How I Got Here

I've been in the music business since 1998, when I was paid by a local newspaper to review CDs and concerts. I received early preview tickets to see Titanic, and was given a copy of the album. My 15-year old self died right along with Jack and I made sure the local readers knew it. This cathartic experience led me to explore journalism and public relations as I applied to college. My promotions career started as an Aware Records rep when I promoted John Mayer's EP Room for Squares. We took sampler CDs, posters, flyers, and handbills to local record stores and lifestyle shops and tried to convince gatekeepers to give him a listen. We could act as distribution reps on behalf of Aware - buying CDs at a discount and reselling to friends at a markup. I bought a few of them but ended up giving them away to talent buyers and radio people. Being an Aware rep taught me the importance of grassroots marketing, and instilled in me a deep desire to help people like John, who are insanely talented but still can't do everything themselves. It taught me the importance of having a good team early in your career.

Using this knowledge, I joined street teams for bands like Umphrey's McGee, moe., Home Grown Music Network, and festivals like Bonnaroo and Summer Camp. I did marketing for the committee that booked shows on my college campus - we hosted John Mellencamp, Howie Day, Matt Nathanson, Ani Difranco, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, etc. This is where I learned I did NOT want to be a talent buyer. Instead, we hung flyers in dorms, did cute promotions outside the union, and bought advertisements in local newspapers and radio. I also worked on the committee to promote local music called Live from Bloomington. We listened to submissions, picked our favorite 16, made a CD of the best tracks, and hosted a multi-venue festival. This is where I learned that I LOVE promoting local music. LFB stands out as the highlight of my college career.

When I graduated college I moved to Colorado and worked for a boutique booking agency that had several local bluegrass and funk bands. Here I learned that there are boundaries between work, play, and love, and I dealt with my dad's cancer diagnosis. I also learned that I do not want to be an agent. Everyone has dark seasons, and this was mine. The lessons are innumerable, and I'm glad to have gotten through it relatively unscathed.

In 2006 I ended up moving to Chicago and working for a tech company called FreshTrackMusic. We did MP3 hosting and distribution, made streaming players for clients websites, and created music-based marketing strategy for big brands. One of my projects was to promote unsigned bands on CocaCola's website as a way to drive traffic. We worked with many bands but mostly focused on Zac Brown Band, Kate Voegele, and Stephen Kellogg. I was the marketing manager for the fan-facing website, so I was tasked with building a nationwide street team of college students who would help promote our roster of emerging artists. I recruited 150 college students to become members of our website and to promote the artists when they released new music and played concerts in their town. I worked with the bands managers to direct them to markets where they had strong followings. I experienced the world of corporate approvals, university marketing, tech build outs, and this is where I was working when both my grandparents and my dad passed away. As the recession loomed and funding dried up, they graciously laid me off first, and I got to collect unemployment while I grieved (... And applied for new jobs. Of course 😜.) I'll always be grateful for those few months.

When I was ready to reemerge into the world, I moved into festival production and event management. I worked for the venues Subterranean and Beat Kitchen in Chicago and helped curate and execute several street festivals including Wicker Park Fest. Producing festivals is one of my favorite things to do. I love all the logistical details. Chicago street fests are so special and unique, and I will always be grateful I got to be a part of the planning. During this time, I also freelanced with Silver Wrapper and the Tonic Room, continuing my focus on local and emerging artists.

During the recession, eager for a steady paycheck, I found a position answering the phones at a busy tax office in Boystown, Chicago. I absolutely loved working there and helping the clientele with their taxes. Eventually, my musician friends started coming to us with tax questions. I stayed as the Office Manager and Executive Assistant for three years. it was a joyous and delightful place to work. One of our catchphrases was "come for the taxes, stay for the comedy." We helped a lot of clients with some pretty serious recession-specific tax problems. Anyone remember the First-Time Home Buyers Credit? Yeah, that was my first season. It was a wild ride.

When my husband, newborn daughter, and I moved to Michigan, I went to H&R Block tax school and got certified as a tax preparer. I worked for them one season, then took a bookkeeping/payroll/tax prep job with a small CPA firm that allowed me to bring in my own clients. I also did the firm's marketing. I was there for 5 years. In addition to musician taxes, I also did bookkeeping for lawyers and dentists, payroll for a construction company, and I was the full-charge bookkeeper for an advertising firm. Seeing the ins and outs of different kinds of companies gave me incredible insight into what makes businesses successful.

After I left that firm in 2018 I began to build my own business management firm, which merges marketing, accounting, and economics in a way that helps DIY musicians manage their businesses. I'm currently running that firm, developing an online course, and teaching business classes at DIME Detroit. I have worked closely with individual members of many well-known bands from Michigan and beyond - as well as dozens of very young emerging artists you haven't heard of (yet). I can help with any questions about business, marketing, promotions, gigging, event management, legal, bookkeeping, copyright, publishing.

I'm a true indie. I've never worked for a big record label, promoter, or publisher, but I think they're great and if that's what you want, I'll help you get there. I'm obsessed with discovering new music. I read festival lineups from the bottom up. I want to be the first person who hears your new song (seriously, send me your demos).

I love setting up and developing companies and business strategies. I want to hear your cool, weird ideas. I'm going to listen, and remember, and ask you about them in a year when I know you haven't pulled the trigger yet.

I read a lot, and I want you to, too.

I believe in innovation, community, life-long learning, positive energy, and ambition.

I want to fix the music business, one career at a time.