Killer Influence

Will and Brandon chat with Kirk Slawek & Adam Sadler of Gear Seven Creative, Shift, and Eleven Willow. We speak about their journey in the video production industry, technological advancements in the space, how they manage their time between the three companies, and what the future holds. Lots of great insights for entrepreneurs and those interested in the technology behind today's best car commercials and cutting-edge filmmaking techniques.

In Episode 4 of Season 2, Will interviews Ryan Kanaly, an independent photographer based in Nashville, who got his start experimenting with the capabilities of early iPhone cameras. He now runs a boutique photography studio — traveling the US, enjoying all that life offers, and opening doors to the next inspiring opportunity. This episode is priceless for anyone interested in a professional photographer's journey, from winning a new project to delivering the final assets to the client. 

In Episode 3 of Season 2, Will is joined by Brandon Brown to interview Don Schneider. For over 30 years, Don worked at the pinnacle of the marketing & advertising industry, creating some of the most recognized and awarded campaigns in the world. Leading the creative efforts for an array of Fortune 100 companies, Don's work has won nearly every industry award possible, including Cannes Lions, Emmys, Clios, and even a Grammy. Recently, when USAToday listed the top ten Super Bowl ads of all time, seven were created by Don. 

In Episode 2 of Season 2, Will is joined by co-host Meredith Wiser to interview Nicole Brandt Minyard, Founder and Executive Director of Poverty and the Arts (POVA), which provides people impacted by homelessness with the creative resources, training, and art exhibitions to showcase their work. She is inspired by the creativity of those on the streets and is finding ways to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. 

In Episode 1 of Season 2, we interview, Michael Henry, the founder and co-owner of Media Whisper. He got his start managing MySpace pages for music venues, for free. 10 years later, Media Whisper has grown into a powerful digital marketing agency with clients ranging from Live Nation to AMC Networks.

In Episode 11 of Killer influence, Alexa Rae and Will Barton interview Brian Hood, owner of The Six Figure Home Studio.Brian Hood discusses how he went from playing in bands to starting his own DIY home recording business. The former drummer of MyChildren MyBride mastered his craft and now runs The Six Figure Home Studio, packed with educational courses and a podcast, teaching people how to run successful DIY home studios. His podcast is perfect for those who are looking to turn a hobby or passion into a full-fledged, thriving online business. thesixfigurehomestudio.com

On Episode 10 of Killer Influence, Alexa Rae and Will Barton interview JoJamie Hahr. JoJamie Hahr is the VP of Marketing at BBR Music Group. JoJamie Hahr has been with BBR Music Group for six years, previously serving as the VP of Promotion at BBR management group before assuming the role of VP of Marketing. Prior to joining the BBR team, JoJamie served as the National Dir. of Field Promotion for The Valory Music Co., after being promoted from Dir. of SE Promotion and Marketing. Her 20 years in the industry includes stops at UMG, WSIX and WWKA. Since taking the helm of the then newly created marketing department at BBR Music Group, she has grown the department into an industry leader. JoJamie oversees brand partnerships and strategic marketing, as well as coordinates marketing efforts for each of the BBR Music Group’s three imprints, including the 2016, 2017 and 2018 ACM Entertainer of the Year, and ACM Artists of the Decade, Jason Aldean, chart-toppers Dustin Lynch, Zac Brown Band and Chase Rice, as well as Randy Houser, Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, LOCASH, Runaway June, and more. JoJamie lead marketing efforts for Blanco Brown’s debut hit “The Git Up”, which claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (12 weeks), was the top-selling digital country song in the U.S. (13 weeks) and earned nearly half a BILLION streams worldwide to date.Connect with JoJamie here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jojamieTwitter: https://twitter.com/jojamieFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jojamie

