Meet Mary Thomas | CFO, HR, and Business Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When I think about risks, I have no fear. The worst thing that can happen is that I’ll fail in a particular decision, but it won’t sink the business. You have to be okay with failure, sacrifice and suffering if you’re going to have a successful business. On the flip side, if you take the risk and it has a positive result, you’ve furthered your business and stretched your mind and way of doing business. If you don’t push the line, you’ll never grow. You also have to have a safety net in place if you’re going to take risks. You don’t want to be completely reckless about it. I have savings ready and in place in case a failed risk ends up costing something. That way you don’t put yourself into a position you can’t recover from. Very important. But ultimately, I subscribe to the cliche saying, “No risk, no reward.” Risk has played a huge role in the growth of my business, to the point that my business partner would get upset with me, but it’s only resulted in good things, so I stand my ground in this regard.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our primary business is, Rewind Band, out of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. My business partner is the creative artist and I am the business brain of the operation. We brought very different perspectives to the table which was good when we got along and not so good when we disagreed, haha. The band was based on his (my business partner’s) vision. His vision of a band that interacted with the audience, made them feel like they were part of the show and musically could create moments that would excite the audience without them even knowing why they enjoyed the music so much. We play cover music. Songs people have heard over and over again on the radio, so it’s nothing new. It’s all about how you package it. Adding your own flavor. Maybe changing up the song to add some audience participation, or adding in some strong dynamics in volume move the energy of the song from low to high, etc. Music should make you forget your troubles for a moment and bring joy to the audience. This is our goal at every show. To give everyone a brief escape through the recreation of music. Based on our customer reviews and the success of our group, I’d say we’ve achieved our goal, but we’re always looking to take things to the next level. It’s certainly an ongoing process.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting, then I’d take them to New Orleans. The French Quarter is the New Orleans hot spot. We would grab some beignets at Cafe Du Monde, cafe au lait for breakfast. Listen to live music at the various music venues. Each Cajun food or seafood at the countless restaurants in the area. Shop at the charming boutiques and stores lining the streets. People watch. We might even see a Second Line parade rolling down the street for a wedding or other event. Tour the cathedral and Jackson Square. Take a ferry boat ride. Oh, and if they come during Mardi Gras, we’d definitely check out a few parades. So many things to see and do in the Big Easy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I started building a new business at the young age of 21, so I came into it with a strong foundation built by my Father. There are so many who have influenced me in the area of business, but my father would be number 1. As the Global Business and Sales Manager for a mayor Chemical Company, he grew his area of the company to generate numbers like never seen before in the history of the business. His wisdom, humility and insight were always solid and logical. I still go to him for advice to this day. He also understands how to work with people, which is a huge part of running a successful business and an area I still need to work on. There is always room for growth and self improvement. I also have to give a shout out to my first business partner who hired me at the ripe age of 21 to build and manage his entertainment business. He saw in me what I didn’t see in myself. He truly believed I was the right person (although inexperienced) to handle all the finances and personnel to grow the product and build his dream to reality. To this day, he says he never expected the business to grow to the extent that it has over the past 17 years. His support and continuous encouragement helped me to push forward even in moments when I felt like a failure. He helped me to see the big picture and that it’s all part of the world of business, because I would often hyper focus on a mistake. He taught me how to let it go and move on.

Website: www.rewindbandla.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/rewindbandla?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pages/REWIND/7389991726?wtsid=rdr_0RHL6IIjsLMJnc50k

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rewindband845

Other: My other business: www.spotonrentals.com https://instagram.com/spoton_dance_floor_wraps?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==