“I came up with the title, ‘DNA of Achievers.’ DNA could mean molecular or genetic traits but this is not that. These are traits that people build on and learn them and they have mentors,” Knowles continued. “When I look at all these traits, you can’t have the other nine if you don’t have the passion.”
Knowles said he spent a lot of time focusing on the trait of passion because that’s what drives a person daily and gives them the desire and drive to succeed.
Knowles is the founder, president and CEO of Music World Entertainment, which has offices in Houston and New York City. MWE is one of the world’s leading music and entertainment conglomerates, with record sales exceeding 300 million worldwide. The company has experienced tremendous growth and extraordinary success over the past two decades. Its worldwide platforms include successful record label ventures; management services for recording artists and producers; artist development services; endorsement and partnership deals, performance and event facilities; a master catalog series; film and television ventures; licensed merchandise products; philanthropic work; and investment and property holdings. Knowles established several recording imprints under Music World Music, including Music World Gospel, Music World Kids and Music World Country/Compadre. Music World Music entertainment has had an unprecedented impact on music around the globe through its Grammy Award-winning artists, legendary entertainers and music icons, top catalogue compilations and celebrated soundtracks.
“You can’t build a team without leadership. If you build a team without a leader it will fail. I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a good team at Music World Entertainment. My assistant has been with me for more than 15 years. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I have a team that can fill in those gaps and holes,” said Knowles who was born in Gadsden, Ala., and graduated from Fisk University with bachelor’s degrees in economics and business administration.
Before Knowles became a star-maker and music business innovator, he had a distinguished career in sales of office and medical equipment. Knowles moved to Houston in 1976 and began working for the Xerox Corporation, where he had a highly successful 10-year tenure, primarily as part of an elite sales force in the medical systems sales division. Knowles was the number one sales representative for medical systems for three of the four years worldwide where he worked in that division.
When Xerox closed its medical systems sales division, Knowles worked as a CT/MRI specialist, selling diagnostic imaging equipment to hospitals and health facilities, for two other major medical equipment companies. He also worked as a neurosurgical specialist, where he provided neurosurgeons with a wide range of devices and solutions.
Knowles is widely recognized in the entertainment industry for his effective approach to developing and promoting award-winning artists. Through Music World Entertainment and Artist Management, he has served as executive producer for more than 100 award-winning, platinum and gold albums in multiple genres, including pop, R&B, gospel, dance, and country, as well as soundtracks and special themed projects. Under Music World Artist Management, Destiny’s Child became a global phenomenon and in 2004 the group embarked on a historic worldwide tour, “Destiny Fulfilled…And Loving It…” which hit 16 countries and more than 75 cities around the world. The tour was one of 5 major worldwide tours. Shortly thereafter Destiny’s Child was named the Best Selling Female Group of All Time in popular music, selling over 100 million records and collecting nearly 200 awards, including Grammy Awards, World Music Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Awards (U.S., Europe and Asia), Billboard Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and countless others. Billboard magazine ranked the group as one of the Greatest Trios of All Time and, in 2008, inducted them into the All Time Hot 100 Artists. Under Knowles’s guidance, both Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé experienced spectacular success during the decade between 2000 and 2009. Destiny’s Child was named on Billboard magazine’s Top 10 Artists of the Decade (2000-2009) and, as a solo artist, Beyoncé was crowned Billboard’s number one Artist of the Decade—Female (2000-2009) and No. 4 Top Artist of the Decade (2000-2009). During that time, Knowles also successfully launched and managed the solo careers of the members of Destiny’s Child: Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, who have all had unprecedented international success.
“Unfortunately, people today are boxed-in thinkers. We’ve been conditioned to do things a certain way but you don’t have to do things because it’s been done that way for years. People who are successful challenge and look at doing things in a different way,” Knowles said. “I’m sure that the Wright Brothers when they talked about flying a plane people thought they were out of their minds. I’m sure when Steve Jobs talked about Apple computers and said he was going to obsolete his own equipment, people said ‘why would you want to do that’ he wanted to obsolete it before his competition does. That’s thinking out the box.”
“DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals” can be purchased at Amazon.com
Knowles is not one to sit on his laurels. He is parlaying the success of the 220-page book into a series of day-long workshops that he will be traveling across the country teaching entertainment hopefuls how to break in and acquire longevity in the music industry.
“There are so many talented people out there that spend years trying to figure out how to make it in the entertainment business,” Knowles said. “If they take the course they can find out the right way to break in.”
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