A&R POLICIES

THE CULTURE RULES: Policy, Procedure, Protocol

EFFECTIVE 9-11-23

1A-Timeliness-All team members are expected to be on time, present, active, and engaged for all required company and client meetings. AKA "Official Company Business". The company's policy regarding "Timeliness" is as follows: 

1. All meetings have a 2-minute grace period to actually start the meeting
2. After 5 minutesyou are considered late
3. After the 15-minutemark it is considered an Unexcused Absence if you have not properly followed our policy regarding "Call Out/Excused Absence"
4. An official "Call Out" notice is required with your direct "Team Lead" and a member of our "Quality Control Team" which will be logged in High Rise for official company records during your tenure with us. If you only notified your Team Lead or only notified QC that is not completing an official Call Out and may be deemed as an unexcused absence. An official Call Out should be in writing via text or email you may utilize a group text. In the event of unforeseen circumstances that prohibit you from properly calling out, please immediately follow up with your Team Lead and Quality Control with your most current and up to date status.   

1B-Absenteeism- All team members are required to be in attendance for "Official Company Business Affairs" that they are either assigned to and or required to be in attendance for. In the event of an unforeseen emergency the team member is required to notify their direct "Team Lead" and a member of our "Quality Control Team" as soon as possible. Consistently missing meetings is considered taboo in our company culture and may result in suspension and or termination of working with Wealth Nation.   

2A- Client Payments- All clients have a 3-day grace period from their due date to make payment without penalty. On the third day the client is considered late in accordance with the terms and conditions of their contract with no exceptions. The late fee assessment is 10% of client's gross monthly payment amount. **Late fees are non-commissionable**.

On the 5th day from the client's Original Due Date the client is placed in an Internal Collection Status by the admin team and collection efforts will commence by the Quality Control Department in an attempt to avoid legal measures from ensuing.     

On the 7th day from the Original Due Date unless acceptable payment arrangements have been made and approved by the Admin Department, client will be forwarded to the company's Chief Legal Counsel and commencement of Legal Actions may be taken for Breach of Contract.

2B-Payment Plans - Only the Admin Department has the authority to negotiate terms and conditions of a potential payment plan on behalf of a client. All accepted payment plans shall be in writing and a written notice of payment amounts and dates should be listed on high rise and the LPM and or TL of that client's team shall be notified of such payment arrangement verbally and or in writing. Factors that are considered for purposes of a potential payment plan are as follows:

1. Client history/length of time with company
2. Specifically, client's normal payment history
3. Status of client's project
4. Client's overall circumstances  
5. All payment plans will override 2B & 2C for 3,5,7 procedures unless the payment goes into default status.

2C-Suspend Status- Once a client's account is formally placed in a Suspend Status all client meetings, services, and upcoming events will be cancelled until such time that client's account is brought into a Current Active Status in good standing.  

3A-Social Media Support- All team members are required to support official company business online with likes, comments, shares, reposts etc. Official Company Business is defined as follows:

1. Client releases through Sony/Orchard
2. Company special announcements
3. Upcoming events
4. Awards/Accolades
5. Interviews, write ups, blogs, media placements 

3B- Use of company brand- Including but not limited to the company's name, likeness, image, logo, or marketing/promotional collateral- The company, Wealth Nation, is a federally registered Trademark in the entertainment industries. The company has strict adherence and guidelines for request of approval of use of company name, likeness, Image, logo, brand, or marks in any manner whatsoever in the Entertainment Industries and its affiliated companies through our network, which are also federally registered trademarks including but not limited to "Musicnomics", "Industry Certified", "Rocstar", "Money Never Sleeps", "Pajama Money", et al. Use of any of the above listed entities’ name, image, likeness, brand, or marks in any capacity requires an official company approval in writing. Please refer to a C-Level representative if you have any questions regarding the required approval process for any use and prior to use. NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to do so may result in immediate termination, Federal lawsuit, Federal or Civil sanctions, and or monetary damages filed against you in Federal court.

4A-Each One Bring One- A culture of acquisition, networking, and leverage has always been the bedrock of our company's success system. Each A&R (Part time or Full Time) is expected to bring a minimum of 1 qualified prospective lead per week for presentation of the company's services. Everyone in A&R department is required to contribute to the growth of the company and our overall success as the #1 Artist Development company in the music industry worldwide.      

