Wanito…branding master? After making considerable impact with his debut album, songwriter and singer Wanito is making a subtle comeback, and preparing the musical terrain for his sophomore album. He’s not only concerned about showing his artistic growth, but he’s also coming at his fans in a big way with a major image overhaul. Here are some branding and rebranding lessons we can learn from the singer.

1. Communicate your desired message, and keep reinforcing it
Wanito wore leather pants and jacket for his “Leve Defi” a video…a vast difference from the t-shirts and flannel shirts and jeans that were the norm for most of his appearances. And in a lot of his public perfomances…there he was in a suit and sitting on a stool. Wanito’s message: I’m growing up and this is a new day.

2. Use the power of the internet to control your image
Wanito’s official website Wanito.com debuted, and boy, does it have some bells and whistles. Designed by the creative firm THE CCWC NETWORK CORP, the site features tabs where fans can keep up with Wanito’s tour dates, buy his latest tracks, and join his fan club. On the website, Wanito has full reign on directly communicating with his fans and the music community. Even in the 21st Century, an artist’s personal website yields power. In searches, it’ll most likely be the first hit for the name “Wanito”.

3. Be about branding, be about business…
There’s Wanito bamboo hoops now…and Wanito-branded boots for fans and supporters to purchase. I personally haven’t seen much merchandising offerings from the konpa/Haitian music genre, so power to Wanito.

4. When you don’t have any new material or product out, take little steps in letting fans know you’re still good and well.
It’s less work you’ll have to do when presenting them with new product. You must do your best to remain in their minds. Prior to releasing a new single and video, Wanito remained active on social media, and shared photos of appearances at events, including the African Entertainment Awards, where he walked the red carpet and performed. And the single and video were released weeks apart—but not too far apart—so that fans didn’t have to wait too long. At the same times, the gap between single release and video release allowed fans to absorb the single first, and set the tone (and anticipation) for the video.

5. Solidify your message with visuals
Wanito does this most expertly with his video for his track “Viens Avec Moi”, featuring singer-songwriter and fellow guitarist Mickael. In the video, a bearded Wanito shows that not only can he sit there and moan and groan about the problems of the world, but when the times call for it, he can be a most romantic leading man. He dances with, he twirls the beautiful and well-shaped leading lady in the video. Yes, he’s no longer some teeny-bopper singing about Haiti’s problems, but a grown-man who wants to be seen as one. And the video allowed for Wanito to demonstrate a new dimension of himself and his talent…he co-directed the video, so he was not only the leading man in the video, but the leading shot-caller on its production set. Within Twenty-four hours of its posting, the video received 50,000 views on one Youtube channel alone. Building anticipation and delivering within a reasonable amount of time yields fruitage.

There you have it folks, Wanito branding and rebranding lessons we can learn from the singer. Artists and other folks out there…how many can you relate to? And which one do you feel is most clever?

Your girl Kreyolicious signing off.

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What time is it? It’s time for me to sit down and watch a music video by a Haitian artist. Today’s treat: Haiti-based singer Rutshelle Rendez-Vous Au Sommet.

The music video, directed by Abdias Laguerre and edited by Oriol Variela, opens up with a shot of the songstress crouched on the tip of a valley. Slowly, she rises, and at first it’s unclear if we’re viewing her face or something else. She’s looking ahead. Her face is neither joyful, nor particularly sad. She’s staring wide into the horizons…what is she seeing exactly? Not the past, not exactly the future…but what’s in front of her right now. The expression on her face makes you feel like she’s blocked all distractions, she’s deaf to everything within her hearing.

The singer Rutshelle is dressed like a warrior. But she’s not going to take part in some physical war. She looks too glamorous for that…with her beaded forehead jewelry, her long velvety black dress with the tufted sleeves, and dangling earrings. Her lips are pursed up in dark burgundy red.
Lesson: Some of the biggest battles in this life aren’t fought with swords, machetes, Magnums, or weapons of mass destruction. They can be fought with smiles, with a firm head, and a indomitable spirit.

