The talent manager talks to TIME about staying grounded in the entertainment industry and guiding young stars to success
+ READ ARTICLEJustin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Carly Rae Jepsen have a few things in common. They all broke into the music industry at a young age, swiftly raced to the top of the charts and have sold, collectively, millions upon millions of albums. But their common denominator is Scooter Braun.
Braun, a talent manager, music executive and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2013, has discovered and cultivated more artists than any of his counterparts in the music industry today. He plucked Bieber from the depths of YouTube and ushered him to super-stardom. He fostered Grande in her transition from Disney to diva. And he made sure that PSY became the biggest Korean pop star ever to land on American soil.
But in an industry where it can be difficult to remain grounded, Braun’s commitment to family, mentorship and philanthropy has remained at the core of his professional life. Of his approach to working with young talent, Braun tells TIME, “If you can help someone become a good young woman or a good young man, they have a better chance of surviving in this business.”
Braun credits his father—who tucked him in each night with the mantra, “Good night, Brauns are different”—with imbuing him with the confidence to pursue his path and the levelheadedness to prioritize philanthropy as highly as he does his professional endeavors. “I want to show that you can be a successful entertainment executive, be a good husband, be a good father, be a good friend, be down to earth, be a good person and give back,” he says. “If I can push that message out there into the world and pass it on to my son, then I’m OK.”