Mommy Millionaire asks “How Far Will You Go For a Dream?”
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Tyler Perry is a star, with a hot new movie (Why Did I Get Married?), a series on TV (House of Payne), and a line-up of successful theater productions. But it wasn’t too long ago that his life could have been qualified as a complete failure by most people. His story is the testimony to how powerful a dream can be, and what kind of heroic journey dreams can lead us on in an effort to realize them. Besides being an artistic hero, Tyler Perry is also a testimony to the power of recognizing an underserved niche in the marketplace, and going after that niche, regardless of how much opposition you can encounter. There are countless underserved niches in the market ready to
be exploited, and only those who are visionary enough to see them, and courageous enough to follow their dreams to reach them, can lead us on to a wider understanding and greater opportunity. But getting there is no easy process for the leader who pushes us to that new frontier. As you’ll see from Tyler Perry’s story, being a leader often requires enduring hardship, risk and sacrifice beyond what any of us could anticipate. But as I like to say, there is no reward without risk, and the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
I remember the first time I heard of Tyler Perry. It was in 2002 and I was staying with family in Atlanta, where a very rough video was stuck into the VCR of a theater production Perry had recently staged in Atlanta, titled Medea Goes to Jail. I had never heard of Perry before, and looking at the almost amateur quality of the video I was watching I thought ‘who really cares!’ That is, until I started laughing hysterically. Perry was taking aim at his own social community and delivering biting commentary and politically-incorrect humor that was both shocking and hilarious. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and I instantly thought this guy was a genius with brass balls who had the guts to say things no traditional studio or theater company would touch. The only city ready for this message at the time was Atlanta, which is increasingly becoming what I like to euphemistically refer to as “The Black New York,” where music moguls and creative artists come together to form a melting-pot of defining black culture. Even at this time, Perry’s personal story was legendary, even to the suburban white folk who were sitting around laughing hysterically at this grainy video. And everybody there regarded him with respect.
Perry was raised dirt-poor in New Orleans, where he was reportedly physically abused as a child. He undertook the exercise of writing letters to himself about the anger and pain he suffered as a child as a means to exorcise himself of these negative influences. These letters turned into his first play “I Know I’ve Been Saved.” After saving $12,000, he moved to Atlanta for the purpose of staging it. But this isn’t a
story of overnight success. Perry spent 6 full years in Atlanta, writing and staging productions, which all failed, leaving him homeless and penniless.
At the beginning, unable to afford traditional theaters, Perry staged his productions in unconventional venues that were linked to the black community, referred to as the “chitlin’ circuit,” and these people, outside of any traditional Hollywood or NY demographic, are what made him. His dedication to this core constituency has not wavered even today. Even though he’s become a Hollywood darling, Perry refuses to
relinquish one iota of creative control over any of his projects, insuring that his vision of humorously commenting on
this overlooked cultural niche remains true and unwatered down. It’s safe to bet that five years ago, nobody in Hollywood or NY could have been convinced of the financial viability of a homeless man staging acerbic plays about the foibles of a marginalized black community in “chitlin’ circuit” venues. Since then, as of March 2005, Perry’s work has been reported to have earned him over $75 million. (Today’s most marginalized community—one falsely considered to be divested of power or
influence—is moms. I’m on my own journey to fix that.)
Which brings me to another artist I think is in the midst of this same journey, literally on “The Road” to who his own new success and doing whatever it takes along the way to get there, despite the sorry state of today’s music market: Brian Vander Ark http://www.myspace.com/brianvanderark. I know that I--as a consumer—am frustrated with the lack of quality music variety available in traditional media sources. MTV has essentially stopped playing videos except for the usual suspects, or those new artists with a quirky video concept that makes for better TV than just good music. Finding new voices outside of the standard products that mainstream radio is used to selling is getting harder every day. As an entrepreneur, I look at the mainstream music industry as a market ready to be transformed by a few inspired dreamers on their own quest to write great songs for vast audiences that have been marginalized, without being forced to compromise their vision to do it.
Brian is one of those people. After having enjoyed mega-success as the lead singer and principal songwriter for The Verve Pipe, which, thanks to the band’s big hit “The Freshmen” ended up selling more than 3 million albums worldwide, he’s back on a
mission to write great music that is an inspiration to me and should be millions of others. His songwriting skills are better than ever, focusing his inspired gifts for storytelling on life’s successes and failures, relationships and faith, shining light into the corners of real personal experience with his poignant and transforming lyrics and melodies, that can’t help but lift me up every time I hear them.
In 2005, Brian, determined to make music on his own terms, sold all his possessions and hit the road to play wherever anybody would pay him, from traditional music venues to people’s living rooms—all in attempt to fund his next album’s production and release. His latest CD, Angel, Put Your Face On, delivers just that: great songwriting combined with incredible musical production, earning my 10 year old son’s “favorite artist” status. The road trip has been successful enough that Brian is
getting ready to go into the studio to record his newest album in November. But you’ll probably never hear Brian on MTV, just like I never saw Tyler Perry in traditional media. I redisovered Brian in my church on a Sunday, where he came to play three songs acoustically solo, just like I had to discover Perry on grainy video tape, a play produced by a penniless artist who was singularly committed to producing art that was true to his own vision—no matter the cost. Just like Perry, you probably won't see Brian in traditional music channels of distribution for another couple of years, when he imposes his talent and vision on the rest of us, dragging the music industry along by the strength of his dream to produce real music that matters for the rest of us. Only then, unfortunately, after suffering financially like Perry and every one else before him, will his dream and singular talent be recognized and vindicated.
How far would you go for a dream? Would you spend your last dime and suffer homelessness? Join the discussion on the www.mommymillionaire.com message board. Do you have to lose everything in order to succeed? Do you know people who have given up on the brink of success because they gave into pressures from people and society that told them they were failures?
You can also check out there my recent answers to questions from readers about trademarks, patents and profit margins.
Copyright 2007, Kim Lavine. This article can not be reproduced on the web or otherwise without the written permission of Kim Lavine.
Kim is the President and Founder of Green Daisy, Inc—a lifestyle brand focused on balancing life with love ™--and the best selling author of Mommy Millionaire.
http://www.mommymillionaire.com
Kim has appeared on The Today Show, Rachel Ray, NBC & ABC news, CNN, CNBC's "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch, NPR, Oprah & Friends Radio Network, LifetimeTV.com, and has been featured in USA Today, Country Living, Guideposts, Women's World, and American Baby to name a few. Kim is on a mission to encourage
women to follow their dreams, inspiring them with hope, honesty and faith.
Kim’s book has been called by Publisher’s Weekly in a Starred Review: “A top-notch, how-to guide on launching a business. Lavine’s human and authoritative story make this one of the most engaging and useful resources available for readers hoping
to convert their passion into a healthy company…a rare gem.” USA Today says ““Mommy Millionaire is loaded with resources for a fledgling business person…armed with a good idea and boundless energy.” Barbara De Angelis, PH.D.—#1 New York Times Bestselling Author says, “Mommy Millionaire is an inspiring gift and road map to success for anyone who’s ever had a dream.”
"Everything begins with a search for something better--a dream,
an idea, the courage to face a challenge, and the passion to get it done.
You can do it.
Believe in yourself.
Change the rules.
Join the revolution."
From MOMMY MILLIONAIRE, by Kim Lavine