Arrows seem to be flying everywhere, hurled by hands unseen. On each arrow, there’s a vituperative word. Each more insulting, revolting, demeaning than the last one.

Lesson: People can place labels on you. You can try to brush them off, and they’ll still persist. They can throw discouragement your way. What matters is that you stay focused. Duck past the labels people try to impose on you. They can define you only if you let them.

In the next shot, the singer bounces down a desolate road with skimpy shorts, long, thick braids. She’s jaunty, radiant, and carefree.

A smile decorates her face.

Wearing a skintight romper, she bounces through valleys and peaks. These valleys and peaks are undoubtedly the ups and downs thrown her way, and in our way as women. But she rummages through them effortlessly.

Lesson: A subtle piece of advice to all of us perhaps? You’re walking, you do your best not to dip your feet in quicksand, but even in daylight you may not always control where your steps land. The essential thing to do is to give your best strides, to thread lightly—but firmly.

Then the singer reaches the peak of the valley. She’s dancing…she’s bouncing…she’s joined by several other women who help her celebrate her feat.

Lesson: Your victory is not too far behind. Yes, not too far behind. You can either let others bring you down or you can make the choice to uplift yourself. If you focus on the victory, all the thorns you meet on the way won’t matter.

You can watch the video below…

This has been another music video watching episode from your favorite chick Kreyolicious. Until next time.

Pascale Rowe may be known by the cutesy-playful moniker Ms. Bling Miami, but she doesn’t play when it comes to business. She’s a successful retail entrepreneur and accessories designer, and the author of Boss Up, Or Get Bossed Around,, a self-help business book. These days she’s a self-made millionaire, traveling the world on her own whim. If she wakes up on a Tuesday, and feels like staying in bed all day and sipping a bit of Barbancourt, she can. She doesn’t have to worry about a smaller paycheck as a result. She’s her own boss, thank you very much. If she wants to give her son his dream gift, she can, with the snap of a finger tip. The Haiti-born, New York-bred and Miami-residing mogul didn’t start out that way. In the late 2000s, she was in a disintegrating marriage, and made the leap to the life of a single woman with nothing but her clothes and her savings. She went from a negative balance to an annual income of $300,000 (to start). But what principles did she apply to get to where she is? Let your girl Kreyolicious tell you.

1. Jump, just jump—even if you don’t see a drape cushion when you’re looking down.
Pascale Rowe was working for an insurance firm, earning $70,000 a year. My, that’s a lofty little salary. And the perks…always looking forward to a bi-weekly pay stub, an attractive 401K firm, and the pride of being steadily employed. But the desire to be an entrepreneur and be her own boss was always gnawing at her like a tapeworm. But what do do, what to do? Jump, that’s what! And faith and courage will be the cushion.

2. You’ve got a product? Get it out there.
And the best way to get it out there effectively? It’s by getting people with higher visibility than you to use it. Or in Pascale’s case…to wear it. Pascale used her contacts to get her Bling bangles on the wrists of such celebrities as Lauren London, Trina, Gabrielle Union, Kim Kardashian to name a few. And these celebrities, in turn, helped spread positive buzz and intrigue about her brand.

3. Don’t flex aimlessly on social media. Make it work for you.
Some waste hours on social media, but seem oblivious to the opportunities that social media bring. Pascale’s presence has helped her business grow, and by having consistently updated profiles on social media—especially Instagram—she’s contributed to the mushroom-like growth of her brand. Speaking of which…

4. Talk is just that…talk.
Putting yourself on the internet can be hazardous to your reputation and your health, but if it’s a risk you just have to take. At any time, on any given day, someone is staring at your profile and gossiping about you. But, oh well. At the end of the day, your success will remain your own. Let people wag their tongues, while new zeroes get added to your bank account balance. Life is short. Why spend it being sad over people’s ill-intentioned comments, inaccurate speculations and intended-to-be-hurtful opinions. The majority of people badmouthing you have never met you, weren’t with you during your struggles, but feel entitled to judge you…so let them. This won’t stop you from prospering. Pascale Rowe detractors are just unpaid House of Bling employees creating word-of-mouth buzz for the brand and its creator…see it that way!

