Junae Brown Speaks on Her Marketing and Music Inspirations.
Junae Brown Speaks on Her Marketing and Music Inspirations, Her Experience Working in the Music Industry, The #BrownieBites Series, Growing Her Marketing Agency And More.
There are a select few people within this creative space that exude motivation and influence consistently. These people want nothing but the absolute best for the culture of creative individuals and, more importantly, their peers. Over the years, I have watched Junae Brown elevate to certain levels of her entrepreneurial career by merely doing the work that needs to be done, rooting for her friends, and influencing every person that has come in contact with her.
At any given moment, the woman known as the “Beyoncé of Marketing” can tell us what our money affirmations should be while also spreading the word of proper marketing and advertising for your business. Through her marketing agency, Browned 2 Perfection, Junae has given us the blueprint for free through her gem-filled tweets and a series of #BrownieBite videos.
I had the pleasure of catching up with Junae to discuss her music and marketing inspirations, working in corporate America for music labels, expanding her Browned 2 Perfection agency, throwing parties, and her plans for growth post-quarantine.
1 - Who were some of your personal or professional inspirations growing up that made you want to be a part of the music industry?
My family is full of people who are either singers, actors, DJs, dancers, and musical theatre professionals so music was pretty embedded in me from early on. I think the industry part really became more alluring to me when I was in an afterschool music program in high school at Harlem Children’s Zone where we would write and record music. Our teachers were people that used to A&R and tour manage for labels like Bad Boy or songwriters who wrote for people like Trey Songz. They really schooled me on the game, how things go and I was able to learn that there are real jobs and opportunities to work in the business outside of being an artist, songwriter, or producer.
2 - How did music as a whole help shape your life as you started to move forward throughout your teens and college?
A lot of people don’t know this, but I’ve been singing and performing in front of people since I was about three years-old. I went to performing arts school for junior high school and Talent Unlimited for high school. I wrote music growing up as well, and once I was 16 in the after school program I mentioned it was the first time I realized other people besides me thought my music was good. I was in a girl group briefly; we performed for the mayor & some other dope community events. For college, I decided to go to Five Towns in Long Island because they had both a vocal program and a Music Business minor where I could learn how to handle my business correctly. At this point, I was still pursuing music. Although aside from songwriting I decided not to pursue that path I think my passion for music and empathy for artists while being knowledgeable about the business really helps set me apart as a Music Marketer today. I see both sides like Chanel, and it helps a lot in strategy, relationships, and negotiations.
3 - You once held a job at Columbia Records and then made your way to RCA which are both under Sony. What was that overall experience like for you as a young adult working in the music?
It was an incredible experience honestly. During my freshman year of college, I fell head over heels with the business side of music, changed my major to Business Management/Music Business and never looked back. I took a lot of specialized courses for my degree program like Publishing & Copyright, Music Marketing, Concert Production & Promotion, etc., so getting to see it all work in real-time was pretty insightful. I’m already really creative, so I learned a lot about how to bring creative ideas to life in that space and match it up with the bottom line which is revenue. I was always the youngest in the room and got to learn from some legendary executives, and on projects for many of my favorite acts of all time. From literal record deals and signings, to Beyoncé album budgets to marketing strategies and developing new acts, it was an invaluable time for me. I really learned a lot also about people and culture,and how to move as a businesswoman in this industry.
4 - Why did you decide to get involved in the party scene and throw your own events?
Truth be told, I have been throwing parties since I was like 10 on my grandmother’s patio backyard in Harlem with my cousins and our friends. Our pool parties were the best. Fast forward, I’ve always been the planning friend, and in college, after throwing this huge end of the year BBQ I was asked to be President of SGA but focused on activities. We threw about 66 events per semester. Crazy, I know, but we got it done. So once I got out of school, when I had time, I would help promote parties & threw one or two in the city with friends. Then in 2015, I met one of my now best friends & “Biz” partners Kim Chanel, and we started throwing a party called Trappin N Dabbin, which has since evolved into Trappin’ For The 99 & a bunch of other events in multiple cities and been a part of major festivals like SXSW and A3C. .
5 - You’ve stamped your name on a few things such as Trappin' N Dabbin and The iN House and during this time, 2015-2016, we saw a lot of brands start their run of party-throwing. How did you and your friends find ways to differentiate yourself from what was happening in the party scene at that time?