In Episode 9 of Killer Influence, Alexa Rae and Will Barton interview Jason Davis. Jason Davis is an entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award winning songwriter, award winning author, entertainment consultant and the former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton’s management company, CTK. He currently is the President of One One 7 (representing some of the most successful songwriters and record producers of our time) and a partner at Radar Label Group. Jason has worked with worldwide stars, including Boyz ll Men, Sugar Ray, P. Diddy, Alabama, and many more! Learn more about Jason Davis here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/oneone7jason?lang=enInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasondavismanagement/One One 7: https://oneone7.com/Noble Management: http://www.noble-management.com/Radar Label Group: https://www.radarlabelgroup.com/

In Episode 8 of Killer Influence, Alexa Rae and Will Barton interview the creators of eva (formerly known as Evamore.) Eva is the automated solution for booking live entertainment for corporate and private events. Alexa and Will chat with the creators, Makenzie Stokel and Channing Moreland about how they met at Belmont University, how they managed to build a technology platform with no coding experience, the fun details of what it takes to start a business at a young age, and how the company has grown over the years to fit the ever-changing industry and environment.You can find more about EVA at https://bookwitheva.com/.

In Episode 7 of Killer influence, Alexa Rae and Will Barton interview Derek Webb. Derek Webb chats with Alexa Rae and Will Barton about how he successfully moved from a touring musician in the band, Caedmon’s Call, to now making a living with his solo career by giving fans live concerts from the comfort of his own home. Derek shares all of his favorite platforms, tools and tactics on how to become an online success. This episode is perfect for any creative looking for a way to showcase their art online. Along with his solo career, Derek is the founder of NoiseTrade, the first tribe-building, free music site. Derek also continues to mentor artists and creators on how to make a living in an ever-changing entertainment landscape. You can find more about Derek at www.derekwebb.com.

In Episode 6 of Killer Influence, Alexa Rae and Will Barton interview Michael Sloane. Michael Sloane is an executive leader and digital strategist with a proven ability to develop and increase revenues while building a loyal consumer base specializing in the ever changing digital space. As a digital strategist he has worked with Entertainment brands, Small Businesses, Startups, and Corporate accounts, building successful and profitable relationships. Cutting his teeth with Echomusic (later acquired by Ticketmaster) and later Live Nation Artists, he saw the digital revolution unfold for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Kanye West, John Mayer, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, and Brooks & Dunn. Sloane later focused on digital strategy and ecommerce optimization with Taylor Swift (13 Management) and was most recently the Director of Interactive for Big Machine Label Group (Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw, etc.) He is currently the General Manager of Hidden Road Strategy a division of Hill Entertainment Group, advising entertainment products in concept, go to market strategies, and business development. Through the management of software development, client management, ecommerce optimization and digital strategy, Sloane has been able to build and grow the digital footprint of some of the largest entertainment brands in the world. He currently is the VP of Operations for Wonderful Union specializing in fan club and VIP ticketing, while also serving as CEO of Streaming Promotions and Systemic a label services company.

In Episode 5 of Killer Influence, Alexa Rae and Lindsey Harshaw (guest host) interview -- Christy Walker-Watkins. Christy Walker-Watkins is a Nashville Native who grew up in a family full of music industry professionals. Christy had a huge passion for music but didn’t foresee herself as becoming a businesswoman as her lifetime career. We start the interview off with Christy sharing her family story from where it all began. Christy explains that her grandfather, a very successful piano player from Australia, became a record executive in South Africa as the head of RCA South Africa. While he was in South Africa, he was offered a gig to come to Nashville, Tennessee to become the music director for Jim Reeves. The day that he moved to Nashville, he received word that Jim Reeves had died in a plane crash. Chet Atkins knew Christy’s grandfather was moving to work in the States and was able to get her grandfather on the Johnny Cash show, working with Eddy Arnold, The Statler Brothers show, all of the CMA Awards, and basically anything that was live music that needed the full orchestra. Fast forward, Jeff Walker (Christy’s father) followed his father’s footsteps and ended up running a successful record label. After a fall out at the distribution company they had used ended up closing, they turned the label into a marketing and PR company, known today as the Aristo Media Group. Christy shares with us how she had to immediately take over the President role when her father (Jeff Walker) unexpectedly passed away. We chat with Christy about overcoming the tragedy of losing her father while gaining a whole company. She also shares tips on the importance of networking, the ins and out of being a publicist and how to keep moving forward when the going gets tough. “Even though I lost my father when I was 30 years old, I feel so lucky to get to work with him for 13 years every single day, in the office, 13 years, over the coffee maker, having a good morning chat before we got to work, that’s something not many people get to do with their parents.”

