Category: Reflections

DJ Culture & Music, Establishments, events, House Music, Movers & Shakers, Music, promoters, Reflections, Social Media, Toronto

House Music Series – Toronto LOCAL – Summer 2014 – Installment 3 – Joonya T: The Youngest in the Biz!

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Upon returning to Toronto from Japan in 06-07, I didn’t know where to go. I’d been going to events and show all over Kansai (Japan) and got used to the likes of Danny Krivit, Tim Regisford, DJ Spinna and Louie Vega-respectively. I arrived here (Toronto) thinking that elsewhere could be the only way I’d be hearing great music of this genre.

For months I panicked and felt a little depressed until I discovered the mix CDs and podcast downloads. The best part is discovering the local artists that made up the Toronto scene and immediately occupied myself with the weekly/monthly fixes. One of them was Joonya T.

Currently, you can catch him every first Friday of the month at Toronto’s Andy Poolhall along the College St. Little Italy hub in Toronto! He’s got a unique event scheduled this Caribana Weekend (tonight) in collaboration with Moonraiser Ent (the African house pull) at Mojo Lounge (1305 Dundas St.W.)…and for all of you locals-Mojo’s new home is the former Pacha. This show will be demonstrating something a little different from what we normally get during Caribana here in Toronto. This event features a whole roster of DJs from Africa including female Djs! Toronto and tourists; don’t miss it this weekend!

 

Shejay ZandyYou’ll always find Joonya T spinning in the house music corridor at College or Dundas-he’s never off the grid! You can visit him at http://www.joonyat.com/ to see what’s up, current and happening! Check out this Toronto House Music Mix he just put out to showcase the Toronto flavour! Joonya says about the inspiration for the mix that, “Toronto is very specific about what they take in terms of house music…you rarely  see Toronto people pushing Toronto things…..this is why I started doing the Toronto mixes”.
Check out the mix here! http://www.joonyat.com/2014/07/joonya-t-presents-the-toronto-mix-volume-7/

 

Shine: Where does the name Joonya T come from? In 2007…all the same cover and just a different colour……his name is from his reggae DJ name!

Joonya T: From the Reggae DJ name I had in highschool. It stayed with me up until now!

Shine: I’m not sure if this is how you wanted to project the “JoonyaT” brand but I’ve noticed that you’ve transferred a hip-hop DJ esthetic to your DJ set style……it’s quite good and has a crossover appeal…what I mean by this is non-house music listeners are pulled in and become fans. What is it about the Joonya T style that’s a little more unique than the next guy? (It’s okay to brag here!!)

Joonya T: Prior to getting into the house scene I was definitely influenced by hip-hop. I enjoyed DJ Clue’s stuff and DJ Kid Capri’s stuff. And as most have noticed;  through my podcasts with Karizma’s material!

Shine: Explain Back Corner Radio’s concept…Where can viewers locate all this info?

JoonyaT: Back Corner Radio comes from the group of friends “The Back Corner Crew”. Myself and friends all into the house music scene would go to parties and enjoy the back corner of the party hollering people in the back corner. Everyone has moved on…everyone has gone through some life changes. The name is truly a way to pay homage to the crew.

Shine: You’ve got your monthly mixes and then you’ve got Back Corner Radio sets…..why the two different ‘projects’?

Joonya T: I started with a podcast and then followed a whole slew of other podcasts…The first one was Dennis Ferrer…..he came in 2007 and I created a mix to help promote the party at the time. I wasn’t affiliated with the event but I put the word out. It got a lot of play……. And I made more mega mixes to focus on specific productions.

Shine: You attended the ADE Festival last year what was that like for you? Anything you took away from that? So so curious. 🙂 Are you attending again this year?

Joonya T: ADE is something I’ll always remember. It was crazy to be in a city with all these people who are truly into the music! Places like Amsterdam and Japan take in the various music scenes in a whole different way. Places in Europe, Asia and specifically Africa promote house and Electronic Music the same way we promote Pop Music. Billboards at the bus stop with celebrities and promotional flyers are places all over places like the airport……this was a very different experience for me!

Shine: I like the examples you mentioned it shows a little more than what we think we’d notice and understand about a country’s relationship to house/dance music in other cities in the world.

Shine: Making international rounds must be amazing! (Travelling being the best part)- What’s it like explaining to the people you meet (fans and industry heads) that you’re from Toronto? How do you explain the Toronto (house/tech/dance scene)?

