Talk Radio Producer Jose Zouain talks Entertainment and Negotiation

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 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. ****

Pirates' Strange Ties

Disney has had much success over the years and has been known for having impecable taste in creating immaginative family films.  Probably one of the most recent box office successes was that of The Pirates of the Carribean and its sequals.  Disney's Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides, was directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.  The cast made up of: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, and Astrid Berges-Frisbey to name a few. 

Despite the bad reviews from film critics, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides has kept up in the box office thanks to its large enthusiastic fan base.  The movie still managed to open the box office with $90 million.  However, this seems to be a disappointment for box office analysts who proclaimed Pirates would have a $100 million opening.    As Thomsons On Hollywood suggests, "In the world of perception, a Wednesday opening might have made a difference. Had Disney unspooled Pirates 4 over five-days, they could be writing press releases heralding a $100 million-plus opening. They implemented a wise distribution maneuver with the last Pirates pic, At World’s End, opening on late Thursday evening prior to Memorial Day weekend, which bolstered pre-Midnight screenings to $14 million at 3,100 sites and total four-half day holiday gross of $153 million.  It will be interesting to see if Pirates 4 crosses $100 million on Tuesday."  Hence, poor timing and publicity accounted for the film not meeting expectations as they had with the first three Pirate movies.

This serves as a valuable lesson in regards to any business opportunities.  It crucial and beneficial to always consider timing, location, and marketing plans to as a special formula to create desired earnings.  I say this because depsite the poor review the critics gave this film, there are many fans still waiting to see this movie that could have been accounted for had they opened on another night of the week or better yet on a holiday weekend.  Never under estimate the fan base.  These strange box office opening results are due to poor executive ties.   

I have included a video of the first trailor to the latest Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides film for you to enjoy.

Meet Vanessa Pascale Editor-in-Chief of Miami Living Magazine

I'd like to introduce you to someone whose hard work, dedication, commitment, and passion has led to a fulfilling career in the entertainment industry.  I truly admire and am very proud of my old high school friend, Vanessa Pascale , who has not only made a name for herself but followed her dreams.


My admiration for Vanessa's success provoked me to ask her a little bit about her journey along the way and her experiences in the industry.  I plan to share her story and thoughts with you for they have been very inspirational and I am certain that it will be very influential to my career as well.


Vanessa is a fellow University of Central Florida alumni who, like many of us, did not have an easy start.  She explained, "I spent almost an entire year actively contacting every major and minor publication I knew of.  Finally, Orlando Style Magazine gave me a shot and asked me to interview Genevieve Gorder--an interior designer from the TV show Trading Spaces who now has her own show on HGTV: Dear Genevieve."  Genevieve Gorder was her first big celebrity interview.  I asked Vanessa of that experience and she feels thankful to have had the opportunity to have interviewed her since she was "incredibly nervous, as I’d never interviewed anyone before, and she was very patient and comforting. She really was so sweet and the perfect person to ease me into interviewing."


She declares that after graduating, she actively sought employment and even flew to New York City for interviews but nothing seemed to come of it.  It wasn't until a close friend of hers mentioned that she was moving to California for grad school, she jumped at the opportunity to relocate, thinking there would be more writing opportunities in Los Angeles- the entertainment capital.  She moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and continued freelance writing.  It wasn't until 2009, that Miami Living Magazine's Editor-in-Chief decided to leave and suggested her for the job.  She was beyond ecstatic she says, "I never even considered becoming an Editor, especially this early in my writing career".  


I would think it to be normal for someone so early in her career to be filled with nerves and doubt in holding such a position, but not Vanessa.  She immediately came into that title with grace and much determination, "since becoming the Editor-in-Chief, I’ve made sure to use this position to my advantage. I’ve actively and steadily built strong relationships with L.A. public relations firms enabling me to garner many celebrity interviews for the magazine and allowing me to showcase the type of writing I’m really passionate about: interviews. And I’ve been able to help my friends promote their careers and businesses, which is really great."  Not only does Vanessa love what she does, she uses her talents and connections to help family and friends and she seems to find that rewarding.  I'm sure this is one of the many reasons I am such a fan of this young, talented, and ambitious woman; she finds it within herself to do more with what is given to her and it shows.

I asked Vanessa what she enjoys best about her career.  She responded, "What I enjoy most about my career is hearing about the journey of these incredibly successful people that I get to interview. It’s enlightening and inspiring. I am a very curious person so this feeds my need to understand people and learn from them."  Its no secret that any good writer needs to satisfy their need to seek answers in order to understand and grow.  Her response definitely leads me to believe that she has met her calling.


