Building Your Skills to Get What You Want

With my time schedule, it was more feasible for me to review a few negotiation videos than to interview someone in my field. This isn’t something that I’m happy about, because the experience would be great, but it was a sacrifice that I’ve had to make with the opportunities coming my way. I have actually been able to step foot into my field over the past few months, so that takes up all of my time outside of the job I get paid for, but I’m working toward exactly what it is I’m in school for.

Right now, the focus is negotiation. The videos that I watched talk about the BATNA, one focused on getting what it was that you wanted in the first place, and the other was on conflict and issues within a negotiation. Each video was very informative, and I’d recommend them for learning tidbits about negotiation, especially if you’re a rookie, like myself.

The first video I watched was from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Margaret Neale presented Negotiation: Getting What You Want. The video did seem to be directed toward women as I watched further and further, but she made a great point. She spoke on how to obtain what it is you’re going to a negotiation for, and how to get it effectively. She then went on to speak on how women negotiate for more than just themselves, so we tend to show great results. She was a great watch and taught me that I should negotiate not only for myself but for others or things that effect me (without too much emotion, of course).

The next video I watched was BATNA – Future Salon presented by Stephen Stuart. Mr. Stuart explained the importance of a best alternative, and even spoke on emotion. He gave examples through war and advised that one shouldn’t accept less than their best alternative. I think that is the most important thing that I’ve learned from this video. Taking less than your BATNA, which is already settling for something other than what you initially went into the negotiation for, you are settling completely.

The final video that I watched was Thomas Kilmann on Handling Conflict in Negotiations. This video, as stated in the caption, speaks on separating the people from the problem. It spoke on not settling for a deal because you want one with this particular party, and also not rushing through deals because of time constraints or any other reason. He explained that it is important to get through a deal with sound timing and a sound mind, as it calls for a better result. Both of these things are very important lessons for me as I don’t like to waste time, so I like to be in and out when it comes to doing things, and I also put emotion into certain things. I’m very mild-mannered and hard to be read for the most part, but sometimes I can put emotion into things and I know that that is possibly a downfall in negotiating, now.

Does making money mean losing yourself?

Underground artists are the popular artists, now. Many of them don't sign because they want to stay true to whom they are, and many feel that labels have too much power over whom they are. In hip-hop, there have been artists that are underground and have actually released music to the mainstream public while staying true to themselves. One example is Big K.R.I.T, self-proclaimed King of the Underground. He’s released music with the likes of Bun B and Ludacris, but has still remained himself.

Other artists choose to be independent, such as Macklemore. He has made quite the name for himself in music, well, himself and Ryan Lewis, all while staying independent. It is possible for artists to remain true to themselves and earn money. Daily Finance says that it is important for an artist to budget, and not only that, but to market themself and to sell their art at the price they believe they deserve once they gain momentum. One must plan in order to succeed, because, as we are often told, you don’t gain success over night.

Daily Finance also tells us that your money can assist you. Money and staying true to one’s self do not necessarily have to correlate. One can make money, lots of money, doing what they love, the way they love it. J. Cole is an artist that is able to talk about that. He was unhappy because he rushed an album out for the sake of needing a release, he had a single that wasn’t really Cole, in essence, many know the song as “Who Dat.” He learned a lot about himself and about the industry in releasing his third album, which he talks about in his interview with Angie Martinez. He speaks on how the big cars and houses that he dreamed about weren’t the best, how he’s riding around on a bike, and he’s found himself. Sometimes you have to get the finances, you have to make the money off of your passion to see what true to you really means.

The Journey is What Makes You

            In sports, and with any other goal, it is important to keep sight of the desired result. Diana Nyad reminds us to keep site of our goals, no matter how much adversity we may face. Her TED talk is about her desire to swim from the coast of Cuba to the coast of Florida without any assistance other than nourishment. Do you think she did it?

            Nyad attempted her dream at on point in her life, when she was in her twenties, but was unsuccessful. The ocean contains different oceanic wildlife that could tamper with her, that could possibly end her life. Nyad didn’t give up, though. It stuck with her and she finally decided to retry while in her 60s. With the help of her team, a little food, and her music playlist, Nyad made it from Cuba to Florida.

            Her amazing story has told me that not only in sports, but in life, we must keep pushing. There are so many obstacles, and so many things that may keep us behind. People may have attempted something that we would like to accomplish and failed, giving them the idea that they can discourage us from going for our goals. She has also shown us that we are never too old, no matter the goal. The journey is what makes us who we are; the achievement of the goal is the sweet reward.