Joonya T: First of all this was made possible by my good friend and confidante in the industry (Pascal Morais). He had been talking about it and encouraged me to head over there. I’m not very much in people’s faces….I’m sociable but I don’t go around to chat with people….I sort of observe and feel my environment. It was little nerve-wracking but once I met everyone I had an amazing time!

When I speak of Toronto, I always catch myself talking about a vibe…..certain tracks set things off….in Toronto. There isn’t a young scene coming up to replace the older heads. The vibe or feel is what we still have and it’s celebrated in a specific way here in (Toronto).

Shine: What’s changed for you in Toronto? i.e. promotion, DJ’ing, creativity

Joonya T: In the beginning, (2007) when I started all this, there wasn’t really a Facebook.  Everything is social. You get the people who go out based on whose promoting. I used to burn CDs . Word-of-mouth reigned and flyers were part of the promotion. Right now…people are not only on Facebook but on other outlets. Technology has afforded me the extra memory to extend a mix past the usual 80 mins! House music runs differently than other musical genres….producers are trying to make the same kind of money they used to make….. Everything was still underground pre-2007 and even still I always hear good music and wanna know what tracks are being played. I used to wonder….Does anyone else know about this?… The underground was truly underground. Often, you do hear House heads talk about ‘back in the day’…..those heads are now getting older. Trends are slowly starting to change! It’s rare to have a 200+ sold out party but small events that collaborate seem to work now in Toronto. A lot of the bigger events are happening on the Tech side…DJs come to Toronto two times a year instead of once. Ask anyone in the soulful scenes We laugh about it. They don’t drink….usually I think it’s because they are older. When I started I was always doing parties on my own, now I collaborate with other DJs… My philosophy now: You gotta make your way or knit your own piece of sweater…..its okay to always push brands at the same time!

Shine: I’ve noticed you’ve concentrated on your online media presence and I’d have to say its VERY good! Who’s your audience?

Joonya T: I’ve got a background in Marketing and want to grow the brand so I’ve remained consistent with my name, image and podcasts. I’m trying to pull in a younger crowd.  Frankly speaking, South African supporters and listeners have always been my audience. Next up are supporters in Europe and following that are fans in the U.S.! They consume more dance music than the average music lover!

Shine: What are some parting words you’d like to leave us with today?

Joonya T: Just like at the end of every show, I’d say to them…Love what you do what you love… that’s a mantra I live by and hopefully my listeners can grab a little something to add to their day when they tune in to Back Corner Radio!

We had so much to discuss it was pretty awesome to talk about his expansive projects!

 

For all you socially savvy people you can follow Joonya T’s digital footprints here:

Social links

www.youtube.com/joonyat

www.Soundcloud.com/joonyat

www.twitter.com/joonyat

www.bit.ly/joonyat (iTunes short link)

www.instagram.com/joonyat

Stay tuned for more LOCAL House showcases at shine!

Biography, DJ Culture & Music, Establishments, events, House Music, Japan, Knowledge, Movers & Shakers, Music, Osaka, promoters, Reflections, Toronto, Travel

END OF YEAR House Music Series – House of Pela – Afrobeta Bodega Boston (Max Pela)

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I got a flyer a few weeks back that read ‘House of Pela’.  It looked like the sticker label for a bottle of hot sauce. Hot sauce ain’t bad….. What’s a House of Pela? What’s an ‘Afrobeta Bodega’?  I asked proud Dominican DJ via Boston all that. So you buy House of Pela products at the Afrobeta Bodega….now I understand. You get a variety of beats, sounds and ideas at the Afrobeta Bodega on the corner all the way from Boston. Sooo…Afro sound, culture, vibe,essence+Beta (first test version)=Afrobeta.

What’s in Boston? I’d visited a few months back to visit a friend working there. I desperately checked all house outlets for shows, parties, events…..maybe it was Winter. Yes, that’s it. No house events happen in Boston because it’s too cold. I checked all my fave ‘selecta’ websites to see tour dates….NOTHING. I took to Twitter -my hub of information and asked a former BET VJ who happens to be a Boston native and she told me:

Free response on Twitter

Soooo to meet a Max Pela from Boston….I had some questions. Where’s the community? Where’s the underground? Who’s the audience? How did Afrobeta start? Why are you in Toronto? Boston seems VERY straight-laced is what I thought….I got schooled. NAGA  has a laid back vibe as a lounge, restaurant and club.  The home of House of Pela is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The home of MIT….the prestigious school. This is always where the underground thrives. Near the schools…the house community must be pretty awesome. Pela sites all kinds of musical influences that he enjoyed in phases- Afro Dominican roots music like Palo, Salve and Gaja from Haiti.

