Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanette Bartholomew.
Jeanette, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My mom nickname me nana, but some who have known me for a very long time call me by my last name and others and family call me Nette. I got my start in the music industry many moons ago. At the time, I was working for BofA in San Francisco along with a good friend named Imani. She had a television show on the local cable station in the city. She was expanding and ask me to join since she knew I was heavy into music. I joined the show as “The Queen Informer” giving to the latest on artists and the music industry. Not long after, my Godsister Claudette joined as our Publicist, she was managing local artists at the time. Soon after, Imani’s cousin came in as the cameraman and he brought in his girlfriend as our make-up artist and another cameraman. We soon had a whole crew. The show would highlight what was going on in the communities around the Bay Area and covered live shows.
We would go to various live hip-hop shows of local and mainstream artists to film their live performances and do interviews. We had the opportunity to work with BET when they came to Oakland on a tour. BET like our work ethnic, so they invited us to join them in Los Angeles. This opens up more opportunities to work with other artists and community leaders and members. Imani decided to embark on other opportunities so the showed eventually came to an end. I wanted to continue to spread my love for music, so along with Claudette and Arnette we started Black Pearl Entertainment. Black Pearl Entertainment started as a boutique management and promotion company. We started off working with local independent hip hop artists. We managed their careers and we also was hired to do promotions for artists and independent record labels. We traveled attending all music industry conferences from coast to coast. This lead to opportunities to work with promotion companies, artists, and record labels in New York. Over the years, Black Pearl Entertainment has revamped and rebranded to doing more marketing/branding, PR, artist development, virtual assistant, and consultant no longer doing management.
In 20018, Black Pearl Entertainment launched bpetv. bpetv is a website/YouTube platform that highlights independent artists, women who are movers & shakers in their field and bring a community awareness platform. We bring you interviews with up & coming artists from hip hop, to R&B, to jazz. We highlight women who bosses/leaders in their field. These women range from record label executives to Publicists to community leaders. bpetv also brings you behind the scenes from live shows around the country and footage of happening that’s going down around in your town. Black Pearl Entertainment is constantly learning and growing. We have been blessed and want to continue to pass the blessings to others. We are also members of NABFEME (nabfeme.org) National Associations of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment. I am the Network Director for the San Francisco/Bay Area. NABFEME is a non-profit organization that empowers, encourages, mentors and a resourceful base for women in the business of music and entertainment.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth ride. If anyone states it has, give them the side eye lol! Coming into a small community industry not knowing everything you need to know, you make mistakes, but we have learned from those mistakes. There have been a couple of relationships that ended on the left foot but revamp with flowers. The industry went through a major change in the early 2000s and so did your work and some of our relationships. We took interest in other things outside the industry. We tried quitting a few times, but each time we get a call for a project.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Black Pearl Entertainment is a full-service entertainment firm that develops emerging artists using the latest practices. We specialize in Public Relations, Digital Marketing Event Production, Artist Development. We cultivate artists and boutique companies using creative brand strategies, persuasive content and strong social networks to move businesses to the next level. Black Pearl Entertainment never had to advertise to attract clients, we been blessed to attract clients through “the word of mouth” method. We not only perform the task of our client’s obligations, but we educate our clients to ensure they are always aware of their future business even if they are no longer contracted with us.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Yes! We love to read. We are big on YouTube and podcasts. Books such as: All you need to know about the Music Business by Donald S. Passman, Everything you’d better know about the recording industry by Kashif, How to make it in the new music business by Ari Herstand. Various podcasts from women in the industry, self-meditation, starting a business, marketing/branding (keeping up on the latest trends). We also like the ones that are for self-healing, comedy (need laughter in your life), and of course, spiritual YouTube and podcast to feed and guide us on our spiritual path.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.black-pearl-entertainment.com
- Instagram: blckprlent
- Facebook: blckprlent
- Twitter: blckprlent
- Youtube: bpetvshow
Image Credits:
Jeanette B. and Black Pearl Entertainment
