Inspiration: Julie Greenwald, COO of Atlantic Records

While in the hair salon this past weekend, I picked up Elle magazine and discovered an interesting article on Julie Greenwald, whom prior to this year's VH-1 Hip Hop awards I did not know. Dubbed the most "powerful woman in the industry" by Elle, the article reveals a typical day of Greenwald. It's a very interesting read, if you haven't read it. Though the article was published June 2009, there is much to be learned from it.

[Greenwald(left) aside Kevin Liles]

//EXCERPT: "Greenwald is dressed down in a vintage ripped Cheap Trick T-shirt, skintight jeans, and Lanvin pumps. She has a street-tough New York accent and a rapid-fire speech pattern sprinkled with yos and dopes, a holdover from her ’90s stint as an up-and-coming executive at the independent hip-hop label Def Jam. Although she’s not a household name herself, Greenwald has spent her 17-year career as consigliere to some of the giants of contemporary music."
[I love the description of her outfit. Not too much but, just enough]

[Who is she?] She started off with Lyor Cohen && Russel Simmons with the original Def Jam Records dabbling in whatever she could get her hands on. She worked with artists such as LL Cool J, Run DMC (of course), & Public Enemy. And ever since then has been calling her own shots having being promoted recently to COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Atlantic Records.

//She's making moves...

What kept me interested to read the entire article was b/c it wasn't typical, and really focused on what makes her different.

I found it interesting that among the many distinct things in her office, including black and white pictures of her children, there was also a 'giant sheet of loose-leaf paper designed to look like a high school homework assignment' repeatedly stating "I'm still a good person", a mantra that keeps her motivated in the tough music industry.

Other Interesting Highlights of the interview:
1) Jay-Z listed her as "Cool Jules" in his pager in the '90s
2) She flies Economy, instead of First Class to save money
3) She comes from a Jewish background & always gave back to her community
4) Understands the music industry isn't what it used to be and believes ring-tones count as being "successful", contrary to others beliefs
5) Supported DMX with his raw music back in the day && initiated his tour w/ Onyx
6) Has been in the industry for 17 years && is still progressing

...She's just an all around positive image that we need to see. It doesn't matter what color you are, gender, nationality, or your background. If you're making moves like Julie, that says something about your character.

(Click here to read the article "Record Breaker" from Elle magazine, June 2009)