Mastery Journal - Sports Management & Operations

            I consider myself to be a sports fanatic. More specifically, I consider myself to be a sports-statistics junkie who is extremely interested in how the sports-world works. For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the puzzle pieces that form the bigger picture, not only in the sports realm but also in business (and life) in general. The largest department within these industries that captures my undivided attention, more so than others, is management. My current course at Full Sail University, Sports Management and Operations, successfully combines all of these categories into one class, and I absolutely love it.

            While delving deeper into many sports-related aspects like player representation, facility issues, media rights, and fan loyalty and engagement, I was able to increase my knowledge of these topics tenfold. Now I can actually have an intelligent conversation with someone about these matters and not feel like I’m just someone who is only familiar with these subjects.

            As someone who grew up loving sports, but was rarely able to participate on an “organized team” level due to being considered by many to be “too skinny” or not as talented as the next man, I began looking into the athlete representation and management side of the equation, for the possibility of a sports-related career of my own. This is why I enjoyed learning about sports agents during the second week of this course.

            By learning more about sports management and operations, I wouldn’t say that my career aspirations have changed as much as I would consider them to be even more reinforced and much stronger now. After learning what I have in this course, not only am I still interested in a career in athlete representation or management, I am now even more interested in these fields. 

            I will apply the knowledge that I’ve accumulated during this course into being better prepared for the possibility of working in this industry in the future.

Fan Loyalty Promotions in Sports

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Moller

 1.)       Fan loyalty and engagement is important to sports organizations for a variety of reasons. It provides a way for organizations to monitor, measure, and analyze the trends and tendencies of their fans. The dynamic of a loyal fan of a sports franchise is basically identical to that of a repeat customer for a business. Aside from certain aspects that are usually known to lead to the success of a business such as a solid foundation, integrity, innovation, and overall makeup of the brand or business, the repeat customer is what generates recurring revenue and drives a business to continue to keep it alive. This is no different in the sports world.

            If a sports organization were to be interested in learning what their fan base is thinking, then perhaps creating a social media profile (or two) would benefit them. If the sports organization were interested in learning how to track their loyal fans across their social media platforms, then perhaps they would choose to follow a few individuals who happen to have influence over other fans within the same organization. There are companies that exist solely to measure, analyze, and assess a “fan loyalty index” across the world of sports. According to Passikoff (2013), the 21^st annual Brand Keys Sports Fan Loyalty Index shows that the most loyal fans in the NBA (as of April 16, 2013) are Miami Heat fans with the San Antonio Spurs fans at number two. There could be a correlation between this statistic and the fact that these two teams were the best two teams in the league at this current time. I’m sure teams that win more often than they lose will have a higher fan loyalty score than those who lose more often than they win. I suppose a “bandwagon” mentality could be addressed here, but this would begin straying from the original topic matter. Speaking of the Miami Heat, and bandwagons, as of this current week in sports, the Miami Heat’s best player, LeBron James, has signed a deal to return to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. This should have a dramatic effect on the annual Brand Keys Sports Fan Loyalty Index of the Miami Heat during the next year.

2.)       Some professional sports organizations are already running campaigns that encourage and benefit fan loyalty. According to Fischer (2012), the Miami Dolphins introduced a “new consumer loyalty effort called The Fin Club, powered by New York-based startup CrowdTwist” (¶ 1). The Fin Club awards points for “virtually any Dolphins-related activity” including ticket and merchandise purchases. There are other incentives that reward fans with points including following the team on social networks like Facebook or Twitter. These fans can redeem their points for unique rewards such as the chance to run out the team flag during player introductions at a home game, interviewing players, or hosting a business meeting in the team’s locker room. Through the services provided by CrowdTwist, The Fin Club will allow the Dolphins to “measure, analyze, and reward all trackable fan behavior around the team, both online and offline.” Many fans are responding very well to the existing fan loyalty programs across the sports industry. It allows the loyal fan to interact more with their favorite team through engaging activities as well as providing them special benefits that wouldn’t be available or accessible to other fans. Loyal fans enjoy their exclusivity. Unfortunately, the Miami Dolphins aren’t necessarily the “choice” team to experiment with fan loyalty rewards programs, given that the Dolphins aren’t necessarily a winning team. I would be interested to see how this type of program would affect a team with a rich tradition of sold-out home games and fan interaction, like the Green Bay Packers.

