Show Highlights:

[03:06] Robert, thank you for being on the show! [03:55] He tells us when he decided music was for him. [06:04] He went to college and majored in accounting, which he says was the best education he could have gotten. [07:37] While playing in his band Onyx, he went to law school, started to practice law, and began forming and managing bands. [08:53] Robert hired Washington Talent Agency to get jobs for them. [10:17] What made Onyx so successful particularly in the ’80s? [11:06] Robert talks about creating moments at events. [12:34] Washington Talent hired him as their in-house counsel, but he was also building new bands. [13:34] In the DC area at that time, all bands were partnerships, but that template didn’t work. Robert’s was different. [15:06] In 1996, Robert managed six bands with the help of one assistant. [15:30] Washington Talent’s owner was a good friend of his, so when a partner retired, they asked Robert if he wanted to buy it. [16:32] When he took over, he had no experience with running a business, and was very nervous. [16:59] What did you bring to the company that took it to a whole new level? [18:16] They have made it a one-stop, get it all done business for events. [18:35] Their motto is “creating happiness one event at a time.” [20:58] How do you get planners in your corner? You have a reputation as a person that is easy to get along with, how did you inspire that? [23:14] Robert says that everything we do is about the why. [25:49] He chats about what he learned from a company in Las Vegas. [27:19] What is your process like, as a company owner, with your clients? [30:43] How do you feel about DJ’s vs. Bands? Is the responsibility different? [34:57] Andy and Robert discuss their new partnership and how it came to be. [40:04] Robert speaks about the collaboration and how it took over a year for them to commit. They took each other out of their comfort zones and re-energized themselves. [42:54] He talks about getting tired of what he was doing and looking for the next thing. [45:06] Robert’s company is bringing a powerful infrastructure to Andy’s business that he didn’t quite have before. [46:01] He wants to expand his company now into other areas, and bring happiness to more people; he also wants to improve what he already has. [47:31] Robert defines business success as fully understanding his client’s needs and making everyone happy. [48:19] Personally, Robert wants to feel good about what he does, and to him, that’s a personal success.