It’s been a minute since the first batch of fierce, fabulous, female music business entrepreneurs showed up on my blog, and as you can see it was worth the wait. I’m thrilled to be showcasing now over 100 women. Please share this, retweet this and feel free to repost on your own blogs. With Love, Ariel
Artists/Producers/Composers
The Three Ps
Christine Ben Ameh “The 3 PS- 1. Patience. 2. Perseverance. 3.Practice (Makes perfect).” Recording Artist/Songwriter @CHRISTINE_AMEH
Be Bold
Carsie Blanton “Be excellent, be committed, be bold.” Indie Singer/ Songwriter @carsieblanton
Don’t Fear Failure
Roswitha Bartussek “Envision your destiny and take small daily steps towards it. Don’t be afraid to fail, the more often you fail the more likely you will succeed. Be your authentic self, don’t try to fit in, carve out your niche.”
Artist, CEO of Queen Rose, Inc. @queenrose
Be Present
Ann Klein “Make the very best of where you are; it’ll take you where you want to go.” Artist (singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist) @redcharvel1
The Truth Will Set You Free
Erin Dickins “ Tell the truth - in music and life - never sing a lyric that you wouldn’t have as an epithet. Never do anything artistically to please anyone else. It’s all you - be authentically you - in your passion, your joy and your dreams. Shine your light big and bright no matter how big the challenges. Love every minute of the journey.” (not just a) Jazz VOCALIST - Recording artist on Dot Time Records @erindickins
Dream Bigger
Aoede “Dream BIG and often! Never let a little thing called life get in the way of your grandest dreams! If you dream it, put it out into the Universe, truly believe and work crazy hard to make it happen, your dreams can come true. Listen to your muse, believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to be a pioneer; if it hasn’t been done before, pave your own path!” Award-Winning Pop and Children’s Musical Stories, Singer-Songwriter, Recording Artist @aoedemuse
Find Your Tribe
Barb Morrison “Work with people (whether it be a manager, a producer, an agent, a publicist or a record label) who GET you. Having someone fully understand what you’re trying to say with your music is crucial. It’s much more important than how connected they are in the industry.” Record producer & film score composer @barbmorrison
It’s Not All About You
Cheryl Engelhardt “Your results are not about you- they show up when you create an opportunity of value for someone else. I use this nugget when pitching music-to-music supervisors, getting a film-scoring gig, when talking with a potential coaching client, or even when inviting a friend to a movie. “What’s in it for them?” is the phrase I have running through my head before making a request of anyone.” Songwriter / Composer / Creative Career Coach @CBE
Don’t Let Your Ego Control You
Trudee Lunden “ Don’t let your own ego supersede your humanity while building relationships or promoting your business. Although music is global, people in this industry travel in a small circular world. Music and creativity in general holds a valuable place in society, however, we’re not saving lives, feeding the poor or sheltering the homeless (unless donating our time, resources or earnings for these purposes).” Singer/Songwriter/Music Publisher @GreenMusicLady
DO Your Dream
Bettie Ross “Do your dream: Know what your dream is, and work hard at achieving it. DO it, don’t just dream it. Get really good at your craft, whether it’s playing an instrument or songwriting or singing, being a manager or an attorney, whatever it is. And I mean, get REALLY good at it. Learn from each opportunity, even if it is not exactly what your dream is.” Composer, Keyboardist, Songwriter, and Music Engraver Bettie [AT] BettieRoss [DOT] com
Anything Could Happen
Sarah Petrella “If it can happen to someone, it can happen to you. We are all talented beings, and the winners win because they don’t give up.” Singer/Songwriter @smpetrella
Do What You Love
Jeanna Isham “The thing that filters out the good from the great is stamina, persistence, and an undying faith in yourself that this will happen for you. If this is what you’ve been put on this earth to do then do it and never stop. After all, if you truly love it then it shouldn’t be about money or fame. If you love it then you’re successful just by being one of the few that is living their love every single day.” Dreamr Productions
Keep Growing
Chaise Candie “Never Stop Growing - Developing your skills and talents should be an ongoing process. Immerse yourself in the industry and gain as much knowledge as possible. Be confident and proud of what you’ve accomplished yet avoid becoming complacent.” Singer, Songwriter & Performer @chaisecandie
Hard Work Pays Off
Anna Laverty “Work hard and ALWAYS be the last one standing.” Producer/Sound Engineer @annalaverty
Never Give Up
Tania Stavreva “Never give up. In the music industry I find that there is always a path toward success that is not always easy. Facing difficulties and barriers is often disappointing but they make you stronger. Being able to remain motivated, inspired, passionate, creative and stubborn about your art and about your goal, that is what I consider the right path to victory and success.” Concert Pianist @taniastavreva
Give & Take
Holly Brewer “There is a difference between giving and being taken advantage of. Find and define the line between both and keep it balanced.” Composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and I co-own the record label Nervous Relatives Records (since 2002) @TheFolksBelow
Be Patient
Leanne Regalle “There’s no such thing as overnight success. Slow, steady progress over time adds up. Craft your vision and keep working towards it every single day. You will make mistakes. Leave your ego at the door, be flexible, and keep moving forward. Your contribution matters.” Songwriter and Owner at Livin’ Out Loud Music, Blogger at Make Creativity Pay @leregalla
Be Your Own Friend
Marcomé “Your best investment is in a solid self-esteem and a goal that evolves you and others.
