With the music and entertainment business involuntarily shifting massively even more so due to the forced alteration of scheduling for annual concerts & festivals, red carpet events, touring, and compromised careers; there are those who evidently suffered enormously for obvious reasons resulting from the effects of the pandemic. However, on the opposite side of despair lies hope through visionaries who continue to push forward despite the challenges set before them.
SS Global Entertainment, a Los Angeles county-based online distribution network and company solely founded by CEO, Tiffany Gaines, has been leaving an imprint in the music scene for nearly 20 years.
Just recently, Gaines was recognized as an honoree on the “ Forbes Next 1000 List,” which “showcases the ambitious sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups in every region of the country—all with under $10 million in revenue or funding and infinite drive and hustle”.
Gaines’ interest in music stemmed from a young age performing in church with her father and younger sister and from there her passion eventually turned into purpose — “I knew I wanted to be in the spotlight, but I wasn’t sure how I could turn that love for entertaining into something successful for not only myself but those close to me” — She recalls, “I started out as a model signed with Barbizon Modeling and realized that I could do a lot more with my life than living in vanity, so I decided to change the narrative by scouting the models that I worked with by convincing them to work for me as a nightclub promoter to host celebrity events,” she says. Since the founding of her first company, Blasia’s Entertainment, in 2001, she went on to secure over 2,000 clients ranging from models, DJs, MCs, music producers, and musicians and soon began offering opportunities for her clients quite frequently on an annual basis. In 2006 she changed the name from Blasia’s Entertainment to SS Global Entertainment for what appeared to her as the obvious reason, “to look and sound more professional rather than just using my moniker “Blasia”,” she says. “The “SS” stands for “shared success” as that is what I based my entire work ethic on when scouting talent or providing gigs. If I did something for others, it seemed to always come back twenty times stronger because I helped someone in need, and they reciprocated with the same energy if I later called on them as well”. Following the shift, “I saw almost immediate results as the company began to scale from small to humble beginnings to flourishing on its way toward establishing its own leg of notoriety in the music scene”, she recalls. “I had more confidence in conversation regarding the company in pitching collaborations with other seasoned potentials and from there it’s almost as if I had a shift in position as well. I literally felt as if I had graduated from an entertainment manager to a business executive and from there I improved in every aspect of my presentation,” Gaines explains.
The entertainment company’s breakthrough moment came from a determined mindset to succeed, and “a simple but huge “makeover”, that nearly changed the entire potential of the company’s success,” she says. Following the pivot, Gaines moved on to the process of elimination. She decided to rid of any dead weight on her entertainment roster that wasn’t moving in a lucrative position that fit not only the client but also for the company’s best interest as a whole. “After releasing hundreds of clients that I felt weren’t bringing growth towards the company, I realized it was time for a change in scenery and opportunity. I was itching for a change so I started to research other avenues on how I could involve my clients in bigger and better opportunities, she says. “That is when I came across distributing music digitally rather than physically which at the time was still the traditional route. Because I was the type of person who was always up for a challenge, I decided to make that call”. In 2013, “I signed a distribution deal with, Lisa Thomas of LRT Entertainment, who was contracted with Ingrooves Music Group and from that moment on my purpose-filled journey began.”
Gaines went on to become recognized as the first African American, female CEO to own a company solely without any initial acquisitions or financial investment as mentioned in Yahoo News and Forbes. As of today, “SS Global Entertainment is now contracted with over 4,000 musicians, producers, and over 50 record labels and always welcoming more” she says. Gaines goes on to reveal, “the music industry, as a whole, needs more education being taught from a blueprint that helps musicians and independent entrepreneurs progress within their careers. Because there isn’t really a standard company that everyone goes to, in hopes of gaining not only education behind the music business but provides opportunities for growth as well, I saw a lane wide open for me and I took over it,” she smiles.
Furthermore, Gaines now sits as the Vice President of a media company, Hush Media Networks, COO of Amada Records, and a board member for the Southern California Women’s Chamber of Commerce. I just want to make an impact in everything I commit to, both big and small, and make a difference, one day at a time”.
As the company has grown, not only has it managed to act as a facet of education, opportunity, and foundation for so many musicians, managers, label owners, and entrepreneurs, but in its economical approach, it has managed to soar exponentially in not only earnings but publicity. “The pandemic hasn’t affected us negatively at all, in fact, we are rising in clients, profit, and exposure altogether,” Gaines says. “Because of this, I have made a commitment after seeing so many prominent people in the business lose their jobs and homes; to lower my prices, expand my opportunities and decided to collaborate with as many companies and individuals that I saw fit and by doing so I have been able to offer so many the opportunity to stay afloat financially by reselling my services.”
Gaines continues to share ambition, purpose, and creativity with her clients for those connected to her by contract as well as others looking from the outside in, and regardless of the challenges set before her as a result from Covid-19, has still managed to put on her superwoman cape and created new revenue streams, partnerships and a business model that seems to be working well. While we all hope for things to get back to normal transitioning into the new world of reality, Gaines remains focused on the right track continuing to set the bar for the music and entertainment industry’s future of the independent scene. If anything, in a time where all hope seems to be lost, Gaines serves as a beaming light at the end of a dark tunnel.