I also asked for her thoughts on the entertainment industry over the years and how she sees it evolving.  "In my experience, this industry is very hard to break into. After speaking with people in the industry who have high up positions at major publications/companies, I have found that a lot of them have gotten their jobs because of who they know." 


She continues, "There are so many talented writers out there and not enough positions (magazines) available. It’s really cutthroat. I asked a friend of a friend, who works at Vogue, for some advice and who I should contact about a job and she completely blew me off – did not want to help at all."  It is no surprise that the entertainment industry is the most competitive and one must be resourceful and learn to use their networking skills. 



To close the interview, I asked Vanessa what advice she would give to anyone pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.  This was her response: "If I could go back and do it over, I would’ve tried to intern at Hearst while in college, that way I would’ve had my foot in the door and would’ve been able to move my way up the ranks. I think the industry is only going to get more exclusive and harder to break into as the years go on. For anyone who wants to pursue a career in media/entertainment, I suggest that they hit the pavement full force –this is advice I’ve been given and really live by. Anything worth having takes tons of hard work and if the talent is there and the determination is there, it’s only a matter of time till you’re given the opportunity to shine. Don’t give up."   



***I want to personally thank Vanessa Pascale for taking the time to answer my questions and share some of her experiences, insights, and advice.  I admire your work, your passion, and your drive.  You are truly blessed to be living your dreams.  I wish you well always. ~Drea***

Time to Emerge my Talent

Everyone has their time...their moment in time, their time for change, their time to evolve as a human being.  As you may have learned from my first entry, "The Shannon Experience", I am currently within the process of searching for my moment in time, have gone through a personal change or growth, and am in the process of evolving as a defined human being.


Many of us have been dealt a good hand and at some point have managed to not play the cards right.  Many of us continue being handed opportunities but we do not know how to go about them.  In order to win the game, we must learn to understand the game.  This is why I am back in school.  I am trying to acquire my Master's so that I can better understand the game and learn to overcome the obstacles that come my way.  I plan to continue to learn and explore and give back to world.


How am I able to give back to the world? Well, in my previous entry "Ashton and Demi's Fight Human Trafficking", I mentioned the small ways in which I have been able to give back positively.  What I have yet not mentioned is the fact that I left my internship position at the "The Shannon Burke Show".  I loved being a part of that show.  Contrary to what most believe about Shannon, he is a man with a good heart and a very intelligent one may I add.  I guess my leaving was a blessing in disguise.  I have parents that are often ill and there had been times where I would have to tend to them and the family owned business.  I did not see it fair to the show, so I resigned.


It was time for me to really seek employment versus an internship.  I already acheived my first challenge of leaving a job I could not tolerate with great pay to doing something I love for no pay.  This is a valuable lesson I learned and I am certain that Robert Kiyosaki, aurthor of Rich Man Poor Dad would approve.  After all the first lesson is to "never work for money".  If you have not read it, I recommend you do for a better understanding of my thoughts as well as a window of opportunity for the creative mind.  For many personal reasons, I had to search for a job with pay but one that I would enjoy.  I have vowed to never do anything I do not enjoy ever again.


As a young girl, I had a vast interest in a career in the entertainment industry.  I was a young and talented little actress, singer, and dancer.  I recall taking modeling and finishing classes.  I remember winning first place in a state school chorus competion.  I will not forget my acting in a school play and my performance with story telling skills.  I will always remember the way I would be able to look at something and draw it on call.  I can't forget about my poetry, songs, and novels.  Looking back, I had many talents and dreams to be pursued.  Although, I know it may not be too late to pursue them, I do feel I may be able to help others acheive their dreams.


I am now a Model Scout for Emerge Talent.  Not only do I understand what it is like to model and aspire to be so many great things, I understand the disappointment and hard work that comes with that process.  I have always had a great gift for selecting the top picks in Beauty pageants.  I know what people are looking for it seems.  So why not put my gifts to work for others?  I intend to scout fashion models and help make their dreams come true.  I guess you can say I am emerging my talents with  Emerge Talent and my models.  

Ashton and Demi's Fight on Human Trafficking

Back in 2008 I believe, I was taking a sociology course at the University of Central Florida when I first learned that slavery still exists today.  I was shocked, then overwhelmed with disgust and anger, and immediately felt it was my duty to do something about it.  I decided it was my responsibility to inform others about what was happening.  I created a online forum on myspace and invited all my friends and family and made it public so that others may join.  I rented the Lifetime movie, Human Trafficking and watched with friends.  I joined the Polaris Project to stay informed as to was the government is doing and I relayed that information online as well.  I did everything I thought I could do and I learned that I did educate quite a few people and that continued to spread.  For a young college student, I did okay.  Although, I always feel I could have done more and I always feel that I still can do more.

