What are some of the reasons that entrepreneurs do not succeed? If you were to ask them, you would probably receive answers such as, “I didn’t finish college” or “there was no customer base for my product“.

These excuses, along with all of the others that may be included, are not words that one would hear from powerhouse William Adams aka ‘Will.i.Am’, who has enjoyed immense success despite the fact that both of the excuses cited above could have applied to him at one time or another.

Will.i.am was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He never knew his father. In fact, his formative years were spent in a low-income neighborhood with his mother, who had a dream for her son that went beyond convention. Determined to give him every opportunity to succeed beyond his circumstances, she enrolled him in the more affluent public schools on the west side of Los Angeles, where he not only survived – he thrived.

Will.i.am discovered his love for music in high school, a fact which is evident by his energetic and brilliant creativity as a founding member of the hiphop/dance/pop group, The Black-Eyed Peas.

To Will.i.am, innovation is second-nature, which is what landed him in an enviable position with Intel. He designed his own digital camera with a more powerful lens than conventional cameras, not because he suddenly had an epiphany that people would want this, but because he realized that it would help him with his own efforts to shoot great digital photos.

Will.i.Am designed a cover for the iPhone, which snaps on the back of the device and greatly improves the function of the phone’s built-in camera. The i.am+ foto.sosho hardware fits over your iPhone, turning the device’s eight megapixel camera into a 14 megapixel camera and adding a range of filters and lenses, including standard, fish-eye, wide and zoom. It also includes a keyboard for the sharing and tagging of pictures. He then collaborated on an app that performs functions similar to Instagram with capabilities for editing and sharing photos.

His creative genius can be seen everywhere, from his idea for Coca Cola to launch the Ekocycle project which manufactures products with recycled materials.

Perhaps two of the best contributions Will.i.am has made to the entrepreneurial world is that of the concept of doing and giving back. His his entire objective in formulating the Ekocycle idea was to encourage people to recycle. The earnings from this highly-profitable venture are shared by Will.i.am and Coca Cola, and donated to their favorite charities.

Not all of Will.i.am’s ideas have been successful though. His efforts to launch a social media platform for music lovers (DipDive) did not succeed. When asked about the possibility of the failure of his new iPhone accessory, he simply shrugged and said:

“Well, then I’ve made something cool for myself.”

This kind of attitude has earned Will.i.Am respect as a risk taker who isn’t just in it to “please the people”, and is known to be “the way”, of most mature and successful entrepreneurs today.

Will.i.am has shown that the creative side of a musician contains more substance than traditionally believed by corporate America.

His example is the basis for the reason that large companies seek out his ideas and his innovation for new ideas and concepts. In the past, there has been a misconception that musicians lack the intellect, drive, and business sense that it takes to succeed. Will.i.am is a prime example of how the creativity, that is inherent in the make-up of a musician, is actually an asset that can be tapped into for entrepreneurial success.

What can every entrepreneur learn from Will.i.am?

To sum it up into a list, the items would include, but not be limited to:

1. Your social background, affluence (or lack thereof), race, or creed should not hinder you from pursuing your vision.

2. The only obstacles to success are those which you place upon yourself.

3. Envisioning the goal, then pursuing it, is only part of the formula. Once the goal has been achieved, envision another one.

4. Looking beyond yourself keeps things in focus. Giving back to your community, or even to the planet in general, yields an intangible benefit that keeps “you” as the entrepreneur, focused on the overall picture.

5. Failure should not define the entrepreneur. In fact, it should not be in his or her vocabulary. Call it a re-definition, a refocus, or a discontinued endeavour. The word “failure” implies an inherent shortcoming, which should not be allowed to be a consideration.

6. Sharing the spotlight does not detract from one’s success. Will.i.am saw that the addition of Fergie to The Black Eyed Peas would add improvement to his group, and would benefit to the whole teams success. Your team is just as important as you are when it comes to success, sometimes changes within your team are needed to take you business and vision to the next level.

7. The world is forever changing and so are the business landscapes in every industry, you must be open-minded and able to adapt when trends and interests evolve. Will.i.Am makes sure he is inline with or 1 step ahead of the trends within his industries.

Conclusion

Will.i.am fulfilled the vision of his mother, who saw the value of believing in her son. Through his love for music, discovered in high school, he built upon his musical creativity and used that energy in venues that typically do not reconcile easily, such as the left-brain/right-brain theory.

Entrepreneurs would do well to follow Will.i.am’s example of setting goals, imagining better versions of what we see every day, and then putting those goals and visions into action.

Enjoy & share this Will.i.Am Picture Quote:

Article By: Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

Nowadays, Startup companies have been commonly compared to rock bands. Rock bands bring together members of similar abilities, create a DIY demo tape, network with comparable bands, and start playing gigs anywhere they can. The same can be said for today’s tech startups. People of varying skills are gathered together, to create their first prototype, and begin networking with additional startups and investors. Selling merchandise at trade shows is the same as starting from scratch. Whereas startups have angel investors, rock bands pursue indie record-labels.

Years ago, or perhaps decades ago, the coolest thing a young person could do was to join a band, the ultimate in coolness. At a time when “loose change funding,” was set aside for drinks, weed, and cigarettes, aspiring band members assembled in their parents basements and garages hoping for the day to be discovered. Today, being “cool” is about creating a social media startup. The bass has turned into a MacBook Pro. The disheveled diehard drummer has been replaced with the e-book version of “How to be a Startup Mastermind.”

Like any extremely pursued dream, there are those who manage to make it work.

Here are 8 reasons why startups are like rock bands

#1

If you take a rock band like Nirvana, they would be the Facebook of today. Who would think that a few guys innocently strumming chords and beating a drum would turn into such a legendary group? Facebook attained the same thing, and a generation of newbies are on the go within the company in the social media age. The popularity of startups was just beginning during the initial phase of Facebook. It’s just cool to see your idea reach millions of people, making your own startup the new “in thing.” The same goes for rock bands, having their music heard by the masses is something they deeply aspire to.

#2

Another reason why having a startup in the digital media age is so popular, because there’s little startup cost. If you can turn your computer on then you have the basic tool to run your own startup. Remember the days when rock bands would take whatever instruments they could find to get started? Most, if any, guitarist in a new rock band started with a Jimmy Hendrix designed Fender Stratocaster. Simple means created legendary musicians. The same is with startups, humble beginnings, as in Facebook, has generated a billionaire!

#3

Rock bands started with everyone having a passion for what they were doing. They loved having the opportunity just to play their instrument! Today in the digital age, passion is the driving force that gets new start-ups off the ground. As with a rock band, a bit of fame and fortune thrown in wouldn’t hurt. Nevertheless, in the beginning, it’s the getting there that creates the motivation.

#4

Once a rock band is formed, they throw themselves out there to try and get a gig. It’s a bit like “on the job training.” Nonetheless, they understand the importance of contact. With digital start-ups contact is all there is! Whether through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or whatever social media network the entrepreneur selects, products are no different. Selling products requires contact with people. Even though the contact will primarily be online, it will help any startup digital company refine their product and service.

