the bossbabe podcast - 85. 3 Bold Moves to Make It as A Minority in a Male-Dominated Industry

Episode Date: March 16, 2020

We’re joined by Gelareh "G" Rouzbehani, successful A&R and music manager. She is the founder of Rouz Group Inc., an entertainment company that manages some of the biggest names in writers and producers.   After immigrating to America from Iran at a young age, Gelareh embodies what it means to pave your own way to success. As a minority woman in a male-dominated industry, Gelareh’s journey from working at Columbia Records to starting her own company is what entrepreneurship is all about. Tune in as Gelarah shares her entrepreneurial experience, including how to stay motivated through the ups and downs, stress management, and actionable tips for artists, writers, producers wanting to break into the music industry.  This episode is sponsored by SOUL CBD. Get 20% off on SOUL CBD products using code: BOSSBABE. https://mysoulcbd.com/

When you're new to something and you're young, you have to prove yourself to everyone else. You have to sacrifice some things in order to kind of get to where you want to be. And the entrepreneurial thing, as you guys know, it's a lot of ups and downs. Having the right support system keeps a level of being grounded and humble and just working hard. and your host for this week's episode. Okay so this week I'm interviewing A&R and music manager Galare Ruzbahani. Galare is someone who has worked really really hard to get where she is today. She has such an inspiring story from going up in an Iranian family to paving her way in a male dominated industry. She's the absolute epitome of someone who fought her way to the top. She had to go that extra mile as a minority woman to really make a name for herself and build up her reputation. She had no experience and really just had to push to

get where she is and in this interview we discuss how she went from working in the corporate world at a music label to starting her own business managing some of the biggest writers and producers of our time. We'll dive into what her journey as an entrepreneur really really looked like behind the scenes the highs and lows and she also gives us some really really good tips on how to manage stress levels and stay motivated throughout all of it when even when it is you know at the low point so you're gonna listen to this episode and feel so inspired I really really loved hearing her story and I just admire her for all of the hard work she's put into her career and just seeing where that's gotten to her she'll also give a few tips to any of you listening who are artists, writers or

producers who are hoping to break into the music industry. So as always take a screenshot and share your biggest takeaways on instastories. Tag me at IamNatalie and at bosswave.inc and let's just dive in. This episode is sponsored by Soul CBD. I've been using Soul CBD consistently for over 18 months now. And please do not take it lightly when I tell you that it has been a game changer for me and so many people that I know. I've noticed a really big difference in a lot of ways. So I'll just dive into a couple specifically. But firstly, my deep sleep.

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products are 100% organic zero THC and third-party tested and you can get them at mysoulcbd.com and whilst I can speak to my personal experiences using soul CBD our bodies are all different so please consult a doctor or other medical professional prior to deciding if CBD is right for you. Also worth noting that I live in California where it is legal to purchase and use CBD. So give it a little check to see if it's legal where you are. A boss babe is unapologetically ambitious and paves the way for herself and other women to rise, keep going and fighting on. She is on a mission to be her best self in all areas. It's just believing in yourself, confidently stepping outside her comfort zone to create her own version

of success. So welcome to the Boss Boy podcast. I would love for you just to introduce yourself a little bit to the audience. Thank you guys for having me. My name is Galora Ruzbahani. I am a music manager in A&R based in Los Angeles. I love it. So I would love to start with your story. From the very, very beginning, how did you get here? It's been a long, long journey. I was born in Tehran, Iran, and I immigrated to America in 1995 with my mom and dad. How old were you? I was seven and a half, eight. And, you know, my parents basically just left everything they knew to come to a new country. And it was really an opportunity for their kids and for us to have the right education. I mean, my dad had studied in the UK and he was an engineer. He had a master's degree and, you know, was established in Iran. So for

them to pick everything back up and leave and start from the bottom was obviously not an easy task, but they just wanted to ensure that we have the best opportunities. So we came to America. Yeah, I grew up out here. And the first thing my mom kind of did as soon as we touched down literally was she's like, you have to go into piano lessons. And I'm like, what? Like, where does that even come from? But back home in Iran, so my late aunt and uncle were really big actresses and directors. So I grew up in theater back home. And I was always in the arts at a very, very young age. And I always say like, if I grew up in theater back home and I was always in the arts at a very, very young age. And I always say like, if I was to still be back there,

I probably would have gone into acting. So it's always been in my blood. So when we came to America, my mom enrolled me in piano lessons. I was eight years old and I remember just hating it. I had to do homework and learn theory. And I just wanted to go and play with kids my age. And now looking back, it was the best thing ever because that really prepared me for business. There's a discipline that goes into music. And so I was classically trained in piano and that opened the doors for me creatively into every other avenue that I've explored thus far in my life. And I was in high school and I did choir for four years and I was in band and I was in jazz band and marching band. And so music just became a part of my identity.