He grew up with rural Dominican cultural influences and he really emphasizes Haitian musical influences which is great to hear considering many of the sociopolitical cultural divides that’s rocked the Dominican Republic for many years. He transitioned from Rock to Old School Hip-Hop to 90s house (this is where it all begins), Tribal, Progressive overall he gravitated to anything with deeper content….

So what does Afrobeta do? Max describes on the site that he is constantly searching ‘ for a specific sound….and has a fondness for non-conventional producers’….what’s non-conventional? He answers ‘anyone can  make music, there many unknowns out there’d like to give them a platform to show what they have….show what makes them unique ; it could even be the old school music production’ I told him that I checked the roster of artists on the site:

All of them have a great body of work. But Marquez- Is the person who told him about US in Toronto! He gave Max the thumbs up and props to come to Toronto! (Shout out to all supporters and enthusiasts of the Toronto house scene!) At afrobetabodega you’ll find live sets, studio recordings, podcasts, news and general musings of  underground house. It’s a work in progress and he mentions that an international expansion is in order.

In 2014 Max wants to make House of Pela a household name and continue to throw successful events. He wants to continue putting Boston on the map. See: TRAXSOURCE. I always ask this because I do feel its important for anyone embarking down creative paths; What advice does House of Pela founder give? – Take risks. ‘If you’ve gotta leave the 9-5 makes sure it’s planned and calculated…..do what makes you happy. If it’s the energy of what you do that drives you, let it be the driving force…there will be times you want to quit…rest assured there will be that one person who will wake you up to keep you going’

House of Pela It’s been fun putting these blog posts out! Follow me in 2014 as I take @theshineprjct  in other directions…. -shine

Biography, DJ Culture & Music, Establishments, events, House Music, Movers & Shakers, Music, New York, promoters, Reflections, Social Media, theshineprjct, Toronto, Travel

House Music Series – International – Jellybean Benitez – Return to Toronto – Jellybean Music Group – 2013

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Behind the Decks

Trust your instincts. These are the parting words of a talented artist whose career has spanned many decades.

Trusting his instincts has taken him to  places unimaginable. Literally. As a child from South Bronx, NY he says, ‘there were only two options amongst my friends…’ to be a drug dealer or a bouncer at a club…..I wasn’t gonna get into drugs and I was too short to be a bouncer’……that broke the ice! lol

Jellybean enthusiasts kept passing by; uttering comments, props and questions about when he was gonna  hit the stage. I’m not gonna lie-I knew about Jellybean as a kid because of Madonna.  I mentioned that to him-but what is fascinating is the kind of work he’s amassed in this many years, as well as the industries that he’s crossed. It is truly remarkable BUT also makes sense as he’s always ‘trusted his instincts’.

Another thing I noticed about what always came up while he responded to my questions was his need for CREATIVITY and his focus of wanting to simply MAKE MUSIC. Watching the crowd’s response on the dance floor Benitez said ‘is like GM testing cars…..as a creator of  sounds, tunes, records…..the dance floor allows you to see what works, what’s fresh and what’ll sell’

In his earlier years after Dj’ing for friends parties, his phone started ringing and requests to collaborate with big artists (Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson) to name a few- brought him into the studio. By working in the studio with recording artists,  it validated his production skills and allowed him to reach more people.  He left DJ‘ing for 10 years and produced music and soundtracks for films. This instinctual departure added more to his musical talents and skills.

Studio54 and Funhouse residencies allowed him to flaunt his production skills in the clubs and he would go on to produce (3-4 records a week???? Damn!) The music industry has definitely changed! The New York house scene is a very  different one than it was back in the day- in that it strictly thrived as an underground scene. This underground no longer exists. Perhaps this underground scene now thrives online?