#5

Usually, rock bands are not sitting there twiddling their thumbs waiting to get a record deal and get their product to the populace. Today, they cut their own records on their PC or 4-track recorders. They create their own record covers and print their own labels. Start-ups are the same. They have to get out there and create their website, blog, write Tweets, design a mobile app, and anything else that will push their product.

#6

Rock bands are great at self-promotion. They hand out flyers, send demo tapes, the lot. Successful startups are a bit the same. They create mobile apps, send emails, create a Facebook page, and get all their friends to friend them, who in return have friends that friend their friends! Somewhat like live beta testing.

#7

Rock bands tour and digital media startups network. It’s two and the same except digital media entrepreneurs can sit in their homes and make themselves known to thousands, perhaps millions of people without actually having to hit the road!

#8

Usually known as customers in the business world and fans to rock bands, they both have to treat their supporters with gratitude and respect. Rock bands know their fans matter and they admire and value them accordingly. Start-ups must do the same if they want to survive in this digital age. The competition is tough and usually what makes a business “stand out in the crowd,” is appreciation and superb service to their customers. No one is ever too small or too big when it comes to helping your customers, think this way and you will have tremendous longevity and a reputable name, both online and in the real world.

Article By Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

With a #1 album, over 200 million Youtube views and netting well over 1.5 million dollars in record sales with no major record label behind him, Mac Miller is definitely ‘somethin else’.

Here are some lessons that every entrepreneur can learn from Mac Miller:

Lessons From Mac Miller

Determine Your Field Of Specialization

There are plenty of activities that Mac Miller was involved in as a high school teenager. However he made a choice to focus all his attention into music, and not just any music. He was certain of his genre, hip hop.

As an entrepreneur you must choose the specific business you want to engage in, depending on your capabilities. After making your decision do not allow yourself to be distracted by what seems like opportunities in other fields. Concentrate on being the best among your competitors.

Pay Attention To The Foundation

The formative stages of any business are crucial as they set the stage for future operations. Mac Miller says of his hip hop foundation; “once I hit 15, I got real serious……hip hop is almost like a job, that’s all I did”. He must have missed out on plenty of activities as a teenage boy, but he understood he had to pay the price.

For your business to take off successfully you must be ready to invest a lot of time and energy. You will have to sacrifice some things, but in the long run it will be well worth the effort.

Make The Clients Your Friends

Mac Miller has managed to turn his fans into friends. He involves them in his music decisions through social media and other avenues.

As an entrepreneur make sure that your clients feel appreciated and valued. Engage with them through email, social media and any other suitable means. Ensure that their views and concerns are taken into account so that your products and services reflect their contribution.

Avoid Stagnation

In this age of technology things move pretty fast, Mac Miller learnt not to leave the fans listening to an old track for ages, but to release new tracks whenever he found quality time available to hit the studio and release his records.

Do not keep supplying the same old products and services to the market. Come up with new and improved formulas targeting the evolving needs of your clients.

Reduce Bureaucracy

Mac Miller works with a small team making it possible for decisions to be made faster. This has seen him go ahead of his competitors whose tracks end up leaking to fans before they are released officially due to the lengthy procedures.

Bureaucracies only slow things down, delaying implementation of essential business strategies.

Keep Promises

Most entrepreneurs offer attractive sounding packages to clients, only to go back on their word when the client comes on board. Mac Miller promised his fans that if his ‘Blue Slide Park‘ attained 50,000 pre-orders, he would drop the album immediately.

The strategy worked for him, and he released the album just as promised. Clients take note of every small promise, and you will only ignore it at your own peril.

Learn from others

Before starting out on your own you can take time to work with or for others who are established in a similar business. Miller started out as part of the rap group The III Spoken before he broke off to start a solo career.

Working with others gives you a chance to learn the ropes of the business.

Have a Mentor

A mentor most likely doubles up as a friend who will offer advice on matters of business and beyond.

Mac Miller has received valuable guidance from Atlantic Records artist Wiz Khalifa. Find your mentor and make history together!

Be Creative

Mac Miller released a track about the famous Donald Trump which was an instant hit attracting millions of views. Donald Trump himself spoke highly of Mac Miller further boosting his popularity on and offline.

Such creative strategies are essential in business.

Expect Criticism

Miller has several critics, but he has learnt to take constructive criticism and ignore the negative ones.

There are always going to be haters, aslong as you carry good morals and deliver with good ethics the rest is just jealousy coming from the other side of the table.

Checkout this Forbes interview with Mac Miller and get Familiar with this Young Musical Millionaire!

Mac Miller Interview With Forbes

Article By Joel Brown | Addicted2Success

This video shows us the power of music. Is music one of the tools we can use for extreme motivation? Maybe so.

Watch on as this old and close to mute man is converted into an animated and jovial person who is motivated by hearing music from his era through an iPod.

The Power Of Music – A Tool For Great Motivation

Great Music Quote:

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

Some may believe that being a rock star doesn’t involve much brains and intellect however if you really think about it, being able to make music is something that requires ample creativity, motivation and  determination. These three ingredients are also key  to becoming a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

Here are 10 musicians/bands who, in addition to faring well in the brave new world of the 21st century music industry, all have a gift for making good business decisions.

1. The Eagles

   In 1977, lite cowboy and cocaine rockers the Eagles went to court to gain control of their music publishing from their former manager and Asylum Records label head David Geffen. From the very beginning of their career, Eagles founders drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glenn Frey never pretended to be anything but ambitious, and they backed up their ambitions with a string of hit singles and albums. By the mid-’70s, the Eagles were selling one million albums a month, and playing hardball with their label and live concert promoters, receiving whatever they demanded as a percentage of gate ticket sales.

   The Eagles won their suit against Geffen and regained control of their publishing, worth tens of millions of dollars. But success has had its cost. The band’s cynicism about the music business, not to mention women and their own fans, comes through loud and clear in the lyrics to several of their hit songs. And while Eagles continue to tour, selling out stadiums is difficult to do thanks in part to our current economy.

    

2. Jay-Z

   A child of the Marcy Houses housing project in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn, Shawn Carter, better known as “Jay-Z,” went from releasing his first recordings on his own label, to becoming one of the most successful hip-hop artist entrepreneurs of all time. Jay-Z’s empire includes stakes in the 40/40 club chain, the New Jersey Nets basketball team, the clothing line Rocawear, and the Roc Nation label.

   He recently launched a lifestyle website, Life + Times, to help perpetuate the notion of Jay-Z as a brand. “My brands are an extension of me,” Jay-Z has said. “They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.”

    

3. Trent Reznor

   Nine Inch Nails, formerly on Interscope Records, are among a handful of top-selling artists, who have recently chosen to manage and release their music themselves instead of under the auspices of a major label. Nine Inch Nails front man and mastermind Trent Reznor is currently exploring a variety of ways to finance and perpetuate the Nine Inch Nails “brand,” including allowing fans to video tape concerts, and releasing recordings, sometimes for free or pay what you will, under a Creative Commons license, allowing for remixes of the material.

