“Now from the top, make it drop…That’s some..” – The lyrics to WAP, a catchy tune you may have listened to different versions of while scrolling through TikTok (for our personal favourite see: click here!). Over the years, Cardi B has become a massive success and music icon, with over 75 million Instagram followers and a globally successful brand. We believe every entrepreneur can take note of a few things Cardi B has taught us about business and entrepreneurship. Let’s get started!
Collaboration is Key.
One thing many entrepreneurs desire is increased exposure. So, what can Cardi B teach us in this department? Well, Cardi B uses the very powerful business strategy of collaboration to reach a broader audience and generate more revenue. Take for example her collaboration with Maroon 5 or Bruno Mars, two already established and global brands.
What makes Cardi’s collaborations powerful is that she is introduced to groups or people who may not have known about her, increasing brand awareness across musical genres. This is a great strategy to diversify and increase exposure to different industry markets.
Consider using this recipe in your business. Ask yourself: Who can I collaborate with? What other brands can I work with to increase brand awareness and diversify my market share?
Be Authentic.
We’ve heard the word “authenticity” quite a bit in 2020 and the startup world isn’t any different. If you’re unsure about what authentic means, just watch a Cardi B interview on Youtube or scroll through her Instagram feed, and you should have a better understanding of what it means to be authentic.
One of the biggest mistakes startups make is trying to imitate competitors in a way that doesn’t reflect their own mission. These entrepreneurs confuse learning best practices with flat out copycat strategies.
Also, being authentic often means we can’t please everyone. How often are we tempted to change something based on a couple peoples’ opinions who were not compatible with our brand in the first place? The reality is, you can’t please everyone. When you are authentic like Cardi B, your message has a greater chance to resonate with people most compatible with you and your product, and there is great power in that.
Be Prepared to Pivot.
Cardi B’s mix tapes started with a very different feel than what her hits today communicate. Prior to her breakthrough hit, “Bodak Yellow”, Cardi told her team that she wanted to try something different but had reservations about whether she could deliver on the new sounds. In other words, Cardi was considering a pivot, and lucky for her, she decided to pivot and was massively rewarded!
How often in business do we feel married to an idea, a style, or a process that we are blinded to the possibility of trying something different. By having a mindset that’s open to pivot, even if it is only the slightest adjustment (not throwing away all of the work that you’ve done to that point) you may open the window into a part of your own genius that you didn’t know existed, and that your audience or customer has been waiting to experience.
Don’t Lose Focus on your Product.
Cardi B talked about how she almost passed on the opportunity to appear on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” in a 2016 interview with The New York Post. Cardi B’s reasoning was that she wanted to focus on her music. Though she took the opportunity initially, she ultimately left to work on her music.
As entrepreneurs, it’s so easy to get sidetracked, especially when amazing opportunities come across the table. But the reality is, while we should say yes to a lot, we can’t say yes to everything. We want to ensure we keep focus on our central product, brand and mission. This can be difficult, as even for Cardi, her appearance on Love & Hip Hop did wonders for her personal brand – but she ultimately knew music should be her main focus.
It is difficult when we see entrepreneurs try to be all things to all people, trying to capitalize on every potential opportunity. The problem with this is that you can suffer from a lack of focus. If you are putting both time and effort into doing a lot of different things, you may easily wind up doing them, at best, in an average way that offers no competitive edge. And if you don’t keep focus, it can be difficult for potential customers to quickly get a handle on what it is that you’re offering.
In other words, if we can summarize this point and learn one thing from Cardi B, it is to simply remember the “F” word – FOCUS.
Shift Your Mindset to Understand Anything is Possible.
It’s no secret that Cardi B had a rough past. Growing up poor, the abusive relationship and drugs didn’t stop her. Cardi B was more afraid of staying the same than she was of living out her dream of being a music icon. While there were only a few female rappers in the market, with a limitless mindset, Cardi went on to define her own brand and be a top player in the music industry.
What can entrepreneurs learn from this?
Entrepreneurs who embrace the mindset that “anything is possible” understand they are capable of achieving extraordinary results. They believe that everything that exists was once an idea until someone came along who believed it was possible and made it into a reality.
Like Cardi B, embracing this mindset means that you’re willing to let go of limiting thoughts, try new things, meet new people and stretch yourself beyond what you might have felt qualified or ready to do. That’s a wrap. We hope that you will take into account these lessons from Cardi B into your own startup ventures. There is a ton we can learn tapping into leaders in many different industries, and here, we have shown you what we can learn from a music icon. We hope you enjoyed it!