it grew from a small space and one register to a successful business that eventually sold in 2008. “There were some articles about it in business journals, and that’s when Gaylord Entertainment came knocking.” It was there where she began working in the Strategic Alliances Deptartment of Gaylord, starting as the new salesperson, and ultimately leaving as director of the department, overseeing multi-million dollar budgets, and after achieving growth of 30 million in sponsorships and brand alliances. “It was a great experience, and being around the Opry was amazing.” As new opportunities presented themselves, Heather was approached by Kye Fleming, a Country Music Hall Of Fame Songwriter, to check out a group she was working with and to consider managing them. The group was Eden’s Edge, and Heather accepted. This new role led to her and Kye accomplishing the difficult task of landing a record deal for an artist, and experiencing the success of Eden’s Edge signing a deal with Big Machine Records. Over time Heather knew she had reached the point she needed to step down from that role, and move into new ventures. “I was receiving a lot of calls at that juncture to manage other artists,” she says. “There were some big names interested, but I just didn’t find what seemed like the right fit. Then I got a call from Mindy Smith, and it soon became apparent that I was going to work with her.” She states. “Beyond her great talent and the success she has already had, I could tell there was something genuine in her that made me believe in what we could do. Relationships are first for me, business is second.” Heather convinced me when she said that. I’ve heard that said before, but with Heather you can’t help but feel what you see is what you get. And to that point, her label is structuring deals that reflect that concept. “Master ownership has always been controlled
by the labels. I believe we need to see master ownership being something that Artists can be part of, for all the right reasons.” This “ownership”, in both senses of the word, creates an environment that is team based; participation and decision making are part of conversations that are directed toward the common good of all involved. A respected business associate of mine once asked me if I knew the definition of a good deal. I could think of many possible answers, but the answer he was guiding me to was this: when all parties involved equally benefit, and would do it again. I love that. It’s a simple concept, but it’s clear to see how entitlement and power can create swayed models that keep control in the hands of the powerful. It is a ubiquitous, deep-rooted part of business, politics and culture, and in music it greatly affects recording artists, producers, and the songwriters who are at the foundation that supports the entire industry. It takes courage to invest time and money into something you believe in and keep it fair, resisting the temptation to be part of the problem. It takes teams that care about each other, and can remember what matters at the end of the day. “We all just want to do what we love to do, and be happy. If that results in the ability to serve oth-
ers as we desire to then we have accomplished the goal.” It is obvious that TVX is a reflection of the people behind it. It’s a refreshing model that seems to hold firm to the beliefs of its founder and its staff, as well as the artists that fit with their vision. At TVX, master ownership resides with the artist, and their partnership with Mindy Smith is a clear representation of that concept. Mindy created her own “label”, which she fittingly named Giant Leap, and then licenses the masters to TVX, creating a joint venture. Mindy seems to be an example of the kind of artists that are doing well and can make things connect where others struggle. The talent needs to be there. That should be a given. But the motivation, the work ethic, the marketing mentality, and all of those intangibles that give an artist an edge, that’s the tipping point. I believe as we continue to see more music companies team with those kinds of artists in these ways, it will begin to shape the landscape more clearly. The indecisive chaos we see in the business now is leaning more and more towards the proven mechanisms of an industry in motion. More responsibility lies with the artist. But that can be an empowering feeling. It can take some time for