3.)       Three ways to engage fans before, during, and post game to increase fan attendance may include either running multiple promotions at once, having one large promotion to encompass it all, or both.

            In order to engage fans before a game, a sports organization could offer discounted concessions and/or merchandise up until the scheduled game time. A sports organization could also offer some kind of seat-selection drawing to reward a fan that’s already in attendance before the game. An organization could collect the data from each ticket scanned upon entry to the facility until the scheduled drawing when one lucky fan’s seat number could be called to win the prize/reward. Another way to engage fans before a game could include a tailgating promotion where a player or two from the home team walks around the lot with the mascot for a couple of hours before the game begins. These “tailgating tours” could reward fans with upgraded seats or vouchers for the team’s in-stadium merchandise shop or concession stands.

            In order to engage fans during a game, a sports organization could have a promotion that occurs during the game’s “break time(s).” This would occur during halftime of a basketball, football, or hockey game, as well as during the seventh-inning-stretch of a baseball game. Smaller promotions could also occur during the team’s timeouts. In order to cut back on the congestion of the concessions and bathrooms during these special breaks, this promotion could be viewed on the “Jumbotron” to keep many people in their seats during the break. Sports organizations could also bring in local or national entertainment acts in order to perform during these breaks. Organizations could also run discounted concessions for a limited time after the home team scores. They could also build up the discount as the game progresses too. Let’s say, for each goal the Chicago Blackhawks score tonight, fans will receive an additional $1 off of a standard Chicago Hot Dog at the concession stands (up to a total of $4 off). They could always choose a different item to promote, or a different cause as the destination for their “build up” promotion to be paid to. For example, let’s say for the length of a baseball series in Chicago, the Cubs have agreed to donate $1,000 to the United Way for each run scored by the home team over the next three home games.

            In order to engage fans after the game, a sports organization could offer a chance to “come on back” by awarding tickets for the team’s next home game to five lucky winners whose names will be announce over the loud speakers after the game has ended. These lucky fans will have to claim their tickets on their way out of the facility that day in order to redeem the promotion. I’ve found that most sporting events like to usher people out as soon as possible in order to begin cleaning up. If this is the case, then an organization could offer promotions that fans don’t need to physically remain at the facility for, like a chance to win an autographed piece of merchandise to those who upload a legible photo of their ticket stub to the team’s social media page before midnight of that night, or by attending an official team “after party” whether it’s at a recurring designated sports bar, tavern, restaurant, etc.

Works Cited:

Fischer, E. (2012). Dolphins launch ‘fin’ loyalty club. Sports Business Daily. Retrieved July 10, 2014 from http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/08/13/Franchises/Dolphins.aspx

Passikoff, R. (2013). The most loyal fans in basketball. Forbes.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2013/04/16/19766/

Scibetti, R. (2013). Sports fan loyalty index. TheBusinessOfSports.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014 from http://www.thebusinessofsports.com/2010/03/30/sports-fan-loyalty-index/

Music Industry Liabilities (Assigned School Work)

            For the purpose of today’s blog post, I was instructed to analyze three different legal controversies recently associated within the music industry. I will touch on the vast topic of copyright infringement through articles involving musical artists Prince, Robin Thicke, and Maroon 5.

            In an article about Prince, dated January 30, 2014, the artist and his legal team filed copyright infringement suits against 22 individuals alleged of “bootlegging” his concert recordings. Prince explained that his priority is to provide a “high quality experience for his fans” and that these versions were simply not up to that standard. The article states that locating the links to the videos shared on Facebook were how the perpetrators were tracked down. Each defendant was facing $1 million in fines unless they removed said content. As you may have guessed, all 22 bootleggers cooperated by removing their unauthorized recordings of his concerts from the Internet.