And then from there, obviously college. And I got my undergrad in clinical psychology. And then I went to grad school. And in college, I was kind of just trying to figure out what I wanted to do. At a young age, you would always look up music executives and study their lives, but I didn't know that there was such thing

as like a music business. I was just like, okay, these are the people that are behind the scenes that have made artists' careers pop off. So I think it was just like some innate thing in me at a very young age. And during college, I was working a retail job, just trying to make money, save money. And yeah, and then grad school. So it's a whole bunch of stuff. I did start working my first job ever was at 15 and a half. And I worked at Subway. And the only reason I had that job is because I wanted

to dance and be in dance lessons. And my mom was like And the only reason I had that job is because I wanted to dance and be in dance lessons. And my mom was like, the only way you can do that is if you pay for it yourself. So the value of hard work is such an immigrant thing. And obviously the value of money. And I never was handed anything, even if I could have. Right. So it was just important for my parents to instill that within me. We came from a different country. You have to work really hard here. And we'll always be here to support, obviously. But I started making money for myself at 15 and a half and haven't stopped working. And so, yeah, Subway was the first job.

I paid for dance lessons. I was really into, obviously, arts and dancing and music. And then fast forward in college, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Psychology was something that I was always really interested in. So I'm happy that I got my undergrad in that. Then after I graduated, I was like, do I go to law school and be an entertainment attorney? But like, that's not really what I wanna do.

Do I be a doctor? Not really. I think I'm gonna pursue my passions. And so higher education is something that's always been very, very important to me. And I knew one way or another, I wanted to get my master's degree. And so in between college and grad school, studying for GREs and getting ready for that, I started applying to different internships within music because I knew no one, but I knew that I wanted to get my foot in the door. And

yeah, it just felt like every door was closing on me. I got laid off the retail job because the business wasn't doing so well. And I was trying to figure out what am I going to be when I grow up? And it was a whole bunch of stress. And then Warner Chapel had called back. And mind you, I hadn't made a cover letter and resume and physically would drive it to every single record label in Los Angeles and publishing company. And nine times out of 10, I had made a cover letter and resume and physically would drive it to every single record label in Los Angeles and publishing company. And nine times out of 10, I would get escorted out because they were like, we don't take unsolicited material. Who are you? And I'm like, I don't want money.

I just want an opportunity, a free internship. And I was just driven and hungry since very, very young. And Warner Chapel called me back a couple of weeks later. They were like, you know, it's cool that you have a psychology degree and come by for an interview. So I went there and I got an internship at Warner. And I was there for about six, seven months. And I kind of learned the fundamentals of publishing and getting acquainted with writers and producers in our industry and training my ear to be able to know what a hit song is from something that's not. And so it was a great foundation for me. And then from there, I went to the label side and I was at Sony Music, Columbia

Records. And I did A&R there for about five years, working on a lot of the urban and pop projects. And then after five years, I decided to leave and start my business, which here we are today. So you went from that internship to having a real job in the music industry. And then in those five years, what did you learn that made you want to leave and do it yourself? Because I'm imagining that's a cushy job. You're like, OK, I'm safe. I'm good. What made you want to just start from scratch with your own business?