5. Be the teacher you didn’t have when you were starting out.
From Memphis, to Detroit, to Milwaukee, to Atlanta, Pascale addresses hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs at hosting gigs, conferences, brunches and retreats. When she was grinding stone and bricks to create her own lane, she didn’t have certain resources available to assist her. But that’s to be expected when one is carving out self-created opportunities that were unknown to the world of entrepreneurship. Through the Bling Bootcamp, Pascale puts participants through informational intensives lasting from a day to several weeks and teaches them the ropes to success.

There you have it, kreyolicous cheries, 5 Success Principles We Can Learn From Pascale Rowe, better known as Ms. Bling Miami.

MSBLINGMIAMI ON INSTAGRAM|PASCALE ROWE’S WEBSITE | CLICK HERE TO BUY PASCALE “MSBLINGMIAMI” ROWE’S BOOK | SHOP PASCALE ROWE’S BLING COLLECTION FOR FALL | PASCALE ROWE ON PINTEREST

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A journalism graduate from Saint John’s University, Marlie Hall’s first job was as an anchor for News 12 The Bronx, a Twenty-Four hour news station. Today, she’s one of the most recognizable faces on CBS and a respected, award-winning business woman. Her career has brought her to the red carpet at the Tony Awards, and at the commemoration of major historical events. Join me, your favorite chick Kreyolicious as I examine the 5 Principles We Can Learn From Marlie Hall.

1. If you’re going to blow money and time on education, be selective.
Marlie Hall received a journalism degree from Saint John’s University, one of the most prestigious Schools of Communication in the nation. Wanting a more solid background, she enrolled in an MBA program at Dowling College. The MBA has been recognized as one of the more reliable degrees, and as one of the few that’s viable through recessions, cultural shifts, and economic crisis.

2. Create something of your own.
The MBA she earned at Dowling College helped her develop the business strategies and acumen to create her own company Marlie Hall Enterprises, LLC. She later formed a non-profit organization Mission to Sassier to create awareness about health issues in Haiti.

3. Diversify…diversify.
Marlie has never been satisfied with doing one thing, and she never will. Marlie is an anchor, a host, and a community leader and fulfills each role with equal passion.

4. Don’t expect things to be handled to you.
Feeling and acting entitled is a sure-way to get your breakthroughs and blessings blocked. Following graduation, Marlie worked for two years as an intern, writing copy for the news staff at WLNY TV 55 in New York. Some people can’t imagine putting in two months at a corporation without being compensated, but Marlie knew this was the way to get into her dream career. She put in double of what Malcomlm Gladwell calls The 10,000 hours before News 12 The Bronx snatched her up for a lucrative position. After years of proving herself, she earned posts at The Food Network, NBC and now CBS.

5. Challenge yourself. Constantly.
Every time Marlie has slipped out of her comfort zone, she’s been able to reap a good harvest. Her awards include a New York Festival Television Programming & Promotions Award and a Bronze Telly Award for Outstanding News Feature for her reporting.

There you have it folks, the 5 Success Principles We Can Learn From Marlie Hall.

Marlie Hall Entertainment / Feature Reporting Reel 2013 from Marlie Hall on Vimeo.

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Whether he has a CNN news camera aimed at him, or whether he’s surveying the grounds prior to an air show, Vladimir Duthiers is the man…the news man. He’s everywhere it seems. After a stint at CNN, he moved on to CBS News where he continues build up his stellar resume with prestigious assignments. He’s a success for sure, an overnight success some might say! Not! Let’s examine his journey and determine the 5 Success Principles we can learn from his career.

