Rod Hardy is a successful rising star in the world of rap music. He’s also an expert at personal branding – and shares his wisdom with us in Part Two of this powerful conversation. 

Rod is a rapper, a former college football coach, and a successful entrepreneur. When he decided to chase his passion, he fiercely and consistently hustled until he made his dreams a reality. It only took him two years to jumpstart his promising music career, but don’t let that fool you – he attributes his achievements to years of laying the groundwork. 

If you comb through Rod’s Twitter account, you’ll find a tweet from 2013. It’s simple, but clear: “I’m gonna win a Grammy one day.” This was posted seven years before he even began putting out music in 2020, and today he is well on his way to bringing this goal to life. It’s a small but significant reminder of his belief in playing the long game. Rod knows that big rewards take time, effort and consistency. 

What is your brand?

Your brand is not just a product or a service. It’s the contribution you want to make to the world, your purpose, and your values. 

Rod Hardy’s brand is hard work. Coming from an inner-city blue collar family, he set out to learn how to make money by exploring the corporate world then becoming an entrepreneur. The same values that made him profitable in business translate directly to his career in music: Show up, be consistent, work harder and connect deeper. He demonstrates those values every day in the actions he takes to build his empire and most importantly, to build genuine relationships with his audience. 

How will you connect with your audience?

Rod Hardy doesn’t need to check analytics constantly or get swept up in research. He does something much simpler: he talks to his fans.

How can you connect more authentically with the people you serve? When choosing platforms and systems for your own business, you may be attracted to the newest social media or the most curated feed. But in the end, your platform should align with the values that your brand stands for. In service of his goal to form genuine relationships with his fanbase, Rod Hardy uses a texting service. It’s not just occasional notifications when a song drops – Rod asks his fans what lyrics resonate with them, what musicians they listen to and recommend, and what’s new on their playlist. His website is consistently updated in order to announce shows and drops. Every platform he uses is simple and consistent, and his fans always know what to expect from him. 

As entrepreneurs, we would do well to take lessons from his success in the music industry. Enjoy this conversation about branding, values, consistency and the power of music with rapper and entrepreneur Rod Hardy.

Quotes

“The thing about hip-hop that’s so unique is that it’s the voice of a community. When people cringe at what’s being said, I encourage them to dig into the words more and try to understand. This is music coming from a frustrated people. You’re hearing what they live through every day.”

“When good music comes out, even during segregated days, that’s what brought people together. We realized we all love that sound.”

“It’s not about the music, it’s about the connection with the people. Hip-hop has done a really great job at bridging that gap.”

“Your brand, to me, is a compass. As long as I stick to that compass, my fans know what they’re gonna get from me when they hear my music or see me in concert, or even see me out.”

“The brand was hard work. The brand was navigating, figuring out…I didn’t come from money, and my family was blue collar. I had to figure out how to make money. That’s part of my brand: It don’t matter how long it takes. Start where you are. Start where YOU are, not where the world says you should be. The situation’s never gonna be perfect. Start today.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Podcast Resources

Visit Rod Hardy’s Website: https://rodhardymusic.com/ 

Listen to Rod Hardy’s music on Apple, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Tidal, deezer and audiomack: https://foundation-media.ffm.to/-slide 

Text Rod Hardy at (213) 510-1655 to receive notifications whenever he drops new music.

Follow Rod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodhardy_/?hl=en 

Connect with Rod on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rodhardymusic/ 

Follow Rod Hardy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RodHardy_ 

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