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Stoy by your favorite breakfast spot for an invigoratingespresso, and you may hear the gentle strains of CharlesRough's clever ode to coffee playing over the speaker--thanksto Rough's BIZ Experiencesial savvy. Back in 1997, the careermusician took matters into his own hands after the recordingcontract of his dreams had eluded him for more than a decade."I had searched for the Holy Grail for many years but nevermade it to the dotted line," says Rough, 35. "Finally, Isaid `Why do I need a major record label when I can do itmyself?' "
So the musician-turned-BIZ Experiences (known as Chaz to his fans)recorded "Black Coffee," a song he penned while touringcoffeehouses nationwide, then shopped the single (complete with anacoustic-only "decaf remix") under his own label,Louisville, Kentucky-based Primitive Entertainment. Sold to coffeecompanies as corporate giveaways for their clients, "BlackCoffee" has since found its way to radio stations across thestate.
After the success of his coffee "cassingle," Roughwent on to produce a CD recording of "Journey," a weddingsong he'd written for his own nuptials. He marketed it with aninnovative twist: Packaged inside a wedding greeting card, the CDcontained advertising spots Rough solicited from 11 localwedding-related businesses. Rough then struck a deal with Bride& Groom magazine, a Louisville monthly, to distribute thecard/CD inside 1,000 issues.
And the hits just keep on coming. Rough's Unitywear, a lineof multicultural-themed T-shirts he designed, is worn these days bythe likes of President Clinton and Muhammed Ali. The shirts sell atsuch retailers as JC Penney and Mercantile, as well as on the Web.Expanding on that theme, Rough recently wrote and self-published achildren's book, The Book of Unity, that's caughtthe attention of major publishers.
He's also recently produced his first children'smultimedia CD-ROM, which contains 14 songs, a full-length musicvideo and Internet account-setup software for Unityworld.com (theISP that's his latest business venture). "It allconnects," explains Rough. "The music sells the books andT-shirts."
Looking forward to a breakout year, the one-man conglomeratesays, "I'm having fun--and I'm doing it on my own. TheHoly Grail was always in my hand."
Meal Ticket
From selling bubble gum in grade school to throwing parties incollege--for a fee--Wendy Diamond, 27, has always beenentrepreneurial. After graduating from Pine Manor College inChestnut Hill, Massachusetts, she moved to London for several yearsto export designer fashions to Russia. Upon returning to the Statesin 1993 "very comfortable" financially, "I waslooking for the next big thing," she says. On Thanksgiving Day1993, when Diamond volunteered at a New York City homeless shelter,she found her answer.
"I saw people in horrible situations," recallsDiamond. "I felt so grateful and realized I wanted to giveback." The question was how.
A light bulb came on when Diamond read the family cookbook afriend had created. "I thought `What a great idea for afund-raiser,' " she remembers. So the lifetimeBIZ Experiences kicked into high gear and formed Global LiaisonsInc.
The results? A Musical Feast, a collection of favoriterecipes Diamond charmed, begged and pleaded out of recordingartists ranging from Madonna to Frank Sinatra. Published inDecember 1995 and sold at Bloomingdale's and Pier 1 Imports, aswell as through a toll-free number, the book has raised $300,000(70 percent of the proceeds) for the homeless. Diamond's secondbook, The All-Star Feast, published in December 1997,features favorite recipes from international sports figures such asWayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Monica Seles and has raised morethan $200,000 for the homeless. Corporate sponsors, such asCoca-Cola and Nabisco, underwrote the costs of the books, but onlyafter Diamond's diligence prevailed.
Next on Diamond's agenda is a coffee-table book,Celebrities and Their Pets, and in the long term, anonprofit lifestyle magazine. "I've always feltlucky," she says. "For me, the best feeling is when I cangive back."
Contact Sources
Global Liaisons Inc., wendydiamond@prodigy.net
Charles Rough, (502) 425-8746, http://www.unityworld.com
