Many young entrepreneurs who have day-to-day involvement with their business often depend on authentic connections in order to expand their business to new heights. Many entrepreneurs who don’t succeed in their field make the critical mistake of ignoring the value of quality deliverables for those on whose behalf they are working on. Most businesses that are in their initial development phases must prioritize authentic and personal relationships with their clients, as such relationships are the foundations for expansion. Such personal connections require an entrepreneur to have a charming aura that pulls people in, this unique ability is the bedrock of serial entrepreneur Steven Doren’s success.
Dorn is the CEO and founder of XYZ Media, a company that focuses on managing musicians, as well as acting as a VC firm. Dorn attributes a large portion of his ability to thrive in this sector to the authentic and personal relationships he has built with his powerful network, going above and beyond a simple transaction. Dorn emphasizes the value of exceeding the expectations of his clients, to the point where he often sees repeat clientele and numerous referrals.
Dorn’s expertise lies in entrepreneurship, scouting talent, and his intimate familiarity with the intricacies of social media. He has served as a consultant for members of high society that include world-class athletes, A-list celebrities, and other high net worth individuals. Among his long list of accolades are the discovery and development of Grammy-nominated artist Bryson Tiller, Yo Trane, and Pink Sweat$. His entrepreneurial success is reflected in his desire to take educated risks in various industries like fashion, film, music, entertainment, and basketball. His risk is often justified as it is supported by the personal relationships he has with the individuals he is working with.
In the midst of Covid-19, Dorn was instrumental in fostering connections between the artists he manages, and the necessary brands or individuals needed to maintain a health revenue stream when many people in the industry were suffering financially. Now that the pandemic has eased its grip on society, Dorn can continue to build on his success in identifying and connecting his network to produce sizable gains to add to his already diverse and robust portfolio.
Dorn has maintained such widespread success by deviating from traditional marketing methods, utilizing word-of-mouth and relationship building as the foundation for XYZ Media’s tantalizing mystique. He chose to not develop any marketing collateral, as he maintains a low-key and humble profile- XYZ Media doesn’t even have a website. Such is the mysterious, yet fruitful methodology to the unparalleled success Dorn has achieved at such a young age.
Dorn focuses on various industry events in his search for new and up-and-coming artists, these events are a linchpin for cultivating meaningful and fruitful relationships that will serve to benefit Dorn, his network, and ultimately the artist in the long run. Dorn is a firm proponent that time is money, as he is never one to focus on small talk. He believes that channeling his energy in the most impactful way is the necessary approach to benefit everyone involved in his endeavors.
When scrolling through Dorn’s Instagram page, his commitment to attending industry events becomes very apparent. Although his Instagram may appear to be premised on glitz and glamor, there is a lot of hard work that lies beneath the surface. When attending such events, Dorn says that he isn’t one to engage in conversation with all of the people in attendance, rather, he aims to create substantive dialogue not just on a business level, but on a much deeper personal level as well. He looks to various channels that can be of paramount influence in helping artists that are on the brink of making it big. During these conversations, he creates a winning formula where he can implement his strengths, personal knowledge, network, and his passion to be a driving force for artists to further their brand into the mainstream.
One only needs several minutes of conversation with Dorn to ascertain his intent through his tone of voice. He prioritizes action verbs in his forward-thinking approach to separate the wheat from the chaff in order get things done. Dorn is always looking to connect people from different industries to ensure that everyone involved can benefit from such connections. He underscores the importance of not only finding a common medium, but also unearthing things that people may not have in common- he says that such vulnerabilities are completely fine as, they are the source of bringing the human element into existence. He says that fostering strong and authentic connections with several important people is far superior to surface level conversation with the masses. When Dorn makes connections, he does it for a distinct purpose rather than for the sake of simply networking. These powerful connections can lead to life-altering changes for people, serving as a launchpad for connections and relationships that can be added to Dorn’s already vast network.
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