   “There’s a lot of opportunities I think to make money,” says Reznor with regard to Nine Inch Nails and its website. “But it shouldn’t always be about just making money.”

    

4. Madonna

   Madonna’s net worth has been estimated to be between $525 million and $600 million. Early on in her career, she had a strong sense for business and, perhaps more importantly, took care of herself physically by exercising and avoiding drugs and alcohol. The scope of her talents, which include singing, songwriting, fashion designing, dancing, and acting, is mind blowing, linking her to other great multifaceted female entertainers, like Josephine Baker, Judy Holiday, and Marilyn Monroe.

   However, in spite of her reputation and skill at artistic appropriation, Madonna’s accomplishments in the music industry as a woman, including creative and financial control of her brand, are unprecedented.

    

5. Katy Perry

   It’s safe to say that without Madonna, there would be no Katy Perry, although the two so far have yet to collaborate or, perhaps more surprisingly, share a smooch or two. Perry’s estimated net worth, $44 million, seems a paltry sum compared to the Material Girl’s moola.

   However, according to Vanity Fair, Perry “reinvests money in her concert production, thinks before chartering a private plane, and isn’t frivolous about buying clothes…” As a singer, songwriter, entrepreneur (she has her own line of perfume), and once again (thankfully) single woman, Perry is only just getting started.

    

6. Bob Dylan

   One recurring character in the lives of successful rock musicians is an aggressive, bullish manager, and for singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, Al Grossman was exactly that kind of a manager. Grossman began managing Dylan after he’d already achieved significant success in the folk music community. But Dylan had ambitions bigger than being the world’s best-loved folk singer.

   In his book, The Mansion on the Hill, Fred Goodman writes, “Grossman’s greatest achievement … was creating a commercial environment in which his clients could make a lot of money but preserve their integrity.” Dylan has since continued to successfully navigate the world of business and art, recording and touring at a pace of a musician half his age.

    

7. The Grateful Dead

   The Grateful Dead have always understood and cultivated the power of visual branding, although the band members would like you to believe otherwise. “You didn’t want to turn the Dead into a knickknack trinket business,” drummer Mickey Hart said when asked about past proposals for merchandising.

   In the coming years, Grateful Dead logos will appear on several new merchandise items, including coffee mugs, luggage tags, lunch boxes, and skateboards. Their upcoming merchandising blitz, which includes an elaborate online video game, will give birth to a new generation of Deadheads.

    

    

8. Dolly Parton

   OK, so Parton isn’t a rock musician, but country and early rock and roll are close like kissing cousins, so we think she belongs on this list. Parton’s business acumen is formidable, and probably underestimated, perhaps because of her blond, bubbly, and buxom public image. She has been called the wealthiest country music star, with an estimated net worth of $450 million dollars. Her songwriting has yielded huge hits, including “I Will Always Love You,” sung memorably by the late Whitney Houston.

   Dolly Parton’s business ventures include a film and television production company and the Dollywood theme park, located in Tennessee, which hosts approximately three million visitors annually. Not bad for someone who grew up “dirt poor” in a one-room cabin.

    

9. Arcade Fire

   When Arcade Fire took home the 2011 Grammy for Album of the Year, plenty of people watching the televised broadcast wondered aloud, “Who the hell is Arcade Fire?” This still relatively young band, lead by the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, remains signed to Merge Records, an independent label that supported them from the very beginning. “In the mainstream music business,” says music executive Danny Goldberg. “Merge is widely respected, not only because they signed Arcade Fire, but because they held on to them.”

   Arcade Fire has achieved unprecedented success for a so-called “indie-rock band” by keeping their overhead manageable, retaining control of their music and masters, and using the Internet to promote their music and connect to their fanbase.

    

10. Jack White

    Singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer, actor, and producer (whew!) Jack White is another example of a young musician operating successfully outside the major record label model. At 15, White, who in addition to playing guitar had seriously considered entering a seminary, began an apprenticeship upholstering furniture.

    Jack White’s eye for design and creative marketing would serve him as one half of the duo The White Stripes, known for their red, white, and black color schemes, as well as for their Detroit-inspired interpretations of rural and electric blues. White’s Nashville-located Third Man Records is home to a vinyl record store, a photo studio and dark room, and a live venue with an analog recording booth. Its website boasts that Third Man Records “strives to bring a spontaneous and tangible aesthetic back into the record business.” Amen, brother!

     

Article By: Roxanne McAnne

In the music industry, for every one person that succeeds, hundreds fail.

I’ve put together a list of some of the things you can do, and avoid, to properly prepare for your foray into the music business, or to strengthen what you’ve already built during your stint in this snake-filled industry.

9 Music Industry Success Tips

1. DO THE RESEARCH

Watching BET every day (or American Idol) does not qualify you to work in this industry. Read all the books, and study the websites and blogs every day to learn who’s who and what’s going on behind the scenes in the music industry. Follow the behind the scenes folks on Twitter, not just the famous artists. See who they talk with frequently, what they say to each other, and what issues are important to them. Ask questions (specific ones like “how do 360 Deals adversely and positively affect artists in today’s economy?,” not general or selfish ones like “how do I get started in the music business?”, or “how come you never return my calls?” or my personal least favorite one: “Follow me back!”).

2. DO VOLUNTEER OR INTERN

Very few people enter the music industry without doing some free labor of some sort, unless they start their own businesses. Working under a legitimate, well connected person in this industry can be more valuable than any money you could have ever been paid. Even if you decide to start your own management company, record label, or be a publicist, it’s important to gain some knowledge, connections, and experience in this business prior to going out on your own. Hey, P Diddy started as an intern.

3. DO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

This is a “who you know” business. You need to build real and lasting relationships with people. The bulk of paid work and opportunities that you get will be referred by someone else. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of paying jobs I’ve helped people get in this industry—not because they asked me to do so, but because someone mentioned they needed a road manager, or marketing person, or good publicist, or radio promoter, and I’ve plugged in folks I know and respect. I don’t hook up friends, I hook up people who are right for the job. They tend to go further in positions and make me look good for recommending them.

4. DO NOT BURN BRIDGES

I have burnt a lot of bridges in this industry, but they have all been well thought out, planned, and as a last resort. This is an ego driven business and there’s nothing worse than insulting someone and then finding yourself in a meeting with that person years later needing something from them.

5. DO NOT ASSUME

There’s so much that goes on in this industry behind the scenes that you can’t possibly assume you know what’s going on. When you are at the Barbershop talking about why an artist got shelved or signed, you look stupid for speculating. If you’re at a party talking about the latest rapper getting arrested based on what you read on the internet, you’re an idiot.