            I agree that artists have every right to prevent unauthorized distribution of their work. I understand why Prince wants only the highest of quality when representing his brand. I wonder how come more artists haven’t taken this route because it would clear up many of the user-uploaded videos that often clutter YouTube search results with lower quality material. In doing so, viewer-generated traffic would be more focused on “authorized” uploads, as views would certainly increase. I understand the want to make the concert experience so exclusive that you have to show up in order to experience it. This will keep the demand for the artist’s concert tickets to remain high. On the other side of the coin, I can also identify with the other artists who would rather their music be shared with everyone. I can relate with those who really don’t mind how many people share their video recordings of their concerts across the Internet. The more people/fans that upload videos of their favorite artists in concert should translate to more views and more potential fans, right? I would certainly think so. If artists don’t wish footage of their concerts to be uploaded to the Internet, then make it known that this event/concert prohibits camera use, unless a press pass is present. I’m sure there are always exceptions to this rule as there will always be people sneaking in recordings however they can. It’s difficult to decide where I stand on this topic.

            The next article that I read was about the copyright infringement suit between Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and rapper T.I. against the family of Marvin Gaye. Thicke’s 2013 single, “Blurred Lines” has been declared as infringing upon the intellectual property of Gaye’s songs, “Got to Give it Up” and “Sexy Ways. “ Upon reading and reviewing a few articles on this matter, I’ve decided that it’s one big mess. Apparently, the Gaye family also pursued a lawsuit with Thicke’s record label, EMI, as well. The EMI case was dismissed in January of 2014. Both the family of Marvin Gaye and EMI, came to an agreement including that this case cannot be brought forth to court again in exchange for an undisclosed amount of money. What’s odd is that reports of the lawsuit between Thicke and the Gaye family remain active.

            I feel that in order for a work to be found to infringe on copyrights, it needs to be blatantly obvious. I can clearly hear the similarities between works and would have taken legal action as well. This song should have never made it as far as it did without first clearing any sort of use of someone else’s intellectual property. This is the fault of the artist and the record label as this act is definitely considered to be a legal liability.

            The final article that I read is about the band Maroon 5. In the summer of 2012, a cover-version of a song they hadn’t officially released yet cracked the British top ten charts. This action compromises the intellectual property of the band and record label as well as depriving them of any monetary gain they may have lost out on while song wasn’t officially released yet. This is in every way copyright infringement as the musician(s) who made the cover version of the song is (are) benefitting from the sale of it across Internet platforms like iTunes and Amazon. Some fans may not even realize that what they purchased is a replication of what they were actually looking for. During the week that this cover song reached the top ten, they reportedly sold 34,492 downloads.

            I believe musicians should not be able to sell a cover version of a song without paying the majority of that money to the copyright owner of that song. That may sound ridiculous but that cover song would not exist if it weren’t for the work of the writer, composer, and copyright owner of that recording. Copying songs in order to make money from them doesn’t sound too legitimate to me. In fact, it sounds like a legal liability. 

Works Cited: 

Fekadu, M. (2014). Marvin gaye’s family & robin thicke’s label settle in ‘blurred lines’ dispute.” Huffington Post. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/15/marvin-gaye-family-robin-thicke-label-settle-blurred-lines_n_4601388.html

Herzfeld, O. (2013). The blurred lines of copyright law: robin thicke v. marvin gaye’s estate. Forbes. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverherzfeld/2013/08/20/the-blurred-lines-of-copyright-law-robin-thicke-v-marvin-gayes-estate/

Leach, B., & Lusher, B. (2012). Maroon 5 and the new phenomenon baffling the music industry. The Telegraph. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/9367019/Maroon-5-and-the-new-phenomenon-baffling-the-music-industry.html

Riemenschneider, C. (2014). Prince stirs another controversy with $22 million lawsuit. Star Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2014, from http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/242495671.html

Dima "The White Russian" (@UniFiRecords)

My fourth installment of Qwik Interviews brings us to a man who makes the majority of his moves behind the scenes. Dima, co-owner of the Milwaukee, WI based independent record label known as Uni-Fi Records, has been working around the clock to ensure that his label is always moving forward. Within the past year, music from Uni-Fi's artists have been placed on websites from music industry giants like MTV and Rolling Stone. However, Uni-Fi isn't the only business that Dima is invested in. He's created an online radio station named WRAP.fm and a production company called PayDirt Productions as well. Many people within the community of the independent Milwaukee music scene view Dima as an inspiration to their own entrepreneurial ventures. While very few, truly very few, work as hard as Dima.