            This has been inspiration enough for me to decide to stop lagging when it comes to following my dreams. It is my duty to make myself happy, it is my responsibility to do the things that I want to do, to get to where I want to be in my life. She has shown me that, with the sport that I participate in, and with my dreams with the music business, I should try to reach my goals, no matter the adversity I have already faced, and the obstacles I will continue to face on the way there.

Go out and get it!

            Interested in sports management, becoming an agent, or just a good time? The seasons are changing, and I don’t mean weather. It’s preseason in the NFL, so Sunday Night Football is back! (Find the schedule here) The NBA just closed it’s season. Sports are most important topic right now, and the chance to make a change is here.

            It’s off season for basketball! ABA combines are happening again. Talent is out there, ready to be scouted, ready for agents. Now is a great time for you all to open up your contact lists and get ready to place players with teams. These combines are for agents and team scouts so that teams may acquire new talent and agents may obtain new clients. Agents, it is your role, and the athletes’ dreams, to try to, and hopefully succeed in, securing a spot on these national and international, semi-pro and professional teams. There is one this Saturday August 22, 2015 in Lansing, MI. See more information on that here.

            Fall is here, also. That means football is back! It’s time for college scouts to get out to the high school games, and managers, agents, and scouts to attend semi-pro and college games. Talent will be on a platter, which means that if you have as much of a passion for the sport as your prospects, great matches may form.

            Of course sports management takes more than just finding talent. Once talent is obtained, it is important to use your network to your advantage, scoring spots in tryouts, spots on teams, endorsements, and much more. It is necessary to keep your talent, once you obtain them, also.

These events are just the start. It’s time for those that have interest to kick into gear. Opportunity is knocking on the aspiring agent’s door, so it’s important you answer.

"I'm Just Here So I Won't Get Fined"

Sports and Reputation Management/Public Relations

     It seems as though reputation, or even well-being, is something that is focused on in the sports world right now. Marshawn Lynch responded to every question at press day for the Super Bowl with "I'm just here so I won't get fined." It is true that he doesn't have to answer questions and let the media make him out to be something he is not, but it is also important that he does answer questions accordingly, so that he isn't seen as egotistical, so that his fans that pay him can see him as more of a person than a ball-carrying robot.

     Ray Rice ruined his reputation, and almost the reputation of the NFL, by hitting Janay Palmer, his wife, then fiancee, in an elevator. Adrian Peterson has had a few bouts with the media because of how he disciplines his child. The NFL didn't do much as a result of the Rice incident until the media got a hold of the videos. Rice was only given a two-game suspension, while Adrian Peterson was dropped completely. It wasn't until the tapes came out that Rice was dropped from the Ravens. Roger Goodell was also put under the microscope thereafter. The NFL needs to focus more on proper public relations practices, especially those in time of a crisis.

     Though Lynch wasn't in the media for the reasons Rice, Peterson and Smith were, he was still being talked about because of his refusal to speak. His reputation could be greatly affected because of the way his fans would soon begin to see him, if they took offense. Here is more about Lynch in comparison to the Rice scandal.

Sports and the Law

     Aldon Smith is now in the limelight for his DUIs and an altercation with Colin Kaepernick. Michael Vick was thrown in jail for dog fighting. Plaxico Burress did time for shooting himself. For some reason, it seems that athletes cannot stay away from the law, especially NFL Players. Adrian Peterson, in particular, is one name everyone should know. The young man was recently sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. A lot of times it seems as though these men get placed on pedestals, women also, because they somehow end up back on a team or as a hero. It's as though they are more of a hero than someone that fights for the country. There is definitely bias, but it is unknown how to fix it. Those that play sports professionally should be held to the same standard as someone "normal" in society.

Hip-hop Under Fire

     Hip-hop is often under fire for influencing people in the wrong ways, such as those that degrading women and focusing on money, cars, and clothes, rather than the mind. It is entertaining to see people debate on the topic, when both are true. Hip-Hop has many influences on the mind, no matter which way it goes, but it's rare that the media focuses on the positive.

Hip-hop and Psychology

     Any type of music that one would listen to will influence the audience in some way. Some people, such as myself, listen to music because of their mood, whether they want to change it or want to hear something to relate to it. Some people listen to music because they enjoy the lyrics; some because they enjoy the actual music behind the words. There are different types of songs, and probably a song in each genre for any topic that one can think of.

