Channeling Beyoncé: BEYiness That We Can All Learn From
September 4 was a National Holiday: It was Beyonce Knowles-Carter’s birthday.
Even though we know Queen Bey as being a world-renowned singer, actress, and songwriter, the now 38-year-old has accomplished so much more than being an inspiration on our Pinterest boards.
Beyonce owns multiple businesses through her company, Parkwood Entertainment. Parkwood produces movies, music as well as fashion brands. So the movie that had us gushing over Idris Elba, “Obsessed” and the activewear Ivy Park all came from the same company. The wife and mother is definitely making money moves! According to Forbes, she raked in $60 million in 2018, hitting the number three spot on the outlet’s highest paid female musicians list.
As business women, we can learn a lot from the entertainment mogul in our own practices today. In celebration of the United States’ undocumented queen, here are some lessons that every business woman should practice in their own workplace:
Social media is the free press that you’ve always needed:
Beyonce is known for her surprises, and album drops that there are several social media accounts that have been created just to send alerts to the BEYhive members. In 2013, she dropped a visual album without any prior announcement or declaration of a new project. The Beyhive was on full alert; the social media accounts did the work for her and made live posts and campaigns of the album dropping. Within the first three days over 800,000 downloads of the album were downloaded-just because of social media. Never forget the power of the Internet, and use it for your own advantage. Still have doubts? Before the release of her 2016 visual album, “Lemonade,” Beyoncé posted lemon-themed pictures on her Instagram page. Of course, the Beyhive speculated for weeks of the meaning behind it, and Beyonce was trending on Twitter. ”Lemonade” debuted exclusively on Tidal for its first weekend and reached the number one spot on the Billboard magazine charts.
Be personable:
In the September 2018 issue of Vogue magazine, Beyonce showed her vulnerable side and opened up about being pregnancy for the second time with twins. She talked about the beauty and pains of a mother’s womb, and her fears of leaving a legacy for her children. It was the first time that the accomplished magazine allowed such a personal and open book piece to be featured in the magazine, but it was a smart move. It was a different side of the megastar that the audience rarely witnessed, and it was something that Vogue knew would grab people’s attention. Plus, it was relatable. Beyonce acknowledged that she is having problems just like every other mother, which opened another genre of fans.
She listens to her customers:
In 2015, husband and rapper Jay-Z bought Tidal; a subscription-based music streaming service that offered songs as well as music videos exclusively to its audience. Beyonce, and other famous artists such as Rihanna and Madonna, were co-owners of the company. In the first year of its release, there were 540,000 subscribers that were mixed between happy with the services, and with the ones who are not content with the pay. According to Investopedia, critics of the service complained about the initial service fee, which was $240-per-year subscription rate. The owners listened to the complaints of their customers, and decided to appeal to their audience. The current rate is $9.99 per month for the premium subscription and $19.99 a month for the Hi-Fi option including with lossless High Fidelity sound quality and high definition music videos. There are also less expensive options for students, family plans and for military members. Currently, Tidal has over 3 million subscribers. It is always good to listen to the needs of the customers, and to make changes to a company to appease everyone.
Content courtesy of Lara Ashley, Founder and Editor of Brenley Magazine, Redefining what it means to be a Southern belle; an online magazine that helps women wear their crowns with grace.
Contributing Author, Lara Ashley
Lara Ashley is a multifaceted Journalist. Lara Ashley obtained her Mass Communications degree at Southern University and A&M College and is obtaining a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism in the U.K. from Cardiff University. When she’s not watching her fav reality shows (LOVES the Real Housewives franchise), spending her afternoons watching Netflix or with a good book, she’s writing and journaling.
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