Greetings,

This is a letter recommending Stephen Phillips, an honorable man and friend.

A little background: Having finished a public relations management gig at USM&P in 2005, I moved from Los Angeles to Nashville. In a new city all by my lonesome, I visited the Masonic Grand Lodge of Tennessee and met Steve, who was working in the front office. Personable, gregarious, intelligent gent; we got along right off the bat. We had guitar in common, and he was humble about his familial connection to music royalty — the Lomaxes, Townes Van Zandt, and many other luminaries who are my musical heroes.

An excellent musician, Steve helped me polish some of my songs as I pursued the Music Row dream. Alas, it turns out my two-year plan yielded the typical outcome: Nashville deemed me a hobbyist, not a paid professional. Steve had my back, though, remaining my strongest ally and booster in Davidson County.

A buddy in Maine called me one day while I was living at the (in)famous Villager Apartments, where 21st Avenue turns into Hillsboro Pike. He’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I said my good-byes to Steve and his lovely wife, Angie; caught one last concert at the Ryman; then packed up and moved to Vacationland.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been back to see Steve and his family in over a decade, now. Yet, we have managed to remain close all this time, and I attribute that to Steve’s character. It’s his way.

I use the band analogy when discussing what makes a good hire. He can shred on guitar; but Steve does what is required to best serve the song.

Steve listens. He is empathetic. He does his homework and practices, regardless of life’s distractions. And most importantly, Steve shows up. On time.

Steve is generous, too. After moving to Lafayette, Louisiana (my Maine friend’s cancer went into remission), I was awarded a grant to make a documentary film, Songs of Souls. Many hours of consultation late into the evening with Steve helped me focus on a Lomax connection – Lead Belly – a man who sang his way out of prison. Twice. Flash forward less than a year later: I’m producing and filming a concert at Angola (Louisiana State Penitentiary). The documentary closed out Lafayette’s Cinema on the Bayou film festival to a standing-room-only crowd and won the Audience Favorite Award. Thanks again for the help, Stephen Phillips.

I’ve been in your shoes, having to make a hiring decision. As a PR guy for the Louisiana Lottery back in its infancy, I had over a dozen employees in my department and a $1.2 million annual budget. It always ends up getting back to some variant of the root question: “Is this the right person for this job?”

Does the position require someone personable, gregarious, intelligent, empathetic, teachable, disciplined, generous and/or just plain motivated? Hire Stephen Phillips, then.

Cordially,
Ronnie Clifton
337-281-4690