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By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Mai TatroApproximately ten days ago I had the opportunity to do an interview on-location for “Now Hear This Entertainment.”  That episode will come out the day after tomorrow (on Wednesday, June 28th).  It will be titled NHTE 177 Mai Tatro but should be titled, “Youth’s hard work paying off.”

The headline of my blog today is taken from Episode 12 of NHTE, which today is still one of the most listened to episodes of the show.  Nashville-based singer/songwriter Marc-Alan Barnette was the guest and he doled out lots of great insights and help, and was a quote machine (so much so that we had him back for Episode 102).

While I found myself asking Mai Tatro – gulp, perhaps for the first time in 177 episodes of the show – “What’s the biggest challenge at this point in your career,” it wasn’t because I felt she’s not getting anywhere.  Keep in mind that the guests on NHTE are having success in the entertainment industry.  She released her debut single last year and is currently working toward an EP release.  She performs all over central Florida and has gotten radio airplay, currently ranked #1 on ReverbNation for her area/genre.  Plus, she works with a charity called, “Kids Rock the Nation.”  And she has started building a foundation of sponsors.  Add in that her combined social media following (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) is at almost 45 thousand and you see the impressive highlights that put her on the NHTE radar.

And did I mention that she’s only 17 years old?

Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet.  As you’ll hear during the interview, Mai already has four sponsors, two local and two national.  The two local sponsors came about by way of opportunity and preparation.  She put herself in a position to be noticed and had options to present to each when they stepped forward to talk to her about helping raise her profile.

The thinking for some is, “I want big national sponsors – McDonalds, Hilton, Best Buy – not the little stuff.”  Well, as I say to musicians who contact Now Hear This because they want more gigs, “Yeah, doesn’t everybody?”  McDonalds and Hilton and Best Buy would be great, but if a local sponsor is willing to give you money and promotion that you’re not currently getting, are you really going to turn it down?

Keep in mind my platform of ‘image is everything.’  You know the old adage, “It’s easier to find a job when you have a job”?  Well, it’s no different with sponsors.  It’s easier to get (more) sponsors when you already have sponsors.  A potential sponsor will look and see that you’ve already gotten some and feel comfortable that others being involved testify to you being a proven commodity.

Do you think that more sponsors are likely to get involved with Mai Tatro now that she has a combined total of four sponsors?  I know that I sure do.  Plus I love that she is another example of both “You never know who might be in the audience watching you perform” AND of what good old fashioned hard work will do for you.  The results will be worth having put yourself out there for.

Thoughts about this blog?  What have YOU done to get sponsors?  Talk about it in our Facebook group.