Many got to know Sonja Norwood via VH1’s top-rated reality show A Family Business, watching the “momager” tread the fine line between parenting and business. As the force behind the success of her star children, multi-platinum-selling singer Brandy and reality TV playboy Ray J, the wife and businesswoman often stood firm on her beliefs, handling family conflict with love and a bit of an iron fist. Norwood hopes to take that same stern passion and commitment to her clients with her new venture, The Norwood Talent Agency Corp., using her decades of industry experience to help new clients make their dreams of stardom reality.
As part of our continuing coverage of the business of music for Black Music Month, BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Norwood and talked to her about branching out with the new agency, advocating for women in the C-suite, and striving for a family-oriented company that puts clients first.
BlackEnterprise.com: We saw the inner workings of your family on the show. Some things got a little sticky when it came to being a mom and working with family. How do you balance being a mother and a manager? Norwood: The hardest part on show was that there were four different personalities who had to learn to work together and appreciate the differences. I’m always going to be a mother, first, and I love being a mother. I had to learn over the years when to become more of a counselor, and not be overly suggestive of things I’d like to see them do. I had to learn how to walk that thin line. I will fight for things I think are for their best interest. If I think they’re going in the wrong direction–as an individual or in their career–I will make it evident. I will lay all options on the table. Until I get that done, I don’t feel like I’ve done my duty.
Being part of a family that does business together can have its challenges. What advice do you have for others who might struggle with keeping it together? You have to understand that in business, there are things that are going to be said and done that seem disrespectful; but it’s not. It’s business. You can’t take things too personal. There are opinions. Take them, digest them, turn them into intelligence and see how you can do that together. My dad always taught us to do business when everyone is smiling. Don’t wait until there’s conflict to address something. Also, get counsel, such as lawyers and accountants, who are outside the family. You set your guidelines from the beginning. You sit down and decide people’s roles and decide how you’ll handle your business. We’re all willing and open to
legal advice. We have goals and objectives for each person to do. Open conversations and open meetings–that’s how we do it. And we don’t handle things that we’re not experts on.What inspired you to launch The Norwood Talent Agency Corp.? Since the show, we would sit around and have weekly meetings on projects we could do within the family and what we could do to bring more projects to the table. We’d been kicking around doing talent searches and talent showcases. We wanted to work with new clients and give children new opportunities. We thought it would be a great opportunity to help others and expand our reach.
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I have learned to care for people–not to look at my clients’ photo and not see a human being. If I’m going to involve myself with that individual, I’m going to dedicate myself to reach their goals and dreams the same way I did with Brandy and Ray J. [My clients] are considered family. I want to create a very inviting environment where they can meet other professionals in the business and be successful.
What are some do’s and don’ts of starting one’s own talent agency? Do’s: If you really have a desire to start a talent agency, you have to be willing to work with people and dedicate your career to developing the careers
of others. You must have a passion for developing careers, and its not an overnight success type of business. It takes building relationships and really getting out and doing the work. Don’ts: If you’re not a detail-oriented person or if you’re just in it for the short-term, and you don’t want to go through the process, this may not be the thing for you.You once talked about how in business, being a woman and being firm can come across negatively. How do you approach being a fair, yet firm, businesswoman? I am very much an advocate for women executives. I believe women should walk into a building to get a job wanting to be an executive. We have to understand that fear is our problem. We shouldn’t fear walking into a room to discuss business or be intimidated. If you are prepped when you go in the room and you have your goals and objectives of what you want to accomplish, you’ll be successful. Your goal is to walk in to get what you came to get. When a person says that I’m ‘difficult,’ 99% of the time it means the opposite party feels they couldn’t get what they wanted to get out of me. Or [it could be said], ‘I’m hard to work with’ because the other party was not prepared. Fairness is rare and sometimes you have to fight for it. If you keep your clients in mind at all times, you’ll do what’s in their best interest.
Your daughter, Brandy, has expanded her brand for over a decade from singer to actress to reality TV star to even getting into the hip-hop game. What advice would you have for young black women in the music business when it comes to longevity? Stick to your true beliefs and goals and no matter how rough and tough times are, talent will always rise to the top. I think that image and other factors are a good part of the industry, but talent keeps you here for a long time. Your true talent will sustain you. Always watch your money and your spending. Always look at your checks. And have wisdom. You have to be able to look into the future to see where you want to be 30 years from now. When you’re wise about something, you’ll always be watchful and mindful of what you’re doing.