For those who may not know you, who are you and what do you do?

Dima: My name is Dima Pochtarev, aka "The White Russian." I am a civil engineer in the AM, and a record label, online radio, and music production company owner in the PM and weekends. I'm a self-taught audio engineer and producer, as well as music project manager for Uni-Fi Records and much more. In my personal life, I'm a father, an immigrant, and part of the 99%; who has a dream and is here to make that dream a reality.

What is the origin of your name?

Dima: "Dima" is short for Dmitriy, and although many guess Greek, it's Russian. Born and raised in Moscow, I moved to Milwaukee, WI at the age of 10 with my family in 1994. "The White Russian" originated during the creation of my first full length album collaboration as a producer in 2009 with Dana Coppafeel and Mike DNA, when we were working on Cups & Bottles. Cups Buckingham and Bottles Bagsworth were their nicknames during the creation of the project. I frequently sat at the Digi 002 console with a bottle of vodka during our Wednesday night sessions. I acquired the name and it stuck. Another one was "Dima La Rock," given to me by A-Biz. He's another artist who has worked with Uni-Fi. His album was produced heavily by me.

What is the origin of Uni-Fi Records?

Dima: The very origin of Uni-Fi Records is my college bedroom plugged up with backlights and throwing parties. Somehow, I always ended up in that room with a laptop and dozens of people rounding up in a circle, playing industry instrumentals and freestyling. Step two was the acquisition of a 4-track tape recorder, setting it up in the basement, and proceeding to record the freestyles. Man, were they bad. I freestyled as well.

As I received an internship for the summer shortly after my Junior year in college, I was transferred to Appleton, WI, were I had no friends. I spent my spare time reading books on music business and other books such as Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of Notorious B.I.G. and Life and Def by Russell Simmons. I began brainstorming ideas for starting a record label and coming up with a name based on soundclick "hi-fi" and "lo-fi" download formats. I thought that "Uni-Fi" would be something I may want to lock in as it symbolized what I wanted to do to the multi-faceted scene in Milwaukee that I was just beginning to discover.

Tell us what your duties are at Uni-Fi Records.

Dima: I do whatever it takes to be labeled as a label. I came up recording and mixing many faces for free in the Milwaukee scene around 2009. I was definitely getting taken advantage of, but I can't complain as I met some amazing people and learned throughout the process. I sure wasn't good enough to charge at the time that I began to record people on ProTools. I've always dabbled in production. I picked up an MPC1000 around the same time as my 4-track tape recorder back in college. This was my salvation during the time when my day-to-day grind of work, school, and partying just seemed to blur together.

Nowadays, it seems that management is taking over for what I need to be doing within this team and I'm ok with that. I also handle the everyday emails, booking, promoting, scheduling, budget analysis, task allocations, and so much more in order to ensure a constant forward motion at the label. I cannot be without (a) my calendar and (b) my notebook on a day-to-day basis to make sure I keep my shit organized.

Who does Uni-Fi Records have on their roster? 

Dima: Artist-wise, it's Dana Coppafeel and SPEAK Easy. The roster dwindled unintentionally. Life got in the way of many people's drives to do this music shit, and I'm glad. It made me realize that we were spread out too thin and doing too much for too many people. It's always been a learning experience. Now, working with two very solid artists allows us to plan accordingly and allocate proper resources to make shit happen.

As far as the rest of the team, the close-knit peeps are Charles aka Mammyth (DJ, producer, engineer), Da Ricanstruckta (DJ, producer, rapper, all around talented ass dude!), Michelle (my fiancé) who is co-owner and consultant even though she hates me for what I do sometimes... ok, most of the time because it takes me away from her. Amir, who is co-producer and consultant for the production company, DJ EROC from New York who helps man the WRAP.fm radio station, and a handful of DJs and administrative personal (Point Blank Duarte - interviewer) that have shows on our radio.

The remainder of the team is usually for hire, the PR person, the mastering engineer, the bio writer and so forth. We always keep coming back to those who treat us how we would treat others, in business and in personal matters.

What do you look for when considering welcoming an artist to your label? 

