The Magic and Moxie of Apple - An Insider's View

The Magic and Moxie of Apple delves into the best practices of Apple Inc. from the inside out and takes a close look at what makes Apple one of the leaders in the tech industry - and a global change agent. Author Kelli Richards not only worked at Apple Inc. for more than ten years, she also launched Apple’s earliest focus on music and drove all music initiatives during her tenure. She saw Apple hit rock bottom before Steve Jobs returned to the company and then watched from outside, as CEO of The All Access Group, as Apple Inc. began its climb to stardom and became the global leader it is today.

The Magic and Moxie of Apple delves into the best practices of Apple Inc. from the inside out and takes a close look at what makes Apple one of the leaders in the tech industry - and a global change agent. Author Kelli Richards not only worked at Apple Inc. for more than ten years, she also launched Apple’s earliest focus on music and drove all music initiatives during her tenure. She saw Apple hit rock bottom before Steve Jobs returned to the company and then watched from outside, as CEO of The All Access Group, as Apple Inc. began its climb to stardom and became the global leader it is today. This close study of Apple Inc. and the best practices it employs creates a blueprint for all companies and entrepreneurs to follow. Through interviews with other alums and her own experiences at Apple for over a decade, tech industry thought leader, Kelli Richards creates a compelling view of what makes Apple Inc. the company it is today. She looks at its failures, its successes, and the people who will continue its course toward greatness./////

Prior to founding The All Access Group, Kelli served in senior roles at Fortune 100 entertainment and tech companies, including Apple Inc., where she launched Apple’s earliest focus on music and drove all music initiatives during her 10 years with the market leader. She also served in senior-level executive capacities at EMI Music as an A&R exec and Silicon Graphics (SGI) where she helped launch Silicon Studio, the company’s entertainment division. She developed PatroNet, the first Internet-based artist subscription service with rocker partner Todd Rundgren in the mid-90s – and helped to launch the entire digital music revolution. A frequent speaker and panel moderator at digital music and entertainment industry conferences globally, Kelli Richards is an acclaimed talent producer of various music events and projects. She co-produced a celebrity fundraiser event to support the UN’s “Adopt-A-Minefield” initiative featuring Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, hosted by Jay Leno. Additionally, she was a 20-year talent producer behind the BAMMIES and remains a long-time talent executive and co-producer of the annual Pollstar Concert Awards. Kelli has sat on the San Francisco chapter of the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), which is the producer of the Grammy Awards. She has co-authored three books, including Amazon Bestseller “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry” and the critically acclaimed “The Art of Digital Music: 56 Artists, Visionaries & Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets.” A true renaissance woman, Kelli is also a Certified Integrative Life Coach trained under best-selling authors and coaches Debbie Ford and Alan Cohen. She lives in Cupertino, CA in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Kelli Richards is a trailblazer in the digital music and media arenas with more than 20 years of senior-level experience. With a unique talent for connecting innovators in technology with creative leaders in entertainment, Kelli guides her clients to create big visions, make big connections and achieve big results. A highly sought-after consultant, mentor, speaker, producer and author, Kelli is the CEO of The All Access Group. She and her team facilitate strategic business opportunities in digital distribution between tech companies, established artists and celebrities, film studios, record labels and consumer brand companies in order to foster new revenue streams and deliver compelling consumer experiences. Her clients range from funded start-ups to Fortune 100 companies dedicated to creating innovative consumer-facing technologies in digital music and entertainment. They have included a wide range of tech companies, musicians and celebrities, premium content owners and distributors and celebrity event organizers. Says Kelli, “At The All Access Group, we are most comfortable working with what I call the ‘creative disruptors’ of the world. These are the mavericks that never settle for the status quo, but constantly seek new and different ways to deliver knockout content to an ever-evolving digital world. We connect the disruptors, visionaries and innovators from the worlds of technology and entertainment and facilitate their partnership success.” Recognized as a digital music and entertainment futurist and thought leader, Kelli has broad and deep access to a wide range of established musicians, influencers and celebrities. She and her team possess unique expertise in a strategic process they call ‘Artist 360 Digital Delivery,’ where The All Access Group leverages cutting-edge technologies to distribute an artist or celebrity’s brand-name products directly to their fans. As a part of this innovative package, Kelli conceives and produces events based on forward-thinking “Concerts of the Future” technologies that result in both richer artist to fan experiences (before, during and after concerts) and new revenue streams for artists as a result.