Today we’d like to introduce you to Shayla J.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shayla. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved to Atlanta 3 1/2 years ago at the age of 18 to start my journey as a college student and a new resident of Atlanta. I moved to Atlanta two weeks after graduating high school with $800 and all the self-motivation I had. It was a new experience for me because I knew no one and had no sense of direction. Atlanta was definitely bigger than Detroit and I was nervous but definitely confident that I would do great. Two months after being here, I started as a freshman at Clark Atlanta University as a Business Management Student. My first two years of college was definitely a struggle because I didn’t have much financial support. My mom was my only back end along with myself. I started managing my first artist a few months after college started. Developing her sound and image was my first challenge and this was my first real artist like not knowing what to do. I use to invest every extra dollar into my clients because I believed in them probably more than they believed in themselves. As I kept going, I began to become a lot more experienced and a lot more into what my career was. After my second year of college, I had become so into my career school was the least of my concern. I just felt overwhelmed with something that wasn’t me. I was an intern at one of the hottest studios in Atlanta where I met and was able to work around a lot of Major Atlanta based artists. I built my way up and I am still pushing.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. The music industry is one of the most competitive industries there is. Especially in Atlanta, I feel like this is the Mecca of Music right now. Everybody is doing something pertaining to music here. Whether it’s being the actual artist, the manager, the producer, or the engineer. It all plays a very significant role in the music industry. A lot of the struggles that my artists face are financial. Being an independent artist isn’t a cheap investment. If you want consistency and quality, you have to make sacrifices. I’ve seen people give there to last for studio time.
Please tell us about Shayla J. Management.
My management business which is solely branded after me Shayla J. Management focuses solely on managing artists and artists development before even considering management. I’m mainly known for Artist Management. I have a program that I’ve developed called The PlayBook Academy. Where I take artists under my wing for 6 months and I teach them ins and outs. We work on visual and sound development, branding, business tips from a management standpoint and a host of other things. The program is designed simply to show independent artists how to develop and manage themselves to a certain extent. As a company, I am most proud of the growth. I’ve grown from being a young entrepreneur to being an inspiration to people around me. What sets me apart from others is my authenticity and family orientation that I create within my company. I am big on letting my people know that I appreciate them but also that I don’t just encourage them to work under me but take from what I do and build onto themselves.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is watching my grandfather video record everything me and my cousins and brother ever did. Every song we sang, every word we said, every action we made he had it on camera. And at that moment I knew I wanted to be known for something but something good. I wanted to be in the public eye but for the right reasons. Not because I was the star of the show but because I helped the show come alive in some aspect.
Pricing:
- The PlayBook Academy consultations: $50
- The PlayBook Academy $350
Contact Info:
- Phone: 404-713-6798
- Email: shaylajmanagement@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/therealshaylaj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealShaylaJ/
Image Credit:
@tqtv_, @se7enfifteen
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