I'd like to introduce you to a good friend of mine and former co-worker, Jose Zouain of Zouain Entertainment and also known as "Zouain" from the hit talk radio show, "The Shannon Burke Show". He is currently producer to "The Ray Junior Show". I have watched this young man take different roles professionally and have been impressed by his people skills. Jose has to interact with all sorts of people daily. He has managed to own and successfully run his own entertainment business as well as produce radio shows. For this reason I have decided to interview Jose and see what he can tell us about his experiences in the entertainment industry as well as discuss negotiation.
"From the time I was four years old I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry at some point. I remember standing in front of crowds at a very young age and speaking to them very easily as I do today". These are the words of Talk Radio Producer, Jose Zouain. He reminices, "my first taste in entertainment came in the form of an internet radio station called PowerZone Radio. A guy approached me during my freshman year of college because he said I had a good voice and good knowledge of the format that he was broadcasting in this station. He taught me the basics of voiceover and Disc Jockey work and I worked for free for a few months while I was a freshman in college".
"From the time I was four years old I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry at some point. I remember standing in front of crowds at a very young age and speaking to them very easily as I do today". These are the words of Talk Radio Producer, Jose Zouain. He reminices, "my first taste in entertainment came in the form of an internet radio station called PowerZone Radio. A guy approached me during my freshman year of college because he said I had a good voice and good knowledge of the format that he was broadcasting in this station. He taught me the basics of voiceover and Disc Jockey work and I worked for free for a few months while I was a freshman in college".
From there on, Zouain was approached by the largest DJ company in Orlando, White Rose Productions, to do work as an emcee in the orlando area for high end events. After four months of training, he received his first paycheck as an entertainer and from then on he knew for a fact that entertainment was the industry for him. While working as an emcee, his interest in being a disk jockey greatly appealed to him. He then began to DJ for celebrity weddings and high end parties all over the south east. All the while, he was doing full time work as an I.T. Some may call it a blessing in disguise, I believe that Zouain took charge of his life after getting laid off; he decided to pursue his life's passion working full time in talk radio.
"I approached a radio station and I was able to learn quickly enough that they entrusted their flagship show to me". Zouain expresses proudly, "I learned a ton there and through that networked with some very powerful and influential people in the industry". Since then, he has produced for a number of different shows, doing everything from booking guests, voicing, producing commercials, to on air comedy bits and commentary. I have personally had the pleasure of seeing him play all of these roles. Believe it or not, but we all play roles-often different roles; we either play them out or society places us within in them. This is something that can be used as leverage when negotiating. Reason being, we become experts in our roles and the way in which we play them influences how others perceive us. How we are perceived, can determine the outcome of closing a deal or settling a negotiation.
I asked Jose what advice he would give to those pursuing the industry. He responds, "To make it in the industry is a two fold equation. You have to know the job you’re applying for well. If you don’t, the networking you do could easily hurt you. You can become the person who talks a good game but doesn’t know what they’re doing. What separates an amateur from a professional is keeping your word". Jose and I can both agree that being knowledgeable is the best way to win a negotiation. When one is familiar with the work, one immediatley acquires respect and crediability. This is mainly due to the confidence a person has when he or she is certain of a subject matter. Always do your homework and stay abreast in order to better succeed.
He continues, "The other piece of that equation is to network. Network with your fellow classmates, coworkers, and anyone you come in contact with in the industry. The people you sit next to in class or work with you are people who you will more than likely run into in the future. Most branches of the entertainment industry are small. Keep that in mind when encountering anyone". Jose is absolutel right! In any business market-especially that of the entertainment industry, networking is key to good business. When one networks, one tends to affiliate themselves with cetain groups or chapters. As we network, we tend to form small and growing social enviroments of a particular group of people. This is how we resource and identify ourselves amongst others with similar interests. This is also a tool often used in negotiation. One should identify with the opponent and agree on a middle ground. The outcome of a good negotiation is always beneficial to both parties.
Zouain leaves us with one more important tip, "The Entertainment industry is one that it takes a special type of person to enter. You don’t get into it because you want to get rich. You get into it because you LOVE it. If you get rich in the process so be it, but I wouldn’t count on it".
**** I want to personally thank Jose Zouain for taking the time to enlighten us a bit more on the world of entertainment as well as provide us with a few tips on negotiation. ****
He continues, "The other piece of that equation is to network. Network with your fellow classmates, coworkers, and anyone you come in contact with in the industry. The people you sit next to in class or work with you are people who you will more than likely run into in the future. Most branches of the entertainment industry are small. Keep that in mind when encountering anyone". Jose is absolutel right! In any business market-especially that of the entertainment industry, networking is key to good business. When one networks, one tends to affiliate themselves with cetain groups or chapters. As we network, we tend to form small and growing social enviroments of a particular group of people. This is how we resource and identify ourselves amongst others with similar interests. This is also a tool often used in negotiation. One should identify with the opponent and agree on a middle ground. The outcome of a good negotiation is always beneficial to both parties.
Zouain leaves us with one more important tip, "The Entertainment industry is one that it takes a special type of person to enter. You don’t get into it because you want to get rich. You get into it because you LOVE it. If you get rich in the process so be it, but I wouldn’t count on it".
**** I want to personally thank Jose Zouain for taking the time to enlighten us a bit more on the world of entertainment as well as provide us with a few tips on negotiation. ****