You’re the first person you get up with and the last you go to bed with for the rest of your life so better learn to become your own best friend. Without inner peace, money does not bring true lasting happiness.” Canadian new age music vocalist, songwriter, music producer @Marcome
Hit a Wall? Wait.
Dee Handyside “It’s damn tough. But when I hit a wall, I no longer continue to bash it. I take a step back and wait. A person, opportunity or event will come along and open a door so that I go through the wall unscathed. I call them my ‘wall-angels’.” Owner, Performer @DeeHandyside
Create A New Way
Zoe Boekbinder “Sure, sure, heed good advice… but also find a way of doing it that is different than the way its been done before.” Artist @zoeboekbinder
Cultivate the Powerful Women in your Life
Normandie Wilson “Make sure to surround yourself with other women! Seek out women’s groups and the advice of women who are kicking ass and taking names. Remember that you are a reflection of the 5 people that you spend the most time around. Make sure those people are the top of the top.” Entertainer @normandiewilson
Listen
Madalyn Sklar “Passion and persistence will get you far. Don’t be afraid to go big. Surround yourself with smart, motivated, like-minded people (join or start a mastermind group). Listen. Listening will get you further than anything else.” Founder, GoGirlsMusic @madalynsklar
Artist Management/Agents/Publicists
Trust Your Instincts
Carla Sacks “Don’t look sideways. Summon your gut and trust your instincts. Try to always do right, it will make you happy and happiness is contagious.” Founder, Sacks & Co. media relations @sacksco
Fame Isn’t Everything
Hilde Spille “In the rock-music business, every artist wants to become famous, it seems. I
can assure you that success is not dependent on fame. Every step counts. Too
many people in the business still believe the myth that fame will solve all
your problems. Don’t believe that, it adds more problems than you can
imagine.” European booking agent, entrepreneur, personal e-coach for artists, and
blogger @HildeSpille
Stay Focused
Susan Fontaine Godwin “Nurture your vision. Know that it will take longer to realize your vision than you expect, and it will look different than you thought. Know that you will encounter criticism, naysayers, roadblocks and delays, but it’s part of the process that will help form and fashion your vision into reality.” Founder/President of CCS @copyright_queen and @doingmusicright
Respect Everyone
Lauren McKinley “Realize that this industry is ever changing and relatively small. Not only should you respect everyone you meet and/or work with, but also you should always offer help where you can. The people you help today will be the ones helping you tomorrow.” Owner, Clover Marketing & Management @CloverMktg or @LFMcKinley
It’s Ok to Say No
Leanne de Souza “Never feel the need to apologize for life balance choices. If you can’t take that Skype call at particular time because you are doing the school run, that’s okay! Just reschedule, don’t feel the need to justify and explain every reason and decision. Be vigilant.” Artist Manager @rebelbuzz
Be True To Yourself
Lori Bumgarner “Never try to do things exactly the way others tell you to do it or exactly the same way they did it. Promotion of your brand has to be done in a way that is true to you. Not every species of flower blooms at the same rate or under the same conditions!” Image Consultant/owner of paNASH Style LLC @panashstyle
Kindness is Strength
Natasha Bent “Stay positive, work hard, don’t expect it to be easy, and always treat everyone with respect, fairness and kindness, even those that may not show it in return; that shows true strength.” Booking Agent at The Agency Group London office ( VP) @Agent_Tasha
Take Care of Yourself
Jessica De Wal “Work hard to build your business but always make time to work on your personal growth and well-being. When I just started my own company I felt I had to put in many hours and had to be available at all times because my dream of running my own PR company was finally coming true. I never made time to take good care of myself and eventually became ill. Over recent times I have cut back my working hours drastically and am planning ‘me time’ again. When you’re feeling well, you’re company will do a lot better too.” Music publicist and owner at It’s All Happening @ItsAllHappening
Pay Attention
Blair Clark “Pay attention ALL the time. The next big thing in social media, distribution, touring, etc could be right in front of you. Take time to keep up with what’s going on.” Artist Manager & Owner, Dance Panda Entertainment @dancepanda
Break The Stereotype
Cameo Carlson “Don’t allow yourself to fall into stereotypes. The music business tends to sideline women that are too aggressive in the “bitch” category and women that are too passive in the “doormat” category. Break the glass ceiling by being the most prepared in the room. Speak up and defend your positions passionately.” Head of Digital Business Development, Borman Entertainment (artist management company) @DigiMusicBitch
