The Jewish Home | AUGUST 4, 2022
100
Mind Y
ur Business
Ari Boiangiu: “You are Your Strongest Asset” By Yitzchok Saftlas
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his column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show – broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include: John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over
400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.
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n a recent 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas (YS) spoke with Benny Imani. founder and CEO of MiMi’s Sweets. Imani originally came from Iran to the U.S. with just $50 in his pocket. He now owns a successful diamond and candy business. *
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Tell us your backstory. When did you first see that G-d gave you talent with a guitar and how did it lead you to where you are today? I think that specific skill sets that G-d gives a person are very much indicative of their potential, what they can become, and what they should be doing with their time. Music was a large part of my life for many years, and I have my parents to thank for that. I played music from a young age. My parents gave me piano
lessons from age 10, which I played until my older cousin, a guitar player, came along. I told him I wanted to ditch the piano and start playing guitar because it was so much cooler. So, I began practicing, and the noises from the basement slowly evolved into what people could start discerning as music. As time passed, I began playing professionally and quickly saw the potential. Then two older mentors of mine, Mike and Eli from Neshama, took me in and gave me a chance to shine. I worked for them, and it evolved into a beautiful, long, and fruitful relationship. I have a lot of gratitude for that. Slowly but surely, music evolved from a hobby into something I could monetize, provide for customers, provide for clients, and make people happy.
Is there a backstory to the name Blue Melody?
Not much. I felt after we did some research on various colors, we saw that the color blue elicited a coolness and a calmness, a feeling that everything is at ease, and everything is under control – the feeling that you are putting your trust in the right people. People don’t want me to be calm on stage. They want to be calm, knowing that I’m on stage. The goal is to make them calm, cool, and put their utter confidence in us and at the same time give the crowd an amazing party.
How important is branding to the whole experience? Branding is super important. Number one, you need to be identifiable. Number two, you need to be unique. Number three, the brand carries a certain name and confidence that gets people excited, so there’s approval. A lot goes into the look to ensure that it’s
unique and exciting, so we are constantly looking for ways to evolve in all areas, especially with the look itself. It’s interesting; there is a saying in the music industry that customers “hear” with their eyes. What that means on a deeper level is that so much of art in general, especially the music industry, is perception. How do you perceive music? Do you perceive it as soft; do you perceive it as enjoyable; do you perceive it as boring; or do you perceive it as too loud? All our perceptions are tied together. When all our perceptions, memories, thoughts, and senses are tied together, it results in a beautiful experience. So, sight is crucial in how music is perceived, and music perceived well means satisfied customers.
You started Blue Melody with a co-founder, and then a couple of years ago, you went out on your