I asked him about his XM Satellite Sirius Radio station that started in 2011. He was asked to program the station because of  his expertise, tenure and experience. This allowed him free reign over the design of the station’s music catalogue.  He plays FULL tracks when mixing on air  and that he mentions, has also lost its way with the new style of music mixing. He’s able to give back and educate new  listeners by introducing Disco and Classic House styles within the programming.  So every time, you tune in, and listen to Studio54 satellite radio, YOU learn something new! And just like that, our interview had to end……

Jellybean hit the decks at Revival  and  the  song he plays that draws me in is Louie Vega’s ‘Brand New Day’ feat Blaze. I almost forgot what I was gonna  write tonight.  LOL

I danced the night away 🙂

-shine

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@theSHINEprjct on Twitter

 

Biography, DJ Culture & Music, Establishments, events, House Music, Knowledge, Music, Offering Recordings, promoters, Reflections, Social Media, theshineprjct, Toronto, Travel

Boddhi At Bunda Lounge in Toronto

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Boddi Satva (Offering Recordings)

Lights dimmed, incense burning (precisely Nag Champa), music is just right- Late night date? No, not at all. It was the Toronto leg of DJ/Producer Boddhi Satva’s Canadian tour. I had been wondering about Boddhi the artist after stumbling on a podcast a few years ago and was assigned his latest ‘Ancestral Interpretations Pt. 2’ (for review).

I had a chance to sit down with Boddhi Satva last Saturday to discuss the album, the journey, the collaborations and most importantly; the person. He had a lot to say……..

About Being African: Born and raised in the Central African Republic and being well exposed to other parts of Africa and his approach to business and interaction with people in general- this is an integral part of who he is as well as the music he has chosen to share with the world. He is proud and says….’I’m African don’t get it twisted-I’m mixed but anyone who knows me knows I’m more African than any African’

On Being signed to Vega Records: Louie’s got a great heart, he’s family-oriented in business and in life. Our friendship is beyond business….it’s a team effort. He allows me to express my identity. It’s opened many doors for me…it’s definitely increased my credibility. People recognize me for my talent first and foremost……’

On his climb forward: ‘It was very slow, it was and still is lots of work….there are still challenges. Just because you tour, travel, have a label backing you up-the work never stops there. Money is a means to be able to direct your work but it’s not stop….I’m grateful for the all the opportunities awarded. I’m so blessed’

Collaborations with other artists: He’s always wanted to do this! In fact he says,’I wanted to collaborate-it’s the smartest way to get your brand out, it’s all about team work, I can’t have an ego when I know it takes a lot of collaboration with others….

On respecting those that paved the way: He sites Louie Vega, Alton Miller, Kai Alce, Osunlade among many that he has looked up to, worked with, those that have designed the music industry in a way that makes House what it is today….he lists tons of other producers from everywhere-‘I believe in Pan-Africanism especially with art/music’

On African artists namely (Oumou Sangare, Ade Alafia, Yuba, Mangala Camara) and their support of Boddhi Satva using their vocals for ‘house’ consumption- ‘They give me props, she (Oumou) is in full support and respects what I’ve done. The support is mutual-the connection is organic’

On the South African House Invasion: ‘No doubt that South Africa is a hub for house music but EDM in Africa has reached other African countries….Angola has been a runner-up for a few years now and Senegal’s hip hop music scene is stellar. Botswana is another heavy-hitter’

Music to look for: (For those looking for things he’s fond of….music and artists he mentioned during the interview……Paul Randolph (Soldier), Mara TK, Salif Keita, Jose James (Vicadin), Rancido, Offering Recordings vocalist Marie Jolie, Orgasm EP feat.Ade Alafia, Teedra Moses (My fave :D)……

Music as a spiritual connection: ‘Music can move a grown man to tears…..it can heal someone’s spirit, it invokes feelings…it can be sensual in nature’

Working with Promoters: ‘It can be tricky sometimes-my name has been used on events that I didn’t know about….you want to visit different cities but promoters don’t always come through’

On the future of Offering Recordings: ‘Offering Recordings is set to be persistent in providing quality music’

Advice to those on their hustle to succeed in the industry: ‘Stay true, work hard, collaborate, never forget to respect yourself, be grateful for all opportunities’

Impression of Canada (Canadian Tour cities): Winnipeg was happening. The festival (Manitoba Electronic Music Festival)…it was fireburn…a very organic city really peaceful. Lots of street art. Big ups to Winnipeg!’….He describes Toronto as ,vibrant with a mixture of people’ and, ‘good peoples’……’I hear Bunda’s the spot’

Expectations for that night’s (August 17) show (At Bunda Lounge): ‘I hear that Solid Garage and Booty Lounge are pretty good…..(laughs) I don’t have too many expectations but I plan to take the crowd on a journey’

