The business environment is constantly changing and to survive in the competition, business leaders have to be abreast of the latest demands and opportunities in the market. Alongside the traditional leadership qualities like managing the team, listening to their ideas, ideating the company’s vision, etc., today’s leaders should possess a plethora of additional traits as well. This includes anticipating upcoming trends, empathy towards the team, being on top of technological advancements, etc.
Demetrius Matthews (Founder of Legacy Media, LLC) is a prime example of a modern leader cannily marshaling his troops and maximizing the opportunities to stay ahead of the curve. With his astute vision, extensive experience, and unwavering commitment to excellence, Demetrius Matthews has been leading the company toward unprecedented growth.
The Enterprise World recently had the opportunity to indulge in a conversation with Demetrius Matthews where he shed light upon his entrepreneurial journey and experience as well as shared insights about the company’s culture and its offerings. Here are some snippets from our intriguing conversation.
What do you think are the responsibilities of an entrepreneur?
You know, being an entrepreneur comes with a bunch of responsibilities. It’s not just about having a great idea – you’ve got to create a solid game plan for your business and figure out how to make your goals a reality. And that often starts with finding the right financial support, whether it’s through your own hard work, asking your family and friends, or exploring other options. But that’s not all – you’ve got to have a plan to bring in some cash too, right? That’s where marketing comes in. You’ve got to really understand your market, know what your competitors are up to, and keep your clients happy. That way, you’re always ahead of the game and growing your business.
In addition, entrepreneurs need to stick to some solid ethical and legal guidelines, right? Well, they might need to get a CPA firm and maybe even a corporate lawyer on board to help them stay on track legally and keep their records straight. And they can’t just sit back and relax – they’ve got to keep pushing their business forward.
That means coming up with new products or services, staying ahead of competitors, and putting money into growing their team and systems. To summarize, entrepreneurs should use their people to manage their systems and their systems to manage their people.
Can you please brief us about your professional experience?
With a background in possessing a strong foundation in both accounting and computer science, I have successfully founded numerous IT enterprises, managed international data repositories, and simultaneously cultivated a profound appreciation for cinematic arts. My comprehensive expertise in business administration, information technology, and enthusiasm for media have culminated in my thriving as an accomplished, all-inclusive media conglomerate.
What are the key achievements of your entrepreneurial journey?
One of my significant accomplishments on my journey has been the establishment of Legacy Media. Today’s society is inundated with constant content, as compared to the past, when advertisements and media were limited to TV screens, billboards, and public spaces. In today’s world, mobile phones provide us access to marketing, advertising, and media content 95% of the day for most consumers.
Legacy Media was created to promote the brand of my film on Mr. Kling, a public school teacher in Chicago. The documentary narrated the story of Mr. Kling, who hailed from a modest background, lived in the suburbs, and sacrificed his time and resources to teach and prepare 35 students from the poverty-stricken West side of Chicago for their future.
For three years, he used his personal funds to purchase additional books and other teaching resources for his students. By the time these students graduated from 8th grade, they were testing at high school and college levels in both reading and mathematics. One of these students, Demetrius Matthews, went on to achieve various academic and professional goals. In homage to Mr. Kling, I decided to produce this documentary to highlight the broken school system and spread the message worldwide.
Legacy Media aims to create a brand around the documentary and film, promote Mr. Kling’s message, and support school teachers across the country by creating other documentaries highlighting the stories of unsung heroes, the teachers who educate our children daily. The ultimate goal of Legacy Media is to improve the education system by making it fair and equitable for all and providing teachers with a decent wage.
How do you look after your employees? What makes your team unique?
As a Foundational African American working in corporate America, I had a unique perspective on corporate entities. I often felt that I was not fully accepted in the corporate structure by staff or management, and as the saying goes, “the last hired, and the first fired,” unfortunately, this proved to be true in my experience.
I am not complaining because it made me better prepared and I am speaking off of my personal experience. However, I remained disciplined, dedicated, and driven to be the best professional in the building, and this allowed me to flourish. I worked in the accounting department and was always willing to do whatever it took to achieve my departmental goals.
When my superiors noticed my willingness to go above and beyond, I was rewarded. I understood that I had to be three times better than the average Corporate American just to keep up in corporate America. This experience led me to create a company where I could identify with those who have felt rejected, unseen, or unheard. My company is built on the principle of treating others as I would want to be treated, with an open-door policy and a family-like atmosphere. I remain humble and understanding while maintaining high expectations for job performance, which has led me to build successful teams in corporate environments. This is what makes my team unique
What would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs?
To aspiring entrepreneurs, my suggestion is to always keep dreaming, pursue your passions, and strive to turn them into reality. Once you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, focus on figuring out how to monetize it. By doing what you love, and having a genuine passion for it, you can achieve happiness and financial success.
Tell us about the company
At Legacy Media, we’re more than just a company – we’re a collective platform that enables our team members to highlight the individuals and experiences that have influenced us. Our productions, developed by Legacy Media, LLC., are genuine, impactful, and thought-provoking, consistently challenging the limits with each innovative documentary. Our mission transcends individual accomplishments, as every interview and podcast aims to fulfill a higher objective – fostering connections with our audience and disseminating the wisdom and motivation we’ve gathered. Initially stemming from my vision, our team plays an integral role in bringing this passion to life.
What were the initial challenges you faced?
One of the initial obstacles I encountered was in producing “Kling: A Teacher Who Defied the System.” It was challenging to find suitable representation to promote and advertise the film effectively. However, we were eventually able to secure a distributor who helped us to make the documentary available on Amazon Prime, which was a significant achievement. Additionally, we are streaming the film on 11 other online platforms, which is also a considerable accomplishment. Now that we have a platform, the next challenge is to make the film accessible to every teacher in the country because Mr. Kling’s story is a story that resonates with educators.
What is the reason behind your company’s long-standing success?
I believe that the key to the success of Legacy Media is that it was born out of my passion. Initially, my focus was not on generating revenue, but on creating a plan and strategy to bring my dream of producing the film “Kling: A Teacher Who Defied the System” to life.
What are the products/services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?
Legacy Media is a production company that focuses on creating award-winning documentaries about real modern-day heroes, who are often overlooked and not heard. We aim to shed light on the struggles that teachers face every day and the countless lives they have impacted during their years of service. Our mission is to identify these hidden heroes in our society and showcase their stories through our documentaries.
