Week in Review - 21 November 2014

I am so thankful for a much needed easy week! Not that much to report, so let's dig in! On Monday I attended the Shaping Portsmouth Conference held at The Pyramids in Southsea featuring a fantastic lineup of speakers including the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr. Steven Wylie, Jonathan Goring of Ben Ainslie Racing and Stef Nienaltowski, Chair of Business & Enterprise with Shaping Portsmouth to name a few.

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday of this week I was in the office getting caught up on paperwork, working on Marketing with Creative Click and putting the finishing touches on my radio show, Glo's Music for the Soul, which will be aired on One World Radio next week! Speaking of radio shows, I've been in talks with ExpressFM to start a weekly radio show beginning in January! Watch this space for more details on my new terrestrial show as well as the on-line version!

Also, on Tuesday I had a great rehearsal with my original Soul band, Mayfield in preparation for our show at The Jolly Sailor on Saturday! We'll be debuting our latest song, 'Do What You Want With Me' along with performing songs from our current release, Tempo of Your Soul. I have featured our single, 'Ready, Set, Go!' on the radio show which is one of the new songs going on our second CD, Keep On!

Also thanks to having a light week, I've been able to put the finishing touches on the 60's version of Supremely, Diana Ross which I will be performing on Friday at Rock Zombie in Dudley with Jacqui Carroll of Ready Steady Go! If you're going to be in the Dudley area and you're looking for something to do, why not join us! Click here for more info.

Red Embers

On Saturday, one of Gloria Miller Entertainment's top bands, Red Embers, will be performing at a private event at The Lake Yard Club in Poole. Formed in August 2012, Red Embers are a group of musicians who have a real passion and intimate sensibility for jazz. Still a young band, Red Embers have that passion to succeed, and to make music that moves people by taking old and new tunes and making them their own. I am now taking bookings for Red Embers as well as all of the amazing performers I am blessed to book for! Contact me at 07504 611 173 or email me at gloria@gloriamillermusic.com today to discuss your entertainment for 2015!

Wedding Day 2009

Lastly, I will be exhibiting and performing at the Portsmouth Wedding Show on Sunday at The Pyramids. Sunday is also my 5th Wedding Anniversary ... Neal doesn't know yet that I'm working on our anniversary ... Shhhhh!!

That's it for this week ... have an amazing weekend!

Weeks in Review - 3 October & 10 October 2014

New Business Finalists

I've got so much to tell you so let's dive in ... As you may know, this year I was nominated for a Venus Award in the categories of Customer Service and New Business and went on to be named a finalist in the latter category. The awards debuted this year in the Portsmouth area, and founder Tara Howard and her staff put on quite the awards ceremony at the Portsmouth Marriott on the 1st of October. The hotel was buzzing with excited hopefuls including myself as we walked the red carpet, posed for photos, and I had the privilege of performing during the ceremony! 'Simply The Best' went over a storm with this room full of powerful business women (and a few men) and added to the sizzling tone set by the showgirls of Manic Stage Productions who opened the show.

I didn't win in my category, however, I have benefited in a huge way simply by association with such a prestigious award, including being contacted by The News in Portsmouth regarding their various awards. On the 9th of October I met with Rosie Morgan from The News and we discussed a few awards that are coming up and explored areas that GME can partner with them for sponsorship and entertainment. Watch this space for updates on which events I'll be involved with.

Manic Stage Productions Showgirls

I also want to send a shout out to Francis Davis at The Cathedral Innovation Centre (CIC) for supporting me and the other Venus Awards nominees who run their businesses from CIC. They purchased a table for the ceremony and I heard them before I actually saw them as they cheered me on when I took the stage to perform. I so appreciate their support and thank them for providing me and so many other small businesses with affordable office space.

