Steve Feinberg, 8spoke
💭 Thoughts on curiosity as a motivator, Adidas, and the journey is the destination.
Steve Feinberg is an entrepreneur and music consultant with over two decades of experience spanning music, television, film, fashion, and branding. His career is marked by discovering and managing bands from their earliest days to critical acclaim and multi platinum sales and a unique ability to navigate multiple industries simultaneously, fostering long-term client relationships across major labels and brands. Steve's expertise lies in artist management & relationships, strategic marketing, brand partnerships within the music and fashion sectors.
Through his consulting company, 8spoke.Creative, established in 2008, Steve has collaborated with prominent brands such as Doc Marten, J.Crew, Honda, Formula 1, ESPN and Steve Madden, leveraging his music industry connections to enhance brand visibility and engagement significantly and producing press worthy experiential events.
Presently, Steve is working with fashion brands on music initiatives as well as lecturing full time at Rowan University on the Business of Music, consulting for music legends Duran Duran and Roxy Music and as well as managing a handful of new artists.
🎯 Current focus
My son is an artist (painter) and he has encouraged me to finally begin painting (a lifelong dream.) I've been painting large canvases and it feels amazing. We are shooting for a father/son art show in the coming years. I have also begun teaching a full time schedule at my alma mater…and that is so much more rewarding that I could have anticipated. I love it.
🛣️ The journey is the destination
Joe Strummer preached “the Future is Unwritten” – I loved and lived that everyday since I heard it. We can do anything. As a practicing Buddhist I have always lived the journey is the destination and find that life is so much fuller when you can realize that.
🏴☠️ Rebellion fueled art
I am plugged into my enthusiasm for what's to come next for us all. Truly, I think about it and preach it daily. I think we are in for some tough years ahead politically and I can only hope that it fuels creatives around the world to create as much art as possible. As my punk rock youth was filled and fueled by rebellion I really would love to see an overwhelming growth in the punk rock scene (musically and artfully).
I am loving the band L.S. Dunes – wow they’re powerful and clever AF. Also loving the new Billie Eilish record as well as a band called New Constellations (who, for full transparency, I am now managing.) Their vibe is so transportive that it allows me to escape…
🌐 Having a 360 view of the industry and its inner workings
When thinking about someone in our industry I look up to… 2 artist managers and a lawyer (sounds like the beginning of a bad joke) have been my guiding light. Shep Gordon is one of the most clever managers to ever work in the business. If for some reason you have not heard of him please please go watch his documentary SuperMensch, go read the book, or both. Irving Azoff has been a personal mentor and has helped me throughout my career. Irving at many points in his career has been the most powerful manager in the global music business and to sit with him and hear him do business is unlike anything I have ever experienced. He is beyond smart. And finally Donald Passman a music attorney who wrote the book “All You Need To Know About The Music Business” which is considered the Bible of the Music Industry. I have had the good fortune to have lunch with him and talk music…he has the most incredible 360 view of the industry and its inner workings.
🧐 Curiosity as a motivator
It's what keeps me going, keeps me young and keeps me engaged and moving forward. I am forever curious.
👟 Adidas
Adidas, always relevant in fashion, music and culture, if there's one big brand I pay attention to it's Adidas. While it wasnt recent but I loved the Bad Bunny x Adidas collab a while back… It had Bad Bunny putting out a new song, Adidas pushing a new sneaker and making a cool skate video to promote it. It felt organic, timely, relevant and it made sense for all involved.
I love this guy – there's a lyric in the song that actually says…
I threw out the Nikes, I signed with Adidas (Woo)
I don't think my flow comes in your size
I do whatever I want, bastard, it's my life, ayy
Follow Steve on Linkedin and check out his company here.
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