1. No matter how far you are in your journey, you can always start on a new one.
Today, Vladimir Duthiers may be known as a journalist, but did you know that he spent most of his post-undergrad years in the world of finance? Eighteen years in a field, and turning your back on it! Moreover, his initial degree wasn’t even in finance. He actually majored in Political Science. See a pattern here? You might prepare for one road, and get set on another one! The thing is to be honest with oneself.

2. Some so-called down-grades are actually part of the upgrade process.
Vladimir went from an entry-level position at a financial firm to being the managing director of capital firm, to Vice President of a major asset company in Luxembourg. In the mid-2000s, he decided that he wanted to try his hands at the broadcasting business. As a financial industry transplant, could he find a place in this news sector.

Vladimir Duthiers was not opposed to getting a position as a production assistant. From Vice President to production assistant? What? Well, yes. Duthiers worked for CNN’s Christine Amanpour in that role, and in less than six months his diligence and hard work was recognized and he moved on to the role of Associate Producer for Anderson Cooper 360. He ended up covering one of the biggest news stories of the early 2010s…the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. Two years later, Vladimir Duthiers was courted and hired by CNN. How’s that for upgrade, baby!

3. Get some skills that will help you regardless of your industry or field.
Goodness knows that having bilingual parents doesn’t always mean that you’re going to be bilingual! As the New York-born son of Haitian parents, Vladu learned Haitian Creole and French. As an adult, he studied Japanese and Chinese, and he’s managed to gain intermediate fluency in both languages. With both Japan and China being such a major part of the global economic scene, these language skills will certainly come to be useful for the man whose first love was finance. Moreover, in the world of broadcast journalism, knowing languages other than English will never stop being handy.

When CBS needed someone to be a correspondent in Nigeria, Mali, and Algeria guess who they called on? Japanese and Chinese aren’t the national languages in Nigeria (or any of those other places), but because of Vladimir Duthiers’ international aura, CBS brass wanted him.

4. Never stop learning.
Like you didn’t know that one! But it bears repeating! To Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism he went. In spite of his busy schedule, he managed to get his Master’s of Science in Broadcast. Whether he has remaining journeys in other fields or wants to continue in the world of journalism, he has his graduate degree in tow!

5. Stay ready, and be ready.
Overall, Vladimir Duthiers is an example of what can happen to your life and your career if you continuously prepare for the life and career that you want. Sometimes, this meant getting supplemental education, displaying willingness to start over in a new field, or acquiring a skills that took him out of his comfortable surroundings. The lesson here is to remain polished, as an opportunity may come sooner than you think!

This is your favorite chick Kreyolicious signing off. CLICK HERE to read other installments in this series brought to you by your fave chick Kreyolicious.

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Recognized as one of the most powerful fashion influencers in the fashion world, kreyolicious chick Rajni Lucienne Jacques exemplifies the Thomas Edison saying that there is no substitute for hard work. Like many leaders, she started out as an intern in her field, and worked her way to the upper echelons of the beauty and fashion world. What can we learn from Rajni’s career and her moves? Follow along as your favorite chick Kreyolicious deciphers the 5 success principles we can learn from this fashion influencer leader.

1. Work your gluteus maximus off. You never know who’s watching.
(And even when no one may be watching, at least you’ll have gained much-needed experience).

After earning a Bachelor’s of Science degree at Rutgers, Rajni joined urban media giant Vibe as a Fashion and Accessories Editor. This was not Rajni’s first rapport with Vibe. She had worked as an intern and assistant at the publication, and when the post opened up, they immediately thought of her. Why should they hire elsewhere when this proven intern had worked like a paid employee?

2. Sometimes you might outgrow the position you’re in. Don’t be afraid to go elsewhere.
This will take a great deal of courage. Vibe Magazine was like family to Rajni, having spent her late teen years there and the early part of her career there, and growing with the staff. But a new opportunity came calling in the form of a Fashion Features Editor at Nylon, and it was the next phase of the beauty editor’s career.

