
pleasure of recommending one song for Kanye to sample it would be Phil Collins “In
The Air”. The song brings back memories
of my childhood and is wildly recognized in the African-American community.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Past, Present, & Future Plans
As a future business owner, I’ve learned a lot from Daymond
John and Tim Berry. My business plan has
changed just as my monthly budget. It
seems as the business plan changes, the more solid it becomes.
Daymond John suggests that we need to learn everything we
can about the business in order to plan properly. I intend to focus my attention on the
business of operating a charter school.
I’d like to incorporate a team of research analysts that will scrub the
Internet for current trends and hot topics within the charter school
industry. This will allow UARA to not
only stay in synch with the industry, but also stay ahead of the
competition.
Tim Berry suggests that cash flow projections are important
for a business plan. I intend to put a
balanced focus on cash coming in as well as cash going out of the
business. I would like to implement a
financial task force team within UARA that studies the cash flow movement and
how to reinvest monies back into UARA. This
will allow UARA a window seat view to the cycle of its money.
The most important sections of my plan are the overview of
the company, the financials and the market strategy. The overview of UARA will provide an investor
with our vision and goals. Our hope is
to express the need of the charter school with much conviction that they’ll be
captivated from the beginning. The financials
are going to show each investor that we’re prepared to spend the necessary
dollars in order to obtain a return on our investment. The marketing component will demonstrate that
we’ve done the research and are preparing to corner the market in print, social
media and technology. We will highlight
the use of social media in order to entice the parents of our student
pool. All three components are equally
important, but most of all it comes down to the people executing the business
plan.
Keep your fingers crossed…
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Before Hand...Plan
Daymond John, an entrepreneur
within the fashion industry, young and intelligent has a lot to be thankful for. Daymond is the founder of the world famous FUBU
(For Us By Us) clothing line. He grew up
in Queens, NY and was inspired by fashion from a music video in which someone
was wearing a tie-top hat. Because he
was unable to find a tie-top hat for a reasonable price, he began to make his
own and the genius within was born.
As anyone would imagine, Daymond
believes in planning and preparation.
Daymond suggests that doing YOUR homework is critical and taking the
time to know everything you possibly can about the business is extremely
important. Daymond leans on the idea of
having a good business plan being key.
Several components are necessary for a business plan; market analysis,
balance sheet, and description of the business, product and service. Why? A
good business plan provides the roadmap of what’s being created and gives
others a window seat view into your creation.
As a future business owner, I'd like to pattern myself after Daymond's methodical approach to business planning and his confidence in knowing how to generate revenue by retaining customers.
As a future business owner, I'd like to pattern myself after Daymond's methodical approach to business planning and his confidence in knowing how to generate revenue by retaining customers.
Tim Berry
is an entrepreneur, president of Palo Alto Software and founder of
bplans.com. Tim reads and reviews close
to 50 business plans per year and participates as a judge in business plan
competitions. Tim is very active and
finds time to perform a SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) workshop
quarterly on business planning.
Tim’s
approach to a business plan is realistic and relies heavily on the
numbers. He suggests that cash flow
projections are important for your business plan. Why?
The projection allows not only you, but also your investors to track the
planned financial progress versus the actual.
Although the cash flow projection is an educated guess it ultimately
provides an investor with insight as to how good or bad their ROI will be.
I agree that cash flow is important and knowing where your money is coming from and going to will ultimately determine the success. Tim is definitely someone I would enjoy learning how to come as close to perfect with projections, even if it may be short a few pennies.
I agree that cash flow is important and knowing where your money is coming from and going to will ultimately determine the success. Tim is definitely someone I would enjoy learning how to come as close to perfect with projections, even if it may be short a few pennies.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Suit & Tie…J.T. meets Jay-Z
Suit
& Tie…J.T. meets Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake has proven himself to be relevant and
although he’s been away from music for quite some time, he knows how to slip
back in as if he hasn’t been gone. We all
remember Justin when he was with N’Sync and enjoyed their
high-energy act, dance moves, and their ability to make a few R&B like
tracks. I can tell Justin knows the
formula of bouncing back into relevancy.
The new song “Suit & Tie” is a
nice bouncing track, mellow, r&b horn section with a twist of Jay-Z. In my opinion the song is a good intro to the
forthcoming album “The 20/20 Experience” and currently is # 4 on the Billboard
charts in less than two weeks. Can you
say, FIRE! The track is definitely on pace to get to the #1 position to knock
out “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
Being the talk of the industry is nothing new to Justin and
it’s well deserved. He’s clean cut,
recently married to a well know actress, Jennifer Biel and has plenty of
platinum recordings to line a long corridor.
People are talking about Justin’s video for “Suit
& Tie”, which is a black and white video dressed for success. It’s easy to see the influence in Justin’s
style, the white socks, Michael Jackson, although say may argue Elvis. He emotes a few “awws” within the song, which
suggest Marvin Gaye to those who know Marvin’s music. A couple of surprises for the die-hard fans,
there’s no dancing and no Jay-Z. The
video doesn’t call for an appearance by Jay-Z, but hasn’t Jay-Z made the suit
and tie a staple in hip-hop long before Justin’s song. Hmmm..Empire State of Mind
comes to mind and that was in 2009. No
big deal, Justin knows the dressed up look is an eye catcher. Nevertheless Justin’s people want us to
remember his biggest influence, Michael Jackson that’s evident by the numerous
camera shots at his white socks and shiny black shoes. It’s all good Justin, keep doin’ your thing.
Respectfully,
ADW
References:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)