Once a week, Solan Strickling and St. Jules Desir record new content for their podcast, 30 To Melrose, a witty and informative look at the television and film industries through the lens of business strategy. The podcast is known for the straight-shooting, conversational style of its hosts, both members of USC Marshall’s MBA Class of 2017.
Though they now live on opposite coasts, Strickling in New York City and Desir in Los Angeles, the friends and colleagues make it sound easy, putting together the weekly podcast — whose episodes range from a half hour to more than an hour long — through the power of Skype. 30 To Melrose recently celebrated its 1,000th download on iTunes.
What kind of subject matter might listeners get acquainted with? In one recent episode, the hosts discussed the acquisition of Fox by Disney — “the biggest news in the entertainment industry right now,” says Desir, who joined Paramount Pictures as a finance manager after graduating from the Marshall School. “It’s a monumental deal that will change the landscape of this industry.”
Talking through the mega-deal’s implications, Strickling and Desir give listeners a complex-yet-accessible explanation of what it portends for the media and entertainment world. A finance manager at NBC Universal, Strickling says to be a part of the industry these days and be on the frontlines of such monumental change is both exciting and terrifying. His three-word synopsis is as blunt as it gets: “This sh*t’s crazy!”
‘TWO FINANCE GUYS WALK INTO A B-SCHOOL …’
Pesky time zones aside, Striking and Desir are serious about using the skills, tools, and network they cultivated in B-school to grow their podcast audience and see where the venture ultimately takes them. It’s a journey anyone who went to B-school with them might have seen happening, as the duo became fast friends upon meeting in 2015 shortly after enrolling in the MBA program at USC.
Their friendship was instantaneous because of all that they had in common. First, both were finance guys. Strickling (previously featured in Poets&Quants’ Meet USC Marshall’s MBA Class of 2017) had studied finance at Morehouse College and worked as a business development senior associate at UBS. Desir earned his finance degree at Pace University and joined USC from JP Morgan, where he was a business manager in the Corporate Technology Department.
But more than their finance backgrounds, what brought the friends together was an undeniable yearning to work in the entertainment industry.
St. Jules Desir, left, and Solan Strickling, USC Marshall Class of 2017 and hosts of the 30 to Melrose podcast. Courtesy photo
A SHARED PASSION: THE ENTERTAINMENT SPACE ‘NEVER FELT LIKE WORK’
“In finance, one of my jobs was working as a generalist, where I would look at many different industries to understand how the market was moving,” Strickling tells Poets&Quants. “I spent a lot of time in the healthcare space, automotive, and other industries. I remember that whenever I did the entertainment or tech space, it never felt like work to me. I had a great job in finance, but I didn’t fully love it.
“That’s why I decided to go back and get my MBA; to get new skills and break into a new industry.”
For Desir’s part, his passion for entertainment also stemmed from a desire to switch from finance to entertainment. “I pursued my MBA because I wanted to transition into the entertainment industry,” he tells P&Q. “I spent countless hours on Variety, Deadline, and Hollywood Reporter researching all the latest news. I knew the only way to jump into entertainment was to go to business school.”
“As we got to know each other more, the passion we both shared for the entertainment industry was evident,” Strickling adds. “We would have long discussions about it. People would join us, then leave and come back, and we’d still be talking.”
‘WE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, BUT NOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE’
The pair launched their first podcast effort during their first year at USC. “We had a lot of interest in media and entertainment industry, but not a lot of experience,” Strickling says. “From watching and reading about the industry, we got the idea to launch the podcast, figuring it would give us the experience in addition to the skills we were getting at USC. Also, we utilized marketing strategy and industry research that came in handy for interviews and such.”
However, the format back then was just slightly different than it is today. “Our original podcast at USC was called E&F which stands for “Educated and Faded.” We would drink beer and discuss content. As you can tell, we have come a long ways,” Strickling says, laughing. The new title, 30 To Melrose, is a reference to NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and Paramount Pictures’ location on Melrose Avenue in L.A.
Though the podcast got positive feedback when it first launched — thanks in part to the support of faculty and fellow students in the MBA program — the hosts made an executive decision to cut it short during their second year so they could focus on landing full-time jobs in their industry of choice. It was a wise decision to let reality catch up with their dreams: Both landed positions inside the world of entertainment, with Strickling headed to NBC and Desir off to Paramount.
