10 Questions with ... Lisa Strickland

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

From 1990-1995 I was the MD at KZLA/Los Angeles where I had the good fortune to work with Bob Guerra, RJ Curtis, Rusty Walker and Bob Glasco. Asylum Records recruited me in 1995 for West Coast promotion, and later Northeast promotion. I was in the Warner system for almost 7 years, followed by 2 years of independent promotion for Gator Michaels at Warner Bros. after my daughter Sophia was born. In January 2003, Bryan Switzer brought me on board at Universal South as the Northeast rep, where I stayed until returning to Warner Bros. and Gator Michaels in late 2006. Bryan snagged me back in 2006 as the Director of National Syndication for Citadel Media. I stayed there until this opportunity with Golden Music Nashville.

1) What made you leave Citadel Media to join Golden Music Nashville?

Working with Kix Brooks and the crew was a phenomenal experience, a dream job! In 2009, Williams Riley entered the ACC Superstar contest and won! All of us at ACC became instant fans of this band, so I really hoped Brinson [Strickland] would manage them, and those talks led to his running the label. The opportunity soon came up for me to join the label as well and help develop this act from the ground up - I just couldn't resist. We've since built a very energized team, have WR's new single "Sweet September" on radio's desks, and have Benton Blount on the docket. We're already getting slam-dunk feedback. Fortunately, both acts we have thus far both transfer on record and are amazing live!

2) After years of being under the Warner and Universal umbrellas, are you enjoying being a part of an independent label?

Every day is invigorating! We at Golden are all able to bring our A-Game by making decisions based on what we know works best. For the most part, we can implement those decisions without any politics or red tape. Meetings are family-style around here. We all toss ideas and strategies on the table, keep the good stuff and throw the rest to the dogs.

3) How is it working for your husband Brinson?

As much as I admired and respected Brinson before, I do even more so now. It's nice being married to a smart man! We've worked with each other on and off throughout the years, since the days he was Bryan White's Tour Manager and I was the Asylum rep. (I had to ask my VP Denny Mosesman permission to date Brinson - little did I know that Bryan and the entire label were already strategizing for us to get together.) So, Brinson and I have always had an enormous amount of mutual respect for one another. That being said, every day at 6pm all that obey-your-boss stuff gets thrown out the window until 8:30am the next morning.

4) Are you and Brinson raising music junkies?

Oh yeah! Brinson was an accomplished player before going behind the scenes, and my dad, Pete Puzo, was in the music biz for years, so it's in my blood. As a result, our nine-year old daughter is already writing songs and seems to have a radio ear - she'll tell me what the next single should be, and critiques American Idol performances with words like "pitchy" and "boring". Our six-year old son plays "Bad to the Bone" on guitar and totes some serious stage moves! You know what you're in for when both your kids have guitar picks in every toy box! Yep, no escape - they're both bound for the music industry.

5) Tell me about Golden's marketing philosophy.

We'd rather have 10 big diamonds than 100 small ones! Likewise, we don't spread our promotional and marketing efforts far and wide leaving a thin layer of effectiveness everywhere. We're hitting every market with the Golden acts and music, but focusing our strongest efforts on markets reacting to the music the quickest. Then we go back to the same markets over and over, re-feeding the life group while showing our continued loyalty. Eventually, those pulse points interconnect with each other throughout the country. We figure, if this philosophy works for McDonald's and Bill Gates, it'll work for Golden.

6) What's working out there?

Less Pizza/More Punch. Radio is asking for more One-Two Punch marketing efforts and less staff lunches. The days of throwing a pizza on a conference room table and expecting out of the box adds on the next 3 singles are long gone. The realities of getting quick adds from our good friends at radio are also slimming at the corporate radio level. Success comes from building trusting relationships while creating win-win scenarios. However, I'm certainly never opposed to a large pepperoni with mushrooms!

7) What's your favorite quote?

My Uncle Mario always said, "Why waste a bullet on someone who's gonna hang themselves anyway?" That still makes me laugh. Besides, sometimes those bullets backfire. This quote is a good reminder for anyone wishing to speak negatively about their competition.

8) What kind of tone is set in the Golden Music Nashville office?

I joke that it's like following the Golden brick road to work every day. Everyone is motivated, happy to be here and focused on doing their job well, which is not something you get to say at every label. I've learned a few good tricks from former bosses RJ Curtis (at KZLA) and Bryan Switzer (at Universal South, and again at Citadel Media). They're both very positive and good at diffusing stress while taking things in stride. So, when any negativity creeps in, we sweep it out immediately. I can always count on our VP Brad Howell to jump in with his fun sense of comic relief! Golden Music Nashville is a great place to be.

9) What do you emphasize the most to your staff?

Brad is great at keeping the staff focused on their spins and playlists. This is uber-critical. I focus on the good old-fashioned Fundamentals of Promotion: 1) Preparation! Make daily goal notes and be prepared for every kind of objection that may hit. 2) Challenge Yourself! When you need 20 adds at the end of the week, set a goal of 30. When you think you know all the stations well, turn it all upside-down and learn about them better. 3) Never take "no" from someone who can't say "yes"! (My biggest pet peeve.)

10) What's your advice to someone new to the industry?

Wow! I could fill books on this question! My main advice is to value your mentors, consultants, and bosses. Every day I find occasions to draw on what I've learned from people I respect. I was fortunate to start in radio with Bob Guerra's passion for music and Rusty Walker's attention to detail. Since then, Scott Lindy's Art of War lectures and Becky Brenner's many comments such as "what you are is what you'll get" are applied daily. Just a few weeks ago, I emphasized to the Golden staff how important it is to look sharp and exhibit the utmost professionalism, which is something Scott Borchetta told me over 10 years ago that he stressed to his staff. There are some very good people in this business. My advice is to weed out the unnecessary dribble (and there's a lot of dribble) and keep those Golden nuggets of wisdom close at hand.

1) What kind of things do you and Brinson, and your kids do on days off to shut this down and concentrate on family time?

We get outside as much as possible, no matter what the weather. At night, it's popcorn and a Redbox movie! We went to Miley Cyrus recently - the kids got a big kick out of the whole backstage thing. We still need to see Taylor Swift - what a great role model she is -Sophie's about to disown me if that doesn't happen soon.

2) Speaking of that, do you have any set rules of not talking business when you're away from the office or is that just impossible.

We have rules and the kids strictly enforce them for us. If we so dare bring up business in the house we are scorned instantly. They've grown up with laminates around their necks, but talking biz during family time is a big no-no.

3) What's your favorite movie?

The Godfather, of course. However, I've learned I'm no longer allowed to make deals radio can't refuse.