How to overcome the inevitable challenges of being in the music industry

Embrace extreme self-belief and semi-delusion

Getting into the music industry probably feels like an isolated journey. Your family, friends, or significant other may not quite know how to support you. You may not have someone you can immediately turn to about the dreams you have who will “get it.” The good thing is, in the beginning, you are the only one who has to see the vision.

Maybe you manage one of the most talented artists that nobody has heard of yet. You might be a creative director who has dreams of orchestrating a groundbreaking campaign that shifts culture. Whatever your vision of “making it” is, make sure it’s truly your vision and not something you think will be attractive to others. While it’s great to have support from peers and people you respect, what’s not great is trying to sell them on your vision. Instead, put in the groundwork yourself and let those who see the long-term picture gravitate toward you naturally. Joining your crusade should be voluntary, not an obligation.

We’ve seen people from 18 to 58 years old decide that today was the last day they would do something they hated for a living. They still kept their 9 to 5s to keep them afloat financially, but each night, they invested at least an hour of their time in their future. On the other hand, it’s not wise to force a vision to come true that depletes your time, energy, and bank accounts. Only you can determine when it’s truly time to move on from something. When you do, make sure it’s something you chose to do versus something someone convinced you to do.

Find your tribe and make sure everybody eats

There are people out there who are just as ambitious as you are. You just have to find them and stick with them. When you’re pursuing this path, focus less on finding people who look like you and more on finding ones who think like you. Don’t be afraid to embrace people who are in different age brackets.

Book clubs like Amber Grimes’ “ABC,” online communities, and in-person classes are a great start to finding people you can build. The key to moving upward, though, is making sure you stay connected to the people you meet. If you live in the same city as someone who’s working toward a similar goal, make it a point to grab coffee with them every month and/or support whatever they’re doing in person. If they’re out of state, set up casual calls (with no agenda) to catch up and see what you both are working on. Exchange likes and comments on socials.

As Quentin Cuff, former right-hand to Mac Miller, puts it, furthering your career comes down to how well you can manicure your relationships. The people you meet now, while you’re both on your way up will be the ones who can offer the support you need when the world around you is telling you to quit, your significant other doesn’t quite understand, or when you start to doubt yourself.

Make mistakes but don’t drop the ball

We’ve all fucked up, and you will too. At some point, you’ll say the wrong thing, piss off the wrong person, embarrass yourself, awkwardly handle a call, email information to the wrong recipient — the list can go on. But here’s the thing: making mistakes and dropping the ball are two different things.

Making mistakes comes from putting forth the effort and the result of that effort not panning out in the way that you were hoping or expecting. Dropping the ball is rooted in a lack of responsibility and accountability, a lack of preparation, procrastination, and relying on someone else to take the lead. Whether you’re an aspiring manager, label exec, creative director, agent, or anything in between, whoever you work with can accept you missing the mark when there’s effort involved; what won’t be tolerated by them (and what shouldn’t be tolerated by you either) are lazy attempts and negligence.