About the CEO

Music and dance have always been a passion of Joseph Lewis Smith also known as Jose Luis Smith (JLS), as a child he would dance in his sleep and dance all over the house and even outside. The first album that inspired him was Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the videos on MTV, next thing you know JLS was being molded into a dancing machine. Between the ages of six and twelve, JLS was learning a more smooth way of dancing on a freestyle level. Once at the age of thirteen, JLS joined a boys group under the Fellowship Organization, there he met with other talented young men on a business minded track, as well as music and dance. They combined a lot of their talents and made a small no name dance group and only did a few shows. Being in a small town where music was mostly country; rock and hip hop where nothing beyond the TV screens, JLS continued to keep dancing and learn about music and its movement! JLS, learned a lot for himself, it was a slow journey and still a continuous one!

By the age of sixteen, JLS moved to a larger city where hip-hop and pop where within its culture and influenced within the teens but it was nothing comparable to the larger scales of New York or Los Angeles! Moving on with his life Dance never left his side and he would continuously work on a few techniques. Hanging around and meeting new people with different techniques was a helpful insight. Mostly on a free style mission, JLS was always out and about within the clubs and getting to know a few of the future dancers and promoters for the local area.

At the age of eighteen and getting out into the real world, JLS decided to join the Army to advance more self skills and enhancements in the positive self building department in his life. The Army opened up his mind and made JLS a more positive and direction focused person. When his duty station assignments lead him to Germany, he taught himself a little bit of the German language to get himself by. Meeting a few Army “buddies” along the way, five individuals became a small little dancing group, that unknowingly formed and almost every night they would find clubs to go to, to show off their skills. A few local German artists approached them to accompany them on a few local music video’s which at the time fell threw.

Prior to leaving for Germany, JLS purchased a camera, as he felt the nitch and the eye for creativity. He took photography class while in high school, though he failed most of his test, the photos that came out from behind the lens were A quality work and though he passed barely hanging on, only due to the photos!

In Germany, JLS took the time to capture many scenic surroundings. Roll after roll, he would do nothing but shoot and travel, when not doing his Army lifestyle. The camera was something he was still trying to work out in his life. When capturing a few ducks at a local pond, then soon after getting them developed he had an offer from one of his Army friends that he was interested in purchasing them. Right then he knew he wanted to capture more of life.

Getting back into the US and out of the active lifestyle of the Army, he soon took on a job with a local cable company it was then; he met a few guys having an entertainment company that they were trying to get off the ground. Unknowingly it was for dancers and they wanted him to be the Public Relations guy. But it soon changed from dancers to music and dancers!

Being back in his hometown, JLS became familiar with clubs and events. Grasping on to techniques of meeting new people and being out and about, JLS soon became good friends with a local DJ spinning at one of the biggest clubs in St Louis’s Club Liquid. A radio personality DJ and club DJ, this man was on the scene. JLS was one of his good friends right next to him. He was introduced to the owners of the club and other clubs as well. The entertainment company JLS was working for seemed to be on an up and up. After attending a few private parties and rubbing shoulders with local celebs and some movers and shakers, JLS was realizing it was a natural nitch to network.

After the entertainment company realized that some of the members of the company wanted to form a musical dance and singing group, he was asked to join them in the group as a background vocals and dancer! A six member group was now formed. After getting things together and meeting friend & choreographer Kennis Marquis, informing him of their intentions as a dancing and singing group, he wanted to help. He then met up with them to work on a few routines for a demo video they were putting together for his manager at the time. Many hours or dedicated dancing was put together and then recorded and sent off. Having the look and motivation, his manger was impressed but they were still missing something and were told to work harder on our vocals and resend new video within a couple weeks. In between that time frame they soon ended the group and went on their own way! While continuing communication with Kennis, Jose became a closer friend of Kennis. Kennis offered an opportunity to come out to Los Angeles and would show him around, as his world is surrounded with talented people always on the look for support in so many aspects and photography was Jose’s skill!

Los Angeles was new world for Jose, working on getting out applications and at the same time meeting new people. Jose’s focus was to use photography skills to take photos of some of L.A.’s hottest people. After a short time frame Jose realized he wasn’t ready for the city business and had to find a new spot to focus in his life. Moving to the Seattle, WA area and staying with family he decided to enter school.

