LAEDA: Entrepreneurship is a very challenging path to take with many different possible directions. What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

Rashaan: I started the company, Visionary Entertainment LLC, in 2008 and it is a multi-media entertainment company. I always wanted to work for myself and entrepreneurship is in my family, thus I grew up around it and learned it. Moreover, I always desired to be my own boss and leave a legacy for my children. Entrepreneurship offers me the freedom to chase my dreams, call my own shoots, take my own risks and set my own limits and standards whereas; I would be locked in the limits and standards if I were working for someone else.

LAEDA: Why did you choose your industry?

Rashaan: My love for music since I was a kid led me to choose my industry. Then managing artists gave me the ability to manage what my passion is about. Being able to work with artists puts me right in the middle of everything in terms of loving music and being in the music industry.

LAEDA: Tell me about your experience while attending EDTP. What have the major takeaways been from the program? Have you had any “Ah-ha!” moments? How did the program help you?

Rashaan: My experience while attending the Entrepreneurial Development Training Program at LAEDA was great. I met a lot of good people in terms of the peers that were in the class with me. I was able to network and build upon my support group. The instructors gave us a lot of one on one time and the mentors at LAEDA were always there for us. Anything that I had questions about I got help in along with some great ideas. Being able to bounce my ideas onto others to bring it to life was a great experience. Another, highlight was that the peers and or other entrepreneurs all shared knowledge and experiences with each other and helping everyone grow.

My “Ah-ha” moment was when at one point I had twenty-three artists and this gave me the opportunity to really focus on what I actually wanted to do and learn the art of not growing too fast with still wanting to grow fast, but keeping in mind to bite only what I can chew.

The material, knowledge and skills that I gained at LAEDA and through the EDTP are still with me today because I use all that LAEDA offered me. I kept up with my business plan and updated it with the resources and knowledge that I gained at LAEDA. This allows me to do things differently and aim it toward the future and innovate according to the industry trends.

LAEDA: Tell me about your journey on the road to business start-up. What have been some of the challenges, successes, failures, etc.?

Rashaan: Some challenges were keeping up with the challenges in the industry and managing artists expectations while along the way finding the right people to help grow my business.

Some of my successes were that I got a lot of great performances; I have done movies and performance at big venues and music. My son- Yung Poppa has done big shows and excelled in music as well. In addition, having the ability to build a great team/foundation to help the business grow.

Some of my failures were having to cut some business relationships if it wasn’t building the company. Thus, balancing business and personal relationships.

LAEDA: Could you tell me a little about where your business is today?

Rashaan: Today the business is digital and streaming. We have expanded a lot. At first we focused more on music, but now we host our own shows and we do concerts, tours, and open mic series. We work at rebranding the company to where we want to go in accordance with industry and it is important to diversify for success. We do brand building for others as well in addition to artists. Along with this, I have a vast network that I work with, which is essential for growth and it helps me tremendously. Through this I learned the art of outsourcing and how it not only saves me money, but also gives me flexibility.

LAEDA: Do you have any advice for future (or existing) entrepreneurs?

Rashaan: Always believe in yourself; you can never fail unless you quit and never expect someone to believe in your vision more than you do. Also, you must be self-motivated because growing yourself is really important in building success.

Congratulations to Rashaan Hornsby for completing EDTP and recommitting to his journey on the path of entrepreneurship. Visionary Entertainment LLC, which he started in 2008, is a multi-media entertainment company. The company offers the following: artist management, brand management, and a recording studio that is open to the public to use, and there are music distributions and publishing because it is also a publishing company as well. For more information, check out his Instagram and Twitter at visionaryent, Facebook Visionary Entertainment or you can email him at visionaryent.bh@gmail.com. You can also call Rashaan at 856-246-9700. Stop by Blue Room Studios located at 1216 Haddon Avenue, Camden NJ 08103 on the second floor to record your music or video production.

The Entrepreneurial Development Training Program (EDTP) is a free, nine-week business skills training course offered in Camden, NJ in the Winter Spring and Fall each year. Qualified entrepreneurs receive 72+ hours of training from industry professionals, business planning, and one year of technical assistance. Apply online at www.LAEDA.com