Dima: I think talent, creativity, and writing skills with delivery capability are what's most important to me. One must also be willing to invest in self, whether time or money. Understanding the reality of the situation of the independent scene in Milwaukee, rapping is not a career. I'd also like them to understand the history and current happenings in the industry. They need drive and consistency from one record to the next, and have the ability to step outside of the box if necessary.

What do you look for when considering welcoming an employee to your label?

Dima: We've never made more than what we've invested into the business and therefore don't have employees. It's basically all volunteer work for now... a big fucking money drain. In some ways I find this to be a blessing because you get to know who the true soldiers are; who do what they say they will and are there for the long run. The same people you can depend on and can count on.

Trust me, if money ever came into the picture, the team that's getting employed is already here.

Describe WRAP.fm.

Dima: We Revolt Against Programming is a 24/7 online radio station that will deliver that Hip Hop that you can't hear on your Clear Channel dials. The goal was to build a home for the independent, in hopes that the independents will support. We're still in the building process but hope to eventually get into videos, mixtapes, and singles. WRAP.fm is the go-to place when you need Hip Hop and you're sick of the regular same old shit on the radio. We're "mobile and global."

Run us through a typical day of yours. 

Dima: Weekdays: I'm up at 5am. I commute to my daytime job (3 hours total) while reviewing videos, songs, albums, and mixtape submissions in order to place them in appropriate folders for later action. Sometimes I scribble notes while I drive, usually about ideas and items to add to my to-do list. I make calls, promote, or send texts to start the day and get rolling on things that need to get done. I perform my job tasks while still doing all of the above.

I get home between 5 and 6pm and have dinner, then I download and upload music to the radio station to get ready for the scheduled air shows while promoting them on social media. Nowadays, I talk business with the wifey as she is starting her own. I try to spend time with the baby aside from tutoring my fiancé's older daughter in math. I also lay down the law of the house and enforce the rules we set like bedtime, chores, and all that BS.

Sometimes I search for samples, which has now turned into a digital task versus vinyl. This is much more efficient for my lifestyle. I take care of the house pets and try to help out with other house tasks when I can. I'm usually reading and replying to the never ending email flow that's blowing up my phone while planning the next Uni-Fi event. I'm always contacting the next person that's getting involved with whatever Uni-Fi, WRAP.fm, or PayDirt (Productions) has going on in the surrounding months such as events, projects, interviews, or meetings.

After all of that, I try to wind down by watching a recorded show before bed as I sip on a beer to relax my mind. It's usually around then when I notice that 10pm is too late for me to be awake, but I end up staying up until 11 or midnight handling all of the above. This starts over every day.

Weekends: When our artists aren't performing live shows, which happen frequently, I usually schedule meetings for something that has to do with Uni-Fi, WRAP.fm, or PayDirt. There's always at least one extensive recording/brainstorming session per weekend. There's the usual family errands and such. We may make it out to eat for dinner as a family on Fridays, but it's always hard to justify the spending of cash. I try to take my dogs out for a run or walk to the park because they've been cooped up all week. Sundays are usually spent running more errands, replying to more emails, reviewing more submitted music and videos, and taking trips to the parent's house for dinner.

Describe the local Hip Hop scene as best you can.

Dima: Crabs in a barrel... non-supporting fans... and non-supporting venues. The scene in general is just not conducive to developing artists. Milwaukee is like the weed killer of music artistry. Anyone who has any connection to the industry never replies to anyone "under them" or exerts any effort to further something that may have potential unless it benefits them. It's an everyone-for-themselves mentality where the only way you may get a call from one another is when someone has something to benefit or is looking for a handout or even making connections when it benefits them.

It's an unorganized chaos that doesn't know how to step to the "mainstream industry." If they do know, then they are not willing or unable to put forth the resources. Most often, it's money. It could also be described as a cut-all-possible-corners mentality as well. I imagine it has something to do with the non-recouping environment for all who live here.

Who are some local artists that you'd recommend to someone from out of town? 

