It is hard to believe that the eight-week campaign has come to an end! This journey has been an absolute blast, filled with the joy of creating meaningful content that I sincerely hope has resonated with people. Initially, I launched this campaign with the aim of shedding light on Nashville and the music industry. However, as the weeks unfolded, I found myself diving deeper into the campaign, discovering more about both the industry and, surprisingly, about myself. It has been a remarkable experience of growth and self-discovery. For my last blog post, I wanted to create a post that is centered around some last advice I would like to share with everyone. Whether you are currently in the music industry, just starting out, or just seeking to learn more about it, here are some things I have learned I hope you can apply to your own life no matter your profession.
Do Not Be Afraid To Network
Throughout my life, and more specifically my time in Nashville, I was always afraid to put myself out there and make connections. I always had the notion that people who were above me had no interest in helping me. This could not be more false. While there is the occasional bad egg, nine times out of ten, people are more than willing to offer advice, a connection, or a friendly word of advice. You know why?! Because they have stood in your shoes. Everybody has to start somewhere, and they usually are willing to help you succeed because they remember when they were low man on the totem pole.
It Takes Time
It takes coal many years and lots of pressure and hard work to make a diamond. Diamonds are not born sparkly! This is a concept I still struggle with currently. The music industry is extremely competitive and there is always going to be someone more successful, smarter, and shinier than you! But hey, that’s life, right? It takes time to becomes successful and reach the goals you want to achieve. You may have to do some things you do not want to do along the way, and it will be hard. There will be obstacles and crap storms and you may have to eat a few shit sandwiches along the way (we are in music shitty!), but the important thing to remember is there is always a lesson to be learned from each obstacle. It is easy to fall down the rabbit hole of self-pity and doubt, but it is important to remind yourself that everything happens for a reason, no matter how small and insignificant that reason may be because that small reason may lead to something bigger and better. That is why it is so important to stay grounded and appreciate the small successes as well as the big because everything is like one big puzzle leading up to the final picture, so trust the process!
Do Not Say No To Opportunities
I am going to be honest here, when I first began this project, I hated marketing. I chose to take two marketing classes this semester and I hated both of them after the first week of the semester. Something told me not to drop and to stick with it so I did. I was tired and all of these concepts were swirling around in my brain, and I reached a point in the semester where if I had to create one more positioning statement or analyze a target market, I was simply going to explode!! But, as the semester progressed and I actually started to get into a routine, it was like everything clicked one day. I began using skills I learned in Social Media Marketing in my Marketing of Recorded Music class. I realized all of the fundamentals were the same and everything was connected. I also realized I actually really liked marketing and especially Social Media Marketing because it has allowed me to be creative, while also giving me an opportunity on the business side of the industry. When I first started at Belmont, I was set on being an artist manager. I now know I want to pursue marketing and this class has helped me land multiple internship offers already because of the demand for this particular skill set. It is so important to not check something off because you never know what you end up liking if you do not try it!
Believe in Yourself!
My last advice is simple, to believe in yourself. I know it is a clique saying and honestly, I hate it when people tell me this, but here I am, telling you to because in order to succeed, it is a necessity. How can anyone take you seriously if you don’t have the confidence to take yourself seriously? You have to love yourself and seek the ability to grow by yourself without the validation of others around you. If you go about your life seeking approval from others, you are going to be a very miserable human being. Believe in yourself, validate yourself, and even if you do not at least pretend like you do, fake it till you make it people because eventually if you tell yourself you believe in yourself enough you will start to believe it. We live in a superficial world now, full of superficial people, especially in the music industry. People are going to try and sell you short and you simply cannot let them. It is so important to stay grounded to yourself and not place your worth into other’s hands. I am still learning this strategy, but when I do believe in myself, I succeed so much more and so can you!
Conclusion
Thank you all for this amazing campaign, I hope you take some of these insights and utilize them in your own life!
Let me know your thoughts and questions in my Contact Me form!
Remember to fill out my Follow Me form to stay up to date on current news!
Follow my socials below!
