Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Boston.
Hi Michelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ever since I can remember, I was creative but at the age of nine, I knew for sure I had a naturally creative spirit. Creative Writing and Dancing was like second nature and it was all I wanted to do.
I was born and raised in The Bahamas, but right before it was time for me to go to 6th grade my mother decided she wanted to go to college and get her degree. She decided on a college in South Florida and brought me with her. I’ve been in America ever since. Throughout all my school years, I maintained being a student-athlete. I played Basketball, Volleyball, and even Flag-Football. Once I got to high school, I knew I wanted to keep being creative with what I was passionate for, but at the time I just didn’t understand how to use it for anything other than expressing my feelings, for myself. I utilized it much like a favorite hobby or personal therapy.
By now, in my later years of high school, I discovered this event online in the early youtube years called “Def Jam Poetry” and I just knew that that was for me. I thought for sure I would get me chance to be on that show one day. I studied that show and everything associated with it for as long as it kept showing up on YouTube. The talents were incredible and my writing skills were becoming ELITE, at least so I thought. Now, it’s time for me to go to college and the only thing I wanted to do was go to a Performing Arts school, but of course my parents being from The Bahamas, was not going for that. Truly though, in the back of my mind, I already knew. Going further, much of life happened and I ended up attending St. Thomas University and getting my degree in Tourism & Hospitality.
By now, my passion was at its strongest. I decided I was going to use college to get my business degree, but also to give myself the chance to share my gifts with others. I performed in numerous open mics around the city and even got on stage for few talent show opportunities at the University. I also made sure to show up at just about every party to show people I can dance too. While in college a really close friend of mine wanted to start a Band at our University, he asked me to be a part of the Dance Team. I did, I even ended up becoming captain of the team and the Band now actually became ‘a thing’ at St. Thomas University. I was writing, I was dancing, and even though I felt I was getting a degree to make my parents happy, I was still doing everything I loved while being able to make them proud. However, I knew I wanted more for myself and the business too.
It was in 2011, and my junior year of college that I came up with Entrepreneur Entertainment. My intention was to build a place creatives can independently excel in their craft, connect with individuals genuinely interested in building with them, and also feel like they are a part of an Elite team of talents. I began seeking the talent from within my University and even from The Bahamas. Initially, I started with a music producer, a DJ, and two very lyrical rap artists. I knew I needed to build connections in the Entertainment field so while I finished up college, I began promoting the talents I had and connecting the necessary dots.
In December of 2012, I graduated with my degree in Tourism & Hospitality Management. I committed myself to developing the brand, finding exceptional talents, and helping them grow as much as possible. By the end of 2013, I had a talent rooster of about 12 great individuals with talent ranging from music artists, models, Dj’s, and a producer. From about 2013 to 2017, I engorged myself in the Entertainment field in South Florida and The Bahamas to be able to put the team and the brand in position. I managed, I personal assisted, I developed businesses, I covered back-ends, created content, brand awareness, created and negotiated contracts, and so much more. Looking back, I really do consider these my learning years, but while there during that time, I found myself leveling and running into people who have been doing it for a much longer time and a much larger scale. I remember at one point feeling like those were my peak years. However, I knew I wanted more for myself and the business itself. So after doing the homework, connecting the dots, and getting my ‘feet wet’ in the field. I decided it was time I become an official business. In 2018, I did just that and Entrepreneur Entertainment INC. then, became an official business.
By now, it was great that I had already done the groundwork, ran in with some of the majors of that time, connected with people and etc. because the industry as I knew it was changing very rapidly too. By 2018, just before I became an official business, I made sure to individually check in with everyone that was already a member. The conversations were genuinely about checking to see how they were feeling within their crafts, letting them know the changes I intended to make regarding becoming an official business, and just a conversation of future interest. At that time, everyone made themselves clear. Although we had already grown so much as a team, some were not as passionate about putting their talents to the forefront of their lives anymore, some had other directions that they wanted to go, and some just didn’t align with the direction I wanted to go about in my future. We were really all so young when we initially started working together so for me, regardless of the decisions made, I knew I would keep going. Nonetheless, there was an understanding all the way around for each person.
Needless to say, I ended up getting an opportunity for a very fresh start with my rooster. It was like an empty canvas fresh out of college all over again for me. To be honest, this was a very nerve-wracking time for me, I actually cried about it more than a few times because I remember really liking what I had and I was also a bit attached to the memories of that time. However, I knew If I did it great before, I could do it again, and again, and again, and again. The homework was done, the tools were in my hands, the passion never left me, the desire to assist never left me, the business was brand new, I now had the time and past experience to allow me work smarter, and I still had incredible faith. This was an opportunity for me to become better, develop my personal character, and my career goals. So, I decided to do just that.