Dima: Literally, Milwaukee is a garbage disposal of music. There are too many to go through if I were to list them all. Of course, I stand behind my artists Dana Coppafeel and SPEAK Easy. Other rap dudes I'd suggest would be Prophetic, if you still consider him a Milwaukee artist. Yo-Dot, who is making a lot of music. Haz Solo has always been dope to me and has a good online following. Dylan Thomas, although it's been a while. Klassik, SNYD, and Maal are good too. There's a lot of young dudes coming up such as A'K and DexterX who've caught my attention.

Leaning away from Hip Hop, there's Fresh Cut Collective, D'Amato, Ras Movement, Evan Christian, H.E.R. Crew, Kane Place Record Club, Fable and The World Flat, Fly Phoenix, Skillz, Safs Crew, Kevin Getzen, Rusty P's (who've been in it for a long time and have just recently dropped some new ish), and so many more artists of all genres that I can't even name them all. Many of them are very, very good at what they do.

What makes a "White Russian" beat, a "White Russian" beat?

Dima: A sample-driven sound and a meeting with me, the "White Russian." I enjoy the process of building songs with artists and not a cold meeting of a listening session just to walk away with a CD full of beats and never be heard from again. It's the process of building and collaborating that attacts me to creating tracks with people. Money doesn't hurt either. [Laughs] So, if you want a beat, then you better show up at your scheduled time or I probably won't bother to reserve my time for you in the future. I've got real shit going on, sorry.

Besides Rap/Hip Hop, what are some other genres of music that you enjoy listening to? 

Dima: My latest purchase was the theme song to The Sopranos called "Woke Up This Morning." I enjoy Bob Marley's greatest hits, The Eagles, Lionel Richie, Scatman, and "Tom's Diner" by Suzane Vega. I like all sorts of shit. If I like it, I like it. To me, good music comes from the feeling, and if I feel that in the song, I'll probably fuck with it. From Classical to Dance, I'll listen if I have time, which is not often.

What's your "must-have" album to bring with you when you travel?

Dima: The Uni-Fi "works in progress" playlist, whether it's my beats or songs that are halfway done or unmixed or unmastered. I make notes and aim towards perfection. I collect production from the team and pick the best shit. Sometimes it's samples that I can listen to for chops. The work never ends.

What type of "milestones" has the label reached with their latest compilation EP featuring Uni-Fi's own Dana Coppafeel and SPEAK Easy? 

Dima: I think the biggest of all the milestones, not including the accolades like MTV, Rolling Stone, URB Magazine, and Respect Magazine, would be the discovery of the "process" or "equation" (as I like to call it) to release a project whether it be a single, EP, album, or video. It's been a learning lesson for all involved on how to properly schedule, invest, release, etc. The "process" is the shit that most locals won't commit to for one reason or another. It's always a risk.

There is always more money that can be spent to perfect your release. Just do it!

What's the next move for the label? Are there any upcoming projects in the works? 

Dima: Respect Magazine just released the music video exclusive for "Da City" two days ago. Next up is the video for "Wait," then a single and video by Dana Coppa & Mammyth called "Brad Pitt," a single called "Drum Set" by SPEAK Easy on a mixtape that's being released by Jank One, a remix video for "Hot Shots Part Deax," a single deal duel-release by Loyalty Digital (out of NY) for SPEAK and Dana, a 2013 Uni-Fi mixtape, at least 3 videos for the songs on the mixtape, a 2014 album with SPEAK and Dana, and who knows what may pop up along the way.

What kind of advice would you like to offer to a recording artist who is interested in purchasing a "White Russian" beat? 

Dima: Schedule a time, show up on time, and suffer through going over many stems until you like one idea. Then, take the time to build on it together. Offer to pay for the beat, too. Nothing crazy, but something; you're here for a reason, so bring that green! 

What kind of advice would you like to offer to a recording artist who would be interested in joining the label? 

Dima: Show and prove, be consistent, join the movement and don't fall off. So far, after 9 years, I've only found two that have done the above... Dana & SPEAK. You need to be able to accept constructive criticism, and when you're good enough to tango, you too will hit that dance floor. Realize early on that this is a business, and there's no time to play and have fun. 

What kind of advice would you like to offer to a recording artist who would be interested in submitting music to WRAP.fm? 

Dima: Anyone can submit to wrapfm@gmail.com but only the ones that fit the format and make an impression will make it on the air. Of course, knowing us personally helps. 