Photo Credit: by Krista Anna Lewis

3. Go hard for your career, but don’t neglect love.
Ever read those lists of the top regrets of the dying? They always emphasize family relationships. As a career woman, Rajni earned accolades after accolades and promotions and after promotions. But the high from promotions and climbing the career tree can only lasts for so long. This is where her soulmate and true love David Dowd came in, and their growing family. After a long day at the cubicle scheduling photo shoots, writing articles, starring at mobile device screens, and fielding phone calls, it’s nice to come home to your soothing and supportive man, who’s the love of your life.

4. Create, nurture your girl squad.
Many women have lost faith in female friendships. Rajni hasn’t. Most of the friends she has, have been in her life for ten years or more. Her friendships range from childhood friends to industry friends, whose friendship go beyond the parking lot at the office. For instance, Shiona Turini, a fellow fashion doyenne friend is a decade-plus-long comrade, and godmother to one of her kids. The time is ripe for women to stop seeing each other as potential rivals and just embrace true friendship.

5. Keep up with the key changes in your field.
Rajni has more than a decades’ worth of experience in the realm of fashion. She has been a first-hand witness of developments in technology and the influencer shift of the early 2010s. She has been an early adopter of Twitter and Instagram, and she joined the former while some fashion editors were still resisting the platform. Her having her pinky on the pulse of trends has led to posts at Glamour, Yahoo, Madewell, Racked, and now fashion and style bastion Hearst Digital.

There you have it kreyolicious cheries, the 5 SUCCESS PRINCIPLES WE CAN LEARN FROM RAJNI LUCIENNE JACQUES! Which of these principles do you most look forward to applying in your own life? Let me know!

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So many names have been hurled at her: mogul, shepreneur, maven. Mona Scott-Young is all of these things. She’s made her mark in music, television, the spirits industry, and will soon lend her mark in the film industry. Married to Chris Young since the mid-2000s, and mother of two children, and the CEO of Mon Ami Entertainment, LLC, and spirits company MYX Fusions, Mona Scott-Young is many a young entrepreneur’s “goals”.

Let’s examine the five principles she applied to get to where she is.

1. Your parents gave you life and values. Strive to be more accomplished than they were to give them a better life during their golden years.
Mona Scott-Young was born in Queens, New York and, she along with her siblings were raised by her mother Jeanine. Jeanine did not have the chance to an education, but became a homeowner and raised all her children to be professionals. As the mother of Mona Scott-Young, one of the children she successfully raised on her own, Jeanine can sleep in a five-star hotel in New York if she wants to, or go on a vacation in the Virgin Islands, or sip Barbancourt in a beach-side hotel in Miami.

2. Put yourself in the environment where you’re most likely to be in the orbit of those who are in your desired industry.
Want to be a baseball player? Hang out at the baseball stadiums. And want to be mogul? Well…For Mona Scott-Young the journey begun at Radio Music Hall. She came across the hip-hop production team Poke and Tone, alias Trackmasters. They saw potential in her, and asked her to serve as their manager. From there, she created Violator Management with Chris Lighty. And they kept signing artists: LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Foxy Brown, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Fantasia and Missy Elliot. Violator would inspire moguls like Jay-Z and his RocNation Management.
[Above: Mona Scott-Young and Kerry Washington. Photo Credit: Bryen Bedder]

[Mona Scott-Young at the Hip-Hop summit in 2008. Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder]

3. People will judge you based on how you look. Don’t sigh at how vain your fellow humans can be. Just dress the part.
For a time, baggy jeans and large blouses were the norm for Mona Scott-Young. She successfully adopted a healthier lifestyle, and opted for a more chic wardrobe. She added highlights to her hair. A new Mona was born.

[Photo Credit: Brad Barker]

4. Know that you might lose allies in your journey, but keep going.
Some lose allies due to differences in career and life direction. Mona Scott-Young lost one of her close friends to Chris Lighty. It would have been easy to lose her motivation, but she grieved, exhaled her sadness, and moved on.