4B- Remote Culture- Since our team is nationwide and works remotely in the comfort of their homes, the company has established official required company meetings of the minds throughout the week in a focused effort to maintain high performance levels, peak communication, landscape navigation, adjustments, and growth in the daily execution of our goals.

Required Weekly Team Meetings all EST time zone

*National Leadership Meeting- Monday evenings            7:00 pm- 8:00 pm         60 minutes

*A&R Team Training- Friday mornings                              11:00 am-12:00 pm       60 minutes

*Dream Team Meeting/Training- Friday afternoons       2:00 pm- 3:00 pm         60 minutes

______________

Executive Forecast Meeting- Monday mornings           10:00 am-11:30 am            90 minutes

Corporate Executive Meeting-Wednesday evening       7:00 pm- 8:30 pm              90 minutes

Quality Control Meeting- Thursday afternoons             2:00 pm- 3:00 pm              60 minutes

___________

Presentations                                 60 minutes

Client Strategy Meetings            60 minutes

Brand Assessment                       90 minutes

Blueprint                                        90 minutes

4C- Required Trainings and Certifications

The company has required training and continued development for all team members in every department. Please confer with your direct team lead or corporate to ensure you are receiving the proper training and ongoing development to reach the highest performance level you are capable of. Greatness is a journey!

*All A&R's are required to complete A&R Core training and successfully pass their A&R certification test with a minimum score of 85 within 2 weeks of joining the company!

*All A&R's are required to complete their A&R Certification training and successfully pass their test with a minimum score of 85 within 90 days of their original start date with the company and annually within 90 days of their anniversary date with the company.

7 Core Departments:

1. A&R Department- Client Acquisition
2. Corporate Operations- Execution of Vision
3. Executive Development- Leadership Skills and professional growth
4. Brand Development- Auxiliary Services related to the brand
5. Quality Control- Quality Standards within the organization
6. Executive Admin- Contracts, Billing, Scheduling, planning   
7. Artist Development- Summarily "The Services"  

5A- Infractions- Quality Control Department

*Quality Control has implemented a 3-strike rule in the resolution of minor or major infractions that may occur on behalf of company representatives. These infractions, whether minor or major in nature may be deemed as detrimental to the company's success and will be addressed accordingly.

In continuous efforts to maintain high performance levels and quality in a remote culture where accountability and responsibility are paramount, the company has set standards for corrective measures to address poor performance and unacceptable behaviors in our culture.

Corrective Measures (Minor infractions):

1. Level 1-Verbal Warning (1st infraction) *Must be documented on Highrise
2. Level 2- Written/Probation. A time period to monitor representative is established (30-90 days)

(A meeting between the rep, TL, and Admin is required) 

1. Level 3- Quality Control will assess the situation and determine the following potential viable solutions in effort to correct behavior detrimental to the company's success.

      Level 3 accelerated corrective measures

1. Executive Development Training- Rep is required to pay $349 to be retrained
2. A&R Recertification- Rep is required to pay $249 to be retrained
3. Reposition- Rep is required to pay for training for a different position in the company
4. Termination with/without recommendation and permanent ban

6B- (Examples of minor infractions-TBD QC)

1. Tardiness
2. lack of notes/notetaking
3. Not completing an assignment you accepted
4. Lack of participation/engagement on calls
5. Lack of preparation
6. Unprofessionalism
7. Lack of timely response/Follow up 

6C-Corrective Measures (Major infractions):

Level 1 infraction- Probation and or Suspension without compensation and $1000 retraining fine prior to reinstatement

Level 2 infraction- Termination with recommendation

Level 3 infraction- Termination without recommendation and permanent ban

(Examples of major infractions-TBD QC)

1. Consistent unexcused absence/no show no call
2. insubordination/threats/disrespect
3. legal matters/causing personal or company liability
4. Dishonorable acts 

7. Documentation Beats Conversation

Wealth Nation has established a culture of Documentation always beats Conversation. With this mind, we expect all of our team personnel regardless of position, title, department to DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and not solely rely on verbal communications as a primary method of executing. Including but not limited to (internally/external communications) with clients, team members, third parties as a general scope of business practices. We require our team members to exercise good judgement, situational thinking, and high-level execution as top-notch executives. We require you to utilize Highrise as our centralized system for client relations matters and hub of communication for our team. Lack of proper documentation in any given situation could lead to disastrous predicaments for the team member individually and the company collectively. Please adhere to best efforts to protect yourself and the company at all times during your tenure.