What kind of advice would you like to offer to other independent record labels? 

Dima: I'd suggest that you really think about what you want to be doing, like, really think about. This is not a game and I hope you have a well-paying job to support your "label" habit. Yes, you do "live and you learn." I'd also suggest surrounding yourself with honest people.

If you could choose anyone, who would you love to welcome to the Uni-Fi roster?  

Dima: I have both up-and-comers to the mainstream and local talent in mind that I would consider putting under the wing of Uni-Fi. People who have a lot of potential and a lot of drive. I won't name them because every addition deserves an investment. We have a lot going on as it is and we need to make sure we handle that first. 

If you could choose anyone, who would you love to collaborate with on an upcoming Uni-Fi project? 

Dima: We're currently building up a list for the 2014 project. You'll have to find out then. 

Aside from music, what other works do you have in-store?  

Dima: The MINI Classy is a baby apparel shop Michelle started. I am giving them some business advice and cutting fabric for their clothes. Other than that, her and her business partner, "Rae Rae," have been hustling and I'm glad to see that. 

Speed Round - (Where one word answers are perfectly acceptable)

What's your favorite drink?

Dima: La Croix

Do you watch TV? If so, what's your favorite show?

Dima: Breaking Bad and the Food Network in general

Do you have a favorite movie?

Dima: Edward Scissorhands, The Green Mile, The Matrix

What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

Dima: Tom & Jerry

Name an album that you're ashamed to admit to owning, liking, and listening to.

Dima: You need to hear all music. You can't be ashamed.

Best memory of Moscow? 

Dima: Family, Dacha, Kremlin, Travel

What's something you miss the most about Moscow? 

Dima: Family, Dacha, Travel

What motivates you? 

Dima: My parents

What inspires you to create music? 

Dima: The sample or sound

Where can someone find your label's music? 

Dima: There are many free albums and mixtapes on www.unifirecords.com.

Lastly, what's something that many people may not know about you? 

Dima: I'm a first generation Ameri/Russian, living that American Dream.

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To learn more about Dima and his production, then visit this link here.

To hear more from Uni-Fi Records, you can find, follow, and tweet them using their Twitter widget below.


Tweets by @UniFiRecords

Thank you for your time Dima, and thank you to my readers.

-QW

For your enjoyment, here is the new video for Uni-Fi Records' artists Dana Coppafeel and SPEAK Easy's song "Da City," featuring SNYD.

The Art of Successful Negotiations (Assigned School Work)

            There is an art in the act of a successful negotiation. There is an actual science behind what makes someone an expert negotiator. Anyone who ever tells you otherwise, is a damn fool. Most people make the mistake of confusing negotiating as bargaining, and thinking that the main objective of a negotiation is bargaining for a particular price. Most people also make the mistake of failing to properly prepare for a negotiation. Many people view negotiations as an adversarial experience instead of a cooperative and problem-solving opportunity for both parties. Many people also fail to imagine what their counterpart’s interests and preferences may be prior to the negotiation process. I was able to find three very informative and helpful videos on YouTube about negotiation techniques. Each of these broadcasts is at least 20 minutes in length, to abide by the specifications of the work assigned to me.

            I chose to view a video from The School of Internet Marketing founder, James Martell, who hosts a show called “Coffee Talk.” On this particular episode, Martell welcomed his guest Roy Weissman to the show. Weissman has negotiated millions of dollars in agreements with companies like Time Warner, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, NewsCorp, and many more. Weissman was able to provide very insightful information about negotiations. He stated that one of the biggest rules in negotiation is to “Always separate the emotions. As soon as you bring emotion in, everything else flies out the window.” He mentions that most people do not think about their objectives and what they wish to accomplish from the negotiation. Also, that many people do not think about their ideal end-point that would make them feel like they accomplished their objective. Weissman believes that the people who do this, always have better outcomes. He mentioned a relevant quote that I really like in, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know if you ever got there?”

