Mogul in the Making article : Nick Jarjour

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*Name:* Nicholas Jarjour

*Age:* 23
*Home Town:* My Office
*Company:* Seven 30 Entertainment
*Pet Peeve:* Corporate dinosaurs too scared to stay ahead of the game.
*Life Goals:*
*Personal:* To create a large family and to show them how to build there own
legacy and a premium lifestyle.
*Professional:* To enrich the global economy by creating new jobs and
revenue streams.

*Hey Nick, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions and tell the world about yourself. With that said, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, how you got to the point you’re at now. *
I am a 23 year old entrepreneur who grew up in Montreal, Canada and spent a part of my childhood in Houston, Texas. I began composing music for kid’s albums at the age of 11 and had my first published album soon after. Some of my friends and I formed a group called N.B.A and when I was 17 we landed a deal and an opening spot on Rhianna’s first ever Canadian tour. As much as the spotlight appealed to me, it was the behind the scenes action that truly caught my eye. At 19 I decided to retire from performing and obtain an education in Entertainment Management and Copyright Law at Trebas Institute.

More after the jump…

*Tell us about your company Seven30 Music, and what your plans are for it in
the near future. *
Seven30 Music is a subsidiary of Seven30 Entertainment that encompasses nearly every aspect of the music industry “in house”. We provide music production, artist management, a record label, marketing and publishing all under one roof with a modern twist. Our record label division 7:30 Records has a distribution deal with the Universal Music Department in Canada. The near future is all about our Debut artist, Leila ( www.thisisleila.com), whose music has been featured on many MTV shows including “The Hills” and Real World. Her self-titled Leila EP is now available worldwide. Leila’s music has been part of deals with Disney, Viacom and Universal to increase her exposure and bring her into the homes of millions of potential new fans. We are currently negotiating the terms of various Leila projects in Los Angles, Japan and, most
interestingly, in France, where Leila’s highly anticipated French-language project has sparked major interest.

*What was your motivation behind starting your company?*
After graduating I was offered jobs at some of the major labels but, to be honest, I also knew how little of an impact they actually make in Canada since I had been doing 3rd party marketing for the industry since I was a teenager. I decided founding my own company was the only way I could truly shake things up in the entertainment industry and that was the birth of Seven30 Entertainment. Our mentality is “do what you love” that is why so many of our staff enjoy their
work instead of thinking of it as just “a job”. We are an open concept “green” company that is driven on leaving as much as a positive social impact as possible.

*Who were some of your influences growing up? And who are your influences
now? *
*Influences growing up musically:*
Michael Jackson, may he rest in peace, made me fall in love with music. He was a tremendous musical influence growing up and always will be.

*Influences now in business :*
I have so much respect for my various mentors who I will not name for privacy reasons but here are some people I would love to share with you. Fred Sherratt has been and continues to be a huge influence for the music industry and for me, personally. In 2008, I was fortunate enough to receive an award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Business and Recording Arts and Sciences from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian equivalent to the GRAMMY Association, which bears his name. He is a foundational figure in Canadian radio, film and television sits on many esteemed boards and committees. The media futurist Gerd Leonhard is someone who I am always staying in touch with and who is truly savvy about the “future of content”. He wrote a book over 5 years ago about the future of the music business, the ideas of which are only now beginning to be used by the industry at large. Jack Welch is a great business influence for me. I hope to be able to reshape a major label just as he transformed GE. From Jack, I have learned to expect that it will take a tremendous amount of effort and perseverance to overcome the many challenges involved.

*Looking at the state of the entertainment industry, where do you see it
going in the next 5 years, and how do you plan on contributing to its
ongoing growth? *
There is so much I could say but I will give you some brief ideas of where it is going and what my role in shaping it will be. Let me start by taking a step back because in business knowing your history means avoiding its mistakes. When Vinyl began to fade out in light of newer CDs with lower overhead, the music industry saw a huge shift. Those who were clever enough to see it coming made their fortunes but they also set up a new model which others have followed. The problem with this is that it does not create innovation or stimulate motivation in those that have come after. Those who had been too used to the vinyl-based music industry, who were not able to adapt, did not fare well. The same is true for members of the recording industry today, for everyone from the mailroom clerk to the C.E.O. I believe that change is coming. In Canada specifically, where industry executives have relied on American television-influenced pop culture to do their work for them for years, there is a huge potential for a massive overhaul of the industry based on a wealth of untapped talent and lack of infrastructure. Those of us who know what shape this change is taking and how much it has already changed the industry are in the best position to steer the industry where it needs to go. If it were up to me, I would set a blanket license on the Internet that collects a share of AD revenue derived from download sites and is paid out to the artists and labels the same way ASCAP or SOCAN (Pro’s) do for radio. I see Telecoms teaming up with me and creating a new mega-power in content that is unlimited and the price is included in your monthly cell phone bill. I see publishing and hardware deals with pre-loaded cell phones and artist-based video game releases generating much more revenue than record sales. I see premium packages being more and more prevalent in an age where the consumer is ready to buy “context” personal merchandise and interactive multimedia instead of “content” like a CD or MP3.

*Being so accomplished at such a young age, what advice would you give to
those who are seeking to have a career in your field? *
Regardless of the field, make a set of goals: long-term, mid-term and short term. Stick to them. Be as fiercely devoted to them as you need to be. Know what you love and what you are good at, focus in on these things like a laser and do not let anything hold you back. My dedication and commitment is what ensures that I make every project that I am a part of even better. That being said, know your value and never undersell it or be afraid to ask for it. The music business is full of “mosquitoes”, in the words of Derek Sivers, jumping from person to person, sucking what they can get. So try not to be one of those mosquitoes and, instead, build relationships that are meaningful. You will always encounter negative people in life but you must stay confident and strong though it all. Take in as much as you can. Success is not the key to happiness; rather happiness is the key to success.

*What other ventures if any are you working on besides Seven30 Music?*
Seven 30 Marketing has done extensive branding and marketing for prominent brands and record labels. One hundred percent of this work is “for hire” with non-disclosure so I am not at liberty to say exactly what projects. The timing, the project and having the resources I need are always important issues for these types of decisions.

*Any final remarks?*
Thank you for having me and I hope this interview can inspire both aspiring and established Moguls. I would like to say, to everyone out there: remember no man is an island and if we come together we will be stronger. The future is in togetherness.

How can people get in contact with you?
info@seven30music.com , www.twtitter/seven30inc , www.seven30music.com and
www.thisisleila.com

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