Commission Requests, Policy, Procedure, Protocol

Effective 5-1-23:

All commissions must be submitted and paid out within the same week as the client payment was made (no exceptions).

No Partial Commissions are paid on Good Faith Deposits. Please do not submit any commission request on a Good Faith deposit only.

If and when a contract is being executed, please do not submit a commission request until the contract has been executed and a minimum of 3 business days has passed since the contract was fully executed.

No commissions will be paid out on any partial payments by the client. Commission will be paid out when the full amount is received. Unless otherwise specified and approved by a C-Level executive.

All commission requests must be submitted by no later than Thursday at 7 pm est. during the week that the commission is payable. 

All commissions are reviewed by the Admin Department, which is considered the first review, and then reviewed again by a Corporate Team representative, which is considered the second review, before being paid out. 

All client notes on Highrise must be detailed, thorough, and complete and up to date, or your commission request may be denied.

All A&R reps must be present and on time for their required weekly meetings or your commission requests may be denied. 

A&R rep will not be eligible for commission while in suspension or any current disciplinary status at Wealth Nation.

A&R must be in compliance with all company policies, procedures, protocols, and culture in order to receive any form of compensation from the company.

Only Director level, E.V.P. level, and C-Level representatives participate in Profit Revenue Sharing generated outside of the monthly artist development package, including but not limited to: Marketing Packages, Distribution deals, Show slot fees, third party vendors, sponsorships, incentives, etc.  

There is a 1-week grace period in which a rep may re-submit a commission request after being denied if denial was due to items that needed to be fixed, corrected, amended, or missing. After the one-week grace period has expired if the rep is still not approved for their commissions due to outstanding reasons that is the rep's responsibility, then the commission will be forfeited and the rep will be notified in writing by the admin team for the reason(s) of commission forfeiture. 

If an A&R representative is scheduled to have a meeting regarding a commission request and fails to make the meeting and or adhere to the guidelines, policies, procedures, that need to be corrected, it will result in an automatic commission forfeiture and may result in suspension or termination. 

If an A&R rep fails to service the client properly as determined by their LPM and or is chronically late, absent, or unprofessional in any way, it will result in an automatic commission forfeiture and may result in suspension or termination. 

All A&R's are responsible for their specific role on each team during the entire servicing process while working with a client. 

All A&R's are responsible for ensuring that their notes are on Highrise and that they are detailed, thorough, and up to date. If you do not have access to Highrise, please see your TL. 

All A&R's are responsible for actively participating in the strategy meetings by speaking, giving advice, input, strategy, resources, research, etc. to support the client team. 

Required Meeting Policy, Procedure, Protocol

Effective 9-20-24:

Please review and adhere to the following company policies, procedures, and protocol for required team meetings, training, leadership, and calling out for 2023. Please share with your respective teams and colleagues if they don't have this important information.   

Required Meetings:                               Required Attendees:         Required When:

1. National Leadership Conference              Company Wide           Every Monday @7pm est.

2. Weekly/Bi-Weekly Internal Team mtg.      A&R Reps                     Dependent on TL  

3. A&R Dept. Weekly Team training                A&R Dept.             Every Friday @11am est.

4. Leadership Forecast                                A&R/V.P./E.V.P.          Every Monday @10am est.

5. Social Media P.U.S.H.                              Assigned Reps                  Upon Demand

6. Corporate Leadership                              Corporate Team           Every Friday @7pm est.

7. Digital Listening Development                  Assigned Reps                TBD per client 

*Please note that all meetings are scheduled for 1 hour of power, EXCEPT Corporate and Digital Listening* As a company we're making a concerted effort to start and end all meetings on time every single time unless there are extenuating circumstances that may cause the meeting to run over the allotted time.       

In 2023, Leadership is empowered and responsible for moderating the Meetings of the Minds in an effective and productive manner at all times to optimize performance:

National Leadership Conference Call:

Karrah Slocum, EA- Chiefly responsible for setting moderator and speaker schedules and disseminating that information to the appropriate personnel.