5. Don’t be afraid of dipping your fingers into new territory.
How else are you going to grow? Mona Scott-Young was a well-known manager in the music business when she decided to try her hand at reality TV. Was she a wanna-be? Would she be known as one of those music industry honchos who wanted to dip in every Kool-Aid flavor? “Love and Hip Hop”, the show that resulted, was a ratings blockbuster…and spawned so many spin-offs that even die-hard fans have a hard time naming them all. Not only did Mona Scott-Young gain credibility in a new lane in the entertainment business, but she also gave new opportunities to dozens of other women to create and revitalize their brands. Behind the scenes, she gave many people jobs during recession times, and showed network brass that there was plenty of ratings to be earned, and advertiser money to be had by catering to “urban” audiences. That tifi, Mona!

There you have it folks…the 5 Success Principles We Ca Learn From Mona Scott-Young.

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CLICK HERE to visit Mona Scott-Young’s website.

Claire Sulmers started out as a fashion blogger and has quickly morphed into a multi-media mogul. The granddaughter of a Haitian immigrant, Claire claimed her piece of the American dream in the mid-2000s via The Fashion Bomb, a fashion blog. She took fashion journalism to a level unknown to the niche, by integrating edgy commentary with a personal flair. The fashion entrepreneur earned a spot on Ebony 100, that magazine’s oh-so-prestigious list and has asphalted the path for other fashion bloggers. A recognized influencer, Claire has gone to heights even she, the ever optimistic dreamer, never dreamed of. She once aspired to write for some of the world’s biggest fashion outlets—now, the little project she started years ago, is considered as one of the world’s biggest, go-to fashion outlets. At one time, she wrote for Essence magazine. Now, her Fashion Bomb empire is consulted alongside Essence, and sometimes even before Essence.

So, what can we learn from Claire Sulmers’ journey?

1. Learn from mistakes and move on.
For a while, Claire was hosting her blog on .blogspot.com. This was just fine….but she she had neglected to purchase the domain for her brand. Someone snatched it, and as Claire later told Black Enterprise, said individual was asking a fortune to sell it back. How could someone high-jacked her brand’s domain from her? She could have sat there and asked herself that question over and over. Instead of weeping all the water out of her body, Claire purchased an alternative domain. She continued to work on building her brand, and bombers know to go directly to that domain, and not that other one. When certain social media platforms started to get popular, Claire hurriedly signed up for the username for her brand.

2. Stay motivated, encouraged….and know your value.
If consumers of color are often ignored, how much more a media mogul who’s trying to cater to them. Claire watched as mainstream newly-blogging, fashion bloggers were being praised in the media for doing what she had been doing for years—except of course targeting women of color. She watched as they got sponsors, fashion lines, exclusive invites, and collaborations—while she (and her audience) were being ignored. She continued to make a go at it, and with time, mainstream media outlets—from Glamour, New York Magazine, Time, to Teen Vogue—took notice, featuring her or referencing her. Brands like Toyota recognized her power and the buying clout of her audience, and came on ship as a sponsor.

3. Don’t think you’re going to get where you want to be within 24 hours. It takes hard work, baby.
Everybody wants a blog like The Fashion Bomb, and want loyal readers like Claire’s. They want to be invited to Mercedes Fashion Week, want to be on prestigious panels and get courted by big brands…but without putting in the actual work. It didn’t happen to Claire in the scope of one day. It took moving to France, when all the French she knew was what she had learned from class, and all she knew of Paris was what she had read online. It took years of working without any applause or recognition—or pay, for that matter. It took juggling freelance assignments while pumping and creating original content for her brand. No, you won’t get there over the course of a 24-hour day, but with non-stop, hard-work, you can get there.

4. Cherish your heritage.
Claire stated in an interview that upon immigrating to the United States, her grandfather changed his last name from Silmé to Sulmers because he wanted to blend in. Claire wants to claim that back, and told a fashion reporter that if she ever has her own fashion line, it’s going to be christened Silmé.