On Saturday the 4th I performed Simply, Tina Turner at the Carisbrooke Arms in Gosport for the second time ever! I was a bundle of nerves as I waited backstage for my intro, but as soon as I heard the music and felt the support of the audience, it was like I was possessed by Tina! It was amazing from my perspective because it completely felt like an out-of-body experience. I've been performing Diana Ross for over a year and absolutely love it, but what I experienced performing Tina was magical. Usually, it's the second set of a gig that get's everybody up and dancing, but right out of the gate with Tina the atmosphere was charged with energy, the dance floor was packed and the crowd was singing along to every song, many of them knowing the lyrics better than me ... LOL! The first time I performed the show back in July, I was like a deer in the headlights and barely remember it. The second time even though I was scared, I was more prepared and felt more confident that I could get the job done. I guess the fact that I'm already re-booked to do Tina again at the Carisbrooke next year is a good sign! Watch this space for upcoming show dates.

Nick Boles, Me, Flick Drummond

On Monday the 6th of October I was invited to attend a reception at the Cathedral Innovation Centre with Nick Boles MP, the Minister of State jointly for Department for Business Innovation and Skill and the Department of Education who was showing his support for the work that CIC is doing with apprenticeships as well as with small businesses. Click here to read the article The News Portsmouth ran the day after the event.

I will be resuming my radio show, Glo's Music for the Soul, in October and on Friday the 10th I had a lovely chat with the managers of One World Radio about future radio shows as well as performance opportunities in Cypress. I'm recording the show this week to be aired on Halloween so I'm looking for music to fit the theme. Any suggestions?

On Saturday I performed to a fabulous crowd at The Jolly Sailor with my covers band, Move On Up and ventured into London on Sunday for a private solo gig to help celebrity bodyguard Michael Hosking celebrate his 50th birthday! It was a small gathering of about 25 people, but we had a fabulous time singing, dancing and celebrating at The Grange, which is a lovely venue in Ealing.

I'm off on Holiday for a few weeks so my updates will be on hiatus until I return on the 3rd of November. 

I'll be back in touch early November ... until then have a lovely rest of October!

Week In Review - 12 September 2014

As I'm just completing my second year of running GME, I am starting to see a pattern developing for my busy season, definitely the summer, and my breathing season, September & January. This works great with my companies' year because I like to use the first month of my business year, September, for planning. That's exactly what this week has been about ... Setting my annual, quarterly and monthly goals, and laying out a plan for how to reach those goals. 

Red Embers, GME Act

I want this year to be more focused on the acts I represent and the clients who book them. This area was a little bit neglected last year as I focused on several large events. This year I aim to strike a much better balance between these two vital areas of my business.

On Wednesday, I attended a Marketing Strategy Workshop at the Innovation Space in Portsmouth. The workshop was led by Lizz Clarke of LCM, who I work with in the Business & Enterprise work stream of Shaping Portsmouth. As I go into my third year, I realize that if I want to grow my performer and client base, I need to develop a solid marketing strategy. The tips Lizz shared has given me the tools to begin this process. All of us who attended this workshop seemed to be unclear of what 'marketing' actually is. Before this workshop, I wasn't clear on the differences, if any, between marketing, advertising & PR. Here's my take on Lizz's definition of marketing:

Lizz Clarke, LCM

'Marketing involves tactics that drive revenue. Those tactics include: advertising, PR, sales, social media, promotions, networking, etc.' 

As I build GME's marketing strategy for 2015 I have to look at all these areas with the aim of driving revenue. That's a lot to think about, but vitally important to the growth of the business. I encourage you to develop your own marketing strategy, and find ways to make yourself more marketable, no matter what you do in life. For businesses, contacting Lizz Clarke is a great way to start this process.

Also on Wednesday, my originals band Mayfield had an amazing rehearsal in our very own recording studio! The studio is still being built, but our last few rehearsals have been in this awesome space, and the recording room is sounding great! We should be fully up and running by early 2015. 

On Saturday we are  recording a demo at River Studios in Southampton to have a trial run on one of the mixing boards that we are considering for Mayfield Studios. We will be releasing our second album in late 2015 and have already written several new songs for the project. The demo will be of our newest song, Ready, Set, Go! which we will be recording over the next couple weeks. Watch this space for your sneak listen to this track. We may even offer it as a free download! Stay tuned to find out.