Team Attendance- To be administered by the Admin Team and relayed to the QC Department for infraction protocol. QC will report on any team attendance infractions on the Corporate Call weekly. 

Weekly/Bi-Weekly Team meeting:

The LPM or their TL is chiefly responsible for leading and moderating this weekly team meeting with their respective team members. Either party is able to back up the other party in the event of an unexpected absence. 

In the event there is no TL assigned to that team then the LPM may elect to request any V.P. or E.V.P. to assist in the role of leading the meeting until the LPM returns.

Team Attendance- Should be taken by the TL for that team and provided to the LPM in a written communication and logged on HR, unless otherwise specified by LPM at their sole discretion.
INTERNAL STAFF POLICIES

Team Player Assignment Policy, Procedure, Protocol

Effective 3-13-24:

In the event that the company deems it necessary and or appropriate to assign a "Team Player", hereinafter defined as a support person that gets added to a team to supplement servicing needs or brand presentation. The Team Player shall be identified by a member of our corporate team as qualified, professional, equipped, and appropriate for their assigned role. The proposed Team Player shall confer with the LPM and or TL at the directive of the LPM to thoroughly discuss in detail all servicing details, client updates, scheduled dates and times of strategy meetings and or all pertinent project information. All encompassing specifics should be thoroughly outlined and in relevant detail in conjunction with team servicing priorities and then ultimately placed in writing via email (not text) and subsequent written correspondence on Highrise which shall coincide parallel to reflect the overall outcome of the assignment and Team Player's role in scope of relative activities that will be executed. 

Upon written acceptance of the Team Player assignment by both parties (Team Player and LPM or TL) in writing via email not text message, Corporate Admin shall also be advised of the new Team Player assignment effective date (First strategy meeting the Team Player attends) the team player will commence the work in their support role and shall therefore qualify for a $25 flat fee rate per meeting they attend and actively participate in for their support role.

In the event a Team Player cannot attend a client meeting during their role and or fails to actively participate, the Team Player shall not be entitled to receive a fee. In the event that a Team Player makes no contribution of service to the team and or the client in any capacity that shall be deemed as Value Proposition then the Team Player will not be entitled to a performance fee and or may be removed from the project assignment. The determination of Value Proposition in the equation of contributing factors shall remain at the sole discretion of the LPM- Lead Project Manager overseeing the client's account (no exceptions).

All Team Players will be paid their $25 flat rate fee once per month at the end of the month once all meetings have been successfully completed on behalf of the client and the company has successfully received client's payment (no exceptions). All Team Players are subject to the same rules, policies, and procedures that any other A&R representative is subject to with respect to Commission Verification. 

The Key Position Termination Policy, Procedure, Protocol

Effective 11-1-23:

Any and all Key Position Personnel identified within the company as holding a Key Position shall necessitate the following requirements be met prior to effectuating an official termination from the company with or without cause notwithstanding the multiplicity of factors as herein defined.

Definition of a Key Position- An individual who maintains the position and or title of Manager, Director, V.P., A.V.P., E.V.P. and or any such title/position that Corporate has deemed as a Key Position within the company organizational structure. 

Company Policy:

Only the CEO has absolute autonomy to effectuate an immediate Termination of an individual in a Key Position role with or without cause from the company.       

In the event that any other Key Position staff/team member is requesting a termination of another individual in a Key Position role that party shall make their petition known in writing to either and or all of the following Key Position personnel.

1. CEO 
2. CAO
3. CBDO
4. President

Step 1. Upon successful receipt of such petition, the written request will be reviewed, evaluated, and conferred upon by all parties involved in the related matter.

Step 2. A meeting of the minds may be requested by any of the above Key Position personnel for further review and open forum discussion for further consideration of petitioners’ request for termination.

Step 3. Petitioner would be notified with 7-10 calendar days from written request for formal termination of CEO’s business decision regarding termination and or other actions that may be implemented by the company alternative to a termination.

Step 4. All actions will remain confidential and be classified as private company information until such time as CEO deems necessary to share with the rest of the team.     

Step 5. In the event that a situation has been determined as ongoing with subsequent events or acts occurring or re-occurring that have been deemed detrimental to another Key Position personnel's role within the company and or to the team functionality at large, the CEO reserves the right to not have any additional form of mediation or intermediary measures performed and may exercise our right to terminate effective immediately any or all parties involved in related matters.