5. Once you get up there, don’t forget you were once down there.
As a graduate of Harvard University, little Claire Sulmers dreamt of working in the fashion industry. But that industry isn’t exactly easy to break into as a new pair of good-fitting pumps. Claire remembers this and created “Breaking Into the Industry” series on her website, where her readers can get priceless insight into what it takes to work in fashion. While some have maintained a proprietary attitude towards the wisdom they’ve gained, Claire makes it a point to share hers. Additionally, she’s given a slew of college students and grads their first taste at working in fashion through internships and writing opportunities.

There you have it Kreyolicious cheries…5 Success Principles We Can Learn from Claire Sulmers, better known as…The Fashion Bomb.

[Photo Credit: Angela Weiss, Jason Merritt, and Vivien Killelea]

FASHION BOMB WEBSITE | FASHION BOMB ON TWITTER | FASHION BOMB ON INSTAGRAM

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Michael Brun. Say that name in any circle and the words and phrases that get thrown out might include: wonderchild, uber deejay, trendsetter, and musical influencer. Michael Brun fits these descriptions like a built-in light show fits in a DJ Controller set.

Join me, your favorite chick Kreyolicious, as I examine 5 success principles we can Learn from this artist. Let’s get started…

1. Create on a consistent basis and show your work.
And don’t just focus on quality, but quantity as well. Moreover, promote yourself and promote yourself some more. It’s not bragging. You can’t help it if you’re great. Let the whole world know about it. Like. Every. Day.

As an individual living in the 21st Century and as a child of Web 3.0, Michael Brun made use of all the social media platforms and musician-friendly websites available to him. Promoting his tracks regularly on the web helped him catch the eye—or rather the ear—of music fans around the world, not to mention decision makers and major musical artists.
Main Photo: Michael Brun doing his thing at an event. Photo Credit: WorldEye.

2. Age ain’t got nothing to do with nothin’.

So don’t let how young you or or how old you are deter you from your goals, darn it. It’s never too late to learn something new. It’s never too early to get into what you hope to do for the rest of your life. While still in his late teens, the wonderchild had already established himself as a major force in the electronic dance music circuit through his vigorous application of Principle #1. At one point, he was pursuing a medical degree at a major university. He had earned more than half of the credits he needed to graduate. Would it be wise to stop and pursue his greater passion? After weighing the pros and cons, the wonder DJ decided that the answer was in the affirmative. He’s never looked back (maybe to fix his hair).

3. Create relationships and maintain them.
Do you burn your bridges with gasoline or blow them up with TNT? Good luck with that. Actually, you should do your utmost to never to burn your bridges at all. Tread softly on them bridges, chile. For, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing in life—you will require human resources.

Michael Brun let his work speak for himself, and in producing great tracks for people like Aviicii and Mako, he created solid working relationships with them. One good relationship leads to another. When he was orchestrating a festival in Haiti, dozens of big-names wanted to help. Imagine if he had burned these people. I doubt they would have come through for him.

4. Bread down redtape and create your own breakthroughs.
Don’t wait for others to make things happen to you. Red tape is just that…red tape. Kick those doors down (ahem, firmly yet politely). Eliminate barriers (most of which are self-created or imagined anyway by us humans). Michael Brun formed his own record label Kid Coconut to promote and distribute his own music. It’s a fair wager that he’ll sign other artists and musical acts to Kid Coconut.

5. Use any fame or visibility you get for the good of others.
A little good deed ain’t never hurt nobody. It didn’t hurt Michael Brun to give the revenue from the aforementioned beach-side festival to Haiti’s Audio Institute, and towards scholarships for students in Haiti. What’s more, by having the festival in Haiti, rather than…say New York, Los Angeles, or Miami, the artist put the spotlight on Haiti and this resulted in positive news stories about Haiti in high-profile publications including Billboard. In giving back to Haiti’s youth, Michael Brun gave back to Haiti, while winning himself an entire new legion of fans.

