Taylor Swift? An entrepreneur?
Celebrities are rarely thought of as being entrepreneurs. However, oftentimes when you look at their careers, you can see hints of an entrepreneurial mind. Taylor Swift is no exception. At the age of 12, she was doing what she loved—making music. She took advantage of every opportunity to share her music with the world, from festivals and open mics, to walking right into record labels and handing them her demo CD. She was determined to do what she loved for a living.
Eventually, Swift was offered a record deal after a music producer heard her play at an open mic, and she is with the same label today. No matter what you think of her music, her success is undeniable. On top of her numerous big-name awards—including 10 GRAMMYs—her albums and song releases have set outstanding records. Her upcoming album, reputation, has already had each one of its three singles reach #1 in several countries. This fact does not sound very noteworthy, considering her past success. However, Swift has not done a single interview or promotional event to market her newest album. Instead, she invited fans she has interacted with on Tumblr and Instagram to her home to listen to the album before anyone else.
What I appreciate about Swift’s career is that she is walking that line between being true and expressive in her art, and managing the business aspect of it. As a photographer, I relate to this balancing act. You do not want one side to take away from the other. Art is important to every human being whether it is expressed as a song, a photo, or even a sport one plays. When you are given the opportunity to do what you love for a living, you are faced with many decisions on how to handle both areas of your art. Those decisions on either end will define your success. Swift has met each of these challenges with careful planning and decision-making.
I admire Swift’s ambition and her persistence in the face of criticism. I also admire her involvement in every aspect of her career—lyrics, music, tours and set design, and so much more. She has worked hard to be where she is today, and I aspire to work as diligently as she has done.
it’s awesome how someone can use art to become entrepreneurial. Whether you like TS or not, you can acknowledge the fact that she has made an empire from her creativity.