Step 7. Any and all decisions rendered in judgment to the above stated matters are based on sole discretion of the CEO of the company and sets forth no rights of appeal or further discussions among the team once an issue has been resolved whether it is favorable or unfavorable to petitioners originated request for resignation of a Key Position team member.
CLIENT POLICIES 

Trademark Policy, Procedure, and Protocol

Effective 7-1-24:

1. Trademark Filing: When filing for a trademark for an artist and or entity eg: record label or production company, trade name, or professional name, the following items must be submitted.

1. Proposed name or mark (logo) for filing
2. A specimen (jpeg) preferably showing use of the name in public commerce
3. If there is no proper specimen then the trademark may be filed as Intent to use
4. Date of first use of the name or mark in public commerce  
5. If the name/mark has been utilized in commerce already, when is the first date of use
6. Please describe in brief summary, how and when, the proposed mark has been utilized for sale of goods or services in public commerce.

2. Metadata for filing: When filing for a trademark please provide the following trademark owner's registration information.

1. Full legal name
2. Complete Address- include city, state, zip any apt. numbers, units, etc.
3. Who will actually own the trademark? You? Your company? 
4. If a trademark will be owned by a Legal Entity rather than an individual, please provide the following information.
5. Name of legal entity
6. Owners/Shareholders legal names if you own less than 51% of the company.
7. Please provide your best contact information and if utilizing a legal entity for ownership please provide the contact information for that entity.
8. Please provide your primary email contact

3. Filing Process (Timeframes) 

1. Please allow up to 14 business days to complete the filing of your trademark from the date you have submitted all information pertained in this communication.
2. The trademark office is very behind on review of all applications so the average timeframe to receive actual Trademark Registration is 9-12 months minimum. 
3. Throughout the trademark process there may be what is called an "Inquiry". An inquiry from the trademark office is to challenge or solicit more information regarding your filing. It will be sent to the attorney of record who will be handling your filing and representing you throughout the process. Don't be too alarmed about an inquiry, as it is pretty standard practice by the trademark office to have at least one inquiry minimum before a trademark reaches the registration point. 

1. Legal Representation (Authorization) 
2. Upon receiving all of the information as requested you will receive an Authorization Form to fill out and complete from our attorney which authorizes the representation of your trademark
3. You will receive an authorization form via email please review and sign asap and send it back to us. We cannot proceed forward with the filing process without signed authorization for legal representation. 
4. You may receive a lot of junk mail and solicitation via mail and/or email during the trademark process. Please disregard all notices as it is trash and unsolicited.   

PR Policy, Procedure, Protocol

Effective 6-28-21

Please be advised that effective immediately, ALL PUBLIC RELATIONS-related requests are to be processed online using the following form. With regards to all PR-related requests, our policies and procedures have changed, effective immediately.

Here is the link:

https://industrycertifiedpr.com/service-request-form/

{This page can also be found on the main website (www.industrycertifiedpr.com). Starting at the Industry Certified PR home page, select "Services" from the menu on the banner. This page details all of the "à la carte" PR services offered and pre-discount prices. Click "Get Started." This will take you to the same page listed in the link above.} 

All Team members, please do not contact Lydia (Director of Public Relations) for requests unless you are in a V.P. level or higher position within the company organizational structure and are being instructed to do so by the CEO.

 Company Policy and Procedures for PR Requests

1. SecureCorporate Approval in writing for the project you would like to submit to the PR dept. Approval must be in writing (no verbal approvals)—This can be via text message or email. Including this information in the request will help speed up the order. No project will begin until Corporate Approval is confirmed by the PR Department.

2. Secure client paymentwhen applicable, unless the company is paying for it accordingly based on the client's package level. Verify this before online submission. 

3. Submit your PR request online.

4. Include all pertinent/relevant detailsabout the project in the request form when submitting. Upload any helpful documents, like bio questionnaires, EPKs, or images.  Do your best to reduce confusion, stress, and frustration for everybody involved. Minimize the back and forth for yourself, the client, and our PR team by being thorough. 

