Q&A With Yolanda Harrold, CEO of The Star Path

1. Describe your company The Star Path – For Voice, Recording, and Stage Performers.

The Star Path was founded in 2012 to support the creative advancement of career driven performing artists. We offer voice and stage coaching, showcasing, project financing and resources. Eighty percent (80%) of our clients have successfully taken their careers to the next level after using our approach.

To-date our clients have landed televised spots on The Voice, America’s Got Talent, and American Idol; they have landed major recording deals, and have been performed in concerts, commercials, movies and music videos.

Our present objective is to build our base of supporters, contributors, and most importantly our audience, by promoting services, its results; and highlighting the positive outreach our services provide. We are primarily focused on developing an interest amongst co-founders, investors, and especially partners within the industry who can contribute to the long term goals of the program. Coaching, education, resources, and financing are all important components to performers who dare not only to dream, but to follow that dream. And, we are excited about expanding as we broaden our reach nationally in 2018.

2. What gave you the idea for your business and how did it start?

The idea evolved through working in the entertainment business as a ghost for over 20 years. I started off around age 12 as a singer/songwriter with a natural understanding of music, harmonies, and the importance of great lyrics. And although my abilities always received praise, at age 19, while signed to Pantera Records, I was told that my “Pop”, sound didn’t match the color of my skin, so there wasn’t much that could be done to propel my career.

The only singer who broke the Pop market at that time, as a woman of color was Whitney Houston. From that moment on, while I still wrote song, performed back-up and worked as the front woman of a smoking live band “Pegasus Flight”, I was shelved as a mainstream artist and put to work helping build other performers.

While my heart lies in singing and writing, to this day, I also grew to really love building the dreams of others. While occupying this role over the years, I observed certain things, which compelled me to push forward with building a program model that would help to promote career driven talent and elevate both the artists and the industry that I love. The overall goal is to support the overall industry. There are some amazing artists who just need help along their path. And there are some awesome producers, photo/videographers, studios and the like that deserve fair compensation for their services.

3. What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I love what I do because I have come through both Hell and high-water to live this life. As the Founder of this initiative, my role has been to transcend a vision with many components into reality. And for me there is nothing more fulfilling. I reach my goals through fulfilling my objectives, goals, and tasks. But somewhere in the midst of the to-do list there is an element that brings it all together and produces the results of one’s efforts. This is the part that I love the most, because that when I watch “God” work. And it looks like pure magic.

I also take great pride in watching people elevate in their lives and their careers. Especially when my contributions have helped to pave the way. I believe success is contagious and we can all reach our objectives when the right elements are involved.

4. What are your keys to making yourself productive?

The greatest key to productivity for me starts once I understand my vision. After my objectives are established, I move with a force that is greater than my conscious mind. I believe being productive requires foresight and focus; especially when building upon things that are not immediately tangible. It requires both faith and accountability. I also focus my goals on the immediate and the future because it is a hidden key to driving your mission, and to keeping things in motion.

On a personal note, I believe that organic growth ensures stability and a strong foundation over the course of time. And I allow myself to feel the growing pains of each season because it is a motivator. I have found that it translates into pure power, and keeps me humble, with a big picture perspective.

5. Tell us one long-term goal in your career.

There are many long-term goals but the one which comes to mind under the context of this article is opening a school to house the many amazing opportunities I see arising in the field of artistic development. It will be a learning institution, which focuses on creative education, business education, showcasing, career placement and project financing. It will also create a wealth of opportunities for the young women and men that have attended college and attained degrees in the fields of production, art, design, dance, music, play production, stage and lighting, etc.

6. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?

My experience of transcending into a role of leadership has had such a profound affect on my overall life. It has taught me things that I would have never learned had I not taken this opportunity. But the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is the power of selflessness. When I first set out to fulfill the vision, I didn’t grasp the intentions were primarily to support others. In the pursuit of this purpose, I’ve had to maintain faith, because so much has been stacked against me. But the power of selflessness has move some of the strongest mountains, and soften the hardest hearts. I now look back at how far this vision has taken me and I am simply astonished.

I know it is only faith that has brought me this far and my conviction to see this through. There are people who allow the talk of others to persuade them from their dreams. There are even those who turn back because of the loss of comfort and luxury. But, this endeavor was never about me.

7. What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?

I would tell them to call me (jk). I would tell them that despite the adversities and illusions, not to take their eyes off the goal.

8. What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

I love the beach, sleeping, restaurants, art, and traveling to new places.

9. Name a few influential books you’ve read and/or websites you keep up with that you’d recommend to readers.

Books:

– The Bible
– The Secret
– 33 Strategies of War
– 48 Laws of Power