6. DO NOT ALWAYS BE “ALL ABOUT THE MONEY”

Being fiscally smart is a good thing. Always attaching a price to everything you do will get you left behind. Even the top folks at the most successful companies have their pro-bono and spec projects that they work on strictly for the love. If you are seen as being all about the money, you will gain a reputation of being a “culture vulture,” and those who are willing to pitch in and work free on special projects or special events will surpass you in their careers.

7. DO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LEGITIMATE PEOPLE

This industry is really just a minute big. We all know who the fuck boys (and fuck girls) are. If you are so desperate to get into this business by working for or coming up under a scumbag (artist or company), expect to always be seen as a scumbag. And if you end up working for a snake because you didn’t know any better, too bad! See #1 above.

8. DO BE LOYAL, BUT NOT LOYAL TO A FAULT

Loyalty is one of the most important traits in this industry (or in life). Misplaced loyalty is not. You can do the right thing, but if you do the right thing in loyalty but for the wrong person, you can really get burned. I’ve seen people take bullets and razor cuts for their team, but then watched the team not make a call, pay a hospital bill, pay for funerals, fund the bid, or even visit the family. Be loyal to those who will be loyal to you in return.

9. DO NOT BE BLINDED BY FAME

Fame is attractive and intoxicating. Do not trade your money or dignity for fame. It is fleeting, short lived, and those who have it will try to fight to keep it (but never succeed)—even at your expense. Just being “down” with an artist doesn’t make you famous or rich. It makes you just another groupie. And when you leave that camp, even though you’ve moved on, the stigma of you selling out to be a groupie stays forever. See any famous sidekick for proof of this fact.
These are just a few thoughts to help you move forward in your career in the music business, behind the scenes. Truth is, maybe ten people reading this out of all of the tens of thousands will still be in this industry next year, and maybe one or two will really succeed.

Article By Wendy Day

American Singer-Songwriter & DJ, ‘James Murphy’ from the US Dance-Punk band ‘LCD Sound System’ explains how he went from a total failure who lived a sad and sorry life to becoming a world-famous Dance-Punk DJ, who now tours the world creating music for the masses, living a life he could have never imagined.

This video is interestingly inspirational, especially if you are floating through life right now with no kind of direction and feel that you are getting nowhere in pursuit of your passion.

(Video) From Extreme Failure To Great Success – LCD Sound Systems ‘James Murphy’

I’m not usually a big fan of this guy but this video here  is one of the most profound 1.5 minutes with the controversial rapper an actor ‘Ice T‘ on what it takes to break through indecision and follow one’s dreams.

Please don’t be offended by the language – this is where the spoken word triumphs. 

Ice T’s Success Advice – “Fuck It!”

Justin Timberlake is one of the most influential singer/writer/producer/actors in the entertainment world today. With six Grammy awards and four Emmy’s under his belt, it is easy to put him on a box and see him as a very successful entertainer, nothing more, but if you are a budding entrepreneur you will be happy to read about his business ventures and success outside of music.

What entrepreneurs can learn from Justin Timberlake is limitless if only they are willing to learn, here we outline

Creativity adds value to business ideas

First of all, Justin Timberlake embraces creativity as one of the main drivers of making a business project work and succeed. He observes needs and examines demands for a certain product or service, and then pour out creative inputs to create something that has never been seen or heard before. He puts premium on the “ideation” of things and capitalizes on that from the very start. His record label Tennman Records, is a recording label that ties up with Interscope Records. He builds musical success from unheard of music acts through creating a new sound “from scratch”. Tennman Records is known for its talents like Esmee Denters (started out as a YouTube sensation), Matt Morris, and the band Fresol.

100% Involvement to the business is Key

Many entrepreneurs launch a business without any part of its planning at all. Claiming success over a business venture demands a personal signature from the one person who started it all. Without that “stamp”, an entrepreneur has no hold of whatever the business ends up with – success or failure. To be successful, you need to be a hands-on entrepreneur. You need to get involved from Point A to Point Z. It is the only way to lead it best and get it to a level of success you have envisioned for it from the very start.

Stick with the things you know and love to do

Justin Timberlake is best known as a musician. So his very first business venture is a recording company. He also loves fashion, so he takes on a company that is in that industry (William Rast). He then diversify his business interests from there and started restaurants like Destino and Southern Hospitality. This systematic approach to pursuing business projects help Justin to build a money making empire that he feels strongly about, and without a doubt, be very passionate to improve on it over time.

Stick with people you know

Justin Timberlakes clothing company ‘William Rast‘ is a high end denim company that is managed and led by no one but himself and his good friend Trace Ayala. Both shared passion for fashion and had undeniable familiarity with each other in terms of taste and creative thrusts. This brought in priceless chemistry which made the line a success in a very short period of time

Give back to the community

What entrepreneurs can learn from Justin Timberlake? Be generous! With his enormous success both in the entertainment industry and his business ventures, he gives back by hosting charity events like his PGA Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. This did not only make him feel good and invite positive vibes, this also made for a very good PR intervention for his businesses.

Justin Timberlake Quotes To Live By

As far as the press is concerned, they’re going to say what they want to say. Probably about 10-15 percent of the time It’s accurate.
Justin Timberlake

As time goes by people will see who I am for who I am.
Justin Timberlake

Every time you do a project, you learn something new.
Justin Timberlake

I believe people can move things with their minds.
Justin Timberlake

I really didn’t try to make an effort to make urban music, but I am a product of my inspirations.
Justin Timberlake

I’m a perfectionist. I can’t help it, I get really upset with myself if I fail in the least.
Justin Timberlake

I’m completely removed from any hype that comes my way.
Justin Timberlake

I’m not in this for the money because if I was, I would have jumped out after our first album.
Justin Timberlake

If you put out 150 percent, then you can always expect 100 percent back. That’s what I was always told as a kid, and It’s worked for me so far!
Justin Timberlake

The most boring thing in the world? Silence.

Justin Timberlake

When I’m in the studio, there are no boundaries.
Justin Timberlake

Derek Sivers created CDBaby.com because he needed a way to sell his music online. Soon other musicians asked him to help them sell their music. A few years later, he found himself helping over 100,000 artists sell their music. He recently sold his company for $22 million and is comfortable in life.

Watch these videos and interviews with Derek Sivers on how you to can create a successful company from your passion and hobbies. 

How A Musician Built CD Baby Into A $22 Million Dollar Business From His Home – Derek Sivers – by Andrew Warner

Derek Sivers – Founder Of CD Baby – Finding Your Inner Passion & Turning It Into Success

Why Derek Sivers Was Successful

Derek Sivers wasn’t afraid to start crappy

Derek laughs when wannabe entrepreneurs tell him about all the features they plan to include when they launch their companies. When he launched CD Baby the site’s design was pretty dorky. And instead of building a fully automated site, he did much of the order processing by hand. Quit aiming for perfection, just launch.

Derek Sivers knew what feedback to accept

Start crappy and build the business by listening and integrating user feedback. But be careful not to let user feedback take you too far off course. Derek says people kept telling him that he should launch a radio station. But he kept refusing because he didn’t think it was a good fit for his business.

