Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Anderson.
Hi Jonathan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 12 years old. I turned one paper route into 10 paper routes with 6 employees before I was 13 years old. I was a street kid, and I didn’t come from privileged home, so I had to learn young how to make money. I did everything from cutting grass to shoveling driveways, I even babysat my neighbors. I played sports and always kept a job and at the same time was always selling drugs. I believed in fast money but also believed in being a square businessman. There are parts of these years that I can’t talk about due to federal drug guidelines, but you can imagine what it was like lol. I might have even met Tony Montana at that time, all before the age of 16. I started throwing big beer keg parties in high school which is where I started learning economics. The art of a dollar making $10 dollars. I went through years of sleeping on couches and making my money out of drug houses, all while becoming a star athlete. I graduated from multiple schools, but my biggest degree came from the school of hard knocks. Before the age of 21, I had been shot on multiple occasions and I had to learn how to walk again before the age of 16. I was paralyzed from the waist down. IT’S CALLED BEING STABBED IN THE BACK BY YOUR BEST FRIEND, LITERALLY! I was also facing multiple felony charges arm robbery, murder, & many other charges I had racked up over the years. Going to jail for not snitching doesn’t feel as good as they tell you it does, but when you come home at least you’re still a man. I don’t many men that can get out of prison and be a single father and still be successful. THINK ABOUT IT! A Single black father and a felon we are both fucked, and the love of my life is my son, and he is unapologetically gay, and I support everything he does. It was just me and him against the world; you can’t be an entertainment manager and pick your son up from choir practice every day. So, I quit the nightlife and started a regular job delivering windows until he graduated high school. When he left me to go back to Wisconsin it felt like my life was over, and the way that I worked through my depression was to quit my job, buy new business cards, and get to work with a celebrity photographer named Travis A Smalls. We started off doing a lot of small clubs and filming small-time models during the day. Within four months his connections mixed with mine found us at the 2019 Bet Awards in Los Angeles. Money doesn’t heal all wounds though, even though I had more money than I had ever had I lost my finance due to my work hours. I was homeless and broke. This point on is when I knew I had to work harder than I ever did who ever knew that one GREAT DJ could change a manager’s life. Meeting Core Dj Papa Ron changed my life, but so did having a supportive big brother who wanted nothing but the best for his little brother. Kevin Scott aka Big Bro believed in me more than I believed in myself and from his couch I devised my plan to become one of the most successful managers in the history of Dallas, Texas. With the help of people like Half Pint Filmz, Lil Ronny MotherF, & club owners like Chris Poux who was the owner of Pryme Bar, Tempations, & Club Flirt. Ahbram Louis who runs The Stars Of Dallas which is a multimedia company, and D Will the owner of Aces Of Dallas Strip Club, I become one of the biggest hosts in the city. I developed a night called Industry Tuesday’s which starred a local artist named Neptune who was my right hand through all of these ups and downs. We also frequented every club in the city and became household names. Once Neptune went to jail, I was forced to give other artist a chance looking for the next big thing and luckily, I found Osa. Osa was a Nigerian transplant from New York and became one of the best artist I’ve ever had the chance to work with. He’s EP Naija Boy is out now! Go cop that lol. Also feel free to look at some of my favorite people first my entertainment attorney Rebecca Boyd, and one of the biggest bosses that I know Chosen Money the owner and founder of Chosen Money ENT. I have to give thanks to all of the people that I mentioned, and there are so many more that I have not forgot about.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. The first struggle was PTSD in this industry you have to be a people person, but it’s hard to do that when you don’t trust people. Another struggle was definitely talent scouting, sorting though the many artists to see who is really serious about their career. At one time I was managing 17 different artists and even though I tried keeping them all out of trouble two of my artists were sent away for double murder, and multiple other artists were either stuck in the drug game or too afraid to fully commit themselves to music.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Jonathan Mangement Enterprises LLC?
I am an entertainment manager that works with models, actors, artists, etc. I pair people with other professionals in their field. I have deep connections with people in the fields models, Photographers, Videographers, etc. I have people connect to their professional needs as well as liaison different people, entertainers, and their businesses. I work with radio stations, night clubs, strip clubs, and upscale night life establishments. I also help run world class studios, promote & market events and businesses. And also publishing & marketing. I’m known for marketing independent artist and giving them a stage as well as known for networking. Industry Tuesday at Aces Of Dallas was my biggest accomplishment, because it allowed independent artists to have a solid stage and club to perform at every week. I took AOD and put it on the map for independent artists. For all artists, models & businesses reading this if you are looking for a serious manager make sure you have the time, finances, and life stability to get started then feel free to reach out to me.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most important quality or characteristics to my success is definitely perseverance. In order to make an artist great you have to show that you aren’t going to quit on them.
Pricing:
- Consultations start at $250
Image Credits
Travis A Smalls