     According to Donnetrice Allison, hip-hop helps individuals to create an identity or find an identity for themselves within their culture. The different levels of "black identity development" are the pre-encounter stage, the encounter stage, the immersion-emersion stage, and the internalization stage. These stages are set to indicate how ones views themselves within their culture, and could possibly cross cultures. The pre-encounter stage is where one sees the dominant group as a role model, they are who they want to become. The encounter stage is where one faces racism and can no longer be in doubt about it. The immersion-emersion stage is where one realizes who they are and tries to surround themselves with said "blackness", and the internalization stage is where one becomes comfortable with themselves.

     A lot of rap music or hip-hop plays on the pre-encounter stage. Many artists such as Young Thug and Fetty Wap rap about getting money and doing whatever they want. My preference is that of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, who both have met the internalization stage. Kendrick Lamar, particularly, writes about what he sees and has been through, whether that have something to do with his life as a child in Compton, or his life as an adult-aged black man in America, watching stories like that of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Sandra Bland.

You can read more about the method and psychology behind Kendrick Lamar's music here.

You can read more about Allison's hip-hop and psychology here.

Hip-hop and Creative Identity
   
     There are many different styles of hip-hop. There is neo-soul, rhythm and blues, rap (which splits into many different types, as well), and so much more. It is very easy to say that hip-hop allows for creative identity. As mentioned above, Kendrick Lamar raps very consciously, Young Thug raps about money, drugs, cars, and clothes, and then there are those like Common and Erykah Badu that rap about feelings, about activism, but on a more soulful level. A lot of the rap that many people my age now call bubblegum rap is industry influenced, which points toward the point that hip-hop can be bad, but there are still those that focus on writing for the better. Bubblegum rap is the rap that focuses on the things that are not important, or should not be seen as important when there are bigger things to think about.

     There are people that listen to the bubblegum rap because they enjoy it. You can read more about how it came about here. This is the music that the people influence because they like to move to it. This is the industry-influenced music.

     J. Cole would rather use his music to tell things the way they are. He likes to talk, now, about how he had this dream to reach the level that he's at, and how he doesn't feel like it completed him as he thought it would. There is an interview where he goes into depth with Angie Martinez about different things that he thinks about in life that transfer over to his music. He also did a song on David Letterman where he spoke out on what it's like to be where he's at seeing the things he sees. He uses his verses to create a picture for people, whether it be a song about how people get nice things by robbing others, or even a song about his experiences as a teenager with no sexual experience. His creative identity is so immense that he's become my favorite rapper.

All in all, hip-hop isn't all bad, though that's what media seems to focus on.

To Allow Streaming, Or Not?

            Reddit has recently had some internal issues, some workers feeling they are not being valued. This has posed a question in an article on the website for Forbes, with the author wondering whether or not music streaming will eventually receive the same reaction from its artists. It states that a couple of artists have voiced their opinions on the value of their music and the way iTunes and other streaming sites place value on early stages of songs, as well as music that is streamed. Taylor Swift has been known to speak her mind on iTunes, essentially getting exactly what she bargained for.

            Whether or not artists should be paid more for allowing their music on streaming services could be a touchy subject. Some would say that artists make enough through album sales, touring, [legal] digital downloads, appearances, and other areas they could seek revenue. Others may argue that the artists deserve to be paid more, one reason possibly being the amount that each consumer pays for certain streaming services, and advertising fees for those that want their ads aired on those services, as well. One may also argue that illegal downloading has caused a decrease in album sales and legal digital downloading, which is true.

            Artists are paid a small percentage per streaming website. Swift pulled her music from Spotify as she was not satisfied with the rate she was being paid for her music being played on the service. Time Magazine’s website states that artists are paid anywhere from six hundredths of a cent to just over eight hundredths each time a song is streamed, and millions of peopled subscribe to streaming service monthly, whether paid or free. One song being streamed, when the math is done, at least a million times a month, means that the artists makes $6000 off that one song. Many artists have out more than one song at a time, not to mention songs they made prior which are also on the sites. This means that artists are able to live nicely, solely off of the money they make from their music being streamed.

            I could go either way with this one, because I make substantially less than musicians do and could live off of their streaming salary alone, however, they did make the music and have the creative ability to do so. I’m not quite sure which side I’d take at this time, because I’m pretty open minded. Whether something like the Reddit ordeal happens, I’m not sure, because again, they do make a decent amount of money just for their music being streamed, which is them doing nothing after making the song. Forbes had more opinions located here.