The road to success is often paved with a lot of unpaid gigs. This was the case for Grammy-nominated rapper Rick Ross. While sharing an account of some of his early-career brand collaborations with Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs, the Miami native claimed he worked with the iconic music mogul for a whole year before getting paid.
“I was once an unpaid brand ambassador for @ciroc for a year +..taking pics,post etc. already a huge artist,” Rick Ross wrote in the video. “Following yr @diddy gave me a 1million dollar check just for taking The initiative and going hard as I did when no one else was!”
In the brief video, the 46-year-old seemingly addressed hopeful candidates who are unsatisfied with just being offered brand ambassador gigs. “And I responded: What else can I offer you virtually,” the rapper stated.
Ross explained that the secret to brand partnerships is to prove you bring value to the company. “When you go to a job, and they give you an interview, they actually want to see what are you coming to the table with,” Ross continued. “What are your gifts? What makes you unique? Or are you just a standard individual that can mop and sweep?”
In 2021, the serial entrepreneur shared with AfroTech that there wasn’t a job “too small” for him to do. “Ain’t nothing too big nor too small for a real boss,” he said at the time. “I’ll walk into one of my franchisees, and if the floors need to be swept, I’ll grab the broom to sweep it rather than calling somebody over from the register. Nah, I’ll do it myself. You know what I mean? That’s just the approach.”
Over the years Ross has made intelligent financial choices, which he’s often shared with his social media followers.
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