Derek Sivers was patient

9 months after launching, his site was only bringing in $15 a week. Others might have have assumed that the site was a failure, but Derek was patient. He gave it room to grow.

Derek Sivers knew how to get financial security

I asked Derek if earning that first million gave him a sense of financial security. He said it didn’t. He said he got a greater sense of security by managing his own desires. Knowing that he wasn’t a wasteful spender gave him his sense of security.

Derek Sivers worked 2 hours a week

When Tim Ferriss published his book, The Four Hour Work Week, most people doubted it was possible to work that little. Not Derek. He worked 2 hours a week. He said it was because of the way he taught his staff. When anyone in the company asked him a question, he told the answer to everyone in the company. Within 6 months, everyone knew what Derek knew. “He made himself unnecessary”.

Derek Sivers Summary by Andrew Warner from Mixergy

13 Quotes By Derek Sivers

1. “Business is not about money. It’s about making dreams come true for others and for yourself.” - Derek Sivers

2. “Making a company is a great way to improve the world while improving yourself.” – Derek Sivers

3. Utopia. “When you make a company, you make a utopia. It’s where you design your perfect world.” – Derek Sivers

4. What matters. “Don’t pursue business just for your own gain. Only answer the calls for help.” – Derek Sivers

5. Success. “Success comes from persistently improving and inventing, not from persistently promoting what’s not working.” – Derek Sivers

6. Your plans. “Your business plan is moot. You don’t know what people really want until you start doing it.” – Derek Sivers

7. The power of exclusion. “You can’t please everyone, so proudly exclude people.” – Derek Sivers

8. Revolution. “Five years after I started CD Baby, when it was a big success, the media said I had revolutionized the music business. But ‘revolution’ is a term that people use only when you’re successful. Before that, you’re just a quirky person who does things differently.” – Derek Sivers

9. “If it’s not a hit, switch.” Don’t spend years pushing ideas that people don’t seem into. “Whenever you’re not getting a massive frothing-at-the-mouth “I want to pay you now” response, just don’t do it. Let it go and try something else.” – Derek Sivers

10. Hell Yeah! “If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about something, say “no”. – Derek Sivers

11. You don’t know ’till you’ve opened in New Haven. “Anytime you think you know what your new business will be doing, remember this quote from Steve Blank: ‘No plan survives first contact with customers’.” – Derek Sivers

12. The wisest decision criteria. “Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or promote someone—according to what’s best for your customers.” – Derek Sivers

13. The silence of the web. When he mass emailed CD Baby customers (in the millions), he learned to be so careful in what he wrote. Even a tiny mistake or lack of clarity could generate thousands of emails from readers that took days to respond to. He learned to write succinctly, lucidly, carefully, with the reader always in mind.

When it comes to inspiration, Michael Jackson is a great one to look to. Michael Jackson knew how to make his dreams come true. In fact, he’s a perfect example of what someone can accomplish when they believe in the power of their dreams. Michael Jackson achieved a level of mastery in entertainment few others have reached.

Watch this video as Michael Jackson shares his advice on success and how you to, could be living out your dreams.

(Video) Michael Jacksons Success Advice – Live Your Dreams

Bonus: Michael Jackson Quotes

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.” – Michael Jackson

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.” – Michael Jackson

“’Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons.” – Michael Jackson

“I’m just like anyone. I cut and I bleed. And I embarrass easily.” - Michael Jackson

“To give someone a piece of your heart, is worth more than all the wealth in the world.” - Michael Jackson

Business is a lot more fun when you learn from rock stars instead of text books. If your ears are open, you’ll find that many essential business lessons are coming through your speakers. Turn it up to “11” and sing along to the 12 Most Compelling Business Lessons from Rock Stars, adapted from the pages of the book “Brand Like A Rock Star: Lessons From Rock ‘n’ Roll To Make Your Business Rich and Famous.”

Rock Star Business Lessons

1. Be as unique as KISS

There was nobody like them. They wore elaborate make-up, spit blood, breathed fire, and blew stuff up on stage. Because of that, they got noticed. Getting noticed is the first critical step in marketing. If you don’t get noticed, you don’t exist… and you’ll never have the chance to prove to anyone how great you are.

2. Be as consistent as AC/DC

Every album has the same iconic font. Every picture of the band has Angus wearing a school boy outfit. And they never sing about starving children in the third world or the angst of a relationship that ends badly. If your business isn’t consistent, people will never know what to really expect from you.

3. Be as hated as Nickelback

The whole world hates Nickelback. Yet they’ve sold over 50 million albums and continue to sell out concerts everywhere, every night. Nickelback knows that if just 10% of the population loves them, the other 90% don’t matter. Having people hate your brand is a positive thing. It means they know you and understand what you’re about. As long as you have people who feel just as strongly towards you, having haters rocks.

4. Be as PR-savvy as the Sex Pistols

They only ever had one album, but they made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because they shocked the world with their antics. Manager Malcolm McLaren carefully constructed chaos around his band everywhere they went, making the news at every turn. He knew that if people were talking about his band, they would come see his band and buy their records. He was right, and the same applies to your brand.

5. Be as gracious as the Grateful Dead

They gave away their music. Fans were invited to record and share the live shows. The Grateful Dead knew that spreading their music, even for free, would result in more ticket and album sales. It was a brilliant move and helped make them one of the top-grossing live bands of the 1970s and 80s. Does your company give something away in order to build a tribe of passionate followers? It doesn’t have to be product. You can give away time, knowledge, and expertise.

6. Be as focused as Bob Marley

When Bob Marley started making music, the word “reggae” didn’t exist. That’s how small his niche was! He became one of the top-selling stars in music by being intensely dedicated to his craft. Bob Marley didn’t make any other kind of music, and never compromised in order to reach more fans. Great brands have that same focus, clearly establishing a singular point of differentiation.

7. Be as human as The Beach Boys

Their 1965 hit “Barbara Ann” was full of mistakes. People were drunk in the studio, singing along to a song that they didn’t know the words to. And the Beach Boys left them all in. The song connected with people because it was real… it actually sounded like a party-in-progress. When your business exposes some flaws, intentionally, it becomes human, allowing people to fall in love with your brand in an entirely new and personal way.

8. Be as brave as Johnny Cash

His career was over. When Johnny Cash went into the studio to work with hip hop and rock producer Rick Rubin, he was a long-since faded star. It took guts to work with Rubin, and to record covers of songs by Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, and other alternative rock stars. Johnny Cash went out on a limb, and the result was a series of albums that revived his career and cemented is status forever. Have the bravery to take a few calculated risks, like Johnny Cash did, and great things could happen.

9. Be more humble than Axl Rose

He spent 18 years and a reported $13 million dollars making the most expensive album ever recorded, Guns N Roses “Chinese Democracy”. For 13 years we heard how epic this album would be, and when it finally came out it was a monumental let down. Yet musically, it wasn’t that bad. It is remembered as a failure because of hype. Hype is empty. Instead of selling us empty hype, create honest anticipation for your brand.