Yeah, that's a good question. I've always had this entrepreneurial spirit about me. So I was either going to go and be like a chairwoman of a record label and in some type of leadership position or start it myself. And it was the right time. The regime had changed. Certain people that were my mentors or the presidents and chairman had left the company. And I felt like it was just the right time. And towards the end of me being at Columbia Records,

I was managing an artist writer. And he's extremely, extremely talented. And that was kind of my first spin in the management world. And Rihanna was working on her Anti album. And I had introduced him to her team, and they were really excited about him. So we went to her place, and he started writing records and ended up writing Desperado, which became her, I don't know, maybe fourth or fifth single, went number one on the dance charts. And so that was a big moment for him and for me as a manager. And, you know, that was the moment that kind of solidified me as Chi on her own, you know, without the backing of a label and without that. My identity was

me at Columbia Records and Sony Music running around being the young girl and being a hustler. And this was really coming into myself as an entrepreneur. So I'm imagining to even get to that point where you have those connections and can go out on your own, you must have put in some seriously hard work over those five years to get the connections, to learn the ropes. What did that five years look like for you? It was definitely a lot of work, 100%. I think having to prove yourself every day, and maybe it's because you're a woman or maybe it's because you're young and you're new in this business.

But for me, reputation has always been at the top of my priority. And I wanted to make sure when I got into the industry that I built the right reputation because so many people do it so many different ways. And I've always been just true to who I am and really just working hard. Those five years was definitely a grind, high stress, no sleep, proving to people and to myself that, you know, I could do it. I always kind of in the back of my head, even though there's times where you question yourself, like, consciously, I've always believed in myself. But, you know, when

you're new to something, and you're young, you have to prove yourself to everyone else, especially the bigger executives and bigger artists. So yeah, those five years was a lot of focus, a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice. I missed a lot of weddings back home, a lot of birthdays, truly. And so it was that, you know, it's a give and take and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but definitely you have to sacrifice some things in order to kind of get to where you want to be. So then you started your business and was it a success right off the bat? What did that process look like for you? No, I mean, it's never really what people think it is. You think in your head like, OK, I'm going to start a business and the first year I'm going to make a lot of money and be able to buy a house. And the reality is, is that I definitely got a reality check.

That's not it, because like you said, I'm starting on my own. And thank God for the all the relationships that I built at Sony. And you know, I was a sponge. And I learned the art of making records, which is an invaluable skill. And you know, I can carry that with me for the rest of my life. And so Sony was a beautiful place for me to build all my relationships. And it kind of flew into my business. And you're not going to be rich year one. They truly do say it takes 10 years to be in a field and really start making real money and making a name for yourself. But for whatever reason, I never really let that stop me. I've always had kind of a vision of what I wanted to do. Sometimes it gets blurry.

But and the entrepreneurial thing, as you guys know, it's a lot of ups and downs. There's days where you're like, what am I doing? Then there's days where you feel really, really great about yourself. And then your confidence is low. And then you feel like you're the king of the world. So it's definitely like an emotional roller coaster. I think having the right support system for me, it's my parents and I have a group of best friends that I've known since eighth grade and they don't care who I work with. And if I'm in music or not, they're still going to love me. So I think having that to go back to always keeps a level of, you know, being grounded and, you know, humble and just working hard hard so let's take a quick pause to

talk about my new favorite all-in-one platform kajabi you know i've been singing their praises lately because they have helped our business run so much smoother and with way less complexity which i love not to mention our team couldn't be happier because now everything is in one place so it makes collecting data creating pages collecting, all the things so much simpler. One of our mottos at Boss Babe is simplify to amplify and Kajabi has really helped us do that this year. So of course I needed to share it here with you. It's the perfect time of year to do a bit of spring cleaning in your business, you know, get rid of the complexity and instead really focus on getting organized and making things as smooth as possible. I definitely recommend Kajabi to all of my clients and students. So

if you're listening and haven't checked out Kajabi yet, now is the perfect time to do so because they are offering Boss Babe listeners a 30-day free trial. Go to kajabi.com slash Boss Babe to claim your 30-day free trial. That's kajabi.com slash boss babe to claim your 30-day free trial that's kajabi.com slash boss babe i completely relate to everything and i feel like as an entrepreneur we always hold out for this idea that the roller coaster will stop and things will be easy yes and i just don't think it's ever going to happen and coming to terms with that is i think really important yes what are some of the highs in your career as an entrepreneur that have made you feel like, you know what, I'm on the right path and something you can think back to when

maybe you're having a really crazy week? Yeah, I mean, it's always great when you have number ones and you have clients that are making hit records. And, you know, I were Grammy nominated and Grammy winning on my roster. So that's always exciting. But the awards aside, because that's always such a small part of everything, really is I get a joy from working with creatives and being able to help build their businesses and taking them from zero to 100 and seeing that through that just fulfills me and being able to help people achieve their dreams. And, you know, on a bigger scale, knowing that the songs that you help put together or the artists that you manage that have gone on to

