Really, I have to laugh because there was a whole set of stories that made me sound like the Dragon Lady, you know, 'tough this and tough that.' Then there is this business about 'gooey.' The bottom line is I am a pragmatic idealist.
At the end of drama school, I made a contract with myself: I'd try acting for five years. I was 26. I had already spent eight years working in restaurants and gas stations. So I had seen enough small businesses to understand that that's what acting is: a small business.
I love making people laugh and feel good, and that's awesome and special for me to be able to do that, but there really is nothing like kicking ass whether it's on a major scale, or whether it's in more of a dramatic fashion. Being physical and taking care of business the old-fashioned way is something that I love doing.
The fashion business got boring. I was working with big companies, but the minute it became too formulaic, I got bored with it. I wanted to do a creative space where I could just make stuff - kind of like an atelier, where I could collaborate with other artists, drape geometric shapes on the body, make cushion covers, or whatever.
I think that if people realize that with an mp3, you're only getting five percent of the sound that's there. But when you hear the entire thing... I think it would save the music business. It's such a drastic change.
Growing up in the business you have to grow up very fast - you do have a different type of childhood, that has its benefits and it has its drawbacks.
I studied everyone in the business of entertainment: Dr. Dre, Diddy, everyone. Rob Dyrdek was big for me. He would get 2 million views a week on 'Rob and Big,' and from that sprung everything: DC shoes, Monster Energy, 'Fantasy Factory,' everything.
When you are married to a guy who takes chances every day, who loves risk and has great intuition and great business instincts - when you're married to someone like that who pushes you to dream big, you dream big.
I worked hard all my life as far as this music business. I dreamed of the day when I could go to New York and feel comfortable and they could come out here and be comfortable.
I never dreamt of being a musician for my livelihood. I certainly never would have wanted to be in the business that I'm in, meaning the fame and the glory, the glitter, the rock star, the famous part.
I've never dreamt of being on TV; I had never tried to be in the entertainment business at all.
At least before my hip replacement, I had a quick first step. I could get by you off the dribble. My business game is the same way. I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.
I think what has allowed me to be successful is that I can absorb more information than most and drill down to the key business elements of that information and make faster decisions. And of course, I truly try to enjoy every minute of my life. I can never understand why anyone wouldn't.
I think about nothing but business the whole time. Even when I go out to my after-parties, people are like, 'You're drinking water?' I'm like, 'Yeah I am.'
Michigan's problems are not partisan problems. Potholes are not political. There is no such thing as Republican or Democratic school kids or drinking water. These challenges affect us all. They make Michigan a harder place to get ahead. A harder place to raise a family. A harder place to run a business.
Starting a business from scratch and having little money in the bank focuses your mind in a way that running a multibillion-dollar business never does. It brings the key drivers of performance into sharp relief. I promise.
My driving force in this business is to create and build great men, and to do that, you have to have great relationships.
Business has a responsibility and opportunity to be the driving force for the advancement of universal human rights.
The problem is that many times people suspend their common sense because they get drowned in business models and Harvard business school teachings.
Would-be drug companies must either produce medicines that stand up to federal scrutiny, demonstrate that their data has value to other companies, or go out of business.
