Dr. Pascal Thiam
Professor Monika Hudson recently hosted another fascinating entrepreneur in her Entrepreneurship/Business Planning class. Dr. Pascal Thaim — a world-class jazz musician who has played with Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz greats —has established a successful jazz club in San Francisco. One of her students, William Neverman, has contributed this report on Dr. Thiam’s visit.
In a crowded room full of BUS406, Entrepreneurship/Business Planning students, and interested guests, Dr. Pascal Thaim Bokar (Ed.D USF) shared his expertise in running a successful music enterprise, attracting emerging artists, and integrating a jazz business into an evolving Mission neighborhood. His presentation was met with total attention and sparked further excited interest in the classroom audience. Each word was well thought out, confidently stated, and resonated throughout the audience. There was also a visual grace in the way he conducted himself, using his hands to depict the stories he told. The panel of students who joined him raised various questions, and each response was filled with fascinating and unexpected detail.
Dr. Thiam talks with Monika Hudson's BUS406 Class.
It was clear in every word he spoke that he was a passionate man. Whether it was jazz music, education, or starting a business, in his words, “Passion is everything.” He embodied the spirit of a true entrepreneur, which is what many of us strive to become. He spoke of the hardships and struggles one must overcome, from reaching out and convincing your family to invest in your business, to rolling up your sleeves and cleaning the toilets when the janitors don’t show up. These personal insights were extremely useful in clarifying how much time and effort really go into starting and running a business.
After Dr. Thiam’s presentation I, William, asked a classmate what he had thought. His response was: “I couldn’t help but hang on every word that he spoke, wanting and waiting to hear more.” It’s clear that Dr. Thiam is a man who can captivate an audience, a skill that is reflected in his successful career as a professional musician. A number of other students responded with great enthusiasm for this particular speaker. His passion and thoughts were inspiring. Not only was the class full of Dr. Hudson’s students but there were a number of visitors as well. A range of students looking to start a business in the food and entertainment industry found what Dr. Thiam had to say extremely useful advice.
Dr. Thiam and students William Neverman and Lansen Leu.
As a result of the presentation I couldn’t help but make comparisons to my own business ideas as well as those of others in the class. I noticed three key characteristics of an entrepreneur that Dr. Thaim possessed. First: persistence in starting a business, which you are passionate about and believe in. In Pascal’s case opening a jazz club was not an automatically profitable business opportunity, but he was persistent in pursuing his idea. Second: determination to make sure your business prospers. He showed determination in making his business succeed by choosing a good location (when he couldn’t get into the Fillmore jazz heritage neighborhood, he made a Mission District location work for him), bringing in the right acts, and attracting customers from a wide range of demographics and ethnic backgrounds (Savannah Jazz has been listed as part of the jazz tourism sites in most of Western Europe; many Western European tourists/tour busses make a stop there). Lastly is the willingness to do the little tasks that are necessary in operating a business. For Dr. Thaim, it ranged from paying all the extra fees to have the city remove gum from the sidewalk, and the fees to permit outside seating, to personally taking out the trash and cleaning the bathrooms. I sincerely believe it is these key characteristics that make entrepreneurs like Dr. Thaim successful in business today.
The questions asked were answered fully and students enjoyed listening to his responses, which encompassed such passion and knowledge in his experiences. Dr. Thiam’s responses were very insightful into what it is to be an entrepreneur. He reiterated the constant theme of the need for capital. This stuck with us throughout his presentation. He said that to plan for the unexpected we needed to have a reserve of upwards of a year without any revenues.
Business students intrigued by Dr. Thiam.
His incite on financials was very interesting. He suggested that instead of figuring about 5 to 7 % for error that we account for everything and be prepared with 20% in savings to back up your business. Everything that can go wrong will, he says, so be prepared. He did say in the interview that he thinks that an online business is a good idea, which for several students was great news to hear because their group projects are projected on-line enterprises.
The presentation was fascinating. This was an interesting and unique individual that it was truly a pleasure to hear speak. And if any student would like to see the business that this man has built I would recommend taking a trip down to Mission, between 25th and 26th Sts. to find the Savanna Jazz Club and check the joint out. With that, I leave you with one of Dr. Thiam’s responses...
Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?
A: "We want to be part of the fabric of people's memories, to create experiences that they'll never forget and always associate with us. We've had guys spend $5,000 on a ring, and come to our place to propose marriage. They're never gonna forget that."
Savanna Jazz
2937 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
http://www.savannajazz.com/
