Jermaine Dupri, “I just wanna be successful”
- 19 Comment
Jermaine Dupri or J.D., is an American record producer, rapper and Grammy winning songwriter. With too many accomplishments to mention in this post, most impressive to me is that the man has found a way to continuously stay at the top of his game.
I’m from an Italian family where the dinner table is more than an object, it’s a place we come together and share, laugh and bond.
I had the privilege of sharing a special dinner while at Blog World with JD, Brian Solis, Don Lemon, Ben Parr, Scott Monty, Rick Calvert, Jason Kintzler, L.P. Neenz, Ted Murphy, Erica Hartfield, James Andrews, Tamara Knechtel and Manya Susoev. (I may have to do an entire series dedicated to that experience.)
Scott Monty (@scottmony), Ted Murph (@tedmurphy) and JD
JD didn’t have to accept the invitation to dine with us. But, he did (enthusiastically). During dinner he took the time to connect individually with everyone–in a meaningful way. It’s not a coincidence that the gathering of these minds was planned as a dinner. Just like my family, we laughed, shared, connected and, yes, talked a little shop. The topic of online communications and how it can be used for business was the primary theme.
I enjoy observing people. I’m the one who arrives at the airport early to get some good people watching time in before my flight.
This dinner gave me an opportunity to watch many people I’m a fan of, including JD. I’ve followed his online launch and wondered just what it was that makes him successful. From the time I spent with him, here’s what I observed as key:
- Hard work – The man doesn’t stop!
- Adapt and evolve – He could have played out his success long ago, but instead chooses to stay ahead of the curve and is all about using online communications in his business.
- Insane talent – Ever heard him deejay live? The best I’ve ever heard. And that’s not even touching on his ability to produce, rap, promote, etc.
- LOVE of music – Enough said.
- Risk – Remember Kriss Kross and the whole “wearing clothes backwards” phenomenon? Yep, that was JD.
- Real – It’s really him on Twitter, his blog, etc. When you interact with him online it feels real because it is. I noticed him more than once checking his Twitter feed and responding to people.
Me with JD (@LTLline)
It’s easy to list these gifts, talents, attributes whatever you call them. But to actually possess all of these is rare. Hard work is called hard for a reason. A mentor once told me, “do what you love and the money will come.” Risk taking is scary because it means you’ll either succeed or fail and nothing in between. These are differentiators that set apart those who are successful and those who are not.
I’m so glad I had the opportunity to learn from someone who is DOING instead of TALKING, rocking it out instead of sitting one out and walking the talk instead of putting forth a false identity.
I wrote this post selfishly for me. It’s a personal reminder of what I need to do every day in order reach and eventually stay at the top of my game. What about you?
19 Comments on this post
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Joanne Maly said:
Sarah,
I love that you boiled J.D.’s reasons for success down to a definable and quick-to-remember ‘Top 6′.I know that many hard-working, risk-taking, career-loving, passionate folks regularly read your blog and through your post today, you’ve helped add some “juice” to their workload.
Thank you.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:43 am -
PRsarahevans said:
Thank you for that, Joanne. It’s exactly the reason I wrote it. It’s giving me some “juice,” too.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:44 am -
ATV Auction said:
That is so cool that you all had a dinner with JD. That guy is a music icon. He is a smart man to put an effort into marketing himself online. Many people will miss out of that marketing avenue.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:13 pm -
Cheryl Elizaga said:
Sarah,
First of all, you look gorgeous in your picture with Mr. Dupri!
Second of all, I love that you got to meet Jermaine Dupri and titled this entry with the name of a song I keep on rotate simply for the beat alone. Actually, I’m not sure if you named it after the song featuring Drake and Trey Songz, but it’s the instant connection I made in my head
Speaking of connections, what a great way to show how a man famous for his music, talent and production still has the time and energy to connect with his followers! It’s amazing to see that there are celebrities out there staying on top of their game, not just using social media for self-promotion.
Thank you for these tips. You’re definitely right – hard work is hard, but when you’re doing what you love, it’s just a labor of love
Cheryl Elizaga
@CheElizagaOctober 19th, 2009 at 1:18 pm -
Cheryl Elizaga said:
Oh P.S. I don’t know how that smiley face got there the first time…guess I went a little smiley happy, haha!
October 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm -
Vanessa said:
Sarah,
This statement, “Do what you love and the money will come. Risk taking is scary because it means you’ll either succeed or fail and nothing in between,” resonated with me SO MUCH.
Like you stated, risk taking is definitely scary because you jump in a boat with your whole body and soul, and it is up to you if the boat will sail on course in the beautiful blue seas or sink to the pitch black darkness of the ocean floor.
I completely gave up the entertainment world (and the $$) for the non-profit industry to help the less needy with my marketing skills. I chose this path because it made me smile at night knowing I made someone’s difficult, harsh life a little easier due to my effort (though it is definitely 10x harder and less $).
Thank you Sarah for this great post and giving me that “oomph” I needed today! =D
Vanessa
October 19th, 2009 at 5:50 pm -
scott penton said:
Agreed, he is on top of his game. I like his music, but didn’t know he was that into social media/networking, until I saw him at the keynote, very impressed. He keeps it real, like when he said he doesn’t use twitter to update everything like going to the bathroom, but still connects with people on a business effect, but still personnel.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:27 pm -
PRsarahevans said:
Hi Cheryl. Yes, the name of the post is after that song.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:00 am -
Karen McCullouogh said:
Sarah a friend just got me onto your blog site and you have great ideas and information to share. I particularly like this post because I speak around the country on the generations and many of the younger members in my audience (Gen Y) believe that success and fame come quickly and easily- You get it! Success takes a lot of hard work, practice, patience, being kind, sharing are all part of success and with every opportunity comes the risk of not succeeding. So many people come up to me and tell me that they want to be a speaker- What the see looks easy and fun- what they don’t see is the time and energy spent reading, researching, practicing, writing, marketing…
Thanks for sharing-
KarenNovember 2nd, 2009 at 8:01 am -
PSP Go said:
Inspirational – what a fantastic post. The above advice was very pertinent.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:11 pm -
sarkilari indir said:
I think sarah is also “someone who is DOING instead of TALKING”. Thanks for this great post.
November 21st, 2009 at 5:33 pm -
Aluminum Laptop Cases said:
In today’s digital world, artists, especially musicians, need to tap the potential of the internet to really reach the masses. Jermaine Dupri obviously realizes this and is getting an early start on the competition. If you want to be as successful as possible, you simply cannot ignore social media.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:39 pm -
cashback credit cards said:
Wow your looking pretty stunning, and rubbing elbows with some big stars!! Very cool
December 12th, 2009 at 4:48 pm -
blue cross tonik said:
That is so cool that you all had a dinner with JD.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:29 am -
Catering said:
It was really great time for you specially with JD, hope you learn and got lots of things.
January 6th, 2010 at 4:31 am -
calivita said:
may be jermaine want moe career pls follow me jermaine
January 10th, 2010 at 1:41 pm -
Generic online said:
That is so very cool that you all had a dinner with JD.
January 15th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
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