‘USC MARSHALL HELPED ME ATTAIN MY ENTERTAINMENT DREAMS’
St. Jules Desir is now a finance manager for Paramount Pictures. Courtesy photo
Both attribute their landing dream jobs to the MBA education they got at USC.
“USC Marshall helped me attain my entertainment dreams by giving me access to alumni with unparalleled industry knowledge,” Desir says. “These alumni were always open to having a meeting with me. Those conversations gave me a foundation for entertainment industry knowledge as well as where I fit within the industry. I have to also say, being able to take courses at the cinematic arts school gave me an extra layer of insider knowledge that helped me in my interviews.” He adds that USC has been helpful in post-MBA through alumni that continue to mentor and guide him as he moves forward in his entertainment career.
Strickling echoes the sentiments of his business partner and podcast co-host. “Coming from finance, I didn’t know about the industry or roles that were interesting to me. Business school really helped in that regard; learning about the industry, different functions, and opportunities to go into.”
In his day job, Strickling now handles all of NBC’s deals to cable distributors. For Bravo, for instance, establishing how much Comcast pays NBC to show Bravo programming. “It’s very strategic based. I spend time testing out different distributors and platforms and seeing how well each distributor is doing. I also work with the law team and sales team in negotiating contracts. I get to utilize my finance background, but it’s very focused on entertainment. The fun part is I get to see things come to fruition, all while watching TV. When I go on my Netflix binge, I always joke with my friends and say, ‘Well, I’m doing industry research.’”
PODCAST RELOADED
Still, the work of the podcast was something the pair said they didn’t want to let go. “After we got jobs, we started talking about it again,” Strickling recalls. “So in September 2017, we came back and relaunched. Now that we’re inside the industry, we understand a little more about the behind the scenes and we’re a little more business focused than before.”
“The podcast is basically two parts. We always open by talking about the business side of it all. Sure, it’s entertainment, but it’s still a business. Decisions are made with business needs in mind.” As an example, Strickling refers back to the Disney’s acquisition of Fox. “From the fan side, they may see Mickey Mouse doing a collaboration with Bart Simpson, but there’s more to it. We discuss what this means from a corporate structure standpoint, how it will uniquely position the companies involved, and what it does to the business landscape.”
From there, the two give their review of a current movie or television show. “We’re not necessarily talking about stylistics of camera work and things of that nature, that’s not our expertise,” Strickling says. “It’s more along the lines of how you feel when you’re watching a program or maybe the impact of a film like “Coco” on the industry.”
Solan Strickling is a finance manager for NBC Universal. Courtesy photo
The two say 30 To Melrose is growing in popularity because it’s filling a need, helping people understand the profit side of entertainment in a way that’s easily digestible.
“As I was trying to get into this industry, there weren’t a lot of resources available,” Strickling says. “It’s so different from anything else. One of our goals is to be one of the looked to thought leaders to understand the context and business side of entertainment.”
APPLYING LESSONS LEARNED IN B-SCHOOL
It also doesn’t hurt that they’ve acquired a variety of skills that are now helping them to grow their venture.
“First and foremost, business school helped from an inspirational standpoint,” Strickling says. “Being able to meet so many great people and classmates from all different walks of life. Plus, the speakers the school brought in who would share their tales of entrepreneurship and just going for it and doing it. This really helped in terms of inspiration. It gave us confidence in sharing our thoughts and opinions with the world.”
He continues: “From a marketing and strategy standpoint it has been huge and interesting. We’ve used a lot of strategy and analytics to monitor what’s working or not working then having honest looks at ourselves of why something was successful or not successful.”
So what’s next for 30 To Melrose? Strickling and Desir acknowledge they’re likely a good ways off from monetization, but they do think they’re on the right path. Having achieved 1,000 downloads, Strickling says, “I think that it’s definitely good in the sense that the first time we launched it, we had maybe 15 or 16 people download it. Since the relaunch, we’ve been seeing huge amounts of growth so far. We’re noticing a gain in more and more downloads. The trend is picking up. If we ever think about monetization, which we’re really far from, the goal to monetize would be 10,000 monthly downloads.
“But we’re on right track to be just a few months old.”
DON’T MISS: HARVARD’S ANITA ELBERSE TEACHES ENTERTAINMENT ROPES TO EXECS (AND CELEBRITIES) and MY STORY: FROM A-LIST ACTRESS TO OLIN MBA
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