Howard Lee Gatch has worked in the music and entertainment industry for 20+ years as a manager and executive producer. Those looking to get a music, sports, TV or entertainment business idea off the ground know very well that gaining access to the right people can be a challenge. But a new video meeting platform, MeetEm, is looking to change that by giving its users access to experts and various industry insiders they have never had access to before.
MeetEm is equal parts LinkedIn, MasterClass, Zoom and Netflix that requires no special software or apps to download due to its super-advanced encrypted browser-based technology.
FMM: You have worked in the music and entertainment industry for 20+ years as a manager and executive producer. You have worked with artists including, Scott Storch, Beyonce, Trick Daddy, and many others. What has surprised you the most over the years?
How small the entertainment business is and how you remain friends for years even though you don’t get to see each other all the time. Most surprisingly is how people can be their own worst enemy and really hurt their opportunities and career but more importantly how ones positive and enjoyable personality can carry them farther than their talent.
FMM: What is your philosophy to success?
Show up, stay positive, work hard, be reasonable, honest, and treat people respectfully.
FMM: What led you to launch MeetEm?
To create a virtual space to help aspiring talent, businesses, and entrepreneurs to directly connect with prominent and difficult to reach executives and professionals but compensate them for their valuable experience and advice.
Vetted insiders and advisors in the business of music, sports, TV, tech, media, marketing and finance can offer their expertise on MeetEm through a virtual pay-per-virtual system and charge a per-minute rate for access to them. People looking to make connections, pitch business ideas or get expert advice can pay for access to these industry experts and meet with them in real-time virtually, giving them valuable insights into getting their businesses, projects, and ideas off the ground faster.
FMM: How will MeetEm open doors to artists and entrepreneurs?
Virtually by giving them previously inaccessible access to gatekeepers who are willing to help and give advise but don’t have time to waste. It shows the gatekeepers that this is someone who really believes in the their talent or project because they are willing to pay to present. It also encourages the artists and entrepreneurs to push themselves to bring their A-Game and not to waste a great opportunity or their money in the process. In the end, it’s a win-win for each side because the prominent experts and professionals are getting to review top notch presentations and talent while the clients are getting direct access and advice from the top tier without being taken advantage of along the way with only promises from people who can’t deliver.
FMM: What does this look like?
- So, prominent and busy executives who are working day and night on big deals and projects have very little time. Promising new deals and clients are usually by referral only thus preventing many people from every getting the chance to present them exciting new projects & proposals.
- Globally there are tons of extremely talented, creative, and smart people who have high quality proposals and projects with massive potential but no way to talk or meet with these prominent professionals for a presentation.
- The prominent professionals don’t have time to waste because every minute of their time is money as busy business professionals.
- The aspiring talent or promising entrepreneurs know they have something extremely unique and of great value and quality and are willing to pay the prominent professionals whatever it takes for 15 or 30 minutes of their valuable time for a 1to1 virtual video presentation.
- MeetEm offers a very easy and simple one-click virtual meeting marketplace where they can book a meeting from anywhere at anytime via a mobile phone, laptop, tablet, or desktop without any app or software to download.
- The busy professionals set available hours and days on their profile along with their 15 or 30 min. fee that could range anywhere from $250 to $25,000 depending on the value of their connection, experience, and advise.
- Virtual meeting links are sent to both professional and client via email and phone for the one-click meeting then it automatically times and ends the meeting and processes the pre-approved payment immediately.
FMM How is this platform a perfect resource for Journalists?
Our platform is extremely resourceful for Journalists by giving them access to previous inaccessible, well know and distinguished people for virtual face to face interviews while the interviewees can request all question ahead of time before accepting and approving the interview.
FMM: Share the benefits for the expert advisors.
Professionals, executives, and experts are allowed to set their own fees, time, and available schedules. So, if they only wanted to do it one day week during a two or three time frame their scheduling would allow bookings during that time only. Or if they wanted to change it to allow virtual meetings during travel times or downtime when they wanted to be away from the daily hustle & bustle they can change it easily and quickly.
We review each potential advisors to verify their credentials prior to being available for bookings on MeetEm.com
We also verify clients who are booking them and validate their legal names, addresses, & IP’s via our partnered payment processor Stripe. Stripe also handles Amazon payment processing and many other Fortune 500 companies.
FMM: Do you have plans for expansion?
We already have established and syndicated our MeetEm Business Video Podcast with the largest platforms in the world such as iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and are positioned to start globally broadcasting exclusive thirty minute interviews of our various vetted MeetEm advisors offering business advice, experience, and wisdom for everyone 100% Free.
FMM: Share your vision for 2022.
Our initial focus is Pay-Per-Virtual Video Meetings with Vetted Advisors in the Entertainment Business and its subsidiaries of Music, sports, TV, Media, Tech, Marketing, and Finance with rapid expansion into other highly sought-after areas of interest. Our goal for 2022 and beyond is to always offer the best and highest quality virtual marketplace in the world that everyone can enjoy and utilize.