In addition to preparing to go into the studio to record the demo, we are also getting ready for a couple big shows happening this month:

20 Sep - The Jolly Sailor, Southsea - Rowan's Charity Event w/SoulTime DJ Martin Jackson (free entry)

26 Sep - The Cellars, Southampton - Supporting Soul & Funk DJ Craig Charles of BBC Radio 6 (sold out)

If you can't wait for the sneak listen to 'Ready, Set, Go!' then come see Mayfield at The Jolly Sailor where we'll be debuting this new song! Can't wait to hear what you think of this new tune!

I've got a full day on Sunday, starting with judging the OpenMic UK auditions at Ferneham Hall in Fareham in the afternoon, then I'll be heading to The Pyramids in Southsea where I'm exhibiting and performing Supremely, Diana Ross at a wedding show. Getting married? Then join me at The Portsmouth Wedding Show on Sunday!

Finally, I am performing my own songs from my solo release, Let Go, backed by my covers band, Move On Up! We will be supporting Alt3r Ego at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London on the 28th of September from 12:00 noon. Tickets are £15, but if you order your tickets in advance quoting 'Yemen7' the tickets are just £10. Click here to purchase your tickets!

Well, that's it for now. Have a fabulous weekend!

Month in Review - August, 2014

Venice, Italy

Where has August gone? Huge apologies that my last update was 25 July ... did you miss me? Don't answer that ... LOL!  I have loads to tell you about, so let's dig in!

The week of July 28th I was on a much needed holiday with the hubs. We went on a cruise from Venice, Italy to Kefalonia, Greece returning home on the 31st. There was lots of sunshine, food, drinks and dancing. Just what I needed to prepare for the very busy month of August.

I performed Supremely, Diana Ross on 1st August and with my originals band Mayfield on the 3rd at the Southsea Show. On the 2nd I performed at a new venue, Tinkers Tea Room in Gosport. What a lovely venue and fantastic audience. We started out with a very gentle Jazz & Blues set and then finished with an eclectic mix of uptempo classics that had the whole place up and dancing. Even drew in a few people who were passing by. I'm re-booked to perform for their Christmas season on the 12th of December. I'm also sorting out their entertainment for September with some of GME's amazing talent. More details to come.

Midnight Soul Sisters

The week of August 4th I was up to London on the Monday to rehearse with my latest venture, Midnight Soul Sisters, preparing for my debut performance with them on Friday the 8th at Felling Social Club in Newcastle. I was so nervous for the show because there were many dance routines I had to learn and actually remember, but the show was amazing and being on stage with three other dynamic entertainers was absolutely magical. At one point I was looking around at these women thinking 'how on earth did I get here'! We've been re-booked for that venue and I have several other dates booked with MSS. Learning and performing the dance routines reminded me of my cruise ship days, and I was thankful to have had that experience to draw on, because I don't think I would have been ready otherwise. Admittedly, sometimes I forgot to sing during the show because I was concentrating so hard on the dance steps ... LOL! The group is being re-vamped and we'll have some updated pics and video soon! Watch this space.

Move On Up

On 9 August I performed with my covers band, Move On Up, at The Concorde Club in Eastleigh. We did the Diana Ross Tribute Show and then finished up with a fiery party set. It was clear that the audience were there to have a good time, because the dance floor was full on the first Diana Ross song! What a great night.

The week of August 11th I attended a Shaping Portsmouth meeting on Tuesday. I am working with two 'work streams' within this organization ... Business & Enterprise and Cultural Partnership. The meeting on Tuesday was with B&E and my first meeting with Cultural Partnership will be on 1 September. Portsmouth is my adopted city and where I run my business from, and I wanted to find a way to give something back to this community that has embraced me and my business. Shaping Portsmouth allows me to do that and I'm looking forward to getting involved. Please click here to learn more about this organization.