Find Another Door
Laurence Muller “When a door closes, never stand there like a dummy, find another door!” Label Manager / Manager
Educators
Set Goals
Kristin Yost “Someone once told me that goals without deadlines are only dreams…dreams are important, but goals are what propel us to dream even bigger.” Author of “How I Made a $100,000 My First Year as a Piano Teacher” @musicalminds
Be Grateful
Ajda Snyder “ Be true to your vision. Have gratitude for all your blessings and let your defeats humble you and help you grow.” Voice Teacher @ajdatq
Embrace Uncertainty
Dr. Jill Timmons “Enjoy the process and remember, sometimes you build the road as you go!” PRINCIPAL: ARTSMENTOR, LLC (www.artsmentor.com) @artsmentor
Don’t Take It Personal
Celia Slattery “Don’t take rejection personally. Keep working on improving your craft and persevere. Sooner or later the doors that are closed to you now will begin to open — or you’ll find other doors, or maybe crawl in through a window. Persist because you love music and you have a mission; not for any imagined pot of gold you think you’ll find at the end of the rainbow.” Voice and Performance Studio @celiaslattery
Music Biz Professionals
Fans First
Louise Dodgson “Always put your fans first. Too many bands & artists are concerned with attracting the interest of the music industry. But the best way to do so is usually to forget all about it! Concentrate on your fans. Communicating with them and working hard to expand your fan base. Making the music and sharing it with people who really appreciate what you do is the enjoyable part. Your fans will help create the buzz for you and if you’re doing your own thing with a keen and constantly growing following, the music industry will no doubt catch up to you in due course.” Editor, The Unsigned Guide @editorunsigned
Slow Down
Isabella Acker “We live in an era where everyone’s constantly bombarded with the invasive nature of technology and its demand for us to always stay up to speed. This constant connectivity can affect your ability to nurture your creativity. We must allocate time, even if it’s 15 minutes a day to stop, slow down, and get inspired.” The Black Key Group @BlackKeyGroup
Make It a Win-Win
Kerry Fiero “Strive to create win-win situations. That means every relationship is about finding a happy medium so everyone involved had something to gain. It is not about today…. but about tomorrow and the years to come when building a career. The win-win builds lasting relationships. Interns become bosses. Colleagues become friends. Strangers become allies. Every door that opens to your next great opportunity will be from someone you know.” Event Planner, Music Business Professional @KalwaysSTRIVING
Be Positive
Lynn Spin “Never get sucked into negativity. Even though the music industry is predominately men, never believe yourself unworthy to be on the same level.” Vice President of JaHMa Music @jahmarecords
Female Power
Kim Cameron “Never underestimate the power of female colleagues. They can be your most valuable allies.” Label Owner @Sidefxband
Know Your Data
Velda Garcia Fayz “Come armed with a strategy based on data. Know how to collect it, how to analyze it and how to use it so you can make informed decisions about what fans want and how they discover/buy new music.” President & Artist Manager Battlecross @GoVelda
Have Faith
Jennifer Allison “With faith passion & action, all things are possible. Love changes things.” Founder & CEO of EXE Media Group Co-Founder of Love The Little Ones PR for Transcendental Music @exemediagroup
Believe
Melani Ismail “Remember, it’s not about how you feel, it’s about how you believe. Keep going.” President of MAI Productions @melaniismail
Creative Entrepreneurs
Listen to that Gut Feeling
Farideh “Your business decisions need to feed your passion. Everyone has ideas about what you “HAVE” to do to make it. If you do everything they tell you to do, you’ll end up hating what you used to love. Take their advice but listen to your own gut feelings.” Founder & CEO, Sceneplay Business Strategist for Creative Entrepreneurs @faridehceaser
Persevere
Glory Reinstein “While you’re building relationships with industry folks, remember they are normal people with families and lives just like you and I. Get educated, treat them with kindness and respect, don’t take “no thank you” personally, and above all, persevere!” Creative Liaison Bluebird (Music) Promotions @BluebirdGlory
Keep It Real
Jennifer Sellers “Be sincere. Man or woman, your integrity in this business makes you stand out. Your enthusiasm mixed with a determined sensibility helps you tread through all kinds of obstacles and allows room for great success.
” Talent Buyer, Booker, Marketing Director, Social Media Director, Street Team Organizer, Personal Shopper, Office Manager, Event Staff Coordinator @rocnopal
Be Fair
Laurie Jakobsen ““Fight fair” – today’s seeming adversary could be your colleague tomorrow; you never know who you will encounter again in your life’s journey.” President, Jaybird Communications @jaybirdcom