SPMG Media Talks Exclusively to of
Hitmaker’s 1st Friday’s – CLICK HERE for promo video. D’ondrae Allen Landers, CEO of Bay Entertainment Events, and host of the ever popular Hitmaker’s 1st Fridays and the upcoming Gospel Brunch took time out to talk with us about his life, his projects and being successful in business.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with SPMG Media
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ou’re quite an entrepreneur! Tell us about you as a child. Where did you grow up? What was it like?
I never got into too much trouble by a child’s standard. I’m not saying I didn’t get I trouble, just no more than you’d expect from a child of a particular age. I had a terrible temper when provoked though. I still have it but joining martial arts in the 5th grade taught me to control it. Now I can’t be angered. I grew up in Vallejo CA. in the bay area. Everyone pretty much middle class. That’s what I like about the bay area. It wasn’t nearly as segregated by financial status as Los Angeles.
Who wielded the most influence on you as you were growing up? My mother taught me how to distinguish what’s important and what isn’t. She was a single parent working all day every day but she always managed to be there when it counted most. That usually meant when I started to go astray. Trust me, she had ways of getting a brother back on track. In this case my Mother was the disciplinary and my Father was the one that supported whatever I did. Though he wasn’t in the home he was accessible. That combination worked for me.
“…Don’t always feel you need to do things a certain way just because it’s the way it’s done. Always have your own vision.” – Uncle Ray
What did you want to be when you grew up? I didn’t necessarily want to be anything because I was having too much fun being a kid. I did want to be like my Uncle Ray, my Mother’s youngest brother. He was into martial arts and always calm and collective. He was known as “the guy who jogs around town backwards”. That made him popular. One day I asked him why he did that and he said “You’d be surprised how different the world is if you just look at it from a different angle. Sometimes the smallest adjustments can allow you to see the whole world in a different way, don’t always feel you need to do things a certain way just because it’s the way it’s done. Always have your own vision.” He passed away years ago but I’ll always remember the things he taught me.
Tell us about your family – brothers, sisters? I have two older sisters whom I love very much however I have always been close to my youngest sister because we’re only 18mos apart. It’s through her that I learned you don’t always have to like someone you love. In high school there would be days when we would argue before leaving to school and wouldn’t speak all day. I wasn’t old enough to work yet but she worked at McDonald’s. I remember no matter how much we fought she did her best to see to it that I had something for lunch whether she gave me money or food from her job. Sometimes we would even argue in front of her friends but I knew I was her priority.
How did you evolve into the businessman you are today? I have no idea, it just happened. I’ve always held jobs but I was never without a second income. Over time those second incomes outgrew the job’s income. Even when I did have a 9-5 things seemed to work better when I was in charge. I always got promoted quickly or gained management’s trust and respect. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been fired and laid off my share of times also. Once my son was born things changed. You’d be surprised what you manage to do when that child support hit you. Ultimately I spent a stint of my life as a single parent also. It’s an entirely different world.
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You founded Hitmakers First Friday’s– tell us how it started and your vision for it. I started Hitmakers for several reasons all wrapped together to reach one goal. The first thought to create Hitmakers came from going to different similar shows around town and thinking to myself “I can do it better”. I figured a good show isn’t hard to create. I wanted to create a good experience. So I thought about all the things I didn’t like about other local events as a consumer and decided to eliminate them from my event. For the most part it meant creating an event that was more about the people versus the money. Acquire top talent, charge a reasonable price, keep it family friendly, offer a great menu and bring in the right personalities to help me manage it. A major reason I followed through with it is a pet peeve’ I have about big concerts coming into different many times low income neighborhoods and making millions of dollars and when the show is gone that very neighborhood that spent what’s nearly it’s last dollars to support the event has nothing to show for it. I believe if you’re going to make a killing off the neighborhood put something back into it without all the ‘red tape’. My vision for Hitmakers is for it to inspire other show producers and promoters to find ways to entertain and serve the community at the same time.
What has been the response to Hitmakers First Friday’s? The response has been incredible. I had no idea it would grow to what it has and for it to come to mean so much to so many. I’ve had so many people tell me how much they look forward to it every month. The most exciting part is that every month we get people from as far away as the Bay Area, Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas, Fresno, Bakersfield and Santa Barbara who come as a group to get away from the stress of life if just for one night. The most humbling part is when one of our guests think highly enough about the event as to make the effort to introduce their family and friends to me. The most gratifying factor is although they’re working; whenever I look at my Hitmaker’s teammates they’re always having fun.
You’ve also been involved in business management with some very profitable businesses. Can you share some of your insights on running a successful business? My number one philosophy to running a successful business is if you do nothing else master the art of relationship building. Being good at running a business is one thing, doing good business is another. When you’re doing good business your customers will talk more about you then they will about your business. We all have friends that become customers - that’s easy. If you want to be successful get your customers to become friends.
What advice would you give others who want to go into business for themselves? It’s ok to try different businesses to get into. Second, when something doesn’t work it doesn’t mean it can’t work. Sometimes it’s all about how you execute it. Also, just because you don’t like being on a 9-5 job doesn’t mean you’re fit to be an entrepreneur. In many cases liking your job means adjusting yourself and if you can’t do that then you’re nowhere near ready for the adjustments you’re going to have to make working for yourself. On a 9 to 5 your attitude can cost you your job but when you’re working for yourself it can cost you your family and livelihood. Make sure you take interest in your adjustments now so they’re easier later. Lastly, being tired of your job isn’t the time to leave. The time to leave is when your job is in your way. Be interested in the business, not the money.
You operate your business in a very professional way. I remember you posted your “To Do” list as a picture on FB and shared your philosophy for business follow up (I got extremely convicted!!!) Anyway, share with us that philosophy. Giving you a “Soap Box” moment here. Oh that. I got a lot of responses after I posted it. There were actually several messages hidden in that action. One was that since everyone says they’re busy no one takes the term seriously. So if you want someone to understand where you’re coming from sometimes you have to share and let them in. This can be applied in different facets of life. This is a way of “training” people how to work with you. Another message is that most people think that writing things down is only good to help to remember to get things done. But it serves even better in time management. Looking at your to-do list allows you to look at your day from the outside looking in. This way you get a realistic view and subconsciously start to “Organize, Prioritize and Realize.” Organize: design a plan of execution of each task. Prioritize: determine which tasks are more pressing regarding due time. Realize: if you do the first two you’ll come to realize contrary to what people think, there is plenty of time in a day. How you manage that time will determine your effectiveness and your stress level.
You’re a sexy, single young man out there making it happen! Do you have marriage and family in your future plans? I definitely would like that and if I had my way I would’ve been married long ago. I do desire that companionship. Unfortunately I’m still developing plans to have a future at all, then I’ll work on future plans. I guess all the attractive women working around me isn’t helping the situation though. Gotta work on that!
What more can we expect from you in the coming years? I would prefer that you expect more from the people and businesses that I touch. Their success, happiness and peace of mind is how I justify being here.
What do you love about your life? My life actually feels like it’s mine. I think life has treated me fairly. Though I’ve never made a lot of money, I’ve gotten much more than I’ve ever wanted. I’ll take being surrounded by great people over being surrounded by money any day.
Lastly, what do you know for sure? I know for sure that my blessings aren’t my own. For more information on Bay Entertainment Events and D’ondrae Allen Landers, visit http://bayentertainmentevents.webs.com