On the 15-17 of August I was back in London for Foodies Festival Battersea Park. We were off to a very rocky start on Day 1 of this event ... when I arrived, the entertainment stage wasn't even built yet and wasn't finished until after the event had already opened. Day 2 of the event went much smoother and Day 3 was fantastic. I have to give a special shout out to James Gillespie, an amazing solo performer who covered my nether region big time by performing extra sets throughout the 3 days to help me cover cancellations. He was the perfect choice to ask to step in because he is a high-energy performer with a fantastic voice and quite the charmer with the audience. People were coming back to the event just to see him. By the Sunday, everyone was in love with him ... including me!

James Gillespie

This week has been all about Foodies Festival Oxford, the fifth event of the year for which I've organized the entertainment. Organizing this event has been full of challenges, and I didn't have the final list finished until yesterday! But, it's done and the line-up promises to be great. Click here to see the list of performers.

Finally, the 31st of August marks my 2nd year in business. However, before I can start celebrating I've got to get through next week which will consist of finalizing this year's accounts and year-end paperwork. I'll let you know how I get on in next week's newsletter.

My Dad!

On a personal note, my dad suffered a mild stroke while I was at the Battersea Park event. I received that news on Day 2 and I'm honestly not sure how I made it through the rest of the festival. On the train home from the festival on Sunday I was on a conference call with the doctor and my siblings and the news was really good. By Monday, my dad was off life support, sitting in a chair and talking. And on Thursday he was moved from intensive care. I had booked a flight to go home on Monday, but my sister said that it would be better for me to come when he's released to a rehab facility so I can help with the transition. I am so thankful for all the prayers and support I received during this time and feel extremely blessed that my 90 year old father is still with me!

Well, that's it for now. Have a fabulous weekend!

Week in Review - 30 May 2014

Last week I received the news that I've been nominated for a Venus Award for Customer Service and have made it through to the quarter final. I am just under two years being in business and it is quite an honor to have been nominated. My customer service approach is basically the golden rule ... treat others the way I want to be treated, and to be recognized for this feels amazing.  The Venus Awards is a national organization that have just launched a Portsmouth chapter. I am so pleased to be working with this organization and for being nominated in the Portsmouth area premiere year. 

This week's focus in the office has been on sorting out the final details on the next Foodies Festival event being held 6-8 June at Clapham Common in London, as well as finalizing the entertainment lineup for the forthcoming Bristol event 11-13 July. The Clapham lineup is excellent with some new performers to the list as well as a few favourites from the Brighton festival. I'm still filling slots for Bristol, but that lineup is shaping up quite nicely too! If you are in the Clapham Common or Bristol areas during the festival dates, why not join us for what is always a fantastic event, especially if the weather is with us! You can purchase tickets in advance through the Foodies website or on-site at the event. I hope to see you there, and bring the sunshine with you!!

My band Mayfield are in the process of building a recording studio, and the band leader Dominic Elton and I had a fantastic meeting with Gareth Henderson, the founder of River Studios in Totton, Southampton. We toured this amazing facility and discussed consulting with them on fitting out the studio with latest equipment, as well as River Studios providing technical support to help us get up and running. As we are waiting for our studio to be finished, we will be using River Studios to demo some of the new songs we're working on for our second album that will be released sometime in 2015. 

With Tara Howard
Founder of the Venus Awards

Lastly, tonight I will be returning to The Piranha Bar to perform a Motown/Soul Night and to sort out some future bookings for several of my acts. This lovely restaurant was one of my first clients in the early days of GME and have been working with the agency and me for almost two years. The last time I spoke with the owner there, she said how proud she was of me for the growth of GME and she remembered when I only had about five acts that I was booking for. I've got a few more acts and clients now, and possibly this is due to good customer service :)! Do you see how I tied that in to my Venus Award nomination? So sorry, I couldn't help myself. And now I'm gonna be quite cliched in saying ... I don't care if I win, it's just nice to be nominated! LOL!

Okay, I'm done ...

Have a wonderful weekend!!