Music Marketing in the Real World – An Interview with Dough From Da Go

Why do you feel the music industry is the place for you?

It starts with work ethic, vision and long term goals. In my heart I knew the industry was a place for me, based on early sacrifices and different approaches taken to be a part of the music game as a whole. For instance, back in 2002 I had 9 to 5 making an honest living employed at a grocery store. I worked hard at my job, but in my heart I knew I belonged in the music industry and that I had what it took to enter full steam with an aggressive hunger for the business.

What do you want to accomplish through your marketing efforts?

I want to accomplish major branding efforts, and build many alliances with marketing ability and overall creative vision. Marketing is about knowing how to properly and aggressively promote, manage product and sell to consumers in a way no other competitor can. In addition, being responsible for helping brand new talent is a thing I enjoy, as well as working with some of the biggest artists to date via Def Jam Recordings.

What are your marketing strategies that brought you to the next level as a musician?

Being strategic is a strategy, lol. It’s all about ideas, concepts, thinking outside the box, and elevating your mind when it comes to promoting and pushing brands. Trying things and being receptive to classic ways of marketing are always key as well. Building a team that understands hard work and determination compliments the situation if there is a great marketing leader who can lead the way. Rather a person who has little to no marketing experience, you get better as you learn and study the polished and great ones before you.

How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?

I can define success in many ways, wisdom & thriving to live the life you truly want to live and deserve defines success in my own definition. Success comes to those who have and keep faith, as well as balanced & spiritual well being. Success, in other words, has far less to do with results, accomplishments, or achievements, than I think most people realize. To me, success is intimately associated with effort, intention, and lack of attachment, which are ways of interpreting success as a journey and not a destination, which puts the emphasis on the way of success, not the point of success.

If you could leave our readers with one last piece of business advice, what would it be?

The journey of business starts with having a blueprint, patience & understanding as to what business details and requires. A dream is beyond a wish, as long as you’re strong enough to take criticism and also learn along the way. Go hard in everything you do, and take credit that you absolutely deserve! Don’t ever take business personal because that’s how the business easily gets ruined. Long term goals are always better than short term goals, because longevity is what keeps you extremely relevant when it comes to business dealings.

@DoughFromDaGo