            The second video that I viewed was of Margaret Neale, on Stanford Business School’s YouTube account. Neale is an accomplished research professional that offers excellent advice on successful negotiations. The video began with her telling a thought-provoking hypothetical story about deciding to turn down a career offer while your friend takes it and negotiates a better pay. Neale stresses that the point of a negotiation is not to simply get a deal, but to get a good deal. She suggests taking three steps to ensure that every negotiation brings a good deal. Step number one is deciding what your alternatives are. An alternative is basically what you have on hand. Neale certified that whoever has the better alternative, does better at the negotiation. Step number two is determining what your reservation price is. This is the point when we are indifferent and saying “no” looks as good as saying “yes.” She mentioned the third step as begin very important yet often overlooked in deciding what your aspirations are. What is an optimistic assessment of what you can achieve during this negotiation. It is also crucial to assess the situation, prepare, ask or engage with your counterpart, and package your alternative proposals as a package.

            The third video that I viewed was from a broadcast called “The Voluntary Life,” which was hosted by an English guy named “Jake.” This individual show is based on negotiations in entrepreneurship. Jake brings up a good point in that when it all boils down to its simplest form, business really is all about negotiating or finding ways to reach agreements with people. Jake also expands further by suggesting that negotiating is a “fundamental part of all relationships in life because it’s a way of reaching agreements between you and others in order to achieve happiness.” He urges people to write everything down. If someone doesn’t, then this usually leads to confusion and difficulty among the parties. As far as the credibility of “Jeff” goes, I’m not sure what his accolades include. However, I do know that after listening to him, that Jeff knows what he’s talking about.

            Negotiating is not an adversarial experience, rather a collaborative and problem-solving opportunity. It sure seems that there are far more ways to ruin a negotiation than there are ways of having a successful negotiation. I will continue to educate myself in the ways of this art form and hope to be in a far better place someday, due to implementing what I’ve learned of successful negotiations.

Thank you for your time. 

Works Cited:

“Mastering the Art of Negotiations” by James Martell with special guest Roy Weissman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3HW0-3BlCM

“Margaret Neale: Negotiation: Getting What You Want” from the Stanford Business School:

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

“Entrepreneurship – Part 7: Negotiation” from The Voluntary Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSGF7GR0FM

"A Phone Worth Holding Onto" (Assigned School Work)

In a day when mass consumption has led to an enormous amount of mass waste, it seems as if electronics compile more and more of the market share with each passing year. Technology giants Apple and Samsung are certainly not helping this matter by introducing new cell phone models every year. Typical reasons why many consumers eat up every new phone from these companies include ideas that each new model is better, sleeker, and more user-friendly than the last. Then there are also those people who love the exclusivity of being a part of a particular segmented group. More simply, it’s a status symbol. To have an Apple iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy is not enough to remain in this group. Disturbingly, having one of these phones doesn’t mean a thing to these people unless they own the newest model, even if their last phone still functions normally. 

The newest models of these brands of phones are the iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy S4. Regardless of different determining pricing factors of internal memory (16/32/64 GB), these phones are expensive. They cost even more if they’re not purchased through a typical 2-year contract with a cell phone service provider. Without a signed service contract, a 16 GB iPhone 5s cost $649 and a comparable 16 GB Galaxy S4 cost $639.99. I view this as far too much money to spend on a cell phone, especially in such a disposable group driven by status. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that all owners of these phones follow these same naïve purchasing habits for the same naïve reasons, but there are millions of people who do. 

On the bright side, I’ve recently stumbled upon something very interesting. A company named Phonebloks has introduced an exceptional idea for a cell phone. No longer will someone have to replace their entire phone when one component breaks. Instead, using a Lego-like system, each piece of the phone is detachable and replaceable. The man behind the operation, Dave Hakkens, uploaded his promotional video for the product on Reddit back on September 10^th. Since then, the viral world has eaten it up. According to their campaign on crowd sourcing site ThunderClap.com, the product has already surpassed its initial goal of 750,000 supporters by 21,000 with over one month left of the campaign. They reached over 50,000 supporters within the first 24 hours of being viral. The social reach of this campaign has already hit over 296,000,000 people. 

Even with numbers like these, there are people who are already explaining how the idea and design wouldn’t work including the idea that rival companies would make their own “knock off” replacement parts for the product. Some points are valid, but that's to be expected in the early stages of a company and its product(s). I feel that Hakkens really has something here. I suggest you watch the video for yourself.  

Thank you for your time and support,  

QW