OVERLOOKING THE GESTATION PERIOD

A little over a year ago I undertook the incredible task of launching an independent record label. It was the obvious choice to make after more than a decade in music. All of the indicators pointed to the engagement of this new and challenging prospect.

My production team, along with our phenomenally gifted artist worked diligently for months to complete Darius Coleman’s freshman release, I’m In Love With You. It met great reviews. No one having heard the project was disappointed. Our test market was diverse and organic. In spite of the broad net cast the feedback was consistent regarding the album. People loved it and shared their gratitude for an entire album of good music.

Given all of the great feedback, the consistency of mass applause, the warm and favorable response from live audiences, and the growing interest in the project we were beginning to experience unspeakable frustration. The frustration escalated as the uncertainty about the label’s future became a growing concern.

While we were achieving mild success, local and abroad, we were most aware of the underachievement of the project. Sales and access to the masses were far below initial projections. The buzz was not growing about our new, young artist and negative emotions were increasingly more difficult to manage.

The feelings experienced were a result of our having been diligent in our efforts to create a word of mouth epidemic about the album only to realize disappointment and dreams unfulfilled. We were hopeful to push the album to what Malcolm Gladwell would describe as its “tipping point.” The tipping point, according to Gladwell, is the point at which something goes viral and reaches epidemic proportions.

Unfortunately, we didn’t perceive the epidemic we’d expected or desired. There seemed to be something mysterious at work against us. The innovation we intended to deliver to the world was not progressing as rapidly as we deemed necessary. All of this was added with the microscopic operational budget with which we were challenged. It was undoubtedly more difficult without being resource rich.

I was given to much private thought about the misfortune of our fledgling label. I became almost obsessive about advancing and building it. It was then I was smitten with a most beautiful epiphany. I was unintentionally overlooking a most important factor in the process of all things, gestation.

Upon realizing this critical oversight I was provided a means of relief. I hadn’t once considered there would have to be an unavoidable lapse of time in the process of evoking attention to the project and our new artist. This oversight was costly in the sense of emotional energy expended and prematurely utilizing precious resources.

Just as when a woman is impregnated, she would not unwisely expect a baby to be born immediately. She would understand that there is a most necessary period of time that must pass before a vital and healthy life is brought into the world. She would not experience anxiety about the developmental processes occurring in her womb simply because she cannot monitor every aspect of those processes. She would trust that the life within is well and growing at the rate possible and healthy for the unborn child.

The mother would grow in her awareness of her responsibility to this life, and she would certainly commit to living as healthfully as she could to ensure the well being of the child. She would inevitably eat not only to satisfy her cravings or desires but she would eat considering the life of the child as well.

It is no different for your child of purpose, your business, or invention. You must remember to account for the gestation of your endeavor. You may want to continue to do the things you know or deem necessary for the launching and expansion of your endeavor but you will not serve it well if you do not respect its need for a time of development.

You may want to consider the possibility that the lapse being experienced may be in the best interest of the future of your innovation, or music, or book, etc. The gestation period is the essential time of development of all the systems necessary to support the life once it is delivered. It allows the necessary time for the life to make ready to sustain itself in the real world.

This is also true of your endeavor. It would be best served by the time spent in unseen obscurity. It can develop without the threat of misrepresentation, the unavoidable eyes of criticism, and the changing world into which it will enter. Use this time to your advantage, and embrace the glorious opportunity to adequately address those things that may need some work.

This could be a period of personal adjustment and discovery. I have been able to learn so much in this gestational period in the life of Regality Records. It is still in its start-up phase, in its initial trimester, if you will. However, I am growing and have been able to reposition my thinking on many things. I no longer rehearse what I perceive is missing in our operational budget. I simply look for the means or the ways we can afford to expand the business.

In this ever advancing dispensation of technology I have learned that you have little need for multi-million dollar marketing campaigns. With a computer and the allocation of some focused time you could leverage the technology to access the world. You could quite literally launch an international marketing and promotional campaign globally from your primary location for little to no money. I definitely intend to share more about the nuts and bolts of doing so in future blogs.

So don’t despise your small beginnings. Enjoy this part of your wonderful journey. Allow your dream to breathe, and grow, and develop beyond your current scope. You will do well to recalibrate and understand that when the conditions are right for you and your endeavor to flourish you will have all that you’ve foreseen.

Remain diligent, sober, courageous, committed and you too will have a story of success.

For music’s sake,

Rashiid K. Coleman
President/CEO, Regality Records, LLC