There are many different forms of enslavement but the one that infuriated me the most was that of sex trafficking.  Britney Spears' song "I'm a slave for you", was a big hit and made the term "sex slave" seem sexy and playful.  I do not believe that Britney condones sex slavery nor do I blame her song for enticing the sex trafficking industry to boom.  I mention her because she was and may possibly still be an influential person in our society.  Being a celebrity comes with all kinds of advantages, one of which is the ability to have followers.  I condone Demi Moore and husband Ashton Kutcher for starting up the "Real Men Dont Buy Girls" campaign.  Spreading the word is one thing, but relaying an influential message under such celebrity influences is powerful.  I only hope that people continue to listen and spread the word and make a difference.  I have high hopes for the cause now that this "power couple" has taken on the project.  I wish them well and plan to see how I can get invloved in this because the fight against Human Trafficking and the exploitation of women and children matters to me.  If one takes the moment to learn about it, I can guarantee you that it will matter to you.  This is something that affects everybody personally.

Ashton and Demi went on Piers Morgan's show on CNN to discuss how they are using social media to spread the word.  Ashton states it is important to go through social networking channels because the majority of human trafficking that goes on begins online, "so why not take it to the source?" I have included two links below.  One titled, Andrea prefers a Real Man, which is a commercial for the campaign where one may be a part of personally.  I still find it very neat to see technology create such a bridge and unite people. You will see a message with my full name and next to Eva Longoria; she then personally says "Andrea prefers a real man, do you?" with a picture of my facebook default.  Its one way to put your face and your message out there with so many others in a unique way.  There are many other commercials to choose from with many other celebrities to chose from.  The second link you will see below is of a clip of Ashton and Demi discussing their campaign with Piers Morgan.

Andrea prefers a Real Man
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2011/04/14/piers.kutcher.moore.trafficking.cnn

Bottom line, one can easily see how influential the entertainment world and powerful social media is today.  So much so that it is a great marketing tool that should not be overlooked. 

Limitless

Last week I saw the movie Limitless.  This film was directed by Neil Burger and stars Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, and Abbie Cornish.  In the film, a writer discovers a top secret drug that enables him use all of his brain and seems to give him super human abilities.   We all use just a small protion of our brain; imagine if we could use all of it.  Well, that's the idea and a very good idea may I add.  What made this movie a hit is the very well written story line, the amazing visual effects, and fine acting.  This film ran with the plot and left no details unraveled.  I can honestly say it satisfied the audience's appetite for a good story.


There are many scenes or explanations throughout the movie that would make sense if we were to use all of our brain.  I dont want to give away all the details but the film did make me think about our society and our culture and how we preceive others.  Is it true that only the most intelligent are the survivors and the most powerful? It does make sense that the more we know, the more we can acheive and conquor.  This is no secret but what the film suggests will make you think and understand what it is I am trying to say and what I am really questioning.  Like I said before, I do not want to give anything away. 


I believe a good story or show is one that makes you think about the world we live in and how we relate to others as well as being able to transport the audience and fully envolve them.  That is what I believe this movie did and why it did so well with both critics and audience.  The idea alone was brilliant and they way in which it was told was very well done.

A Night of Laughs

Sometime last week I was on my facebook and on my notification feed I noticed one of my "friends", Orlando Improv Comedy Club, ask if anyone has ever been hyptnotized.  I simply responded "no, but I am curious".  I then got a message from the Improv thanking me for participating and offered me eight free tickets to the show to see commedian and hyptnotis, J Medicine Hat.  I could not pass up eight free tickets to see a show with friends. With money being tight these days, its limited the social life of many.

So there we were last Saturday night, there were six of us who made the drive to Pointe Orlando to see the show.   I believe most of us have seen a comedy show and maybe a few of us have seen a hyptnotis, but are we able to believe?  The reason I ask this is because although we may have seen someone get hyptnotized with our own eyes, and although we may know its a science that has been used in medicine and other theraputic treatments, and we are laughing hysterically at show, we still question if what we are seeing is real.

J Medicine Hat, was a funny guy.  Like all comedians, he stated a lot of truths and a lot of stereotypes that we all know are true and we find that to be comical.  Reality never fails to be entertaining, nor does fantasy, nor does mystery.  This show had a bit of all three and with the help of food and drinks, this show was indeed a success.  What I found to be the best part of the show is the people who left questioning it all;  these people were the audience and even those who participated in the hypnosis.  I believe that if a show makes one think, its done its job in fully entertaining like a good film or a good book.