By Drew Pierce
Introduction
If there is a key lesson about following your instincts, it can be taught by Daniel Jackson. Starting his career as a mixtape DJ and aspiring singer, Jackson honed his skills to create music and build community. Even after attracting the attention of notable partners and working on projects for major companies, Jackson never quite felt comfortable. “I never felt comfortable on stage – this is not where my true comfort zone is,” says Jackson. “I learned that my passion comes more from behind the scenes rather than being the focal point.”
What inspired you to start your own music promotion business?
I have always had a passion for promoting artists and using my network to introduce people to artists they might not know. Everyone knows Jay-Z and Eminem. But there is a talented person in this area, and you have never heard of him. I love introducing artists to people who trust my recommendations. At that time, I started “Embassy: Interactive,” and the music industry was changing. So, instead of being a mixtape forum, it became a music promotion site with artist interviews and photos from their shows.
How do you choose the artists you promote?
The artist who is probably largely responsible for the direction of “Embassy: Interactive” is Chemist, an artist from Logan in the Philadelphia area where I was born. I discovered his music when MySpace was popular. I would say, “Wow! This guy from Logan is making amazing music.” I put every song he shared on my site. That’s where it all started. After a while, I would ask friends in other cities and states, “Who’s the artist you love the most in your area?” They would tell me about someone in California. I was looking for people they were working with and seeing their followings. Then I noticed the site getting recognized by other artists who spread the word to people promoting them or their live shows. They then started introducing their artists to me, giving me everything to promote.
What prompted you to start using cloud collaboration tools?
I will always remember when the computer that had all my work – all the songs people sent me, CD covers, and designs, everything – crashed while I was watching Michael Jackson’s funeral. I had no backups on any hard drives. I didn’t have cloud systems. I gave the computer to someone to fix. Then the computer was stolen. I lost everything, including a lot of music I had worked on personally, and all the future music I had plans for. That took a lot out of me.
Did you start using Dropbox in your daily workflow?
Yes, definitely. Now, any new shooting of the day is uploaded to Dropbox first, which syncs to every device here – phone, laptop, and tablet. I also use Dropbox Transfer when I send files to people. This helped me see who is downloading the file.
What other tools do you use to streamline video review for your clients?
I am filming a video for an organization that is hosting an event in Philadelphia. The files are huge. The CEO of this company was not comfortable downloading files of that size onto his computer. So this year, I put everything on Dropbox Replay for him to review everything.
Another project is with the City of Philadelphia. I am filming a video for its anti-violence program. I use Replay to create the first draft for everyone to review. Everything is compressed into one link. There is no set of scattered videos to provide feedback on. In real-time, people see what others are saying. This way, no one tends to share the video or anything else.
What advice do you have for people hoping to start their own business in 2024?
I say,
If you have the chance to do it, just do it. If you feel it’s the opportunity you want to take, take it. When I started in 2016, things were tough. They didn’t go as planned at all from the beginning. But I don’t view the tough times as losses. I see them all as learning experiences.
There are always things that help you improve your mindset. If there’s a skill you lack, it will compel you to connect with someone better than you in certain areas. This helps your team, network, and resources grow.
This interview has been edited and summarized for clarity.
Source: https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/customer-stories/daniel-jackson-embassy-interactive
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