write big records or performing themselves on a global scale have helped fans and, you know, people come to us all the time saying, we heard the song and we were really depressed and it helped us feel better or you saved our lives. Things like that are just like the things that really matter. And so all of the stress and everything that we go through is always worth it when you're helping people's lives. And so for me, I get a joy from helping, whether it's artists and my clients, whether it's the nonprofit work I do across the board. That's just kind of what I love. I so relate to that I think you've got to be doing it for a reason bigger than you because you're not always going to feel great about it you're sometimes going to be stressed but if you remember why you're doing it and your mission and

impact is bigger than you then it always keeps you riding towards something. Totally. So going back to your journey getting started as an entrepreneur how hard was it in the beginning for you to get clients and to convince people to trust you as you went out on your own good question so having my first client who wrote the Rihanna record that opened the door for me and had eyes on me so then other clients would just reach out to me organically because they liked the work that I had done with the previous client. And a lot of this business is relationship based and word of mouth. And if you've built the reputation and people know who you are, then they think of you and they'll come to you. So it's never been a huge struggle, thank God, for me to get a client. For me, it was really bandwidth and being able to

create infrastructure, which is something that I'm still working on, to be able to, you know, create infrastructure, which is something that I'm still working on to be able to scale your business. But yes, you know, obviously I would love to have more clients. I work with people that I'm just excited about and I believe in. If I feel like you're an artist that's going to make you millions of dollars, but we don't vibe and we don't connect, it's just not worth it because I've seen a lot of my friends that are in situations and it's just super stressful and our jobs are stressful as is. So you want to be able to be around people that you trust and you work with clients that are grateful and appreciative and that work hard. And it's definitely a process. It's definitely some things come easier than others. But for me personally, I've always had to work really hard and prove myself. Nothing has really come easy in this business for me because starting out, I didn't know anyone. And so it was a grind getting in and to be able to perform at a high level, which is what I like to do and maintain that. It takes a lot of work. You know, I'm grateful for some of the mentors

that have believed in me from the beginning. And I think that's important. That's the stuff that kind of keeps you going when you feel like also giving up is there's people that, you know, executives that have come to you saying they see you and they see what you're doing and they applaud you. And that stuff makes me feel good.

What's kind of some of the most stressful parts of your job? Every single day is stressful in music. If someone tells you it's not, they are lying. You're like, where do I start with this? Yeah, it's a long list. I love, and maybe it's because I'm sick in the head, but the stress that comes with it, I enjoy. And I think it's because I've learned to manage myself. When I was at Columbia Records, and I was obviously younger, and it was my first go around in the corporate world, and you're dealing with, when you're in school and in that world and space, you're around a bunch of like-minded people. Even if the personalities are different, you're there for

one goal, and that is to get good grades and graduate. When you're there for one goal. And that is to, you know, get good grades and graduate. When you're in the corporate world, there's people from all walks of life. Some maybe haven't gone to school, some maybe have. And you never know, you know, there's people that stab you in the back, and there's people that will do anything to get to the top, whatever it is, whatever the personalities are. And so for me, I had to get used to being around different types of people. And as an entrepreneur, working on myself and being in therapy and just putting myself first and self- That's something that I thrive on. And someone else could say that's a very stressful thing, and it is. But for me, I get a kick out of being able to negotiate. And there aren't many female managers in this business.

So a lot of times I'm doing business with men. And it's actually a great time, I will say, for the industry. And I think in the world, there know, there's like this women's revolution and women are, you know, we've always been amazing, but now we're getting the recognition for it. And I think that's a beautiful thing. I mean, I'd love to see more female managers rise in the industry. So yeah, it's good and bad always. Yeah. I think every entrepreneur needs a really good therapist. Yes. that's so important that has literally been life-changing for me saying truly yeah yeah I remember at a certain point like a lot

of my friends had coaches and I was like I don't need a coach I need a therapist I just need someone that I can talk to weekly and like as a CEO you don't have that many people that can listen to the things you're going through and offer some kind of support but when you can have that work on yourself I think it's so important so do you have any specific things you work on with yourself or any routines rituals that really help you manage yourself yeah being in therapy has taught me to be more conscious that's been like a life changer for me and then I love Eckhart Tolle yeah Yeah. Yeah. He's one of my favorite thought leaders. And I've listened to a lot of his stuff.

