Today we’d like to introduce you to Lennard James.
Hi Lennard, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am the CEO of Enzo Entertainment. I started Enzo Entertainment 20 years ago while working for Verizon Engineering Office in Nashville as an Accountant.
A friend approached me one day and offer me the opportunity to invest in an upcoming concert he was having. I knew a little bit about the entertainment business considering I would watch my late cousin was Rufus Thomas perform on Beale Street. I have been in budget meetings with other festival and expo events as a board member.
After that successful night performances, I never looked back. My profit margin that night was more money than I had made that year. I knew then that I wasn’t fulfilling my destiny.
Enzo provides artist management, marketing, promotions, and production for live events and major concerts. I have worked with some of the US’s most notable celebrities including KEM, Eddie Griffin, Morris Chestnutt, Jennifer Willimas, Cedric “The Entertainer”, T. I., Young Jeezy, Oscar P, and many more.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been smooth. I don’t think any successful business hasn’t had its share of challenges. I think my biggest challenges for me are people. Getting people to commit to a project and helping them understand the process. It’s not always lights, camera action when putting on concert production.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Enzo Entertainment provides everything from booking artist to venue production and backline. We have been presenting concerts and women’s expo across the country for years.
Our chore market is affixed with the consumer in mind. Every market has a different class scale. Memphis is known as a C Market because of the expendable income people have for entertainment. While cities like Nashville are considered an A Market because of the income ratio and the concert venue and halls they have.
Enzo Entertainment is responsible for creating the Backyard BBQ Festival. A BBQ festival centered around locals’ grill masters coming together for a one-day grilling contest. The event was put on hold due to the pandemic but will return in 2022. We are also created the Celebri-Que in Atlanta, Gregoria. The Celebrity-Que will kick off in 2022, with celebrity grill masters, such as Bobby Brown, Cee-Lo Green, Ludacris, and Charles Oakley to name a few.
What set Enzo Entertainment apart? We market everything from brand products to movie ventures. Anything that has to do with Entertainment is always a welcoming opportunity.
Some of the brands we have worked with include. Cuestion Tequila, True Made, and most recently EVOSONICS. We don’t limit ourselves as we are also content creators who have written and published our clients into National publications such as CEO Weekly, LA Wire, New York Weekly just to name a few.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Maya Angelou – once said, “I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.”
There are always risk in putting together events. The weather can be a factor if the event is outside, or the ticket sales might not be where you want them to be based on your show date. I always structure events based on 75% capacity. If I can make a profit of 75% then we are winning. Marketing is the key!
A lot of business owners have line items for everything from the sign on the door to the color chair that will be in their office, but rarely is there a line item for their marketing. You have to use marketing as a first step, press releases, article content, and media coverage.
Contact Info:
- Email: enzonetwork@gmail.com
- Website: www.enzoentertainment.com
- Instagram: @James.Lennard
Image Credits
Pworkz
