#mymasteryjournal

[lyngarrison]

[mymasteryjournalab]

My Mastery Journal 'Web Analytics and Optimization - Online'

The usual process by which I enter a class is to go in with a blank slate and no preconceived notions of what to expect. I went into the ‘Web Analytics and Optimization – Online’ course with an open mind and a willingness to learn as much as possible. I have used Google Analytics in the past and currently do use some of the features to keep tabs on the performance of my personal page. The content shared by the professor was vast and the links to pertinent materials and other site posts was as well.

 From working on the course material to debunk myths to gaining perspective on web analytic principals, the course was very easy to engage with and provided a lot of content to go over. The creation of various presentations and leveraging the tools we have currently at our disposal, the weekly assignments kept building upon the previous. Looking that the breakdown of S.M.A.R.T. goals and KPI basics and how these pertain to the reporting that is necessary to capture the relevant and pertinent information that many companies are looking for in their reports.

 Many of the real-world applications of these reports as well as the way in which they are displayed for consumption were key elements of this course. Knowing that just because you can collect all sorts of data doesn’t mean that you need to display all the data is how we as professionals discern what drives a company’s goals and how they should (operative word) measure their successes. Business intelligence is part of the way in which many companies measure the successes of their company’s effort against competitors. This ultimately delivers the data that can be used to see if the company is on the right track.

In short the course worked to help me develop a better understanding of working with what you have and maximizing your output with what you can before going into working with more robust systems. Going back to the less is more and quantifiable and qualitative data can only be best displayed when the person manipulating the reports has a good if not great understanding of what the actual goal should be vice what it is.

[anthony-loma]

Mastery Journey

My intentions in my Mastery Journey of the next 12 months and beyond is learn what it takes to combine what clients needs are and translate them into the creative design world. In starting my Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design I solidified my desire to be a graphic designer, but to my surprise I realize that it was difficult to truly understand client needs. The way clients see things can often times translate much different than a designer. With this in mind I enrolled in the Masters of Fine Arts in Media Design to understand all that incorporates media and to identify client needs. My goal is to one day have my own design studio business. I have been a freelance designer for some time, but I have ambition to be more then just a freelance designer. To start this goal I had to take the first step to learn. Nothing will take place unless I learn the principles of what it means to be a master in my field and to apply that each and every day.

I this degree program I hope to learn what Media Design is all about. I hope to learn the principle of defining client needs. This is one of the first tasks in designing. It is much easier said than done. I also hope to learn more about branding and organizational needs. Whether I am a business owner or working for a company I must understand these principles. The challenge ahead of me may seem tough, but I know that with God all things are possible and this journey is only beginning. The process and the sleepless nights will only build endurance to press forward. My desire to have my own studio will come to pass. So let the learning begin toward that goal.

[sarahhartmannfullsail]

My Mastery Journal - Part 1

To my understanding mastery is the combination of skills and knowledge in a specific field, which is achieved through the three steps Greene explained in his book “Mastery” (Greene, 2012): 1. Apprenticeship, 2. Creative-Active, 3. Mastery.

I have been working in the entertainment business since I was a child; I started to sharpen my skills within the past years and I like to think out of the box when it comes to new ideas and problem solving. I have completed the step of apprenticeship and am excited to walk and grow towards mastery, being a student of the Entertainment Business Master’s degree program at Full Sail University, Orlando.

To walk successfully from being a creative-active to becoming a master in my craft, within the next 12 months I want to question and analyze every step I do through assignments, group activities, idea developing etc. In order to avoid mistakes in the future and come to a quicker way to complete an assignment, I need to know what has worked going through assignments and what were the obstacles.

Even though I understand that a master does things instinctively, at one point before mastery he had to see the mistakes he made and got better working through them.

I hope that through in-depth research and assignments I will get a better understanding of what it is that makes any field in the entertainment business successful. I hope to expand and strengthen my leadership skills through the perception of leadership principles.

After the graduation of this program I want continue to learn and grow daily through research, seminars, workshops, change of jobs or coaching and never stop looking beyond what is in front of me.

The ultimate goal of my mastery journey would be, to surpass the theoretical knowledge and to dive back into the practical tasks and exciting jobs with a widened knowledge to work successfully and fulfilled in the entertainment business.  

[mymasteryjournalab]

Mastery Journal Program Reflection Assignment:

The Mastery course designated as the “Final Project: Business Plan” took every previous month’s course material and made sure that we purposefully applied our learnings for the presentation of our ‘Business Plan.' From the initial course to the final project, the progression was systematic and offered an excellent opportunity to be successful on the date of presentation. The level of materials each course offered was, in my opinion, a natural continuation of the Media Communications bachelors of science (MCBS) course I took in my undergraduate studies. With this being the case many of the class's assigned projects took a deeper dive into some of the projects I previously completed.

