Women of the Month 2019 Advice Round-Up

In 2019 we have featured interviews with some of country music and Nashville’s biggest names in the industry in our “Woman of the Month” feature. Each month we chatted with another powerful woman in the business whether they worked in publishing, publicity, record labels or digital marketing. At the end of each interview, we were sure to ask if they had any advice for young girls who wanted to pursue their dreams in the music industry and the best practices to put in motion to make that dream a reality. Here are some of our favorite quotes from our Women of the Month in 2019.

 

“Don’t care too much about the name of the company you intern for or work for, it’s about where you will get the opportunity to work, learn and grow. If you are at a smaller company, you learn so much so quickly. If it wasn’t for my internship I would have fallen on my face when I got my first job. If you have an opportunity to work, get paid, do what you love and be around good people, take the opportunity.” – Kristen Ashley, Artist Manager & Founder of 11/10 Management

 

“Follow your passion and find your champions!  You are offering a service that can help mentor artists and industry professionals, which is such important work.  Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement!” – Leslie Fram, Senior VP of Music Strategy for CMT 

 

“Figure out who you are at your core and stay true to that, and certainly, don’t let this industry change who you are. Trust and know at this moment you are exactly where you are supposed to be and if you continue to work with integrity and honesty, stay true to who you are, stand up for yourself and be good to people – there is nothing you can’t do.” – Ashley Eicher, Creator, Host, and Producer

 

“Don’t fuck anybody, that’s the first thing I’ll say. Don’t get involved with anybody romantically or sexually that you are in business with, its a huge mistake.” She also is heartfelt when she says to not lose your love for the music, for the reason you are in this business in the first place. “No matter what else happens and keep listening and keep looking for new stars.” – Susan Nadler, Shady Ladies of Music City

 

“My feeling is, you almost have to carve out your own space which is one of the reasons I always had my own company. Just be strong, don’t take the shit from anybody. People always said they were afraid of me or intimated by me because I always told the truth, why is that so scary? I think you just have to stand up for what you believe and if you do that, that will change the conversation.” – Evelyn Shriver, Shady Ladies of Music City

 

“Our industry is so small, networking is huge. The more you are around and people can see you and see what you do, I feel like that goes a long way, every opportunity I’ve gotten in Nashville has come from someone I’ve networked with.” She also highlights the importance of accepting that you won’t know everything and not being afraid to ask questions or to learn from others around you. – Jessica Valiyi, Digital Strategy for Sony Music Nashville

 

“That’s what I would tell young female creatives. If there is something that you have a little bit of an ego about, don’t be ashamed of that. That might be your self’s way of telling you what you should be putting your time and effort into. Your ego, if handled responsibly, can be your compass to what you should be doing with your time and creativity.” – Nicolle Galyon, Songwriter & President of Songs & Daughters

 

“I have had a really beautiful career because I’ve always followed the music and not the money. I can’t stress that enough if you follow great music, I think the money will come…I have joy in my life, I love my job and I work with incredible talent and the people that I work with are going to be the ones that my kids read about in the country music history books and I am proud of that.”  – Brooke Antonakos VP of Red Creative Group

 

“Doing what you do, me and Cassie are good examples of that because before entering the workforce we were fangirls, being able to take that passion and understand that we were not just fans but consumers. There were plenty of other people just like us, people who we could also turn into consumers, and taking that understanding of why we were purchasing things and making a company out of it, we continue to be fans and we utilize that in our understanding. Studying your own habits led us into this company essentially.” – Cassie Petrey & Jade Driver Owners of Crowd Surf

 

“Figuring out what your talents are and finding a way to do that for good, finding what your passions are, find a place where you can use your heart and bring good no matter where you end up working, I think that was key for finding my career path,” – Jessica Turri St. Jude Country Cares

 

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