*Alicia Gooding, star of BET’s new hit show Hustle in Brooklyn, is used to operating behind the scenes for some of today’s hottest talent in music and entertainment.
As the founder of C.O.D.E, an NYC based management, marketing and publicity firm, Gooding has represented talent such as rapper A Boogie Wit A Hoodie, Busta Rhymes, Erica Mena, Amber Rose, Smokepurrp, Fatboy SSE, Stalley and Chinese Kitty.
However, since joining the cast for the show, she has had to adjust to the spotlight. Usually the focus is on her clients. Now, all eyes are on her and she is learning to embrace the moment while the world discovers who she is and what a typical day is like for her in the crazy world of entertainment. Hustle In Brooklyn follows the lives of 6 of Brooklyn’s most influential rising personalities in entertainment.
“Honestly it is an amazing opportunity,” she said. “I had always shied away from being on camera. I’ve been approached in the past for Love & Hip Hop and the producer has approached me for different shows before. This was the most authentic thing that came to me. As a publicist, we know the bones that are buried. We know the secrets. So, for me I felt it was dope to be a part of something where BET thought to bring on someone who wasn’t famous. We are the young millennials, the incubator. It is an amazing opportunity and I am blessed to be a part of this process.”
Gooding did not start in publicity, but in brand marketing working with big companies like Nike, American Family Insurance, Pepsi and Diageo. During that period, she learned about the importance of ROI (Return On Investment) and brands creating memorable experiences for their audiences. These lessons have made her a force to be reckoned with as an entrepreneur, as she was able to transfer those skills knowledge over to C.O.D.E.
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“What I have learned is that people don’t buy into things because it is good or beneficial. They buy it because in 2018 with social media, people need an emotional connection,” she said. “They need to like it or the person selling it to them, so you need to immerse them in the experience. What I noticed at outside events, everyone just came for the Ciroc and the bars and to look at the artists performing. I realized that they weren’t getting that return because they weren’t creating that experience for the consumers to take it in and want it.”
A prime example of when Gooding “created the experience” is a few years ago on the set of BET’s show 106 & Park. She set up for Bow Wow, the host at the time, to be on set with Erica Mena.
“When we booked 106 & Park, I noticed that he had a natural attraction to her, so I kept creating situations where they were around each other. I didn’t know that they would get engaged!”
That moment led to tons of press and social media attention and her vision and creativity is why she has been able to carve her space in the industry.
Overall, Gooding strives to be recognized as someone who is great at what she does. She wants to be an inspiration to others, showing that despite adversity, anything is possible with the right mindset, desire and hustle, no pun intended.