10. Be as true as Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan did whatever he wanted. He went electric when everyone wanted him to sing folk songs. He recorded a Christmas album when people least expected it. Bob Dylan has remained true to Bob Dylan. Great brands have that sense of purpose. They have a set of internal values and they remain true to them, quickly finding out that there are millions of people who share those very same values.

11. Be as rare as Led Zeppelin

The 2007 Zeppelin reunion concert broke records for ticket demand. Over 20 million ticket requests were made for the 20,000 seats at London’s O2 Arena, crashing servers instantly. Since breaking up after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, Led Zeppelin has rarely played together. When supply is that low, and demand is that high, the value of a ticket goes way up. There’s nothing wrong with working the supply-and-demand equation in your favor. Keep demand high and make your product somewhat scarce, and you’ll increase the perceived value for your brand.

12. Be an experience like Jimmy Buffett

Where can you see thousands of people wearing coconut bras and grass skirts, drinking margaritas? A Jimmy Buffett concert isn’t about the music, it is about the unique experience. Great brands don’t sell products, they sell experiences. Those experiences are what we are buying into. Give your customers a really cool experience instead of pitching them another product that they don’t know they need.

In his book, “Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from the Street Corner to the Corner Office,” author Zack O’Malley Greenburg traces Jay-Z’s success at amassing wealth and influence. Greenburg describes Jay-Z’s story as “the American dream in its purest form, a model for any entrepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.” He spoke with BNET about what entrepreneurs can learn from Jay-Z’s rise.

Read on for some Awesome Entrepreneurial Advice from Zack O’Malley Greenburg as he shares what he has learnt from the King of Hip Hop “Jay-Z”.

(Video) A Look At Jay-Z’s $450 Million Empire with Author, Zack O’Malley Greenburg

 What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Jay-Z

BNET: Why write a biography of Jay-Z that focuses on business, not music?

Greenburg: Jay-Z was one of the first to really realize the potential to turn yourself into a lifestyle. People give Martha Stewart credit for creating a lifestyle brand, but Jay-Z has done the same thing, only with a different lifestyle. Jay-Z, along with Puffy and a few other major hip-hop figures, has managed to monetize celebrity in ways that popular artists in other genres haven’t.

BNET: What is one of Jay-Z’s most shrewd business moves?

Greenburg: Jay-Z used to shout out Iceberg Apparel in his songs, which sent sales of Iceberg products soaring. He saw that happening, so he went to the executives of the company and said, “Hey, I’m making you all this money. Why don’t we formalize this with some kind of endorsement deal or equity stake?” The guys at Iceberg weren’t having it, so Jay-Z and his partner Damon Dash started their own clothing line, Rocawear, which became incredibly successful. Within 10 years, Jay-Z sold it for $200 million.

BNET: What’s the key to his business success?

Greenburg: First, there’s the music. He wouldn’t be where he is without being a talented wordsmith.  But starting with Rocawear he had a template: Instead of rapping about other people’s products, he could rap about his own.

He also tends to take on mentors, learn everything he can from them, and then discard them and move on to a new mentor. During his early career, you see this with Jaz-O and Damon Dash. He discarded mentors like these and kept moving on to the point where his mentors are now people like Warren Buffet and Oprah.

And Jay-Z has something that people want: coolness. That’s valuable for a company like Microsoft, which has problems with coolness — its rivals make fun of it for being nerdy. When Jay-Z put out his book, Microsoft gave him $1 million worth of marketing and formed a partnership with him. Microsoft was basically providing a valuable service for Jay-Z in exchange for being associated with his coolness. It’s pretty bizarre, but wonderful for Jay-Z.

BNET: He’s a hustler, which any good entrepreneur needs to know how to do.

Greenburg: One of the things that Jay-Z retained from the streets to the boardroom was the idea that he wasn’t going to give anybody any discounts on anything. If a crack rock was selling for $10, you weren’t going to get it for $9.95 — even if you were his best friend. That’s something that stuck with him throughout his career. He wasn’t going to take any less from anybody than what he thought he was worth.

His background prepared him in another way too: When you’re used to operating under the intense pressure of the streets, where anything could go wrong and your life is on the line, going into a boardroom with a bunch of guys in suits is a lot less intimidating.

This post originally appeared at BNET.

Jay-Z did an interview with Oprah’s “O Magazine” a while back now where he shared six of his favorite and life changing books. I thought that I would share these with you as I have found a number of these books beneficial and thought provoking myself. Read on and see what may have helped carve this Multi-Million Dollar giant in the music industry.

“Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself.” – Jay-Z’

Jay-Z’s Top 6 Books For Success

The Seat of the Soul
By Gary Zukav

Jay-Z : ”There are two books that I absolutely live my life by. This is one of them. Growing up, I was always curious about religion. This book made the most sense to me; it’s about the way you live your life. I believe in karma and doing the right thing even if it may not advance you as far as you want. If every single person felt the same way about karma and intention, then the world gets fixed tomorrow. But temptation gets in the way. Zukav is right: It may take lifetimes to learn”.

The Celestine Prophecy
By James Redfield

Jay-Z : ”This is the other book I live by. It’s fiction—a guy travels to find a secret book that has a series of principles. The story is a metaphor for life: I could go left or right, I could be stuck, or I could keep advancing. Some people are happy where they are. I tried to hire a guy once, and I said, “Don’t you have ambition to be bigger?” And he said, “No, I’m good.” I had to respect that, but for me that was the wrong relationship”.

The Odyssey
By Homer

Jay-Z :”This epic poem was kind of difficult for me to get through, but it has a beautiful rhythm. I got lost in reading about Odysseus’ struggle to get home and his longing for someone so strong, as his wife was, waiting for him. That’s
like a dream—that kind of strength, love, loyalty”.

Outliers 
By Malcolm Gladwell

Jay-Z : ”This book is about the principles of timing and repetition—about preparing yourself for luck, really. He talks about a hockey team, and how the players born in January had a year up on the guys born in December. They were fortunate that their birthday was early, but they also practiced—they put the work in. The book resonated with me because I was born at a time when there was an influx of incredible music into the culture, and I was lucky that my mom and pop were huge record collectors. In my house, I had music by Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and the Commodores, and I’m listening to it every single day”.

Purple Cow
By Seth Godin

Jay-Z : ”This is straight marketing advice: Your product has to be a purple cow—it has to be distinct to have any success. You have to be clear on your product: What are you? What are you putting out there? For years I never did an ad for [my company] Rocawear, because I cared more about the quality than the face in front. I hadn’t read this book back then, but when someone puts words to feelings you have, it’s like, “Wow, that’s exactly what it is.”

Nigger
By Dick Gregory

Jay-Z : ”I don’t know who turned me on to this autobiography, but his sense of humor and the hardships he went through stayed with me—especially the scene where he started running home from school. It led to his joining the track team, which led to a scholarship to college. Running opened up a whole world for him”.

