Inside the unforgettable NYC launch of The Creative Entrepreneur with Nile Rodgers and Carolyn Dailey.
The New York City launch of Carolyn Dailey’s new book The Creative Entrepreneur brought together an intimate crowd of creatives, founders, and cultural icons. But it was Nile’s stories — some wildly funny, others deeply personal — that stole the show.
The setting itself was cinematic — the newly opened Manhattan sister to LA’s famed San Vicente Bungalows — but it was the presence of music legend Nile Rodgers that electrified the room. The multi-Grammy winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and one of the book’s featured entrepreneurs joined Carolyn in a live on-stage conversation that was, from start to finish, part business seminar, part personal memoir, part behind-the-scenes tour of music history.
Nile Rodgers, Carolyn Dailey -Jiraurd Key/BFA.com
Carolyn opened the evening with a powerful message on the mission behind the book. “Business is the thing that makes creativity real,” she told the audience. “That’s how it gets into the world. We want to revolutionise the old school thinking that [creativity and commerce] shouldn’t mix.”
Then came Nile.
From the origin of Chic to how a tip from Frank Sinatra at age 14 shaped his entire strategy, Nile took the crowd through decades of lessons earned the hard way.
“Mr. Sinatra said to me: ‘Hey, kid, you know why they call it show business?… You gotta put on a show to do the business.’”
That advice would shape his approach to launching Chic. When they had no budget to promote their debut single “Dance, Dance, Dance,” Rodgers and his partner Bernard Edwards staged elaborate live appearances—dancers, smoke, the works—just to get radio DJs to listen. “We put on a show to do the business,” Rodgers said. “And somehow it worked.”
Stories flowed about Diana Ross, Sister Sledge and. The audience—among them longtime friend Spike Lee, who offered his own animated commentary from the “peanut gallery”—was treated to stories behind some of Rodgers’ biggest hits, including the wild night that inspired “I’m Coming Out.” His story of stepping into a nightclub bathroom full of Diana Ross impersonators is the stuff of music legend. “I said, ‘Write down, I’m coming out.’ Imagine Diana Ross going, ‘I’m coming out.’ That’ll be the s**t.”
That song became her lifelong anthem — and a global LGBTQ+ anthem — born from pure observation and smart, intentional storytelling.
The takeaway of the night? Behind every legendary hit was a plan. A strategy. A sense of purpose.
“I treat every song as its own unique business,” Nile said. “Every one of my compositions has a proper P&L statement. I know what I’ve earned.”
He also spoke candidly about the need to stay current and technologically agile. “I have Pro Tools now. I have Logic. I have all that s**t. And I can do a mix, and when I’m done, I can hit a button and send it to the guy mastering it. We never had that power before. That’s why young people are kicking our asses!”
Nile Rodgers
As the evening drew to a close, Rodgers picked up his legendary Fender Stratocaster—“The Hitmaker”—and played. For the crowd, it was a moment to remember: a celebration of legacy, of music, and of the entrepreneurial spirit that has defined both Rodgers’ career and the creative movement Dailey has long championed.
As Dailey reminded everyone, The Creative Entrepreneur is about more than individual success stories—it’s a call to arms for creatives to build thriving businesses without compromising their artistic integrity. “We need to build the ecosystem around creative entrepreneurship,” she said. “This book is just the beginning.”
The Creative Entrepreneur is now available everywhere. It’s more than a book—it’s a manifesto for building a creative life on your own terms. Order your copy today— and be part of the movement.