Sheila P. Coates

Sheila P. Coates is a brand strategist, speaker, and author whose philosophy centers on the belief that everyone has a unique personal brand worth owning. "Be Your Own Brand" (BYOB) reflects Coates' experience in branding, styling, and messaging for artists, celebrities, and organizations in the music and entertainment industries.

Coates has held senior executive positions in artist development, branding, messaging, styling, and personal brand building with Sony/BMG, Arista Records, EMI/Capitol, Virgin Records, MCA Records, Perspective Records, and Hidden Beach Recordings. In these roles, she managed budgets exceeding $50 million and developed cross-promotional initiatives, including the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning film "Training Day."

Her client roster includes Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs, Toni Braxton, Lenny Kravitz, Barry White, Jill Scott, Babyface, Monica, Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Q-Tip, Lalah Hathaway, and others. Coates has conceived, coordinated, and styled more than 100 videos, red-carpet events, and television programs, including The GRAMMY Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards, "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," "Oprah," "The Tonight Show," and "Late Night with David Letterman."

While working as a marketing executive in the entertainment industry, Coates observed that those who are most successful understand and maintain their image and persona—an insight that became the foundation for BYOB. After years in entertainment marketing and branding, she took a break to travel and later launched BYOB, focusing on helping individuals define and embody their unique brands.

Through BYOB, Coates has consulted with executives at Fortune 500 companies, media organizations, and entities in the entertainment and lifestyle sectors, including Toyota North America, AARP, Coca-Cola, NBC/Universal, Comcast, Fox Films, State Farm Insurance, Nielsen, and Neutrogena. She developed the "Discover Your Brand" campaign for National Black History Month, leading to a partnership with Macy's and a 10-city tour of events that helped customers identify their personal brands and contributed to a 22 percent increase in sales year-to-date.

BYOB received the British Airways Face-to-Face Entrepreneurship Award, and Coates visited The Oprah Winfrey Academy in Johannesburg and attended British Airways Entrepreneur Training in London. BYOB also won a second British Airways contest from more than 1,000 entries. A Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business graduate, Coates is an entrepreneur who mentors young women to embrace their personal brands.

She has contributed to the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show and is a frequent guest on Rushion McDonald's radio program "Money Making Conversations." Her book, "Mama Used to Say: Be Your Own Brand!" published by Our Little Books, shares her branding philosophy with a broader audience.

Coates is a frequent speaker at conferences and organizations such as Dress for Success, The Kanye West Foundation, Women's Step Up Network, the Coalition for At-Risk Youth Foster program, and various colleges and high schools. She is engaged for speeches and appearances, sharing advice that supports individual empowerment, corporate brand awareness, and increased productivity in both personal and professional contexts.