The hardest part of the EBMS course was working hard to compliment and not plagiarize me in the process. The continuation of my business plan and its development took on a new life with the implementation of the mastery course material. The knowledge acquired and the supplemental material that I have been able to archive from each course offers me a valuable resource for future reference. Every course director was passionate about their area of instruction and displayed a deep understanding of their course title. My understanding of the content offered in each course was key to putting it all together in the end. Having access to the Proforma, and the three-year projections allowed me to take a solid look at what is needed to make that move to become a small business owner.

From protecting myself with copyright, trademark, to making the right choices with publishing and distribution of my original content, the knowledge I have gained is paramount to my future success. When valuing myself as a potential employee for a company or as the right type of business owner I can look back on this journey and feel confident in whatever choice I make. Learning the legal ramifications of every creative output and identifying when to pick and choose my battles have gone from scary and intimidating to empowering. The business plan I have worked on requires continued work as I see a potential for a profitable micro company in the central Florida area. The niche may dissolve in the future, but until then, constant evaluation and adjustments will be key until I can fully raise my company off the ground.

 Being an Entrepreneur is a challenge and a journey that not everyone can go on. I hope that I can take this to the next level.

A moderate review of my time in EBMS  (video review 9:23min)

[mymasteryjournalab]

My BPD (Business Plan Development) Journal Entry

I have entered this course with no goal or expectation, I do this to be able to absorb as much as possible with little to no bias. Within the first week I tied a bit of the fundamentals of this course to the previous course called ‘Entertainment Business Finance’. Much or the research done to full in the ‘Pro-forma’ was very valuable to working out the assignments of this course. Building off what was previously covered is always validating and offers a good sense that the studies are complementing and offer a great value to the overall goal of being a ‘Master’ or as close to one in the area of entertainment business.

 The insights that have been provided along the way have been helpful, the coursework along the way has been building course by course. Many of the practices that I have been able to follow during my time in the entertainment media space has offered me real-world views on the course material. The reality that there are professionals that do this type of work on a daily basis is eye-opening. For those that are looking to be small business owners and they work towards expanding their company; all I can say is that it is a labor of love and devotion.

 Throughout the course I have had the opportunity to learn a lot of the intricate elements that can be used to shape a business plan. The need for course correction when the plan that you set in motion does not necessarily work at the point where your dream and the numbers don’t synchronize as you would like them to. The reality that there is a need to make sure that big idea has what it needs not only in vision but in financial viability is necessary. If you are willing and able to build your business from the ground up without the need for an investor then best of luck. If you are willing to build a business and demonstrate to a potential investor that their investment will be fruitful and offer a return on their investment then you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

 In the event that I can take my idea and apply the necessary elements to make it appealing for a potential investor; I will have a valuable product, I will be honest and say that I have the ability to crunch the numbers and look at the projections, but not the drive to be self-made entrepreneur. At best, I have previously been a intrapreneur and seen my ideas flourish inside the business model of others. Knowing the difference and being able to follow the different trends in entrepreneurship is key to being a good business person. I feel that I can identify and nurture this from within an already established company and know that for all the entrepreneurs out there, there are counterparts that work from within large companies and can be as effective.

[mymasteryjournalab]

MDP (Media Distribution and Publishing) Journal Entry

As with all of the previous classes, I come in with no predetermined expectations. This is a learning opportunity after all. But in this case there are some questions to answer clearly, and here is my attempt below

* What was your original goal for this course? I set a goal to work as hard as I can to get the best grade possible! The side effect of that is hopefully more than just a better understanding of the subject matter, but more of a mastery of the subject matter, that is the goal, isn’t it?

* How was this goal met by the course? During my time in this class, the course director not only demonstrated that they were a subject matter expert, but also a continuing contributor to it. The course material builds upon the previous months’ subject matter well, as well it offers an extended insight into the area of publishing and distribution. Overall the chance to learn and expand on some of the knowledge I already possessed was very welcomed.

* What did you learn from this course? I was able to expand on the previous knowledge I had in publishing as well and regain the name of key companies, groups, and entities that would serve me in the future should I go the route of publishing my work.

* How will you apply the material learned either personally or professionally? All the knowledge that has been offered in the classes leading up to this one have been building blocks for me as a professional out in the entertainment industry. The course material is not only a good read but a valuable archive of elements that will serve me well in the industry. I keep a copy of all course material and do review it on occasions where it will further my understanding on related topics.