Since then, I have been able to truly develop as a person just for the fact that I kept going. My motto has always been to Pray – Love – & Follow My Dreams. These are the words I live by. Always have, and I always will. I am now publicly doing artist management, brand management, and PR for three very talented creatives whom reside in South Florida and The Bahamas. A Hip-Hop artist, a reggae artist, and a Dj. These individuals are doing great and I couldn’t be more proud of their development from when we first started working together. They were already on their way, but our efforts together since teaming up has been a pleasure to see through. I also have a few private clientele members whom I assist in doing the same. Entrepreneur Entertainment INC. was built with the intention to bring light to the talents themselves, not what is being done for them. Being a creative, especially in this particular time, can be more sensitive than any other time prior to now. With social media being here and rapid development of technology, I think it’s nice for creatives to have someone interested in bringing focus to them in a positive way and keeping it there. The journey is the best part, and for those of us who have no intention of giving up with our passions involved, we’ve learned to be helpful while also respecting someone else’s lane. Nothing like a team effort to a bigger picture. Some people just get it. Authenticity definitely matters to me.
I have no intention on ever giving up. I was doing good, I’m becoming better, and I see nothing but greatness in who I am and the individuals that I work with. I understand the value that I bring while working with others, and I can only hope that they understand the value they bring for me too. Cheers to the journey because it never ends. This is Entertainment, it’s never going anywhere, so neither am I.
Alright, 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?
No – It has not been a smooth road.
Nothing was ever handed to me. I think I had maybe one talent from the Bahamas that saw interest in me and I mutually wanted to work with him too. Everyone else, I sought them out for myself. There were times when people wanted to pay me to work with them, but back then these individuals simply just did not have that ‘IT’ thing I could work with. I was always very picky. For me, the talent was the first thing that had to be special, followed by your ambition and willingness to sustain a career in this industry. Everything I ever wanted, I had to go get it, including the talent. It’s one thing to create a business, but it’s entirely another to maintain it. Navigating through the waves of people wanting to use me for ‘quick come-up’ moments, VIP sections, and popularity could get tricky. Not getting distracted from the purpose of the business could be challenging, but it takes tunneling the vision, especially in this industry.
Another common challenge faced for me along the way is, just simply being a woman. Entertainment has always been a man’s game, and I came in knowing that. So I didn’t come to play at all. Yes, I do consider myself a beautiful person, but I knew I didn’t want my beauty to be the only focus, although it is an asset. I didn’t want to have a reputation of just being a pretty girl and that being ALL I was known for. I wanted to be more, and it took real WORK to get pass ‘she’s so pretty’ and breaking through to ‘she really handles her business’. By now, I feel I’ve earned that respect. Although it gets complicated trying to see my way through the noise sometimes, I know it has to be done.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Entrepreneur Entertainment?
We are a fully loaded independent career service outlet for creatives. At Entrepreneur Entertainment we pride ourselves on flourishing with the independent entertainers who carry the desire to trust their process and get it done with their own team.
We prefer to do our servicing with integrity and hospitality.
We are passionate about being a growing support system for great indie careers across the spectrum. Although our services are valid and may be found resourceful for all kinds of talent, here we specialize in the Music Business.
What sets us apart from others is our ability to bring a 1-to-1 focus to our clients directly while bringing forth their vision. We also offer a public and private services so that you can utilize or assistance without feeling the pressure of being credited in other spaces for reasons you are not yet ready to display.
I am most proud of our quality over quantity in our talent selection as well as our presentation and dedication to deliver on each task.
Here, creatives can be independent and still have a team! This is where we step in. Our process will give music entrepreneurs a chance to learn the music business through an administration built custom-made for them. Or, you can also just let us cover the details while you focus on embracing the moment. We understand the assignment.
What does success mean to you?
I think success is determined by the individual, and for me, success is just doing better for yourself than previously. Knowing where you were matters so you can understand where you need to go. Sometimes too, success is just, not giving up. Writing down the goals, and actually completing them. Making progress doesn’t need to be rapid, it just needs to be forward. Discipline makes all the difference!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EntrepreneurEnt.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/EntrepreneurEnt
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/EntrepreneurEnt
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/RealEliteEmpire
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/entrepreneurent
