Before becoming the owner of Topline Business Management, Joe McGill had a dream of becoming a professional football player. However, he is leading a team of a different kind; that of his clients at Topline. He currently represents some of the most varied, prestigious and established talent in the entertainment industry. Topline has risen to be the first ever Black owned business management firm in Hollywood, and despite the changing entertainment economy, his clients continue to be successful.
He continues to give back, and is a volunteer at the Magic Johnson Foundation- Taylor Michael Scholarship Program, and a board member of the InsideOut Writers Foundation.
You started off in the world of accounting even landing a job at a prestigious accounting firm. you decide to go in another direction and go into business management.
Please explain what an entertainment business manager is, and what areas of entertainment does it cross?
In the simplest form, we are accountants and CPAs but with far more complexities. We have often been referred to as a Personal CFO or Financial Quarterback. The business management function is a blend of backhouse and financial planner. It is a role that requires significant trust. The backhouse can involve certain aspects such as bookkeeping, taxes, and insurance matters. While financial planning can consist of asset procurement, estate planning, and financial budgeting.
A business manager can be in all areas of entertainment. Traditionally, the space was held for mediums such as TV/film, music, and sports. New mediums such as social Influencers and gamers have allowed the industry to expand.
What was your inspiration for starting Topline Business Management?
Really good question. It was meant to be. As someone who has always had the entrepreneur spirit, I knew at an early age that I would one day have my own company. That said, I needed to hone my craft and was able to get the experience with several well-established business management firms before deciding to start Topline. But truly the inspiration for Topline was having a shared vision with my business partner, Bryan Meyer who I have known since 2013, of what we thought the business management industry needed. Which was younger and diverse decision makers. Not only did we know we could do it, but we also knew we could be different and great.
What skills besides finance expertise are necessary to be a good business manager?
Patience and a keen ear are important skills. Our clients all have a unique way of communicating, to be effective we have to commit to guiding them at their speed. It is also a bit of a delicate balance and availability. Our clients know they can get a hold of us in various ways, and response time is key. When dealing with financial matters, we cannot let questions or concerns linger. Lastly, anticipating clients’ needs is huge. In a sense it can be thought of as an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
What obstacles did you face when you decided to step out on faith and create your vision for Topline Business Management? How did you see it through?
One of the obstacles or I would say challenges we faced when forming Topline was false successes and outright rejection. We had promises and even signed engagement letters that never translated into actual clients. It was humbling when trying to get out to a fast start. We also had a few early cracks at a big-name client that would have been huge for us, but it did not pan out. However, we had a plan and vision on what we needed to do which was putting our heads down and doing all the grunt work necessary in building the business up. So, as you can imagine, it was a lot of networking, coffees, lunches and dinners early on to get the word out about Topline.
Giving back to the community is something that is essential for you and shows in the work that you do. Why do you feel mentorship is so important, especially for the youth?
Giving back to the community is important to me because I had mentors growing up in Watts and Lynwood. My dad being the main mentor for me growing up; Allowed me to believe that I was capable of being anything I set my mind to. Not just in sports but in life. So, for me, passing along my knowledge to the youth is important, especially for kids who are at disadvantages. Positive reinforcement can do wonders for impressionable kids.
How do you avoid burnout and make your mental health a priority?
This is something I think about a lot. Work/Life balance is important but when you are running a business sometimes the life part can be an afterthought. Because there is always something to do, especially in our industry. But when I take a step back and realize why I am doing this it puts things back in perspective. So that means, taking a real lunch, going for a walk, exercising and spending time with the family.
What impact would you like to make, as your organization is a black owned business in Hollywood?
This is personal for me, as with being one of the few majority black owned business management firms I hope I am paving the way for others like me. We need more diversity at the decision-making level and the opportunity to get there. Inclusion is where it starts, and I hope I can be among the leaders of a new movement.
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