10/30/2018
Keys to Success
Celebrating 10 Years of The Urban Voice, Las Vegas
by Joseph C. Abraham
Publisher of The Urban Voice, Las Vegas
Having published The Urban Voice, Las Vegas for a decade, I have learned many lessons. Lessons which may apply to your entrepreneurial pursuits. Perhaps my recollection will allow you to glean some insight into the haphazard methodology utilized to grow our brand. Given the litigious nature of our society, I imagine my legal team would want me to say the following: By no means is this list comprehensive and under no circumstances should this information be construed as legal advice.
Be your authentic self.
I have never hidden who I am from our readers. The good, the bad and the ugly are on full display when it comes to me. At times my affinity for transparency has been a concern for those closest to me. While my life choices are liable to cause one heartburn, if you truly know me, you most assuredly agree my passion for the community is undeniable. Nevertheless, my candid nature allows readers to connect with me in a meaningful way. For better or worse, my open and honest dialogue fosters credibility with our readers.
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of better.
Allow me to use the development of marketing collateral as a prime example; however, please take note, this admonition applies to many facets of our business and personal lives. Developing a paper collection (business cards, presentation folders, brochures, custom letterhead, custom envelopes, etc.) is a costly proposition. As the owner of a small business start-up would you wait until you have money for the entire collection or would you print business cards as your first course of business?
Ideally, you would have the finances to secure them all, but if your budget does not allow for the expenditure, would you forego having business cards until you can afford the entire collection? Absolutely not. But perhaps, the preceding is too obvious, how about I utilize a different example, one which I see on a weekly basis.
Would you delay the publication of a website until you have developed the perfect content? Many small business owners I know fall into this trap. A professionally produced website allows your organization’s message to have a global audience. A professionally produced website affords your organization credibility among your peers and potential customers.
A professionally produced website allows you to begin developing a meaningful relationship with your customer base as information about your organization is readily available. But quite possibly the best trait of a professionally produced website is the fact that it can be updated (hourly, daily, weekly, etc.). You need not wait until you have the perfect content to launch your Internet marketing platform. A professionally produced website is better than no website 100 out of 100 times. So please, don’t let perfection be the enemy of better.
Understand ‘moods are self-perpetuating.’
Barbara Fredrickson, a positive emotions researcher who operates from a lab located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, asserts that positive emotions are both, “the result and the cause” of a thriving mental life. Operating on the premise that moods are self-perpetuating, the key to happiness is then, quite simply, being happy! Therefore, we must limit negative emotions before they consume our psyche. Constantly dwelling on the negative aspects of our lives causes negative energy to permeate our daily interactions. The result is a downward spiral, which ultimately has an impact on both our business and personal lives.
I can’t over emphasize the importance of guarding yourself from negative energy. We all know people who are constantly pessimistic, people who never see the potential for good in any situation. If you allow it, their energy will transfer to you.
Understand your ‘why’?
In developing The Urban Voice my intent was to create a platform that would allow for African Americans, in Las Vegas, to be portrayed in a positive light by a mass media platform. I had a strong desire for my son, Daniel Joseph, to see, on a regular basis, that there are articulate, educated, goal-oriented, leaders in the African-American community. Men whom he could view as role models. I redoubled my efforts to build into the community as a direct result of then U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s bid for the White House.
On a weekly basis (sometimes daily) I can be pushed to the point where I just want to throw my hands up and walk away from the publication, but having a firm understanding of ‘why’ I began publishing The Urban Voice quickly puts things into perspective.
Understand you are only as strong as the team around you.
I receive a lion’s share of the accolades directed at The Urban Voice, but the truth is the magazine’s success is largely attributed to our monthly columnists, editors, graphic artists, photographers, sales team, and last but certainly not least, our advertisers. Our expansion over the last year is the direct result of bringing in additional human capital to handle different facets of our operation.
Know when to say ‘no’.
Attaining some measure of success comes with certain pitfalls. I am one of the most generous people you will ever meet, but it has taken me years to learn the difference between offering financial assistance to those close to me and enabling them. For any reason you deem appropriate, you are well within your rights to tell someone ‘no’. You do not even owe anyone an explanation.
Have faith in your vision.
You may have been denied start-up funding by a venture capital firm. You may have been told ‘no’ by the first fifty people whom you solicited business from. Your own family and friends may have chosen not to support your dream. Self-doubt may begin to set in. This is when the real gut check will occur. You have to push past the negativity and be your own cheerleader.
Build strategic alliances.
One of the first community leaders I sought to partner with was Craig Knight, General Manager of KCEP FM 88.1, ‘The People’s Station’. Their advertising presence would provide credibility with our readership and perhaps, more importantly, with potential advertisers. During our meeting he pledged his support and we agreed to barter advertising in our respective mediums. Because of our strong relationship our involvement doesn’t end there. On occasion we will provide editorial coverage for special events underwritten by the radio station and from time to time I will be called to the station to appear as a special guest on their talk shows. This allows each of us to expand our organization’s reach into the community, tapping into an ever-increasing audience.
To be clear, we solicit advertising (TUV)/underwriting (KCEP) from many of the same businesses catering to the African-American community in Las Vegas. As such, our posture towards one another could very easily have been one of competitors. Yet, I believe the collaboration between our organizations has only made us stronger and more viable entities. As allies, we can pool our resources and serve the community on a much larger scale. A prime example of such a collaboration is the production of the ‘Ward 5 Special Election Candidate Forums’, which were produced by The Urban Voice and KCEP, as well as several other community partners, including the NAACP Branch #1111, Las Vegas and the Clark County Black Caucus.
Of course, I could go on in perpetuity. Perhaps in the coming months I will continue this article as a series or an online blog. If you have specific questions, I am always available to our readers by calling (702) 306-2394 or by emailing [email protected] and you can always follow my personal page at http://facebook.com/josephcabraham.