5. The PR team will email you to confirm the request is received. They will also ask for any additional information needed to complete the assignment. Please ensure that the person listed under Contact Information is the person PR should be communicating with for questions and concerns. Decide ahead of time if the point of contact will be the artist, A&R, or manager. Be sure to clarify this information in the request. 

6. Allow the PR team at least24 hours to review and approve your request. You will receive an email confirmation. Once all information is collected, assignments typically take 3-5 business days to complete. **Please note, if a project was submitted over the weekend, it might not be reviewed until Monday**

7. Thoroughly reviewthe final project sent to you by our PR team. One courtesy revision is offered to ensure all information is correct and the client is completely satisfied. The finalized project will be documented on Highrise.

REINSTATEMENT POLICY

Effective 1-1-23

Once an active client has materially breached their contract due to non-payment or any other reason(s) the company has deemed as a material breach, the client will be subject to a reinstatement review prior to being reinstated. Reinstatement is hereby defined as having the ability to restart the service and cure the breach of contract. 

Each client seeking to reinstate their services will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis by corporate administration at the company's sole discretion. Key factors for consideration will be the following:

1. Length of contract/remaining balance 
2. Number of payments made
3. Prior payment history
4. Level and manner of communication
5. Overall circumstances regarding breach

In the event a Reinstatement is requested by the client and or their representative, the following terms and/or conditions individually or collectively shall apply prior to actual reinstatement of services. Including but not limited to the following:    

1. All past due invoices/payments
2. Subsequent late fees
3. Additional deposit requirement
4. Increased payment amount
5. Loss of original day/time for strategy meetings
6. Change of team/staff personnel assigned to client

Credit Card Payment Policy, Procedure, Protocol

Effective 12-14-2020

Wealth Nation, LLC. in its general business practices does not accept credit card or debit card payments under any circumstances in exchange for payment of services of any type. Only a C-Level or E-Level authorized corporate executive who may know the client personally, and or has a close business relationship, and agrees to vouch or co-sign for that client can approve a credit card transaction of any amount. All invoices for services will still be sent to clients for record keeping and tax purposes. 

If a C-Level or E-Level authorized company representative shall elect to approve a credit card transaction through the company's bank account, then the following information must be provided to the company's Administrative Department prior to the client being billed. 

Credit Card Authorization Policy and client billing requirements

1. A copy of client's driver’s license or Government issued ID (front & back)
2. A copy of the credit card that is being used (front & back)
3. A signed Credit Card Authorization Form which must be signed for each individual transaction that is billed.
4. All information will be kept on a secure and locked file in HR for a period of (3) three years from the original date of the transaction

Wealth Nation- Acceptable Methods of Payment 

1. Cash App- The LPM for each team will provide the appropriate cash tag for where the funds are to be sent. The funds will be transferred to the company's corporate business bank account.

Important Notice of Disclaimer:

**Current clients who have paid with their credit card or debit card previously will be required to comply with our 2021 Credit Card Authorization policies and procedures moving forward, unless otherwise authorized by a C-Level or E-Level corporate representative in writing. ** 

CSR Policy, Procedure, and Protocol:

Effective 11-1-24

All "Team Lead" level or higher representatives within the A&R division of Wealth Nation including but not limited to ops in "duality" are required to request a "CSR" with the "LPM" overseeing the project within3-5 business days after the "Brand Assessment" has been completed and prior to the execution of client's "Blueprint" meeting (no exceptions).

A "CSR" by internal definition is a "Client Service or Status Review" of any and all areas of project management and monthly servicing.

All "CSR's" are scheduled for 15 minutes maximum. Please come on the call super prepared to ask any questions you may have, gain clarity, understand the strategy and implementation so that you can adequately represent the overall game plan and strategic servicing to your client.

Upon successful completion of the "CSR" the A&R/TL is required to complete a thorough and detailed "Blueprint Request Form" online which goes to admin team so they can effectively execute the blueprint in a timely and efficient manner to go out to the client prior to the meeting. Ideally the client should have 48 hours minimum to review the blueprint prior to the meeting.

If the "CSR" did not take place and or the blueprint form was not filled out within the specified time period there will not be a "Blueprint Meeting" we will still have a normal "Strategy Meeting" at the assigned time for the client. The blueprint meeting will be rescheduled for the forthcoming strategy meeting. Please share and go over this information with your team.

Digital Listening Sessions: Policy, Procedure, and Protocol: