Elizabeth Walton knew that she wanted to run her own business in handling promotion and distribution for underground music artists, and came to National’s $$COLUMBUS campus for the training she needed to help make that dream happen. With National’s focused courses in the business management administration program, she graduated with her associate’s degree in two years. By the time she walked across the stage, her business was already taking off.
“I plan fashion shows, underground concerts for unsigned artists… I have an online radio show, I’ve done press conferences,” Elizabeth says, rattling off some of the many things she handles in her business: The Boss Lady Enterprises. It takes a lot of management, organization, and dedication – all traits Elizabeth used and honed as a student at American National University. It also takes being a people person, something that Elizabeth has a natural part of her personality and part of what attracted her to American National University. “With the classes being small it gives you a lot more time to interact with the instructor,” Elizabeth shares.
Elizabeth appreciated the family atmosphere at American National University – citing Patricia Kedzerski as one of the instructors who “was really in tune with wanting all students to succeed.” And she found that the accessibility of administrative staff, from student services to the dean of students, to be refreshing and supportive. It allowed her to build a network of contacts with students, faculty, and staff, rather than feel like one student amongst hundreds.
That ethos of “building networks” with people is central to Elizabeth’s business, and one that she’s now taken to the virtual realm of social media – connecting with people via twitter, facebook, websites, and blogs from across the United States. In hosting her radio show she talks with guests she’s interviewing, takes calls from those listening in, updating facebook and twitter and answering questions that come in from those listening online: “It’s real busy, but I love it” she says with a huge smile.
“My goal is get an entertainment portfolio together,” Elizabeth says about her long term goals, “shop it around to different labels and see if I could do some sort of planning or artist development for somebody.” For now, she’s continuing to build her business and enjoying the fact that she’s already accomplishing one of her dreams.