I've, you know, the power of now and his books have been really great in my life. And so I think for me, personality wise, I'm always go, go, go, go, go. And I'm learning to be more present and not focus too much on the future because that gives me huge anxiety. And obviously the past, you can always say this should have happened this way. And that just makes you depressed. So I'm consciously trying to be more present. And I've learned to say no a lot, which is pretty powerful. All of that just has made me a stronger business woman. Business is business. It's never really personal. And so I want to work from that mindset. And, you know, I think, yeah, I think therapy really has taught me consciousness and also a lot of things that as an immigrant, it's really difficult. And I don't think we understand the traumas that we go through, even if nothing bad per se has

happened to you, just the fact that you leave somewhere that you're comfortable with at a young age and come somewhere new. This was a new language for me, a new culture, new foods, new way of life. And I had to learn English. And I remember I had a little fro and a unibrow and girls at school make fun of me. And it's, you know, it's acclimating to all of that. And so in that moment, it doesn't have an effect. But I think later down the line, when you're sitting with your therapist and talking about your life, you same challenges but I moved when I was straight out of university and I didn't know a single person and to this day all my family still lives in the UK and you often don't think about what that really means and I remember when me and my husband got married we did it fast and there was no family there or when we moved into our first house and it's when things like that happen you realize the sacrifices that you've actually

made to be where you are and one of those for us was seeing our family we don't see them very often and you don't think about that but it's always worth it right the upside and you know where you're going absolutely but yeah it is difficult and do you have any like routines like a morning routine or anything oh yeah i meditate in the, which I used to never do. But now that I'm, I want to be more like Eckhart and like Oprah. Whatever Oprah does, I will do. Yeah. So I meditate in the mornings, even if I'm running out 10 minutes, I have to do it. I always pray when I wake up and I try to get at least a workout in three times a week. I used to be heavy, heavy in the gym. And then when I started Sony, it was go, go, go.

And I lost that. And now I'm starting to get back into working out, even if it's like Pilates or just stretching. So yeah, I wake up, I pray, and I like to meditate for a little bit and then kind of get the day started. I love that. And tell us a little bit about your nonprofit. So it's not my nonprofit yet. My dream in life is to build schools starting back home and around the world. And when I was in grad school, Dr. Stiles, who was my professor there, was also

at a place called Home, which is a nonprofit based out of South Central. And they do amazing work in the community, especially with kids that grew up in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. And I started volunteering there and I would just do their Thanksgiving drive. And then I got a little more deep into it and I became a mentor for a year and made sure my mentee did well on her SATs and made sure that she went to college. And a lot of those kids are, first of all, all of them are amazing and brilliant. And it's really just about having an outlet and having people that they can look up to and aspire to be. I love, love, love the nonprofit and the work that they're doing.

And I was there a couple weeks ago speaking to kids in their music department because they're so excited and so great and creative. And it's great. They're building and I want to continue doing more work with them. And then down the line, I'll definitely start my nonprofit and then go into kind of the education world. I love that. And what are you excited about in 2020? Oh, my God. I'm excited about growth for myself, continuing to grow as a person and learning more things about myself. I'm excited for business. We're in a good space in music right now. Streaming is doing really well and, you know,

there's accessibility because of social media. So I look at that as a positive and I want to grow my business and do meaningful partnerships and, yeah, continue to just make an impact on the industry and then obviously get more into the education world and the nonprofit sector. I love it. So I have one final question for you. And it's for anyone listening who is an artist and wants to get into the industry, they want to start their career. What would you say they do? How can they get noticed? or Twitter. I think making a buzz in your city and where you're from is important. Keep grinding, keep doing the work. And the most important thing to me is making the best art possible. Because when you make the best music possible, that's the foundation and we're all going to discover you. If you're undiscovered yet, you just continue to do the work and create that

buzz in your city and have the respect of your city, which is really important for artists and, you know, network and the sky's the limit. I love it. Thank you so much for being on here. Thank you so much. Where can everyone find you and stalk you? My Instagram is at Geruz, G-E-R-U-Z, G-E-E-R-O-U-Z. And then I'm also on Twitter a little bit. And that's at G-E-E-E-E-R-O-U-Z.

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