Real American Capital Corp (RLAB)

[Time To Roll]

Meet Amrita Sen http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/featuredlady.cfm/featureid/71


Who Is She?
As someone who talked her way into reporting directly to the CEOs of two major corporations, the first at 24 years old, Amrita Sen capitalized on unusual opportunities to learn at a young age and high level about business leadership. Today Amrita runs her own business – Vault Agency, an entertainment marketing firm that lands corporate branding deals for celebrities, through licensing, endorsements and product placements.


Risk Taking 101
"After graduating from Wharton in 1992, I went to Goldman Sachs as an analyst in the healthcare department. After three years, I knew I had to leave Wall Street and gain operating experience to get out of the heap. So I approached an SVP at one of our client companies – a large healthcare corporation, about working for him. I moved to Nashville and went to work for Columbia HCA. This decision would change my life."


Corporate Ladder? What Corporate Ladder?
"Everyone wondered how I eventually ended up reporting to Rick Scott, who was then CEO and chairman of Columbia HCA, shortly after I moved to Nashville. The truth is - it was a combination of aggressiveness and the right timing. I approached Rick one day and asked to do a project for him. The project went well and he asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted to report to him directly, and it was a miracle he said ‘Yes.' At 24, I became one of his eight direct reports. It was significant for me because once again, it took me out of the heap."


Back to Business School
"I realized I needed an MBA for the legitimacy – I was the youngest person in the boardroom. So I applied and was accepted to Harvard. When you go back to business school, you start to think about ‘Now what do I really want to do?' I'm a musician and come from a musical family, so I decided to try the music business. After five years in healthcare, I needed a change."


MBAs Need Not Apply
"The irony is… in the music business no one cares about your MBA. People shut doors because I had an MBA. I started cold calling CEOs of record labels and sent out about 300 letters. I finally landed a job working as the MBA intern for the CEO of Capitol Records."


Making Money in the Music Biz
"Artists in the music business don't clear as much money as you might think – often they have to recoup marketing costs before they get revenue. I noticed that talent agencies were starting to look for corporate deals on behalf of musicians and saw a business opportunity. I joined a marketing agency specializing in the field and spent more than three years there as a partner, landing musicians revenue opportunities with big companies. Our new company focuses not only on music, but film and TV celebrities as well."


Starting Out on Her Own
"A little more than a year ago I decided to venture out on my own and start Vault Agency. I found a great business partner and together we have about eight employees, 25 corporate clients and offices in Los Angeles and New York. We are extremely specialized in apparel as it relates to entertainment licensing. However, we also represent two of the largest perfume companies for all of their celebrity licenses and several wireless companies."


Start-Up Costs
"I like to say that it cost $35 to start my business – the cost of registering in Delaware. I could run my business with my Blackberry and a cell phone."


Managing Business and Baby
"I have a two-year-old and went back to work the day after giving birth. In my business things change so fast that if you take a day off, there is always going to be someone waiting to take your position. I have 24-hour help with my son – I'm entertaining people at night and travel 10 days out of the month. When I have nervous breakdowns – often on a monthly basis, my mom flies out from the East Coast to help me. Slowing down now would be foolish because we have invested a lot of effort in this business."


The Value of Mentorship
"There have been a few people in my life who have gone out of their way to help me, and there is no explanation for it, outside of the fact that they are solidly good people. Rick Scott became my mentor and shaped my leadership skills. He showed me the value of being aggressive, making profits, having courage and most importantly, how to dream to be big. Many years later, I ran across a legendary music manager, Irving Azoff, who took me under his wing and had the patience to deal with someone so new in the business. I would not be where I am if it weren't for these two individuals."


Defining Success
"I don't consider myself yet to be a successful person. There are times when I know I am a really good business person, a good boss, a good business partner, a friend, wife, mother, daughter, and sister– but not always. I think perhaps that success is being all these people as consistently as you can."


Greatest Success
"Marrying my husband – because for this kind of work life you have to have a good partner and someone who's understanding."


Greatest Challenge
"Right now, there are significant challenges in the entertainment business, particularly in music. The music model has been obliterated by high costs of promotion (video and radio), consolidation across labels and retailers, and finally free downloading. The new business of corporate deals is attracting a lot of attention, both good and bad. The challenge is to remain a leader in this new area, apply some real strategy to it, and consolidate the market. If we don't consolidate the market, someone else will."


Words of Advice
"Focus on getting customers, building revenues, and keeping costs as low as possible. For men, if they run into trouble running businesses, they have a better shot at raising money and emerging out of the problem. For women, it's more difficult to raise money. I have never tried, and I probably never will. For me, it is much easier to conserve cash. It is a better use of my time."