A Music Industry Veteran Discusses Working Her Way Up the Ladder And How You Can, Too   

Women in business face a set of challenges unique to their gender. Not only do they earn $0.78 for every dollar their male counterparts make, but only 4.6% of S&P 500 companies have female CEOs. There is a long list of similar statistics that are easy to find with a Google search, but instead, I want to focus on the positive, and share my experience of how I created my own opportunities and became an entrepreneur.

I own a business focused on music and media licensing, rights and clearances, so I’m responsible for placing music and compositions in film, television, and other multi-media platforms. In starting and growing my business, I had to learn a few lessons, and learn them fast.

Working Up the Industry Hierarchy

I got my start as an intern at a Music Publishing business, and took a job after graduation at BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) as a Royalty Administrator and Media Licensing Assistant. Then, I moved to VH1 and MTV Networks to eventually specialize in protecting the rights and interests of writers, publishers and other copyright owners of third-party materials.  I’d found my niche.  So, I established valuable contacts, asked LOTs of questions, and soaked up all the knowledge I could. I was also fortunate to have women as supervisors who believed in my ability and helped me along the way.

I knew if I could get my foot in the door, I could turn my passion into something much bigger. That passion, plus being one of only a few women in a sea of male colleagues, made me work even harder towards my goal. So, after over a decade of in-depth knowledge and experience, I ventured out on my own to launch my business. As a woman and a professional, it was the best thing I ever did.

Lessons Learned About Using Strengths and Abilities

For women, it’s crucial that we trust our ability. (True, it’s terrifying to follow a dream – there’s no comfort quite like a steady paycheck.) At the end of the day, though, it’s necessary to take that step — no one is going to show up at our doorstep and give you consent. If you don’t give it to yourself, you’ll never reach your full potential.

Here then are some tips for using strengths at work, and climbing the ladder to business success:

• Don’t take things personally.  In my business, I have to pitch products to potential clients.  One of the strengths that I gained during this experience was that you cannot take things personally. So what if one or two potential clients didn’t read or even open what you sent them? The opportunity is endless.
• Be yourself. If people generally like you as a person, there will be plenty of opportunities.
• Learn to prioritize. As a small business owner, your prioritization skills need to be on point.  Open every email, voicemail and letter within 24 hours after receiving it.  This doesn’t mean that you have to address each one of them immediately after opening it, but you can place them in certain “To-Do” bucket with timelines.  Tip: address the messages that can be addressed immediately and work through the rest.
• Discover what kind of person you are.  I’ve learned that I’m a risk-taker, and I’ve always been.  I’m not saying that you be one too, but it’s definitely helped me along the way. That said, be smart; there are a lot of “ifs” to evaluate before taking a risk.  IF it’s not going to deplete my entire life savings, IF the result of the risk is going to put me in a better position than I am right now, IF it’s not going to take too much time out of my day-to-day in order execute, etc.
• Always be truthful. I know it’s cliché, but honesty IS the best policy.  If being honest about something is going to hinder your business or your work, you’re in the wrong business.

Short-Cuts to Success

• Love what you do. Make sure you’re working at a job that you currently love and where you can see yourself being, long-term.  This will help you stay focused and wishing to go above and beyond in your current position.
• Offer new ideas that will not only make yourself look good, but your superiors too. And be ready to own them! If you have good ideas and you’re good at what you do, most likely you’re going to be expected to spearhead that idea into fruition.
• Start early and stay late. If you have a 9-5, don’t come in at 9 and leave at 5.  Work later than the meeting the required minimum.
• Be a team player. Jobs can be competitive, but you need to know how to work well with others and earn others’ respect so that there are not petty barriers preventing you from do so.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  This is the absolute best advice that I have followed throughout my career (and life in general).  This will not only help you learn more, but it will help you earn trust and respect from your superiors.  They will know that there won’t be a mishap due to failed assumptions that you made along the way.
• Speak up when you feel something needs to be said, but choose your battles if you think it can be misconstrued by whomever you’re speaking to.  If you’re outspoken in nature, you may have to tone it down a bit in the professional setting, or even decide that it might not be worth saying at all if you think the person on the other side will take it the wrong way.  “Choose your battles” because if you do happen to be that “strong-minded” person who says what’s on their mind most of the time, it might give off another impression of you — one that is not so flattering.
• Ask for help.  Your superiors are in a position of superiority for a reason.  They are there for you to assist their team in producing great results and to help make them look good at what they do, so if you’re struggling with a matter that can be resolved by taking only a few minutes of their time, they will appreciate that time with you, and consider it time well-spent with one of their direct reports.  This is also one of the attributes of being a good manager!

Empowering Thoughts About Empowering Women

While most industries are majority male, the music industry is no exception, that’s changing. There are more women actively working than there were even ten years ago. The landscape continues to change for women in business. Each year the number of women-owned businesses nationwide increases. Not to mention, we’re also educating ourselves (getting new degrees and certifications) in record numbers for the sake of re-invention.

We may have the odds statistically stacked against us in business, but women have plenty in our favor. We’re naturally creative, we’re intuitive and we’re smart. Many people don’t even realize; I’m a one-woman show. I don’t have a large staff, but I know how to use my resources. By building relationships, asking questions and always looking for stepping-stones, we’re fully capable of shaping our own professional destiny.

As I embark on a decade as a business owner, I believe in my work more than ever. March was Women’s History Month, but in my opinion, women make history every day of the year. When we unapologetically trust our instincts, we’re unstoppable.

Written by Nicole Sanzio Creative Dir/Founder, InDigi Music, @indigimusic