Needless to say, the night was a journey. He traveled the world with music and brought tunes from countries where rhythm rules….no matter the language or dialect….you heard and felt the beats! Dancers of all ages and colours shook their butts (myself included) lol

Afrobeats and Eurobeats ran the night. The interview was as eclectic as the set that night….Boddhi, thanks for the visit!

offeringrecordings logo

 

Knowledge, Public Relations, Reflections, Social Media, Toronto

Did Your Client Even Try?

theshineprjct

20130802-183210.jpgAs a freelancer embracing opportunities and leads like a private investigator-I’ve come across some very interesting circumstances. These situations have become synonymous with most clients and situations which led me to write this piece.

When deciding to take on a project whether its paid or not I’ve understood in the last few years that if the client is looking for: a) money b)fame c)endorsement with any of the work you will be doing for them, you are most definitely headed for disaster! Rather than any one of those three driving forces, a client looking to understand what the social media machine means to their business and to themselves as owner/CEO of the business is a key component to my willingness to work with them.

The progress the client/potential client has made since they’ve embraced any form of media-whether it’s a website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc. will translate into how fruitful or complicated the undertaking of the assignment will be.

Clients/partners/collaborators can fall into a few categories:
Client 1: has no idea what social media is but needs help and is open to listen and learn
Client 2: has no idea what ‘new age’ promotion is and unwilling to listen/learn or relinquish control over to you
Client 3: has an idea about social media but doesn’t understand how it can grow a business (but uses it personally-sometimes a little too personally)
Client 4: making very little effort and wants to hand everything over to you to take over (ideal but comes at a cost-financially and brand marketing wise)
Client 5: has an idea what SM is/does but doesn’t use it for business and wants their work/brand/company to speak for itself (possibly living in a bubble or under a rock)

I am not pointing this breakdown at anyone in particular but I’m sure anyone working in the event promotion, marketing, public relations or social media industries would understand the path I’m trying to follow with this article.

If your client does not know how they can highlight their business, service, art, image, brand to the public-no amount of assistance from the best team will help.

So far I’ve found that the clients I prefer to work with and the ones with the most successes or growth besides making money are the ones who’ve tried and (need an extra hand), or those who are starting social media or promotion from the ground up. On the other hand existing brands making transitions from the old style to the ‘new school’ are at a major advantage to grow their reach and influence by tweaking their message.

Brands or entities with a huge fan base or stellar image or body of work can and do grow their businesses in areas they had never imagined possible.

I promise you that anyone seeing your vision as an artist, musician, business, brand will want to do what’s best to see you succeed.

Remember, your work is as good as your client’s efforts! Visit us over at @urbcomgrp_pr for tips and tricks!

 

Biography, Knowledge, Reflections, Social Media, theshineprjct, Toronto, Vancouver

I AM CANADIAN – What it means….

theshineprjct

Image

As a child in school I never really identified with my heritage. I never identified with any particular group or thing. I just knew myself as ‘girl who likes to draw, girl who rides her bike, girl who lives at Jane-Finch,girl who loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, girl who thinks about writing, girl with lots of ideas……years and years have passed and those things haven’t really changed (My locale has, lol)

It’s only when I started kindergarten that I met other kids and they would talk about ‘who they were’.

When kids would ask ‘what are you?’-As is customary in Toronto and I’m assuming in Canada-I would tell them I’m a Chinedu, I’m a girl, I like Star Wars.

Literally, it’s only through racism I discovered who I was. It was being asked by teachers how long I’d been in Canada or the the seemingly slow, slow speech that teachers would utter to me that I began to realize that I was seen differently than I viewed myself. After teaching in Japan and teaching students by webcam online, the first few lessons I taught; students would ask me where I was from and the shock comes when I tell them Canada and they shake their heads saying that ‘only white people are from Canada’. Again, another rude awakening about ‘what I am’ during another milestone in my life……another reminder that I never quite got right since grade school.

To be Canadian is a frame of mind and as I get older I see that it truly IS a frame of mind. With aging parents one of whom I wasn’t raised with (she spent most of my life in the home country, returning to Toronto after 25 years!) I see how differently I think from them, how I speak to them, even my opinions about certain topics….all DIFFERENT. My self-awareness is VERY different.

