Meet Penny Newberry

We recently connected with Penny Newberry and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Penny , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose because of K-POP. During the pandemic, I like so many people, experienced extreme loneliness and depression because of social distancing. And yet, in spite of these trying times, I found my one true love…K-POP. I’ll never forget how I discovered K-POP.

I was bored one day, scrolling through YouTube when the music video Dingga by MAMAMOO popped up in my timeline. I decided to click on the video and I was blown away. Who knew a music video could be life-changing but it was. Four years later, I have become a MOOMOO (fan of MAMAMOO).

Also in the pandemic, I discovered MONSTA X and CRAVITY becoming a MONBEBE (fan of MONSTA X) and LUVITY (fan of CRAVITY) respectively. I wanted to mention the group names with their respective fandom names because K-POP is often very generalized in the West. So a lot of non K-POP fans are unaware of how diverse the genre is. K-POP music incorporates R&B, Rock, Hip-hop, Dance, EDM, Pop, Latin, Jazz, and Funk.

Furthermore, each group or solo artist is completely different as are their fans. Usually, the fans mirror the artist in personality and style. Also with two of my favorites MONSTA X and MAMAMOO – the members write and produce most of the groups music so they aren’t manufactured in any way. Everything they do is very authentic and original.

After finding K-POP, I realized that my purpose is to work in music. For awhile, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Now I realize that marketing, management, and A&R/Artist Development is my talent and passion.

I relaunched my agency, ISLP AGENCY in January 2024 so that I can start working with artists. My first goal is to become well known within the K-POP community so that I can show potential clients that I’m knowledgeable and talented. My next goal is to represent artists to provide international marketing. I have so many ideas on how to create fan experiences and build a stronger, more authentic connection between K-POP artists and international fans.

I truly believe this is my calling because I am so passionate about it. I pray that I can continue on this journey of manifesting my purpose.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am CEO of ISLP, THE INKSPOT, LLC, a creative production company and multicultural creative agency based in Dallas, Texas. As a creative production company, we design and develop original products to inspire and empower multicultural consumers to ink the life they’ve always wanted. We have published three books, produced multiple travel guides and launched a vegan fashion line, Pennies & Pens. We also publish a K-POP and R&B lifestyle magazine, de la Pen…All Pen Everything and we produce The Penny Black YouTube Channel which is also dedicated to K-POP and R&B.

As a multicultural creative agency, we offer copywriting, event planning, styling, photography, branding, marketing, public relations, and A&R/Artist Development for K-POP and R&B artists. We are committed to helping our clients build a genuine connection with their audience.

We are preparing to host our first event, 514XMONBEBE on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 12:30PM – 4PM at KungFu Tea Southlake. 514XMONBEBE is a cup sleeve event dedicated to celebrating MONSTA X’s 9th Anniversary. We would love for you to join us! Come experience MONSTA X’s incredible discography while meeting fellow MONBEBE (fans of MONSTA X). If you purchase a drink from KungFu Tea, you get a free cup sleeve. Also, we’ll be selling exclusive event photocards and you can pre-order a Pennies & Pens T-Shirt designed just for the event.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The best skills that were most impactful on my journey are the ability to write, communicate, and create original content. Developing these skills helped me branch out into so many different areas. Since I’m talented writer and excellent communicator, I have been able to manage a multifaceted business and create authentic content.

I would advise creating content that is unique to who you are. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there because there is nobody like you in the whole world. People will always have negative things to say, don’t let it get to you. I have been working on building my brand for years but it was until August of 2023 that some of my fabulous Pennies & Pens YouTube subscribers recognized me on the street and we took a photo together! It was such an amazing moment because I never thought my content would affect people like that! But you never know who is watching, always keep this in mind. Even if you don’t have a huge following, it doesn’t mean you don’t have influence.

Also, to create content that is unique to you, think about who you are, what you want to say and how you want to say it. Then start planning. Create a brand and content strategy to plan how you will develop your brand and produce content. Be sure to select a platform that you absolutely love. It took me years to realize YouTube and blogging are my two favorite platforms and the only ones I even like using. I completely abandoned social media in 2021 and it hasn’t impacted my brand because I’m still active on YouTube and my blog. So don’t feel pressured to have an account on every social platform, it’s time consuming to create content especially if you utilize multiple channels.

Finally, create a business plan and budget. Figure out what products and services you will sell to your audience so you can make money. The best way to monetize online is developing your own product(s) or selling a service. The influencer/sponsorship strategy is tough because it’s so competitive and you really need a few million highly engaged followers to land consistent paid campaigns. However, with your own product(s) or service offerings, you can sell those directly to your audience no matter the size. You just need to create the relationship first. And you do that by creating amazing content consistently.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The book that played an important role in my development is All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. That is one of the most authentic, helpful books I have ever read. The music industry has a tendency to be so closed off and hush hush. It’s all about who you know, where you live and what you wear. So sometimes it feels impossible to break in.

However, Don Passman wrote an incredible book that actually helps emerging artists. The most impactful nuggets were the parts where be breaks down contract negotiations with labels, brand sponsors, songwriters, producers, etc. In the book, he talks about what types of contracts an artist should sign and what they should avoid. Since Don is a seasoned attorney working with top artists for over 30 years, he’s definitely who you should be listening to.

He also talks about how an artist collects royalties from streaming and physical sales. Furthermore, he discussed how groups differ from solo artists when it comes to how much money they make. It’s such a phenomenal and iconic book, there’s no way I could sum it all up. Just read All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman and you’ll be ready to break into the music industry.

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