In Episode 4 of Killer Influence, Alexa and Will interview Steve Schnur. Steve is a Nashville resident who works in Los Angeles, California as the Worldwide Executive and President of Music at Electronic Arts, also known as EA Music. He grew up in New Jersey and his passion for music began around age 7, when he was commuting to Carnegie Hall to study guitar, piano, composition, production and arrangement. Steve moved on to play in a rock band with seasoned musicians for a few years before leaving the band to attend college at New York University. Steve studied at New York University’s School of Music Business & Technology and came across a last minute internship opportunity at a company called, MTV. He later became part of the programming department at MTV and was part the video launches of Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Cure, Mötley Crüe. Schnur went on to hold various executive positions in promotions, marketing and A&R with Elektra Records. Steve worked at various labels where he helped to orchestrate the breakthroughs of many major artists. He also served as music supervisor for hit movies.Steve joined Electronic Arts as the Worldwide Executive of EA Music Group in 2001 and became responsible for the creation and development of the global vision for music integration and marketing surrounding EA games such as Madden, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, NFL, FIFA, Need for Speed. At EA, he has overseen the orchestration and production of 50+ EA soundtrack albums – including original scores for The Sims, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Medal of Honor, and Star Wars: Battlefront with composers that have included Mark Mothersbaugh, Michael Giacchino, Junkie XL, Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer. His efforts have earned EA over 50 soundtrack nominations over the last 10 years.Steve is very involved in the Nashville community and even taught a course at Belmont University called, Future of Technology. He give us tons of advice for students who are interested in working in gaming, composing, developing, and more. He stresses how critical internships are and that this is the time to work in gaming and the music industry. He believes in internships so much, that he has since hired several of his interns for full-time positions at EA. Steve spends a lot of time casting for the perfect composer and they could spend years working on a score for a video game. It’s no surprise that Steve works on multiple projects at a time. Steve also shares stories about a few “star-struck” moments. Some fun facts about Steve credits the game Fifa for his love for MLS, he loves juicing in the morning, and he’s obsessed with his service dog who has her own chair at Ocean Way Studios. “We’re not crazy, we’re just creative.” — Steve Schnur

In Episode 3 of Killer Influence, Alexa and Will interview Delaney Royer. Delaney is a Nashville native who uses her drawing, photography, graphic design, and motion graphic skills to create the most amazing artwork. Delaney shares with us her rebellious upbringing, from dropping out of college all the way through becoming a successful entrepreneur. We also chat with her about her passion for saving the planet and how she met her soul mate, Ernest, at such a young age. To connect with Delaney, head to https://www.delaneyroyer.com/design or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/delaneyroyer/.

In Episode 2 of Killer Influence, Alexa and Will interview JD Groover, Creative Director of Sea Gayle Music and country artist, Jon Langston’s Tour Manager. During the interview, he discusses how he found not only one but two of his dream jobs in Nashville, his best advice for those who want to make it in the music industry, and several fun stories of being on tour. To connect with JD, head to https://www.seagayle.com.

In Episode 1 of Killer Influence, Alexa and Will interview Brandon Brown, co-owner of Media Whisper and guitar player for the touring band Veridia. During the interview, he discusses his ups and downs in the music industry, as well as the positive impact his job at Southwest Airlines had on his growth as a leader. To connect with Brandon, head to www.mediawhisper.com and www.veridiamusic.com.