The only real failure is giving up.
Scooter Braun
As a music industry, if we remain in competition, then we die. We have to understand that we're all in this together. Collaboration and synergy, it's one of the most important things out there.
I want to show that you can be a successful entertainment executive, be a good husband, be a good father, be a good friend, be down to earth, be a good person, and give back. If I can push that message out there into the world and pass it on to my son, then I'm OK.
Balance in general is difficult, but I refuse to go through life and just have work and not have good balance. I want to be an example, not only to my own children but also to artists and other entrepreneurs, that you can be a workaholic and also be a good husband and good father.
My grandfather died when I was 14, and he was in Bergen-Belsen and Dachau. So be grateful for your life because nothing is guaranteed. Everything could literally be taken away from you tomorrow.
I believe we have a higher responsibility to each other.
What has now become conventional in terms of digital marketing and the discovery of new talent was once very unconventional - and people forget that.
Sometimes the only way to realize what a foolish purchase is is to make one.
I think only Kanye can truly understand Kanye.
We aren't made to be worshipped as humans. I think that is why we see so many great artists crumble, because as humans, we are made to serve each other.
If it's achievable, there's no excuse why you shouldn't be doing it.
Justin Bieber was born with the Superman powers. He could sing, he could dance, he could play instruments. I wasn't born with those gifts, so I had to become a different kind of superhero... I'm a normal Joe. But, with a lot of effort, I've got a shot at being Bruce Wayne.
If you're not going to do it to the best of your ability, then don't do it at all.
I don't want anyone who is Muslim not to be able to dream that they can be President of the United States, and I don't want any of my friends, regardless of their orientation, thinking they are less of a citizen.
I'm having fun, and I'm waking up every morning and my staff is waking up every morning looking at each other and saying, 'What can we do today that would be really cool?' I cannot complain about my life.
My brother and I made a pact that every deal we do has to have a charitable component; otherwise, we don't do it.
I surround myself with incredible, capable people, and the beautiful part about the artists I've chosen to work with, and the artists that have chosen to work with me, is that we share the same family values.
My circle includes some of the most influential people in the world. They all occasionally suffer from depression. Our DNA is built to serve and interact, not be worshipped.
I love collaborating with other really smart, incredible people.
When I was 25, I had risked everything to launch Justin Bieber and was a couple months away from losing everything.
What is now commonplace was once not, and I think that's a testament to what it means to really break the mold and push the limits.
At 22 years old, I tattooed 'family' on my wrist to not lose sight of my true goal.
I had very big lips growing up, so my brother started to call me Scooter Fish because he decided a scooter fish has big lips.
I'm a 34-year-old man who calls himself Scooter. That describes the vibe.
I've had an amazing run in my career. It could end tomorrow. I have artists who love me, and I love them, but they could call me tomorrow and say, 'I don't wanna work with you.'
The biggest pieces of my business are not public. Maybe I'll tell all the details when I'm 50 or 60.
If you can help someone become a good young woman or a good young man, they have a better chance of surviving in this business.
Kanye's the best listener I've ever worked with. If I interrupt Kanye, every single time, he'll wait for me to finish before speaking. It's a running joke - sometimes I interrupt him just to see. And he always goes, 'No, no, finish. I want to hear what you have to say.'
I have a rule where once a week I have a date night with my wife, and that's the time when I put my phone away and have calls forwarded to my assistant in case of emergency.
If that day come, and artists I've had incredible runs with just break my heart one day, you know what? I still got to do stuff that was actually really incredible. When that day comes, I'll deal with it. Until then, I'll be grateful for today.
My gut is my No. 1 asset. I also like to draw from a lot of people, and I ask a lot of questions. I'll literally show my ideas to 500 different people and get their opinions, and, in the end, after digesting all their opinions, I just trust my gut.
There were 10 to 12 years where I averaged two to three hours of sleep a night. There were times when I didn't go to sleep for two days, but I'd usually crash one Sunday a month for 16 to 18 straight hours, and then I'd be rejuvenated.
If you watch Justin's early videos, I never let him say, 'My name is Justin Bieber,' and then start singing - he always just sang. And the reason I did that was I wanted you to feel like you were in the room. Or maybe you were seeing something you weren't supposed to see.
If you really love someone, you push them.
I got offered a bunch of reality show stuff, but I didn't want to be known for that, so I turned it all down.
None of us are made to be worshipped, and when we take that in, we get sick.
My job is making irrational people do rational things.
What I do for a living is so high-risk that I try to make sure my portfolio is as conservative as possible.
I think the reason why people loved 'Jem' in the '80s was because it kind of gave them this story of a place to fit in. It's about finding your place.
I'm a camp counselor for pop stars.
The really great brands live on this idea of bringing something that's truly authentic - and then building around that. It's not about trying to be something as much as it being who you are in the best light possible.
People like to shy away from comparisons. Personally, I think that's a mistake. Comparisons can be good. People like to compartmentalize things within their own heads, and helping them do that can actually be a positive thing for the brand you're trying to build.
I think people will always like intelligent TV.
I enjoy difficult tasks. What's hard is finding the people to do them and finding a team to actually enjoy success. That is the real challenge of success.
The moment our youth succeed, we try to figure out how to tear them down.
I looked at Robert Downey, Jr. and all these people - when you ask for redemption, people will give it to you. But if you're the boy who cried wolf, they'll destroy you.
I said 'no' nine times when Kanye asked me to work with him because I liked being friends with him. Then he put me in a position where I couldn't say no: He just told everyone I was his manager.
I learned that you have a responsibility to do things when you can.
A lot of times in this business, we forget that we're surrounded by a lot of really good people.
I think 'manager' is a stupid word.
