Grammy-Winner Dallas Austin on Creating Hits, Ownership & Lessons Learned

On the Money and Wealth podcast, John Hope Bryant interviews Grammy-winning producer and entrepreneur Dallas Austin about turning talent into intellectual property, ownership, and wealth. Austin recounts growing up in Columbus, Georgia, escaping hardship through music, and moving to Atlanta with his mother to pursue his dream.

He explains signing a work-for-hire deal as a teenager, producing major hits for Boyz II Men and TLC while being tied up contractually, and how guidance from Clarence Avant and Dr. Dallas Moore helped him resolve it. Austin describes building DARP Studios, learning hard financial lessons after discovering a major IRS debt caused by an unregulated business manager, and writing his way out of it. 

He also shares how Drumline and ATL led him to help pass Georgia’s film incentives, and discusses his current distribution company DAD (Dream All Day) while encouraging listeners to follow their true gifts.

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