I have owned my own businesses for most of my adult life, first managing my dance career, then owning and operating a dance studio and dance wear store in Foster City, California, to present day where I have owned and operated Choozi Entertainment, in Las Vegas and Reno, since 2005.  The lovely thing about working for yourself is, you never really consider yourself an “executive”, as the relaxed setting of working for self doesn’t bring to mind business suits, the way the word “executive” does!

I have been toying with working for another company, and folding Choozi Entertainment.  As I near my social security (I’m 3 years away), I am no longer interested in ‘ramping up’ my company, but instead, am interested in bringing my wealth of knowledge to those just starting out in the entertainment industry … from negotiating contracts, to creating budget and invoicing templates, to ISO management, to developing amazing presentations that GETS the contracts, to negotiating headliner entertainment, inclusive of the additional costs associated with their riders (which can easily impact your bottom line if you estimate wrong), plus so much more  … my knowledge of entertainment operations is vast.

I’ve been looking at job postings for “Entertainment Executives”, of which I am one.  It has been difficult, however, changing my mindset from the woman who sits at her desk everyday, in casual clothing, negotiating contracts from behind her computer … to a woman that walks into someone else’s office in a business suit, in order to do the exact same thing I do now.  It makes me giggle to think about it, even though it was part of my life when I worked for Farrington Productions, Inc. in Las Vegas, where I once sat across the negotiating table from Sheldon Adelson at the Venetian, alongside Blair Farrington, when I was his Director of Development for the Gondola Attraction.

So, as I’ve been re-writing my resume, I have been thinking about what makes an “Executive”.  Two ideals come to mind … that being the ability to show confidence without being aggressive, and possessing what I call  “moral courage” … the strength to speak up when others cower for fear of recrimination or termination.  I believe these two qualities are most important to a person who considers him or herself “Executive Material”.

I recently posted to my Choozi Entertainment Facebook page the 8 Laws of Leadership, which I have referred to throughout my professional life.  They are: 1. Maintain Absolute Integrity 2. Know Your Stuff 3. Declare Your Expectations 4. Show Uncommon Commitment 5. Expect Positive Results 6. Take Care of Your People 7. Put Duty Before Self 8. Get Out In Front.  Every one of these “laws”; I have committed myself to throughout the past 11 years while operating Choozi Entertainment, with two I feel are especially important …  “taking care of my people” to “showing uncommon commitment”.  These two Universal Laws are the two things I believe made my company an industry leader for so many years, most recently for Silversea Cruises, where my uncommon commitment to the success of The Artists of Silversea meant financially re-investing in the program, to ensure their guests always received the best entertainment their budget could buy.

There are other qualities of Executive Leadership that I have always strived for as well.  They are sincerity, a sympathetic rapport with your peers as well as those you supervise, an easy smile, an agreeable voice, fairness, the ability to really listen, the ability to allow yourself to continue to learn, and an outgoing and enthusiastic personality.  Strong leaders have big energy!

Executive Material can be defined in many ways, I suppose, but for me, I have always ascribed to the above, and I think those who possess these qualities are leadership material … whether they wear a business suit or not!