Decoded
By Sean “Jay-Z” Carter

Jay-Z has just released his own book “Decoded” which is a narrative of the famous lyrics and overall life of the multi-platinum rapper. The fully-illustrated book decodes 36 songs from Jay-Z’s extensive catalog, offering an intimate, first-hand account of the rapper’s most famous raps.

Buy it on Amazon now!

Jay-Z reveals “Decoded” book at Miami’s Delano Hotel

Grammy Award Winning Artist Bruno Mars is on this months cover of Billboard Magazine as he shares with everyone his experiences of being dropped from a major record label, being caught with cocaine, his take on success and who he wants to work with in the future. Read the Qs & As after the jump.

On getting dropped by his first label, Universal Motown

Bruno Mars - I wasn’t ready for it. I did nothing. And the lesson was — why are you waiting for someone to come and write a song with you? You know how to play the freakin’ guitar. Do it on your own.

“There was a lot of rejection. A lot of other labels saying, ‘You don’t know who the hell you are. You’re doing all this reggae, R&B, rock stuff. How the hell do we market that? Are you pop? Are you urban?’ Elektra gave me a shot and trusted my vision.”

On how he became a songwriter first

Bruno Mars – Brandon [Creed, then VP of A&R at Epic Records] was always saying, ‘You need a story. You need to be in the studio writing for people.’ At the time I was like, ‘You’re crazy. I’m amazing!’ But he was absolutely right. Working and interacting with other artists and being so involved with the business aspect; understanding A&R, understanding radio, understanding music videos meant that when it came to my time, I’d seen how it goes.”

On being caught with cocaine

Bruno Mars – It’s something that I wish would go away. It’s a cloud that constantly follows me no matter how many achievements. I’d like to move on. To show that I’m here for my music. Not to be in a tabloid.

On his success

Bruno Mars – It’s a rare thing that happens, especially in this day, where it’s real hard to sell albums. I’m traveling to places that I’ve never even heard of and there are all these people singing the songs back — and English is not even their first language. It’s like, what the hell happened?

On who he would like to work with in the near future

Bruno Mars – I’m just a mixed-up dude. I want to work with the Kanyes, the Jay-Zs… a Rihanna, a Gaga, Kings of Leon, Mumford & Sons. I want to do all those things. As proud as I am of “Doo-Wops,” I feel like, ‘Oh, man. People haven’t seen nothing. They don’t even know what I’m about to do,’ and that’s what I can’t wait to show the world.

Words of Wisdom for Artists

Bruno Mars – “When people fall is when they’re like, ‘OK. Now I’m here, what’s next? A clothing line?’ That’s not what I’m trying to do. It’s like, ‘Don’t be a s***. Remember your dream. Do your music and keep it special.’”

Checkout Bruno Mars & Travie McCoys Inspirational Song  “Billionaire” (The Acoustic Version)

The reigning King of R&B Usher Raymond is no stranger to Success. With Grammy Awards, World Wide Tours and acting on the big screen Usher knows what it takes to reach for the stars make a name for yourself among the greats. I had a chance to meet Usher in the studio in Miami a year ago and I have to say he is one of the most humble and most talented people to be around.

Recently Usher founded ‘New Look‘, a non-profit charity organisation which aims to “provide young people with a new look on life through education and real-world experience”. In this Video Usher shares his thoughts on what it takes to reach your goals and what attitudes played a big part in his success.

Usher’s Words Of Wisdom For The New Look Foundation:

Usher Quotes To Live By:

Breaking up is a natural evolution when you try to figure out what you want in life. If you’re with an individual who isn’t moving in the same direction and at the same rate that you are, it ain’t going to work. - Usher Raymond

Down time is not the name of the game.  - Usher Raymond

I guess I had it made. My mother gave me advice – she taught me that women like to be looked in the eye – and my grandmother gave me condoms.  - Usher Raymond

I learned how music works dealing with Jermaine Dupri, and I learned how image works dealing with Puff Daddy. - Usher Raymond

Sleeping is forbidden at the age of 22. It’s all work and no play. - Usher Raymond

Somebody has to look out for and protect our kids, and I feel blessed to be a blessing to someone else.  - Usher Raymond

Strivers achieve what dreamers believe. - Usher Raymond

If you are not already, you need to follow “Rev Run” From Run DMC on Twitter. This guy is a fountain full of good words and truth, spreading his motivational thoughts out to over 2 and a half million Twitter followers around the world every day. Rev Run is responsible for inspiring and mentoring a number of successful artists on the charts over the last 2 decades and is also known as the brother of Legendary Def Jam Records founder “Russell Simmons“. In this Video UK Radio Personality Tim Westwood talks with Rev Run about Handling Life, His Words Of Wisdom & What Is Most Important In Life.

Rev Runs Words Of Wisdom With Tim Westwood

Rev Runs Amazing Words Of Advice:

Never let other people determine your life’s outcome! We will all mess up from time to time.. And If you’re gonna mess up, it might as well be your decision NOT someone else’s. It’s cool to listen to folks sometimes. (But remember!!) Never be so open minded that your brains fall out!” -Rev Run

If you truly want to be successful in life, there is one law you must apply: SACRIFICE. You must sacrifice selfishness if you want friends. You must give up poor eating if you want health. You must give up loose living if you want a mate. Life is all about giving. In some instances, that means giving up something. - Rev Run

“Always have great mentors around you… The mentor is the one who comes to shorten the distance… The mentor can be the difference between success and failure… (Remember!) The difference between a fool and a wise man is, a fool learns after his mistake, and a wise man learns after yours”. - Rev Run

“The best way to disconnect from wrong people is to become obsessed with doing the right thing! When your obsession is to do the right thing, wrong people will find you unbearable.Believe me that overweight, lazy, unfocused people will not follow you to the gym! Nor do those up to no good”- Rev Run

“You need a great team to make great things happen! Plans succeed or fail because of the people involved! (Remember) YOU CANNOT whistle a symphony!”- Rev Run

Rapper-producer Jonathan “Lil Jon” Smith is best known for turning everyday words like “yeah” and “okay” into bloodcurdling sonic extravaganzas. He’s crafted hits for the likes of Usher and Ludacris. But given the state of the recording industry, he’s focusing more on a concept that doesn’t lend itself to his trademark exhortations: diversification.

Lil Jon’s non-music revenue streams include a line of Oakley sunglasses, an energy drink and a wine label. On a recent visit to the DailyFinance studios, Jon estimated that these ventures account for nearly a third of his annual earnings, which total an estimated $11 million, by Forbes’ last count. In this video Lil Jon explains why there’s no better time than now to diversify.

Lil Jon Explains How He Is Creating A Diversified Portfolio

Lil Jon’s most successful business venture is his Crunk!!! Energy Drink, which allowed him to tap into a familiar lifestyle niche. “Crunk is a word we’ve been using in the South forever-it basically means energy,” he explains. “Crunk is past tense for crank. Once you crank it, it’s crunk … it’s off the hook, it’s crazy.”