Seattle was a nice location to build his skills and strengthen his motivation. Attending Devry University, Jose took on the challenge of the IT world and trying to accomplish his Bachelors degree in computer science. When putting two years into schooling Jose soon formed his company JLS Production. While forming that and working around school, Army Reserves, and his new foundation on his company Jose was consumed with a more focus driven life. Working with many local business and artist’s his grades started to slip and school was soon out of focus, after several attempts at some courses he failed, he soon decided to move on and drop school. Jose was bored in school and realized it was then he was interested in business. It was then Jose Production was more on their focus and soon to be a mission worth company!

About JLS Production: Formed in September of 2002, JLS Production was a present to Jose Luis Smith for his birthday to himself! JLSP was formed to connect the development and management of Jose’s skills, at that time he wanted to gain more and advance in life and figured the only way to learn is by doing, with local artist and other companies a like. JLSP was soon connected and working with local artist and producer “Phathom”!

As the two grew together in this business relationship they were working the town, going to all shows they could from car shows, to open mic nights, to club nights. The schedule was booked, between the two of them working as a team they soon realized the team grew to a force of nine members from a finical person, in house DJ, promoters and artist managers. As Phathom’s list of artist that he worked with was on the growth, so was JLSP from a national level but more of a local area.

JLSP focus and skills of networking and photography gained him access to many events and socializing parties. JLSP soon grew to be a photographer on demand for fashion shows, clubs and vast events. Jose soon opened his mind and started planning and setting up fashion shows and promoting for a vast number of people and with other bigger name promoters. While on the promoting scene JLSP connected with Battalion Entertainment, with them promoting their artist’s, they soon started working more closely together.

JLSP and Battalion worked on many projects together and decided to recognize them as an affiliation. JLSP was to focus on photography, artist development, and promoting! Managing and assisting with not just Phathom, JLSP soon took roles of Battalion’s A&R and artist development department. Working on a few projects with Battalion, people started to recognize JLSP and their work. Also associating himself with other companies and working with their projects, Jose was only gaining his skills.

In the summer of 2004, local Seattle Radio Station Kube 93 approached Jose to put on a show called Kube Gone Wild at a local water park called Wild Waves. They gave JLSP free room to put on what ever show style they wanted. JLSP integrated a few companies in the mix; the show was successful, with a mixture of dancers, musical artist and fashion. Jose was proud and excited for what was next to come. Unfortunately, Jose was soon called up for duty in the deployment to Iraq and Kuwait with Operation Iraqi Freedom.

JLSP was put on a freeze status for the next few years. While, Jose was out in Kuwait, he soon became one of the people to help support soldier with the MWR (Moral Welfare and Recreations). Consisting of putting on party nights in the tents, assisting in the support of major acts coming in as a stage hand and security staff, Jose was working and connecting with soldiers and civilians from all over the US. At heart JLSP was never frozen! Once getting back to the US, Jose decided to keep JLS Production shut down and re-builds a new structure and outlook for a new company. While doing that, Jose worked on a few solo projects with vast amounts of people. He help consult with fashion, music and anyone in the entertainment scene in Seattle. Battalion Entertainment approached Jose to join their team as the A&R department President and was soon on the road to help them achieve their direction. While working with Battalion, he managed to write up new business outlook and what the next company was to focus on. Jose’s job while working with Battalion was to help develop the artist they had, helping with the promotions team, coordinate meetings for the artist and development staff.

When working with artists named Bridget Hermano and Dax Ramos, Jose realized it was his time to work on his own after almost one and half years. He needed that direction for himself. As the news of Jose’s separation, Bridget and Dax wanted to have Jose work for them after their contract was expired. Jose accepted the offer and now managed two artists. Jose was sought out work for Bridget and Dax at a few local venues and events. Discovered on Youtube, Jose was approached by Darryl from New York about his artist Bridget and how he wanted us to come out and meet with him! Daryl wanted to introduce Bridget to major persons in the business. We soon met with Daryl and the next door was open for Jose. While in New York, Jose started networking and collecting names and info. Soon, to help Bridget move forward, Jose was also helping himself advance with producers, writers, and other artist as well as those movers and shakers in the music entertainment business. Jose also met some fashion people from New York and Los Angeles and connected with them.

New York opened many opportunities for Jose, yet he had to learn quick and so much in the short time of his visits. Traveling back and forth to New York and a trip to ATL, Jose collected a more than handful of contacts. It was all taking place. After some time of traveling, writing music and singing, Bridget received a publishing contract through WaterMusic Publishing out of New Jersey. After dealing with a few other offers, this one was one that we felt would move her in the direction she wanted to go. A few months down the road, Jose and Bridget had decided to part ways due to Bridget wanting to back away from the music she wanted to do and follow a long lasting direction of music she had been seeking.