Above: Michael Brun and some admirers at a Fashion Ayiti event.

There you have it kreyolicious cheries, the 5 SUCCESS PRINCIPLES WE CAN LEARN FROM MICHAEL BRUN! Which of these principles do you most look forward to applying to your own life? Let me know!

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Karen Civil, the owner of Always Civil Enterprises, makes a minimum of $12,000 most weekends. In 2015, her brand grossed $500,000—more than a four-fold increase from the $125,000 she made back in 2010. How did she get to command so much money? And how is it that her brand has grown to such grandiose levels? Your girl Kreyolicious is here to answer all of this. So, let us examine the 5 Success Principles that we can learn from the life and career of Elizabeth, New Jersey-bred Karen Civil.

1. When people are ignoring you, and acting as if you’re insignificant, all it means is that you have to work harder.
When Karen Civil started her website back in 2008, getting interviews were difficult. Hip-hop celebrities would dodge her calls requesting interviews. Others would act as if they’d be doing her a huge favor if they returned her calls. Some would not acknowledge her calls altogether. This prompted Karen to shed tears, but after she wiped her eyes dry, she came to realization that all she needed to do was to increase her output. At the time she had started her site, she had already worked as DJ Funkmaster Flex’s assistant and worked with Dipset, a music-marketing company, but all that didn’t seem to be enough for some. So she worked, and worked some more at a capacity that made it impossible for anyone to ignore her, or her accolades. She stopped calling. Matter of fact, she didn’t have to make calls anymore. People and brands came to her.

People use outward appearance against you all the time in life, so you might as well make perception work for you.
The perception is that if it’s not shared online, it didn’t happen. So show them! Share with them…on a consistent basis. Grow your numbers on social media…say over 800K followers on the Karen Civil Facebook page alone. Build up your content. Publicize your accomplishments. Sometimes you just have to tell people how great you are, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Even when you have a corporate gig, never stop building your personal brand.
Once her site was getting attention, Beats by Dre came calling and offered Karen Civil a position as Social Media Manager. Would she shut down her baby? No siree! Karen recruited contributors to keep the site going, and continued to brand her lifestyle site Live Civil. While working at Beats in Los Angeles, instead of allowing Karen Civil the influencer to disappear, she employed strategies to keep her name and face in front of her social media audience.

Stormy weather? Hurricane? Unfair weather? Keep going.
When studying the mid-years of urban blogging, it’s easy to detect that were moments of uncertainty in the sphere. When you’re not following anyone else’s trails, there’s not really a GPS-friendly route. So you have to show faith…Move ahead, when your fears are accruing, and when your distance from your comfort zone is increasing with each move. Things get tough. But you just have to look ahead, and hope that your hard work will pay off. And things certainly did pay off for Karen, from endorsements from brands like T-Mobile for her Karen Civil brunch, to collaborations with Hollywood’s biggest movie studios and music’s most recognized brands.

Know that being in a position of high visibility will always earn you haters. But don’t let them rob you of the satisfaction that came from your hard work and success.
When people are debating on forums about whether you’re worthy of the attention and deals that you’re getting…When they’re wagging their tongues about your latest magazine feature…When they’re saying they can do better than you…when they say you just got lucky…When they’re saying…well…

Remember when you logged on religiously to your WordPress dashboard at 5 A.M. in the morning, when everyone else was asleep. When you continued that same regimen when you moved to West Coast time to keep up with East Coast…When you missed quality time with your family because you’re waiting on breaking news…When your dog Lola was your only friend…When you threw your website’s revenue back on to your website…without spending a dime on yourself…When…When you think of all these things, what detractors say can’t possibly matter.

[Photo Credit: Rolling Out]

This concludes this episode of 5 Success Principles…tune in next time.

KAREN CIVIL ON INSTAGRAM

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