Jon launched the beverage in 2002 with the help of late liquor baron Sidney Frank, the father of Grey Goose vodka. The two connected while Grey Goose was sponsoring concerts for Jon’s group, Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz. After Frank passed away in 2006, Kimberley Clark veteran Tom Mahlke came in to run Crunk, and these days the energy drink pulls in a reported $15 million per year. Jon won’t reveal how much of that sum comes his way, but given the structure of comparable celebrity ventures, his annual take may well approach seven figures.

Jon’s next venture took him to a different side of the beverage business. In 2008, he started a wine label, Little Jonathan. The idea stemmed from a small run of private label wine that he’d commissioned for a party earlier that year. When he saw how easy it was to enter the wine business on a permanent basis, he brought in Alison Crowe — a California winemaker who has worked at Chalone Vineyard, Curtis Winery, Bonny Doon Vineyards and others — to create a merlot, a cabernet and a chardonnay. Bottles can be had for $15.99 online; sales figures aren’t available. But the chardonnay won a silver medal at the 2009 Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition.

“People tried to act like it was Boone’s Farm or something,” Jon says. “But when people tasted it, they saw that this was real and not anything ghetto at all.”

Planning for Retirement: Lil Jon Diversifies

Jon’s other ventures include a line of Oakley sunglasses ($100 per pair) and an Apple (AAPL) iPhone application ($0.99 per download) that features recordings of all his most popular sayings. He won’t disclose how much he earns from either, but he admits they’re part of his retirement plan.

“I want to have something to fall back on, so that’s a reason you create these different business ventures,” he explains. “I don’t want to rap forever.”

For now, he’ll use music to raise the profile of his other products, even though Crunk Rock‘s singles are unlikely to enjoy the success of 2004′s smash hit, Yeah. That song spent 12 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100 list and ranks 11th on Billboard’s all-time list, thanks in part to Lil Jon’s unique ululations.

“If I had $20 for every time someone asked me to go ‘Yeah!’ or ‘What!’ or ‘Okay!” he says, “I wouldn’t need to [win] the Lotto.”

Taylor Swift is a successful young musician. She was listed in People magazine’s November 1, 2010 edition as being #12 on Forbes Celebrity Power list. She is the youngest ever to win the  Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year. She earns an estimated $45 million per year. This has given her an extraordinary life and she has experienced a lifetime’s worth of adventures.

In this post, Ms. Taylor Swift has a unique vantage point and her impressions are worth listening to, her Success Advice is great and its very clear that Taylor Swift is mature beyond her years.
In a short period of time, she has traveled the world, she has met and gotten to know celebrities and famous people of all kinds. Top politicians, the United States president, and giants of Wall Street have all crossed her path.

(Video) Taylor Swifts Success Advice

Taylor Swifts Top 7 Success Tips!

1. Honor your healthy routine. “Health is a big part of being happy,” says Swift, who is committed to keeping herself in great shape physically and mentally even when she’s touring. Because her life is so busy, Swift knows that staying disciplined about how she eats is crucial to her well-being. While this lanky, 5-feet-11-inch star doesn’t need to watch her weight, she says she still pays attention to what she puts in her body. And regardless of her tour schedule, she makes sure to squeeze in an hour-long run on a treadmill every day.

2. Reward yourself. Work for your indulgences, and then enjoy! “I have a need to feel like I’ve earned things, so when I have a week of working really hard, I get to have a day or two off, whether it’s from exercise or watching what I eat,” says Swift.

3. Skip the judgment. When it comes to diet and working out, Swift is watchful rather than self-chastising. “I keep an internal gauge of whether it’s been a healthy week or not,” says Swift. Then, she makes adjustments instead of beating herself up. “During the week, I try to eat healthily, so that means salads, yogurt, and sandwiches,” she says. “No sugary drinks. I try to keep it lighter, but it’s nothing too regimented or crazy. I don’t like to create too many rules where I don’t need them.”

4. Water it down. “I drink so much water my friends call me an alien,” says Swift, who always carries a bottle with her. Just to make sure she’s never short, the singer keeps a case in her car.

5. Find your rhythm. To make sure you stick to your fitness plan and power up your workout routine, download favorite songs or albums that you don’t let yourself listen to until you’re in motion. “I don’t like any other kind of exercise except for running,” Swift says, “And I love that because it’s about the music.”

6. Don’t flee your feelings. Recognize that anxiety’s not inherently bad. It’s uncomfortable while it’s happening, but it can also propel you out of a rut and inspire you. “It’s awful to sit there feeling that way” — at first, says Swift, “But if you can, it can also lead to something that takes you out of that feeling and into something creative.”

7. Keep a journal. Putting words on paper helps songwriter Swift keep herself honest — and balanced, she says. “From a young age, any time I would feel pain I would think, ‘It’s OK, I can write about this after school,’” she says. “And still, anytime something hurts, like rejection or sadness or loneliness, or I feel joy or I fall in love, I ask myself, ‘Can I write a song about this so I know how I feel?’”

Taylor Swift Quotes To Live By:

“I think sometimes as people gain success the list of things that makes them happy gets smaller,” she explains, “but i think your list should get bigger.” – Taylor Swift

A lot of people nowadays see the Music Industry as a black hole with saturation high and nearly every corner holding a brand new artist with a home recording studio people are in search of that golden advice that will put them 10 steps ahead of the rest in making it in todays busy Music Industry.

In this feature we present a number of videos with advice from some of the top A&Rs, Artists, Managers, DJs & Radio hosts in the Music industry on what it takes to be Successful in their field.

Irv Gotti, responsible for breaking such artists as Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd etc… Gives advice on how to work your way up in the in Music Industry.

Jimmy Iovine, The head of Interscope Records, responsible for signing 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, Soulja Boy etc.. offers advice to aspiring artists on how to lay the groundwork for a long and successful career in the music industry of tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYLLL4h0MBw

World Renowned & UKs #1 Hip Hop DJ & Radio Host “Tim Westwood” explains what is needed to break it in the industry with DJing and Radio Hosting.

P.Diddy, now known as “Swagga” (WTF?) talks about how he feels in the industry and motivates us with what he has learned from self lessons and coming up in the music industry.

In this 3 Part Video Atlantic Records Music Artists Lupe Fiasco, Estelle, B.o.B & Janelle Monae sit down and discuss how they push the envelope and do things outside of the ordinary to reach their success in the music industry, business and life.

Lupe Fiasco, Estelle, B.o.B & Janelle Monae Success Advice

Def Jam & Phat Farm founder Russell Simmons shares with us his advice on how to get Super Rich and still stay enlightened. Russell Simmons shares some of the information we can expect from his latest book “Super Rich” with alot of money making gems that will not only save you alot of time but will point you in the best direction for your long term achievable goals and dreams.

Its good to know we still have some down to earth Millionaires out there like Russell Simmons.

Russell Simmons Success Advice