After gathering information and putting a few things down on paper and re-establishing some old connections and now some new ones. Jose soon formed The Strive Management and Consulting Group!

About Strive Management & Consulting Group, LLC.

About STRIVE Management & Consulting Group: Forward, Focused and Determined as its slogan, Strive was established in late 2008 and became on the official date of January 2009. Jose’s concept for Strive is that we all strive forward; stay focused and always determined to get what we want. With the knowledge that Jose has gained and a more positive outlook for Strive Jose’s goals for the company is to manage and consult within the entertainment industry on a larger scale.

Currently managing Strive’s new artist Jennifer Newberry, Strive has connected her with many opportunities as well as she giving Strive many open gateways as well. Strive asks for their clients to work as hard as the company if not harder.

Strives outlook for the management department is to manage singers, songwriters, producers, and a limited amount of models. Strive’s management teams are about sharing the strength between the artists and the managers. Strive believes in the work of the two will form one strong team that has a can do attitude. Strives management team well help their clients in (but not limited to):

- Determining the artist’s business status and recommending/negotiating with a business entity.

- Evaluating and filing the artist’s personnel requirements

- Bookkeeping and balancing the artist’s budget

- Formulating and marketing the artist’s image

- Mapping out a career plan for the artist; establishing career goals

- Negotiating and securing a recording contract

- Hiring a producer and personnel for record production and publication

- Coordinating live performances and appearances

- Establishing merchandising and commercial relations (possibly worldwide)

- Making suggestions for improvement in a recoding

- Helping musically if manager has experience with instruments

- Overseeing all creative aspects of the process

- Locate and hire booking agent(s), publisher(s) and producer(s)



Strive management department looks forward to working with talented and dedicated people. We do not develop any of our clients, we work with people that have been established with their career direction and know what they are looking for.

Strive’s consultation’s department is to establish clients with business and client development. The way consultation is done, it is dependent on the client, what the client is in need of or what they already have and need more of it to be directed in which way! Each consultation varies on the client. What the team would do is met up with the client, listen to what the client needs, collect the data, and as a team Strive will gather information and give feedback to the agent for the client! It will then be up to the agent to compile the data, translate to client for the best alternative of developing the client(s).

Strive consultation helps organize the improvement of a client’s performance through the existing business problems and development of plans for improvement. We will gain external (and presumably objective) advice, access to the consultants’ specialized expertise, or use our services for help during a one-time project.

Consultants will help in organizing, management, development, implementation, strategy and operational improvement services. Our consultants create and develop an outline, and tree that would best fit with the companies structure with the clients best interest.

Strive Management and Consulting is on the climb to become a company with a positive outlook, positive attitude and driven potential. Strive works for the client and believes the client needs to work for themselves, Strive helps all around in the industry to make that happen at all levels. Strive will network the industry for the needs of the clients and for the needs of the future of the company. With connecting and growing affiliations Strive partners up with upcoming and building companies as well.

Moving forward with Strive is about grasping on to what leading companies are doing in a larger demographic area and bringing it to a level for the demographic Strive is currently working with to prepare the clients for that larger scale. Strive plans to work more for client’s needs and bring that to a complete satisfaction. Everyday, Strive’s team sets forth goals and daily achievements to be compiled and completed within the days or weeks time. We are based on the word Strive; we strive forward with focus and determination. We strive for nothing but the best and we look out for our client’s best interest. With a new direction Strive and a new construction, Strive is a company that plans to carry out guaranteed quality to best satisfy out clients.

Current projects that are in the works on production, promoting, artist management, event planning & consulting, artist marketing, self business marketing & promotions, structure building i.e. with client(s) and continuously networking building on larger client & affiliation basses, fashion & modeling, DJ services, video & music production. With more opportunities at hand and in the near future, Strive is looking at more talent to grow and come out of the local area and with the right help, the talent the company and the client have they have many options to take and to be at hand. Strive is always looking for the “next big thing” to come from here but not limited to just its local demographic but outside in the hidden demographical areas.

Always looking forward to hearing from our next potential clients or partners, feel free to contact Strive Management & Consultation Group and let’s make things happen.

info@strivemc.com