- A veteran of the music industry, <strong>Michael “Blue” Williams</strong> worked his way up the ranks to make a name for himself as the artist manager for such notable acts such as <strong>OutKast</strong>. The President of <strong>Family Tree Entertainment</strong> recently partnered with fellow music mogul <strong>Chris Lighty</strong> to form <strong><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/10/17/chris-lighty-blue-williams-make-a-power-move/">Primary/Violator</a></strong>, a new full-service management, publishing and marketing firm. During his interview with <strong>BlackEnterprise.com</strong> about the merger, Williams shared his five tips for success in business. <em>—Brett Johnson</em>
![DON’T SELL YOUR SOUL:
A lot of people come in to the music industry and lose themselves in the process. Williams maintains that that’s the fast track to failure in the long run. “Never let your integrity be for sale,” he says. “Be able to look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day. Shiny things have a way of distracting people [in this business].”](http://cdn4.blackenterprise.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2011/10/Greedy-Eyes-620x480.jpg "Greedy-Eyes-620x480")
- <ul> <li><strong>DON’T SELL YOUR SOUL:</strong></li> </ul> A lot of people come in to the music industry and lose themselves in the process. Williams maintains that that’s the fast track to failure in the long run. “Never let your integrity be for sale,” he says. “Be able to look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day. Shiny things have a way of distracting people [in this business].”
(Image: ThinkStock)
- (Image: ThinkStock)
![REMEMBER THAT FAILURE IS PART OF THE PROCESS:
Anyone that expects their success in business to come with no roadblocks or hurdles is fooling themselves. According to Williams, it takes perseverance and determination to make it to the top of any industry. “Don’t always take a set back as a failure,” he says. “50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Destiny’s Child, Lady Gaga—all of them got dropped [before making it big]. In the music biz, a set back is not always a failure. It’s just a set back.”](http://cdn2.blackenterprise.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2011/10/Failure-620x480.jpg "Failure-620x480")
- <ul> <li><strong>REMEMBER THAT FAILURE IS PART OF THE PROCESS:</strong></li> </ul> Anyone that expects their success in business to come with no roadblocks or hurdles is fooling themselves. According to Williams, it takes perseverance and determination to make it to the top of any industry. “Don’t always take a set back as a failure,” he says. “50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Destiny’s Child, Lady Gaga—all of them got dropped [before making it big]. In the music biz, a set back is not always a failure. It’s just a set back.”
(Image: ThinkStock)
- <ul> <li><strong>ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD:</strong></li> </ul> Williams lives by the mantra that those who don’t plan should expect to fail. “Always try to look ahead,” he says. “Try and see around the curve, don’t always see what’s right in front of you. A good manager should be able to see a few steps ahead of everybody else.”
(Image: ThinkStock)
- <ul> <li><strong>ALWAYS ADAPT TO THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU:</strong></li> </ul> Being able to deal with different personality types is the cornerstone of success. “Know your personnel; know whom you’re dealing with to get the most out of them,” says Williams. “You have to know who you can yell at and whom you can coddle. You can’t deal with everyone the same way.”
(Image: ThinkStock)
