Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business [Paperback]

Thembisa S. Mshaka (Author), Vanessa Williams (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2009

There is a great mystique about the entertainment industry and a fervent desire in many to be part of it. But what many women don't realize is that most entertainment career guides are written from the point of view of the male executive, or are filled with industry and legal jargon-making them difficult to read and understand.


Now, in PUT YOUR DREAMS FIRST, Thembisa Mshaka uses her 15 years of experience in the music industry to expose the hidden truths that women need to know as they aspire toward entertainment careers, such as how to avoid compromising one's self-respect and the little-known fact that women run a large part of the business. This highly informative guide is for every woman wanting to know how to navigate the entertainment superhighway and find that job of a lifetime.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A cornerstone of integrity and stability in a highly competitive business, Thembisa has worked for over 17 years in service to the entertainment industry, spanning the areas of touring and management, magazine publishing, recorded music and technology, advertising, music supervision for film, voice over and most recently, television in her role as the Telly Award-winning Copy Director for BET Networks. The former GAVIN rap editor has also written for Honey, essence.com, LAUNCH, and served as contributing editor for The Hotness.com and BLAZE. A native of Los Angeles, Thembisa is an alumna of Mills College in Oakland, California. She now resides in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn with her husband and son.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Business Plus (April 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446409464
• ISBN-13: 978-0446409469
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,333,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thembisa S. Mshaka is a 5-time Telly Award winning branding/advertising copywriter and producer for radio and television. She conceived the camapaigns for world class artists from Will Smith and Beyonce' to Lauryn Hill and Nas; crafted the pro-social campaign for Emmy-winning BET Rap-It-Up initiative; wrote the launch campaign for RocaWear Clothing; and served as the music supervisor for the acclaimed independent film Anne B. Real.

After 18 years in entertainment, she created a resource that would serve as mentorship in a bottle for anyone committed to a successful career in film, music, television, radio, new media, production, imaging, marketing, publicity, music publishing, or management. Not written exclusively for artists or by attorneys, Put Your Dreams First is the first book on entertainment to tackle the arena comprehensively--from the points of view of over 90 dynamic artists, executives, media personalities, and other professionals integral to building a sustained career. This book has secrets for industry success that are usually revealed after one learns lessons the hard way, complete with a resource guide in the back that highlights organizations, events, and links for the reader.

For more on the book, visit http://www.putyourdreamsfirst.com. Thembisa also blogs about entertainment, pop culture and business at http://www.thembisamshaka.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/putyrdreams1st.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New "Bible" of the Record Biz!, May 5, 2009

By 

Bambi Shangri-La (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business (Paperback)

As a colleague of Thembisa and another woman with 40 years in the record business, I can wholehearted co-sign on the revelations in this book. These are the real stories which no one hears of but which all of us live. I'm proud of Thembisa for writing such an entertaining and comprehensive account of the "real" music industry. It ain't pretty but, if you want to sit on the porch with us "Big Dogs", then you need to read this book first. You Go, Thembisa!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She spoke to my career from 1990~2009, May 4, 2009

By 

Stone Faure "Dream Catcher" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business (Paperback)

I was excited about the book because it was NOT a tell all vixen journal. This book can be used as a referrence guide to your success. So don't be to quick to loan out your book. Everyone should have their own copy to grow from. You will want to make notes to self in the margins. Thembisa covers you totally with knowledge experience and tried & true advice. The book is simply priceless. There are real time tips and directions help avoid the frustration of living it yourself. Thembisa researched over 17 years with women from each end and in between the spectrum. The professional woman needed to present a complete package is you, not just the talent. She spoke to my questions directly from 1990. I decided that I would never have a working knowlege of this business. I did not have any women to mentor me at that time. Well Thembisa provides you access to powerful women working, living and succeeding in the busisness. Get the blessing and see for yourself. Everyone will have a new story to tell after reading this book. Remember to Put Your Dreams First!
**Stone Faure** Note to Thembisa**
Thanks so much for your book signing and brunch in Cali. I welcomed your very real hug and sincere greeting, it came though. I enjoyed myself and learned from you! Your generosity in creating this book will be reciprocated. Your experiences will inspire so many, this book will be a number one seller! Everybody "PUT YOUR DREAMS FIRST

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is A MUST READ. Review on TheGritsnCheeseDish.blogspot.com, April 27, 2009

By 

Monica M. Peters - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business (Paperback)

by Monica Peters

Industry veteran Thembisa S. Mshaka's new book Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business is a MUST READ for anyone in the entertainment business, especially women. Mshaka gives sound, concrete and specific advice on how to handle your business whether you are a publicist, in the music business, celebrity stylist, producer, or in the radio and film industries. Her tone in the book is straightforward and leaves no stone unturned. What makes this book a gem is that women working in all segments of the business reveal their triumphs, setbacks, horror stories and how they survived after being laid off. Some of the women are everyday Janes who broke into the industry in unconventional ways--none of which included exploiting themselves. Many of the women in HYEB are those that some of us in the business may already know personally. HYEB is very much an eye opener for women going into the entertainment business looking through rose colored glasses or even worse thinking that sleeping their way to the top is the key to their success. The author even delves into pay inequities for women. After reading this book you will definitely be able to make a true assessment as to if the entertainment field is for you and learn the importance of reinventing yourself.

*Even if you are not in the entertainment business, this book is a must read. The sound valuable advice in this book extends way beyond the entertainment world. Pick it up today.