April 1, 2013
The Business of Reality TV: Mona Scott-Young Talks Entertainment Savvy and Brand Transition
You branched off on your own to start Monami Entertainment. What level of preparation did that take?
One of the more exhilarating things for me was stepping out into business for myself. I had been partners for many years with the late Chris Lighty over at Violator. And then I decided that there were other things that I wanted to do so I branched out and did Monami. The thing that I knew for a fact was what I was capable of. I knew that success or failure, I could always rely on me to see me through.
So, I think one of the things that I always advocate for is self confidence. Part of that self confidence is knowing your business, educating yourself, getting the information that you need under your belt, making sure that you’re as good as you possibly can be at what you endeavor to take on. Because if you don’t succeed as you set out to, it won’t be because you didn’t do your best and try to put your best foot forward. If I fall short, I did my best.
How have you been able to balance your work and family life?
My family is fully integrated into everything I do. My husband is running the warehouses, picking up cases of MYX and dropping them off at accounts. I get tweets from my 9 year old daughter, going “Mommy I want to talk. Are you in a meeting?†They understand the nature of what I do because it’s such a major part of our lives. They are all amazingly accommodating to that, so when it’s time for me to put everything down and focus on my family, that’s what I owe them as well.
We’re a team, we work on this together. My husband is an integral part of my success because he completely holds our family down in a way that frees me up and allows me to do what I’m doing. For me, it’s a work in progress. I haven’t mastered it yet, I don’t have it all figured out. But we’re all in this together making it work.
How has the [entertainment] industry changed since you first got in the game?
The industry has evolved drastically. I’ve watched technology and the music industry change. I think that there’s a different hustle now. When I was coming up, there was a culture. People had these things that they wanted to do, they worked together, they came together and made it happen. We were on the cusp of an emerging genre with hip hop so it was a different time. Now, there are so many changes it’s a lot more competitive. I don’t think people are as passionate. I think there’s a different level of enthusiasm for the business. The changes in business because of technology have made things come differently to people, maybe a bit easier. I just think it’s a different hustle.
What makes The Gossip Game any different from your other reality shows?
Overall, I think this will inform. I don’t think people know what’s going on in the media world. People don’t necessarily know how media people navigate this, how you get your information, how it is to get scooped, how the different mediums interact within the space. How the emerging technologies have changed the way you not only get your news, but report on the news. I think that the access that social media and digital media has given to the average audience has impacted the media business. They are not the only source or the “go to†source. Seeing the way these women balance family, life and the way they interact in their social circles, I think these things will be interesting and relatable.