By JANELLE DE SOUZA Saturday, September 6 2008

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Manager and promoter Seon Isaacs. ...

SEON ISAACS is an uncomplicated young man out of Marabella.

Despite this fact, Isaac is the owner of his own business — Isaacs Promotions — and is responsible for managing eight reggae artistes, in Trinidad and the British Virgin Islands. Isaacs is also a promoter whose company publicises several events, including the “Scorching Fridays” franchise.

“I knew entertainment was the direction I wanted to go for a long time,” he stated. “Even in school I was entertaining on the court.”

Isaacs played basketball at the national level and was Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive’s 2003 MVP.

Isaacs explained that he attended many parties in his teens and was bitten by the entertainment bug.

“I grew up with my mother, grandmother and two uncles. While they protected me as guardians I had a lot of leeway,” Isaacs recalled.

He used these opportunities to go out, not only to enjoy himself but to observe.

“There were always parties in Marabella and environs. I learnt a great deal,” he said. “For example, at the time, MIB threw the safest parties. I would pay attention at every party I went to. What did they do to make it safe? What made people enjoy themselves? What music did patrons most respond to? I would always pay attention to details - little things that made a party successful.”

Isaacs filed away all this acquired information and implemented it later on when organising and promoting his own events under Isaacs Promotions.

After completing his secondary school education in 2003, Isaacs spent two years working as a welder in order to generate funds to start his business, which he did in 2005.

To move closer to his goal, Isaacs completed a broadcasting course with Fine Tune Media. His first job in the entertainment industry was that of an announcer for Hype Radio, an internet radio station. There he made several contacts and Isaacs Promotions started to kick off. He went beyond announcing and began promoting small events and eventually he started DJ-ing for and organising parties.

Isaacs made his move into management when soca artist Brent Anthony and Anthony’s associate Karen Solomon came to him and asked for his assistance in managing Anthony’s music career. During that time, Isaacs moved on to a more commercial radio station.

“Then I was approached by Kwasi Robinson of Studio 53,” Isaacs recalled. “I was doing my thing in the South and he was doing his thing in the East so he said, ‘Let’s see how we can come together.’ They already had a successful team and I was added to the ball game.”

In addition to producing music for some of the most successful local artists, Studio 53 started the popular Red Carpet Saturdays at the Living Room in Arima. They also organise “Ah Cah Wait,” an annual reggae concert that is earning a reputation for having some of the best local acts.

“I’m learning that great success brings a lot of unnecessary enemies. People don’t understand the process of building a business. Everyone thinks you’re making plenty money and they want something from you,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ve learned a lot about the business but I know there’s still more to learn.”

He thanked his grandmother, mother and Uncle Dexter for being his biggest supporters.

“They would tune in to every programme and support every party in any way they can,” he said. “My grand mom used to make sure she was home in time for my radio programme. The same thing for my queen (his mother). By the time I was ready to say my first word, they were there.

“I saw that they and my other uncle made sacrifices for me and tried to give me everything I needed,” he continued. “I did well in school so there were many other things I could have done but I chose not to work for other people.”

His aim is to have several successful businesses, with the day-to-day running being done by employees, within the next eight years.

“By that time I want to be able to sit back and not be so much at the forefront,” he said. “Everything’s working out according to plan. Next year I want to expand. It will be a similar business but on an international level.”

To those who are “trying to do their own thing,” Isaacs has some advice: “Plenty people tried to tell me how to do things or told me I wasn’t going to make it. I just want to say thanks for the advice but I did it my way and it worked out and is still working out.

Believe in yourself, believe in your ability and work towards your goal every single day of your life and everything should be alright.”