Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/67815
I really didn't have an initial financial outlay. I became profitable from day one really. I was in the very rare position of the market coming to me after my first television appearance and debut album release, I learnt relatively quickly what my audience wanted to see and hear from me and my business grew from there. It's very rare in business, I know, but that's how it worked for me. WW: Once your company became profitable, in which areas did you mainly reinvest to develop your business? We invested in a good up and coming fashion designer who designed a look for me that worked. We also invested in good photography and developed promotional material. I had a great manager at the time who invested a lot of his time in obtaining Above: With Dolly Parton before going on stage in Auckland. Opposite page: Being presented with a platinum disc for the album So Precious to Me by Emmy Lou Harris at the Christchurch Town Hall. Meeting the Market Head On: WW: Many well known brands have a story behind them – briefly tell us your story: I became a household name when I was 12-years-old appearing on a television talent show singing "Funny Face". I was small, with pigtails, playing a guitar twice my size. One of the judges at the time was quite critical of me playing such a large guitar and the public immediately leapt to my defence. I had a natural 'girl next door' style with fresh appeal and a face that seemed to fit. WW: How would you describe the defining essence of your brand? Natural, easy going, professional, and hard working. WW: How have you differentiated your brand in a competitive market through marketing?, Music is a very personal thing. It's performing what they like to hear that gets you market share. It's the old cliché, 'you're only as good as your last show', that's my strongest marketing tool. WW: What was your initial set-up capital and how long did it take for your business to become profitable? to think I deliver more than is expected rather than to just 'do enough'. That and working hard are just two core values that were instilled in me by both my parents at an early age and something that has never changed for me. WW: What are the three biggest ways that doing business has changed since you began? Technology is the biggest change in my business I think. It's amazing what a difference this has made since I began my career. Recording has been made so much quicker and easier now. Communications are quick and efficient. Research is so much quicker and easier. Everything is at your fingertips now. Travel is another big change. It's not Above: Working with Julio Englesius on his whirlwind tour of New Zealand work internationally that would expand my profile and give me valuable experience working with some of the biggest names in the international music industry. WW: What were some of the core values you built your business on? Have these changed over time? In my business one of the most important things is to never let people down. In 40 years I've only ever cancelled two appearances and those were because I couldn't sing a note and had no other option, but I always made a point of going back and completing the show at another date. Whether it's the promoter, organisation or the audience who have paid their hard earned money to come and be entertained, I believe it's my responsibility to give them 110 percent each and every time. That's business. I like unusual for me to fly to Australia for two days to do a performance or go to a meeting, and air travel is so accessible and can be so much more reasonable financially than ever before.. Keeping Track of it All: WW: What priority do you place on monitoring the business' performance? I think monitoring what is happening in relation to my career and the music industry as a whole is crucial. Music styles change and evolve constantly and keeping an open ear and open mind is as important as keeping your image, vocal style and repertoire changing without alienating your audience. To monitor my particular business I keep a close eye on my diary and the number of engagements I work. WHO'S WHO 2012 | 9