I believe we just kept it authentic. I’m really big on that in general, and anything I’m a part of always stems from that sort of place. We always did things that we knew we and our supporters would enjoy and be interested in. Just like anything else, you have to know your audience. With Trappin’ we created the kind of party we wanted to be at, that we felt didn’t really exist at the time. Not many places where industry professionals, everyday people, hipsters, and the hood could all gather regularly and turn up on the same exact vibe. With Trap music playing all night. It’s way better now but it wasn’t as much of a thing in 2015, people were still catching on. The iN House is an event conceptualized by my friends Chloe & Shenae. It was amazing because we wanted to not only bring people together but also really highlight emerging talent in NYC in an organic way, and we did just that. Shoutout to artists like Casanova, Mack Wilds, Dyme A Duzin, etc who blessed the stage & everyone who supported that!
6 - Although you’ve hash tagged it a few times prior, we started to see the promotion for Browned 2 Perfection around 2017. What made you want to create this brand as a marketing agency?
Originally, Browned 2 Perfection was supposed to be a website. Being on the inside, I always felt like there were so many things that indie brands could be doing to help grow on their own, but they just weren’t aware of what was accessible. So it was going to be a website where I provide insight into marketing, professional Development, and wellness tips. I always planned to start my own marketing and brand management agency, but I always figured it would be when I was like 40, retired from label life. Little did I know that once I parted ways with Sony, while in final interviews for other music companies I would decide to take the leap and do everything I love to do without having to sit in an office all day long. I truly eat, sleep, and breathe marketing and ideation. And I am really passionate about the advancement of creatives of color, and the brands that market to us especially. Hence, Browned 2 Perfection Agency was born. Our mantra is that “Perfection is Simply The Best version of you” and whether it's with an actual client strategy, or just providing resources, our goal is always to help you get there.
7 - You have a very insightful series on your Instagram called #BrownieBites where you highlighted the 4 P’s - Place, Product, Price, and Promotion. Why do you think this is important or useful for creatives to know?
Many creatives, especially emerging ones, are somewhat lost when it comes to properly promoting themselves and packaging their content or products. I feel like marketing is this buzz word for “get hot'' that everyone tells you that you need, but rarely do people explain anything else about it. Through countless clients and conversations I’ve come to understand how much people really don’t know, and want to help out as much as I can. I’m only one personso I can’t realistically consult everyone, and #BrownieBites is a great way to sort of do that, but reach way more people in way less time. The 4Ps, for example, is the basics anyone putting out anything needs to know;it's the very next step after the idea. These are things that marketers at Fortune 500 companies consider before they package and put a product on a shelf.To me, our ideas aren’t any less important. The difference between a million-dollar idea and an actual million-dollar in revenue is MARKETING.
8 - I love your $$$ Affirmations that you post on Twitter. What was the initial thought process behind that and what is the overall message you’re trying to convey?
Thank you! I am super huge on the power of manifestation, vision Boards, affirmations and goal-setting. I say affirmations daily and have some rather large money goals right now, so I started adding more about abundance into the fold. Mostly everything I post is something that I also need, once needed, or realize my community needs based on the different conversations I see. I also know that the space I’m in is full of young creative people trying to get their ideas and careers to the next level, trying to change the lives of ourselves and our families. Outside of hard work and consistency, a lot of that has to do with mindset. I’d like to help people change their relationships with money and really understand that prosperity is not only possible, but a right, and that we are deserving of it.
9 - Outside of what you do and say via social media, if a young creative who aspires to be in the music business, party business or wants to create their own brand wanted 30 minutes of your time to gain advice what would you tell them?
I would tell them to shoot me a nice email (in all my bios), and although I have a pretty busy schedule these days, whenever I can have one-on-one convos with people seeking advice I truly do. As long as they have very specific goals and questions prepared, I’m down to answer. If anyone wants a more in-depth conversation, and insight on what they’re doing I also offer formal one-hour consultations (also in my bios).
10 - What can we expect from Junae Brown and Browned 2 Perfection in 2020?
From B2P, you can expect lots of campaigns with major brands, larger scale events, and products to help you take your brand to the next level without going broke. From Junae, you can expect to see a lot more of my face, and hear a lot more of my voice literally and figuratively. I am really focused and excited to bring a lot of projects years in the making to life. You can also expect some really impactful philanthropy initiatives and community work. I’m so appreciative of everyone who has been a part of this journey and continues to be, always. Let’s win.