Stacia Mac is not just the mother and manager of Chicago’s rising hip-hop artist, Polo G. She’s also the CEO of the management company, Only Dreamers Achieve (ODA). As well as the creator of the podcast, I Birth Legends.
The young, Black, educated mother of four, plus one grandbaby, sat down with the Chicago Defender to shed that narrative of being considered simply a momager. Stacia Mac is paving her own path to greatness while building legends in the process.
CD: What was your initial reaction to your son saying he wanted to pursue a music career?
Stacia Mac: I was absolutely shocked because he told me the day of his Prom. I wanted to celebrate him entering that new chapter of being accepted into college, and I wanted it to be everything. So, I had this elaborate Prom send-off, and on that day, with everyone around, he decided to break it to me. I guess because it was the safest way. So, when he said it, I was taken back because I had so many different aspirations for him. But I said if you believe that you can and will do it, I support you 110%. But we’re not going to do it forever. You have one year. I gave him a year, and it wasn’t even a year. It was six months before he was signed.
CD: At what point did you decide that you were going to begin managing his career?
I had been unofficially assisting in different things. I’m blessed that my children value my opinion and run things by me. So, there were various things like appearance fees and contracts. But when he started to get offers, and the offers were for $5,000 or $10,000, I was nope—flag on the play. It’s time for me to step in because clearly, they’re trying to take advantage of the situation, but I’m not going to let that happen.
With her son, Polo G, being courted by multiple record labels, Stacia Mac took her multi-year experience working in the property management field and applied it to her son’s career and landed Polo G a lucrative deal with Columbia Records while helping him build a net worth of 2.6 million dollars.
CD: How did your experience in property management translate into you managing your career, your son’s career, and the career of other individuals?
Stacia Mac: I’ve always been a sticks and bricks type of person. I laid a strong foundation and built upon it, and I transferred that to everything I did. I had no clue that God was preparing me to do. I’m managing diverse portfolios, diverse people, and having a lot on my plate in property management, but I knew the importance of having those documents together and keeping things organized. I had no clue that was my training camp for branching off from property management into talent management. But yeah, that was the boot-camp that prepared me. And they both coincide with one another.
Stacia Mac’s Only Dreamers Achieve management company (ODA) is a hub for all creatives, including social media influencers. Under ODA, artists can flourish without fear of being taken advantage of. ODA is more than just a talent management company. According to Stacia, it’s an extended family for artists.
Stacia Mac: I’ve always wanted to have a safe place for creatives where they can create and not have that fear of being taken advantage of. Many creatives, young and old, don’t understand the importance of having a legal representation of having someone who will shoot it to them straight and tell them that this is not a good deal. This is the way you create a brand. So, while it’s a safe place, it’s also an honest place. When you come to ODA, it’s a family vibe for everyone that’s here. Everyone that’s on the team is not by accident. It’s intentional. They’re here because we see that star power, and we want to build a family and make our network bigger. It’s not always about the bottom line. It’s holistically looking at the artist and wanting them to excel.
CD: Do your motherly instincts kick in when speaking to your clients or speaking on behalf of your clients?
Stacia Mac: Absolutely! The most trusted person in your family and your circle will be that matriarch and that mother. And if I had anybody advocating for me with that much ferocity, I will ALWAYS want to bet on them. So, it’s not something I shy away from. Every one of my creatives, I feel like they are a child of mine, and I will protect them and always treat them as such. I’m going to give you everything uninhibited so you can make an informed decision. And I’m going to make sure no one hinders you professionally in any manner.
Understanding the complexity of having a child in the entertainment industry, Stacia Mac took her hustle to the next level with “I Birth Legends.” A podcast that allows Stacia to speak with mothers of other young famous hip-hop artists. Offering them a platform to share their experiences while giving insight into what it’s like to raise their child in the public eye.
CD: Something I find interesting is your brand, “I Birth Legends.” How did that idea develop for you?
Stacia Mac: It’s crazy because before my children began to branch out and get their own notoriety, I would always tell them that they were legendry. I would say to them, don’t put this on social media because you’re going to be big one day, and whatever you post is going to be there forever. I was always grooming them for greatness. No matter what that might be. I told them once they go on and reach new heights, I’m going to start a brand called I Birth Legends. Because you’re a promise to God to my lineage that I will birth greatness, we started it as an idea, in-house. I knew this would be it, and we manifested it. When you look at great people, and you wonder how they were like growing up. Often, the moms don’t get the spotlight and get enough credit to be social media or entertainment at-large. The moms are usually that hub that pushes them forward. That holds them and keeps them grounded after the celebrity. So, it’s interesting to see how they grew up. When you see the mom, you’re like, I get it now. You begin to understand why they’re so successful and why they are the way they are.
Notable mothers that have appeared on an episode of “I Birth Legends” includes Mama Jones, the mother to rapper Jim Jones. Faye Brewster, the mother of rapper and actor Dave East. And Karlissa Angelic Saffold, the mother of rapper Blueface.
“I Birth Legends” extends well behind being a podcast. It also offers merchandise. And in the upcoming year, Stacia looks to push her brand even further with the release of her book, “I Birth Legends – A Guide To Molding Legendary Children.”
Stacia Mac: I feel like, so often, children feel as though they don’t have the support of the household or their community-at-large. And in our community, the children are told what they cannot be, as opposed to being told what they can be. Instead of being told to go bigger, it’s can you trim it down a bit. Or do you have something more realistic? If children could have those positive conversations or positive reinforcement, they will let go of the resistance. And step into who they are meant to be. A lot of that is changing the outlook, the speech, the talk, the activeness that parents have. So as much as it is to mold legendary children, it’s also to change the parents’ mindset who raise the children.
CD: You have three of the most demanding jobs a woman can have. You’re a mother, a businesswoman, and you’re a wife. When do you find time for yourself?
Stacia Mac: I schedule time. Because you have to make time, there are times when I think to myself, like, did I eat today? So, I schedule a time for self-care. I schedule a time to spend with my family and children. So, like on this day, I’ll schedule a time to go to the park with my children or go shopping with my older daughter. I have to schedule a time for the important things, and it works.
CD: I’m sure there are thousands of young mothers and women, in general, looking up to you. How important is self-care when being a businesswoman and running a company?
Stacia Mac: It’s very important. Mothering a business is just like mothering a child. People are often like, oh, I’ll do anything for my children, or I’ll do anything for my business. But the first line is you. You have to care for yourself. You have to be there, and you have to be at your best. You have to be at your strongest, so you can have the extensions of you to blossom. If you’re not at your best, if your fatigue, if you’re tired, if you’re not thinking clearly, then you’re doing yourself and everything you’re associated with a disservice. So, self-care should always be number one.
CD: Where do you pull your inspiration from?
Stacia Mac: I get it from my mama. My mother is one of the smartest and strongest women I know. And she’s going to give it to you straight. One thing that I always love and respect about my mother is that what you see is what you get. She’s going to give it all to you. She says, “I’m going to give it to you, and I’m a leave it there.” And with that being said, she’s given it all, and from there, you choose what you’re going to do with it. But she knows unequivocally that she has provided all the tools necessary for you to make the best decision. And that’s how I parent, that’s how I lead with anything. I’m going to give you full transparency, full disclosure, and what you do with that afterward, it’s on you. But that’s the way I walk in everything.
For more information on Stacia Mac, follow her official social media page, Stacia.Mac
Ali is a freelance writer within the Black and Hip-Hop culture with featured articles in multiple publications. Follow his Instagram @Choose_Wisey2.
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