Friday, March 29, 2024

Sheila Coates, Former Record Executive Turned Entrepreneur, Set to Receive ‘Living Legends’ Award

*Esteemed Living Legends Foundation will honor Sheila Coates, a former record label executive now heading her own branding firm called Be Your Own Brand, with the special “Entrepreneur Award” on October 4, 2019, in Hollywood. Founded in 1991, the non-profit, recognizes pioneers and professionals in the music industry.

“I’m honored to be honored,” Coates told EURweb’s Lee Bailey in a recent phone interview.

However, Coates, continued, “My honest reaction is that I didn’t necessarily want to do it. Maybe from the outside looking in, which is always the case, we come from the business of illusion and (can make) stuff look better than what it is. I try to keep an honest approach to these things and where I want to be and where I am at are two different places. But let me say this, I am extremely grateful for where I am.”

Eventually, she accepted the honor because of the wonderful way the foundation stepped up to help another former music executive without jumping through a bunch of hoops.

Press photo of Sheila Coates (Courtesy of Coates because she “loves hats.”)

“They helped him immediately,” Coates said. “It wasn’t a long process in terms of them asking for his firstborn and his income tax and everything else. So, for that, I was indebted because I was like that’s what they do. This is a way to give back and to raise additional money (for the foundation).”

Anyone who knows the Sacramento, California native, who cut her teeth working in the newspaper industry and radio business, realizes that Coates deserves not only the “Entrepreneur Award” but many more.

With her promotions background, Coates’ first job in music was at Virgin Records when a well-respected black woman executive (Sharon Heyward ) at Virgin hired her. From there, Coates would go on to other top marketing positions at labels including MCA, Perspective, Epic, Arista (Badboy and LaFace), Capitol, and Hidden Beach.

Press photo of Sheila Coates (Courtesy of Coates)

The artists she worked with include Janet Jackson, Soul II Soul, Lenny Kravitz, Barry White, Lalah Hathaway, Jody Watley, Bobby Brown, Q-Tip, NEXT, Angie Stone, Faith Evans, Diddy, Toni Braxton, Jill Scott, Monica, just to name a few. While many folks working with a roster like that may have cherished pictures for life, Coates was not about being out in front.

“I liked it when I was in the music business being behind the scenes,” Coates said. “I’m having a hard time finding me in photos with artists. I was just happy being behind the scenes.”

In the late 2000s, Coates took her creativity and started the company Be Your Own Brand (BYOB), that goes beyond entertainment.

“I created something new,” said Coates. “I jumped out of entertainment and some days I’m like, ‘Why did I do that?’ And I should have just created a company called Sheila Coates Entertainment. But I really feel like I could help more people doing this and would have more enjoyment doing this.”

Sheila Coates at the Global Entrepreneur Summit 2019 in Den Haag, Netherlands. (Courtesy of Coates)

BYOB is all about branding projects, products and people. Coates has created successful promotions and branding campaigns for companies including Macy’s, Coca-Cola, Toyota, AARP, NBC/Universal, Comcast, and Neutrogena. She credits her mother with teaching her all she knows and even wrote a book about it, “Mama Used to Say…Be Your Own Brand.” (buy the book here).

“My mother was the ultimate brander,” Coates said. “She would always say this is your gift. For BYOB, what I’m trying to share is that everybody is a brand, no matter who you are. The minute you walk in the room, somebody has an impression of you the minute you leave the room. The key is like artists-give them what you want.”

She continued, “I’ve been doing it long enough that companies realize and employees realize that when they know what they can deliver they are better on the team. No football team has all quarterbacks. Everybody on the team knows their position. The same is true for corporate America.”

Sheila Coates shared Be Your Own Brand at the Brown Girls Summit in New York earlier this year on behalf of Toyota. (Courtesy of Coates)

Within the last year, Coates sold her first e-learning webinar to Toyota to help its dealerships increase profits and performance. She also just branded Missouri City, Texas, showing them how to attract more residents, businesses, and visitors.

Additionally, she is a frequent speaker at non-profit conferences and organizations such as Dress For Success, Women in Cable & Television, Women’s Step Up Network, SAVE-A-GIRL – SAVE A WORLD, and numerous colleges.

For more information on Sheila Coates and to find out where she will speak next, and/or how she can advise you and your business, go to her Be Your Own Brand (BYOB) website here. For more information on the Living Legends Foundation, go here.

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