Aisha Winfield

The year is 2008, and after decades of struggling for power, a change has finally come. Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks and even Hillary Clinton are living proof that “sisters are doing it for themselves.” But along with power comes great responsibility, a responsibility that Aisha Winfield knows all too well. From working with Epic Records at Sony as National Director of Street Promotions and Marketing, to heading up her very own marketing firm, Aisha has successfully survived the flattery, the condescension, the disrespect, along with the fear and doubt that comes along with being a powerful business woman in a male-driven industry.

Catching up with Aisha was no easy task. Between meetings as general manager of Rockstar Entertainment, mentoring and instructing as founder and CEO of the Junior Music Executive Program, and being mother to a beautiful little girl, she found time to share foray through the ranks of the music industry with Scheme Magazine. With swagger, confidence and humor, Aisha goes in…

Scheme: As a woman in the industry, I’ve noticed the difficulty with being taken seriously, and even more so in earlier times. How did you manage to rise above that?
Aisha Winfield: It is getting better. But actually, it depends on area you’re talking about too. Women are, and have been, prevalent behind the scenes, on the marketing end, but A&R and higher level positions within the music industry you tend to see less and less women. For me though, I’ve had great role models to help me figure out what I’m best at. That’s not always something you find, so I’ve been really blessed. There’s also this great organization called NABFE, which is a great tool for women in the entertainment industry. I had great experiences there as well that helped me throughout my journey.

Scheme: What would you say are some of the most common misconceptions about young women in the entertainment field?
Aisha: Umm… See, initially I worked a lot in Hip-Hop, and I know that there’s a double standard when it comes to women. Like, initially working in a male environment, you’re going to get tested so you have to set your boundaries early. Once you do that, you get put into two categories- the women who will sleep with you to get ahead, and the ones who are about their business.

Robin Kearse was the fist female role-model I worked for. She told me that you can have fun, but you have to set the precedent for how you want to be taken. So from day one, I always make it known that I’m a professional, because I work with a lot of men and when you’re trying to be friends that fact can get tainted or misconstrued, so I make it known up front. I try to teach the young girls that with the Junior Music Executives Program as well.

Scheme: What are essential things that all young women in the entertainment industry must know in order to override those pitfalls?
Aisha: Versatility and flexibility. I went in thinking I was going to work in one area, but I ended up working in six areas. But it was good because when opportunities came up, I was experienced in different fields. Especially with the way the music industry is changing, it’s good to be knowledgeable of everything.

Also, networking. Any by networking, I don’t just mean what can somebody do for me, but really getting to know people and what they’re about. As a student, I did a lot of interning in college, and I’d wonder what I could offer these labels. But I realized that students are prime for helping labels and artists figure out what people like. So I would do promotional stuff, which was actually viral marketing, I just didn’t know it at the time. I thought they were doing me a favor by letting me promote for them, when really I was doing more for them. So networking is really essential.

Scheme: Do you find it easier to work with women or men in this industry?
Aisha: I can’t say it’s easier. It just depends on the type of person. I’ve worked with assholes that are men and women. I try to find people that are willing to allow me to grow, and for the most part I’ve found that in both men and women. There are treacherous people out there though. Just make sure you don’t let them taint your desire to get ahead, because they will. And with massive downsizing, instead of the veterans in the business being helpful, they’re at your throat.

Scheme: At Epic, I know you worked from the ground up with artists not so easy to market. Why do you think you were so successful?
Aisha: When I was at Sony, the department I was in got turned over four times. The last time, they were telling me that I could do this grassroots job working with promotions and marketing, and the VP was saying, “Why would you want to do that job? You work with men all the time. You’re a woman; you should be doing cute stuff.” It was just rude, and it pissed me off because I could do that job and had been doing that job better than anyone, but I just used that to fuel my drive, and eventually he couldn’t deny that I was more than capable of doing that job.

I’m really detail oriented. And when I came [to Sony] there were people who didn’t always take their time with things. It’s like, even though it’s an entertainment industry, I treat it like I attended law school. I focus on every single detail, always going above and beyond, and being very serious about my work. That’s what I think gives me an edge.

Scheme: What is it about marketing that interests you so much, because I know you began at Epic but now you head your own firm?
Aisha: I am general manager of Rockstar Entertainment. A.I.B. Marketing was a transition between me leaving Sony and coming to Philly. I had a lot of people I had developed good relationships with through my work at Sony, and they wanted me to continue working with them. But from there I started working with Jill Scott’s management company, and then I went to Rockstar.

It still interests me so much because it’s just the ability to let people know about incredible music that still exists. I feel like it’s sometimes such a disadvantage with independent artists and smaller artists. That’s why I left Sony, because they have control over who gets marketing dollars and exposure and who doesn’t, and it’s not always fair. So I wanted to work with artists that have true talent and passion, and expose them to the world.

Scheme: There seems to be so little of that hands-on, grassroots work, these days, you know?
Aisha: That’s so true. When we’re working with the students, we really teach them about the advantage of grassroots marketing. We teach them how to get artists, or themselves, on television or radio, without having a lot of money. It’s about creativity and drive, and we try to instill that in our students.

Scheme: You seem like you’re on top of your game. When you walk into a room, as CEO of two companies, are people intimidated, or is there still an heir of not being threatened because you’re a woman?
Aisha: I think my personality doesn’t intimidate people. It’s a good thing for me, but at the end they’re like “Wow, she really does take care of her business.” I make it a point not to be intimidating, because it makes people open up more.

Scheme: Now you keep referring to your students, so it’s clear that they’re your pride and joy. [Laughs] What motivated you to found Junior Music Executives?
Aisha: All of these things that we’ve discussed, but the biggest thing was that we were getting a lot of phone calls and emails in the middle of the day [from kids]asking how they can be signed and are we accepting demos. They were like 14 and 15 years old, and I’m thinking “Shouldn’t you be in school?” It showed me the importance of teaching students that they need to go to school to get these things done. I was also mentoring this young lady. I could never get her to open up to me. Then she found out I worked with Jill Scott and she asked me like a million questions. It was so funny, like now you have all this to say because I work with Jill Scott. And I’ve learned that music, in general, has the ability to make young people open up and do what they’re supposed to do. So that was my motivation.

Scheme: What has been your proudest moment thus far with regard to the program?
Aisha: Watching the students graduate from high school and go off to college; especially some of the ones that didn’t think they could go to college. And when they come home for breaks and stuff, they come and talk to the students here. That’s exciting for me.

Scheme: What advantage do you think this new generation of music executives will have over the ones in place now, because of your program?
Aisha: I think that them having an understanding of how it works, in a broad sense, will help them a lot. A lot of the executives walk into things blindly. It’s not like being a doctor or a lawyer. A lot of people fell into the music business. Or there are some that study certain areas, but don’t know how the whole business works. I want my students to walk away with a tangible sense of the music business as a whole.

Scheme: So what’s next? Oprah status, since you seem to be taking over behind the scenes?
Aisha: [Laughs] No way! Actually, we have the program [Junior Music Executives] in Philly, and we’d like to expand it nationwide and to different countries, eventually. If I learned anything from being around Jill Scott, it’s that giving back is the greatest thing you could do.

Photography by Kenya Allen