As important as it is to be self-aware- I believe that dis-association of labels can be an excellent way to achieve goals, ambitions with less caution and restraint. You learn more and you end up in places and spaces most people would only dream. Knowing oneself without becoming wrapped up in what it means to be just that in a limited framework is also important. Image

A few weeks ago they had a talk (they talked at me) about where I should be in life and what I should be doing now. The interesting part about the talk was that I couldn’t understand why my mother couldn’t see my point of view.

A topic like this gets written off as generational or perhaps I’m not thinking clearly (Maybe I’m transient)…but what I got from the talk was that I was a new species to them.

My Dad started talking to me about embracing both cultures and that I was African-Canadian (Canadian born of Nigerian parents) and it had me thinking the same way I thought as a little girl in Junior Kindergarten……To my parents I wondered what it meant to them to be a Nigerian-Canadian.

Based on their comments it dawned on me that they would never be able to see what my identity means and looks like to me. It seems simpler to them to build some guidelines on how-to-be ‘Nigerian’. Comparisons to other family members who’ve migrated to North America (as Africans maintaining culture or any other ethnic group for that matter, were being bridged).

I started wondering what they knew about what it meant to be me. You see: to me I don’t identify like that.I never will. I’ve never entirely went with a specific group. I’ve never completely identified with Africans. Maybe because most of the Africans I’ve met were newcomers to Canada. They all (parents and those I’ve met) expect me to speak the language, visit the home country frequently demonstrate and understanding of the customs and have them acted out in true form. I say ‘act’ because it’s easier to just follow to behave ‘African’ so guidelines are met and being ‘found’ would be much better than being ‘lost’.

The urgency comes from my mother’s fear( I didn’t grow up with) of me being ‘lost’. My being lost and not ‘knowing the culture’ is a nightmare for them. The problem with that is families have no idea that a hybrid child is created once (im)migration occurs. DNA is the same but the finished product is ‘a new thing’, not ‘ a bad thing’.

If only they understood that my experience with identity had been carved out a long time ago. I already identified with being ‘A Chinedu, a girl, a peanut butter jelly sandwich eater’ long time ago.Seemingly all things making me a Canadian aside from birth.

I believe it’s important to know where someone comes from, where their customs are coming from and understanding about heritage…..but understanding where you are and how you fit in and demonstrate the here or now is more important too!

The point I’m trying to make here is very clear to me: Within the landscape of Toronto-people, organizations, offices, other ethnic groups, your own family, even employers see a name or a face and immediately want to place you, categorize as something and once they get to know you or mis(understand) and dissect you they either become horrified, impressed or shocked why? Because they are expecting you to fall into any of the categories for your supposed type to make it easier.

When I visited the family’s home country….. I remember meeting random people in the streets of Lagos, in shops, people visiting my family during our stay all knowing and not expecting me to be anything other than what I was—A Canadian.

Sooo I may not go camping or fishing every Summer, I may not say Eh! All the time either. Heck, I may not be Caucasian. But I know what it means to be from here. I AM CANADIAN!

Happy Canada Day!

Reflections, Toronto

Finishing internships is like so last year!

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It’s been way too long…..after 2 months of early mornings, I’m proud to say that I love PR! I completed my internship on December 29,2009! It was an amazing way to finish off the year and I’m eager to find opportunities that are custom fit. I worked in the consumer care/beauty “department” and loved it! I found myself getting very focused at times. I enjoyed the tedious preparation before an event. The prep helped me see the bigger picture and anticipate the level of dedication required. Some of the skills I acquired were:
Media coverage tracking – I had to learn over time that having coverage trackers ready for client consumption was key.

Pitching – Phone & media pitching. I gree confidence in this area. Part of being able to develop stronger pitching was my ability to hear/feel the media contacts response to the pitch.

Active writing – Writing actively meant being concise,focused and developing for the audience. Having a clear writing objective for industry websites vs. electronic pitches for industry media equals very different

Keeping track of media impressions – This had to be a science of sorts : ) Running in EVERY morning with commuter papers and publications anticipating media coverage for the client, had me feeling very in tune with the beauty industry.

Media list building – This was so challenging. A proper media list gives you a chance to clearly redefine your client’s objectives. By aiming to the correct media outlet, I found that the media contacts were open-minded about covering the topic in their publication or running a product review in their blog or even better: attending the event planned by my firm!

The list of skills I acquired was enough to make me feel that I chose the right industry and that I will consider starting a business……….

Until then, I’m trying to “build relationships” with people and organizations that I can benefit from and can also benefit from me.