Lydell Birch alias Moka Blast is the current CEO of FGC Studios. With over 15 years experience in the industry, he has broad experience in the entertainment sector, having worked with multiple production companies, music labels and talent agencies in North America, Europe and Africa. He is now opening his new Barbershop franchise and wants to develop his real estate portfolio in 2020.
You’ve been working in the entertainment industry for a decade now. As FGC Studios’ owner, what’s your daily hustle like?
It’s control anarchy! LOL. I usually wake up and look at my text messages on both phones before I even get out of bed. I smile as I have to answer over one hundred text messages every morning. Then I have to prioritize in order of urgency before calling my business partner DireXta. After we go over the books from the following night we break down the demands for the day and tackle it. I usually handle all finances while he handles the inner intricacies of running the daily operations. We don’t have a set schedule so we just go with the wind but we always make it work. It’s a very hectic work place environment but we have so much fun doing what we love that all we do is laugh throughout the 18 to 20-hour work day.
This time around I will be the one giving these teenagers direction on what NOT to do as societal beliefs have changed.
What were your biggest challenges when starting this business in particular?
Dealing with haters. And unfortunately, that included people I have known for over 10 years. I had to sever so many relationships. Another challenge has been the financial aspect of building my first studio. By completion I paid ten times the initial expected cost. I am an indie artist so everything I was doing had to be put on hold to complete this project. It was very frustrating at times and felt like the longest six months ever but Direxta and I pushed through despite the grueling challenges.
Make sure you hire people to aid in your odyssey, never do it all by yourself. You will burn out really fast when you are alone…
Do you have any plans for the future of FGC studios? Like franchise development?
Professor Xavier is that you? We have already started building a new location in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where multi-platinum engineer Craig Mitchell (@Craigtheengineer) is the owner & operator. We have been doing business before I even started my music career and it only made sense for me to empower the man who have bent over backwards to see me succeed to this stage in the game. My boy “Semi” is as dope as they come not only as a producer but as a human being! Salute!.. Read the full interview
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LYDELL BIRCH
Entrepreneur Mindset #Winter2020
Featuring Lydell Birch, Anna Kostritskaya, Mariella Katz, Sarah Foley alias Vertical Blonde, Kyra Mastro, Taïna Dinapoli, Sabrina Ariel & Lina Vasquez “The Busy Linguist