With the hopefully inevitable date of graduation coming soon, I feel this class was well positioned towards the last few months of the Entertainment Business Master of Science. The material that is discussed within, as well as the format in which it is being discussed, opens up the door for creative speaking. It relies on research and requires confidence in the delivery of its presentations. I think that this was a very productive month (not to say that previous ones were not) and builds upon the courses previous classes in a cohesive way (in my opinion).

[mymasteryjournalab]

My AEL (Advanced Entertainment Law) Journal Entry

As with all previous EBMS (Entertainment Business Masters of Science) courses, I enter AET (Advanced Entertainment Law) with no expectations. Due to my wanting to gain from the course the most possible without leaning towards a particular focus and missing out on the complete experience. Simply said, I try to enter into the class with a blank slate and see what it draws out of my previous experiences throughout the course material. By doing this, I try to let go of what may have been misconceptions and leave room for genuinely new material. I did take an Intellectual Property Course, and some of the material did come up, but the overall experience throughout this class has had a unique viewpoint of some of the similar terms and stuff.

This course has so far do lead up to the final project and build upon the previous months’ content. While in the class I have taken the opportunity to go back and reflect on previously acquired knowledge and see how this ties into the overall personal objective. Personally, I see the content, and the reading material is touchpoints that will support my end goal before or by the end of the Master's degree. The truth is that I may or may not open my small company, every course and content gathered is a building block for my knowledge or my soon to be corporate knowledgebase. Either way, you look at the trajectory of my class time at Full Sail University, copyright, trademark, and all the legal elements that have been in discussion give me plenty to go off of to be either my boss and continue my education as a boss or work for someone else with a substantial toolbox.

During this time, looking at the cases and researching the way they have impacted how we see the scenarios represent the point in time the case(s) come about was critical in looking at how they affect the way we do things now. Some of the cases gave clarity to the why and how of how we've got to protect our IP (Intellectual Property). Access to a lawyer that is currently practicing makes is clear that continuing education is also an essential part of how we should continue to research and review the cases that make up the space we decide to work in long after graduation. Laws update and are working on covering the implementation of new tech and new ways in which we push content out to the world. Ultimately, 'knowledge gained is knowledge earned,' and this is another tool in my toolbox.

[mymasteryjournalab]

PAM (Product and Artist Management) Journal Entry

As with every course before, I enter the class with no expectations. I do this to work at absorbing the information as best and objectively as possible. In this class, there have been things that I have been familiar with based on my previous experiences. With that said, the way in which the material was presented there were many instances in which I had to realign my thought process to account for the focus on the content. From working on the ‘Major Players Review’ comparing the major companies to smaller hyper-focused ones to see the pros and cons respectively, to the final ‘Sales Presentation’ where we place ourselves in the mix. I worked on the focus of the project by supplementing the main source of income with products. Learning the whole process behind making them a source of profit that is real and in some instances the way we can fund the company as the main source to the keep on doing what we intended to do in the first place.

From day one we were introduced to the term ‘Show Business’ as it truly being ‘The Business of the Show.' Looking at it as the focus of an industry in which we understand that without good business the show cannot go on. Supplementing and supporting the show aspect of show business with good business practices and profit focused efforts is the backend part that some consider what allows the show to go on truly. We are in the business of ultimately making money. Be it by talent or the sale of elements that can be monetized to support that Talents career path. While working on my ‘Artist Manager Case Study,' I selected Jon Landau, which by the way it the name of two very successful and entirely different people in the entertainment world. They each had keys to success that were grounded in the material discussed in class. Ultimately, I worked on Jon Landau the driving force behind music giants such as Bruce Springsteen and much more that are considered legendary success stories in themselves.

Continuing there were course works that refocused on how to use the knowledge we have acquired so far can be used to work on our target audience/audience acquisition honestly. Using geolocation, specific demographics, spending behaviors, and psychographics, narrowing down our audiences we ultimately want to cater to. Going forward this lead us into the work we did on ‘Product Planning’ and how this course of action and the details worked on will be necessary to come up with the best possible strategy to plan for and develop product plans that will be effective. This is where we see how our focus can shift based on many different aspects of profitability and customer interactions. There are so many ways to work on the development and monetization of an artist or a product's lifecycle, you have to look at how this affects the bottom line continuously. Audiences and Customers are looking for more than just products; they are looking for experiences and the overall effect you have on their lifestyle. The more integrated and complementary you are the better your product or artist will fare.

In summary, this course worked on shifting the focus from looking at what we think is our way to make money to the actual way you fund those efforts to earn money. Your idea may be excellent to you but effectively be a dog of a product while in your mind you think it’s a cash cow. If you focus on the business aspect of the show, you will see the support structure you should be attending to while following your efforts to make the front-end goal as successful as possible.