This month officially marks my 10-year anniversary of working in the music industry. It’s been a wild journey, full of moments I never thought I’d get to experience.

I’m grateful for the ride and thought it’d be worthwhile to use this newsletter for reflecting.

This newsletter highlights:

• Reflecting on my 10 year anniversary working in the music industry

Let’s dive in ⬇️ 

The last 10 years have been filled with ups and downs, wins, losses, tons of lessons, and new perspective on things. It’s forever a blessing to be able to help artists, their teams, and contribute to building their careers.

Here’s a few things I’ve been thinking about as I reflect on the last decade:

1) Being able to make a living doing something you love and are passionate about is a blessing. So few people have this opportuntity and it’s one to be cherished.

2) Treat people the way you want to be treated, even when they don’t reciprocate (unless they break your boundaries). The music industry has a reputation for being full of people looking to win at all costs or do what’s in their best interest at the expense of others. It’s important to not let that deter you from still doing the right thing and treating people the way you want to be treated along your journey. Don’t let the actions of others trick you into thinking it’s okay for you to do it too.

3) Never get too high, never get too low. Working in music (and entertainment in general) is full of ups and downs. When you catch a win (a big album, a breakthrough song, a big moment) it feels like you’re on top. Alternatively, when you’re grinding it out and haven’t had that moment yet or in a while, it’s easy to feel like it might never come.

Many times the biggest struggles come right before the biggest breakthroughs. It’s important to consistently work hard, stay level-headed, and enjoy the wins, but don’t let them derail you from the mission at hand.

4) Do the work without focusing on the accolades. A good portion of people in the music industry only care about accolades - looking cool on social media and being in the mix as opposed to doing the actual work even if it’s behind the scenes. Don’t let what’s happening on Instagram distract you from the fact that putting your head down and doing the work will be the fastest way to create success long term.

5) Treat others the way you want to be treated.

6) Network up, left and right, and down.

Up - networking with those in higher positions than you is advantageous for obvious reasons. It can help with experience and create bigger opportunities.

Left and right (laterally). Your peers are growing with you and will eventually be in higher positions one day.

Down - it’s important to stay connected to the younger generations - not just to learn from them (since most of the time they have their pulse on what’s going on) but to provide value back to them and help where you can.

7) Everyone is trying to figure it out. Yes there are guidelines, best practices, and strategies that work better than others but there is no guaranteed blueprint for success in today’s day and age. No one person or entity has a secret formula.

8) Provide as much value as possible. Going above and beyond and making things easier for your teammates and those around you is one of the best ways to advance and make yourself a necessary part of any team.

9) Times are changing…fast. With how fast technology is evolving, it’s more important than ever to stay up to date with the latest trends, developments, and platforms. What worked 6 months ago may not work right now.

10) Create opportunities, don’t wait for them to come to you. This applies to yourself, your artists, your company, etc. Network on social media, network on LinkedIn, look at what other artists are doing for inspiration, connect with your peers, help them when you can, and be proactive.

11) Balance is key. It’s common to work long hours (especially when you first get into the industry and are proving yourself). It’s crucial to create space and time in your life for nonindustry related friends, hobbies, and passions.

12) Don’t lose sight of your mental health.

Thanks for reading, until next time.