SHARRON ELKABAS
VIBECHECK: You are in the industry for almost three decades. What is the key thing or feeling that keeps you in it aside from all of the ups and downs throughout your career?
SE: After close to thirty years at the heart of the industry, I’m still incredibly passionate about what I do. I still find my work hugely engaging and that’s what drives me to continue and to strive to do better each day. MN2S deals with such a multitude of different opportunities for talent, and there’s such a variety to what we do that it keeps my work fresh and exciting, never monotonous.
VIBECHECK: You work with a huge artist catalogue – was it hard at the beginning to fulfill the expectations of the artists in it? Did you had your fair share of attention seeking from artists side when you were starting?
SE: From day one we’ve gone out of our way to do our utmost to meet what artists and talent expects from us, and to this day we continue to do our best to seek out as many opportunities for them as possible. When we started the agency, our roster was smaller and less diverse, and as a new agency it’s more difficult to attract the level of talent you’re looking for, but as the years have gone by we’ve kept a steady pace of organic growth, and as bigger artists and talent from different backgrounds have joined, it became easier to attract the attention of more well-known names.
“There isn’t any golden rule I can pick out, but keeping a positive mindset at all times is so important in a business that can sometimes be stressful, and certainly has its ups and downs. For me, after three decades the downs are much easier to deal with - I’m very resilient”
VIBECHECK: For all of us there are repetitive habits from agents, managers or promoters that are sometimes giving us headaches. What is one thing that you would set as a rule in order to calibrate these relationships?
SE: I always go into every situation with an optimistic and positive mindset, no matter how challenging - problem solving is actually one of my favourite aspects of the work that I do. Yes, there are repetitive aspects of what we do, but we have a great team that carry out some of the more routine tasks so I can focus on what I love, which is dealmaking and overseeing the agency. There isn’t any golden rule I can pick out, but keeping a positive mindset at all times is so important in a business that can sometimes be stressful, and certainly has its ups and downs. For me, after three decades the downs are much easier to deal with - I’m very resilient.
VIBECHECK: I have the experience that the busiest and some of the most succesfull people in the business (I’m including you here) don’t have a problem replying to anyone reaching them, and they do it very fast. On the other side, fair number of agents don’t bother doing that, creating an ‘unreachable’ attitude that echoes the artists as well. At what point you think the ‘attitude’ becomes a non-professionalism?
SE: This is a great question! One reason why, as promoters in the mid-’90s, we went on to launch MN2S in the first place, is because we wanted to do things differently. We realized that being approachable was something that could set us apart from other agencies, and to this day it remains one of our top priorities. We reply to all clients even if it’s not what they want to hear, such as the required talent not being in their budget or not being available. We believe in being courteous and letting people know so that they can move on and book someone else, rather than wonder what’s going on. The key to good customer service is good communication. A friendly and approachable attitude will go a long way in building relationships.
VIBECHECK: What brings a work overload to you, and how do you handle it, how do you take care of yourself, your health and wellbeing?
SE: We’re busy all the time so I’m very used to it, but the key to avoiding overload is delegation. I’m fortunate to have a great team of people around me who can take on responsibility and share the workload, and with work delegated to the right departments and the right people, everything runs smoothly. Taking care of yourself is hugely important too. I realized some years ago that looking after my health and wellbeing was essential to performing well as an agent and a CEO. Eating well, sleeping well, working out - all of these help me to stay in a positive, constructive and focused mindset. Without these, the business could be challenging - these are essential components in all high-achieving and successful careers.
“Eating well, sleeping well, working out - all of these help me to stay in a positive, constructive and focused mindset. Without these, the business could be challenging - these are essential components in all high-achieving and successful careers.”
VIBECHECK: In your experience, how receptive are promoters to professional advice and innovative ideas from your side? Are they stubborn to book something you know would not work?
SE: It depends who we’re dealing with. Some promoters and clients are open to advice and taking ideas from our side, and others are a little more set in their ways. It depends on a range of factors, but we don’t tell people what to do, we advise them as best we see fit and then it’s up to them whether they choose to take our advice.
VIBECHECK: We all observed an increase in unreasonable or inflated artist fees in recent years. How do you handle situations where promoters may not be fully aware that you are not the one deciding on the increase but the managements?
SE: As agents, we work for the talent and clients, not the other way around. The talent set the fees, and we relay the fees back to clients. Of course there’s always room for negotiation, and every opportunity is looked at on its own merits; ultimately our job is to get deals done. Yes, there has been an increase in fees in recent years, partly due to global inflation, and the cost of living in most countries has increased. Of course now we’re living in post-covid times, some artists have different values, and an opportunity needs to be worthwhile to be considered. Talent aren’t just paid for their performance alone, but also for travelling – the time and inconvenience is a big part of fees being what they are.
Be hard working, polite, and approachable. Being personable and trying your hardest to build and maintain relationships is key, as this business is all about relationships with clients, venues, and promoters.
SHARRON ELKABAS
VIBECHECK: What is your typical communication process with artist management regarding fees in different territories, are you even separating US and Europe fee wise, even West and Eastern Europe, or are they one size fits whoever can fit?
SE: Yes, fees depend on the territory, and a lot of the time it’s dependent on how much travelling is involved for talent. We also take into account the fact that economies are different in different places; currencies and fees vary from place to place. We will advise the promoters or clients on what the fees are as and when we receive the requests. We’re always happy to give a steer and a ballpark figure as opposed to just asking what the budget and the offer are. We’re happy to guide clients towards where they need to be to make it work.
VIBECHECK: In your experience, do you perceive the new generation of agents to be rigid in adhering to industry rules and fees, or do you see them adopting a more flexible approach in negotiations?
SE: I have seen more flexibility over the years - flexibility has always been very important. More now than ever, agents should always be doing the utmost to get deals done for talent, or risk losing them. Being flexible is part and parcel of this business; evaluating the merits and details of each opportunity, discussing with the talent and coming to a mutually agreeable middle ground that works for everybody involved.
VIBECHECK: Looking ahead, how do you see the role of agents evolving in response to the changing dynamics of the music industry, particularly in relation to artist managements interactions? Can you give an advise to the young agents?
SE: The role of an agent has remained much the same over the years, and I don’t see it changing significantly in the near future. My advice to younger agents would be to embody the qualities that are necessary to succeed in this industry; be hard working, polite, and approachable. Being personable and trying your hardest to build and maintain relationships is key, as this business is all about relationships with clients, venues, and promoters. On the other side, you’ve always got to do the best you can for the talent you’re working with. There’s a way to do both successfully.
