Your Happy Hour - Episode 24: Beats and Breakthroughs

Episode Date: May 18, 2024

Happy Friday everyone! Tune in to episode 24 and let’s chat about: Beats and BreakthroughsIn this episode we are joined by Madeleine van Geuns - the gorgeous and driven Dutch founder of 88 Music Management and MadamEight Publishing who has made some bold moves in the beats of the music industry and chatted to us about how breakthroughs have led her to running two successful businesses today.We unpack topics like: owning your niche, navigating the shift into seasonal earning, surviving start-up life in lockdown, the in’s and out’s of artist music management, the fun of festivals and experiential event production, the importance of having the right support and embracing the 80/20 in prioritizing for success.We’ll be here - every Friday - celebrating with you!Connect with us @ friday-feels.co▶ Podcast Chapters01:15 Welcome Madeleine!03:35 From Bands to Breakthroughs: Owning your niche!06:40 When following your passion: Play is work 07:45 Employee to Entrepreneurship: Seasonal earning 10:00 Surviving start-up life in lock-down: Embracing the right support14:30 Uncovering the Mystery of Music Management18:20 Experiential vibes: Festivals & Music Branding23:52 Events and Biking Escapades in the Netherlands30:30 The personal artist approach and the network of learning36:55 Prioritization and Success in the 80/20 solopreneur style40:25 One year from now…47:00 Gems of the week! 55:00 Final thoughts, next week and farewell

Happy Friday beautiful people and hello to you all out there tuning in for your first sip of the weekend. you're tuned into your happy hour with friday feels we're celebrating all you working professionals out there doing your crazy craft embracing the beauty of being human and connecting authentically we are host sergeant nicole we're working and living around the world we're holding space for you and we're keeping it raw and real as we share fresh content with you every single week follow us on linkedin at friday feels and instagram at these friday feels for updates throughout the week in our last episode we chatted with mo astri who shared with us his journeys from indonesia to japan from orphan to engineer in the Mecca tech hub of Silicon Valley, and the importance of passion, education, and following your calling.

Check out episode 23 if you haven't already. And this week we have the gorgeous and driven founder of 88 Music Management and Madame A Publishing, Madeleine van Geerens, a very big welcome to you and thank you for joining us today to chat about this journey you have been on. You have made some very big and bold moves to get where you are today and we're really excited to chat on what it's been like making moves from mainstream and into entrepreneurship. So thank you so much for being here. Thank you. Thank you for having me. So I got to know you through a very good friend and co-creator, Renske,

who's building Swartcut Studios with me and told me that you are the best person to chat to around artist management and publishing and all of that. And yeah, do you want to maybe just give us a bit of a breakdown of, you know, tell us a little bit about your journey how did you get here why this topic of the tipping point is important to you sure so yeah I'm Madeline I am based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands I am 36 years old and I started well sort of my career in music when I was really young, 16 or something,

but I was always into like music and singing. Well, we formed a band when we were in high school and we did that on like a pretty high level already because we had like a good producer and we, yeah, it sort of like grew that way. So I did that for a pretty long time, but already noticed that I really loved the back end of the music industry. So when the band split up, I went to Berkeley in Boston. They have like a summer program. And there I got introduced to what it is to be an artist manager. And I was like, OK, that's what I want to do.

So I came back to the Netherlands. I said that to all of my friends. And one of them actually introduced me to an artist manager. And one thing led to another. And I started like working in the music industry and first started out as social media manager. And then I grew into being an artist manager and eventually starting my own company in artist management. manager and eventually starting my own company in artist management and then when I was three years into my own management company I also started a publishing division yeah that's been my journey in a nutshell. Tell us a little bit more about you know what this tipping point means

to you you know I'm sure along your journey you have experienced a lot of these moments of, like you said, going from being in a band and then falling into working in that industry and then falling into entrepreneurship. And these all kind of require these moments of change. So what did that look like for you? Yeah. So I think the moment when the band split up and then I had like um like a corporate job and was still like figuring out what I wanted to do and then a friend of my mom

actually told me that her son went to Berkeley and it was so amazing and that they also had like a summer program and that just came at the right time and I think I had multiple times like that when then things just clicked, you know. So when I came back from Boston, it was just, I think I'm very lucky, of course, to have known like what I wanted to do, because so many people are struggling to find like their passion and yeah, what they want to do work wise. And when I came back and just told everybody, it was so random that the brother of a friend of mine he worked at Warchild and Warchild had like a collaboration with a radio station and therefore were working with a DJ and therefore he was in touch with the manager of that DJ so it was so

like coincidental and then I started talking to her and then actually that that company was growing so fast so they really needed people and yeah that was just the things like that it's just it comes on your path and then all of a sudden when I look back now I think like well that was like the tipping point for me because that like was for me like the starting point in the dance music where I am right now and or I still am because back then I started with that job and like growing with that company and then eventually that company was bought by another company and they said like yeah we're gonna stop with the management department so what do you want to do and I started thinking like okay yeah I always wanted my own company but is this the right time and then things just also clicked there that actually I was working with an artist

and he was like well I want to continue working with you so can we just like continue but then you do it from your own company and I was like okay well this is so scary and I didn't really know what to do and all of that but I was was like, you know what, I'm just going to go for it because this is eventually what I want to do. And now I have the opportunity. So I do realize that I was very lucky with like the path that I, um, that I've walked and the opportunities that I got. But yeah, I think it, it, people always say like, it's luck, but it's also hard work, but it's also like taking those decisions. So I know it's like a combination of all of that. Yeah, I am. I'm really happy with how everything turned out and where I am right now, still doing

like what I love because it's a passion. It's my hobby and I got to do it as a job as well. So yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, I don't think it's a lot of people who get to say play is work and work is play and you know and that's your passion so I think you following that journey you following your heart opens up those doors naturally and we speak about this often on the podcast you know when you follow your joy when you resonate you know with the things that you love out there in the world then those things will come to you and open those windows anyway

it might sound all good right now but of course I had like my my more difficult moments as well or like a longer period of time where it was like finding a new path or to adjust my path so it's not all rainbow and sunshine but yeah that's absolutely it you know and i think that's why we often talk about these things on here because we all we have we often have entrepreneurs on here we seem to resonate a lot with those people that you know are making these changes into self-employment and yeah consistently we hear that it's super rewarding, but it's really hard. And so the tipping point was an important topic for us because when you make that change, we were saying a couple of weeks ago that, you know, it's like falling off a ledge, you

know, you have to kind of take that leap of faith. So what do you feel has been like the hardest part of that? You know, what has been like the most challenging? has been like the hardest part of that you know what has been like the most challenging I think what really changed was like when you work for a boss you just get your salary every month and that's just it and working in the music industry don't know if a lot of people know about this but a lot of managers work on a commission. So it really depends on how your artist is doing on what you're getting as a commission. So the way of working, of course, like working for yourself

and getting your own job in and getting your own or like your own gigs in or like clients in, that's still a totally different thing. But also just, yeah, the way of working when it comes to being an artist manager is different. And it's not like it's like every month at the same time you get a salary or anything, you know. And also it really differs per month what it's going to be. For example, the summer months, of course, artists are playing a lot.

There are a lot of festivals. They're touring all around the world, you know. And so those are like the better months than it is in winter or can also change. Some artists tour a lot in winter. So it really depends per client how it's going. And I think the way of thinking really changed the moment I started my own company because it's a totally different way of running your own finances and how you do everything. And yeah, I think definitely in the beginning, but I still have to say like, to this day, I still like I have a

business coach and she really helps me with a lot of those things as well, because she's super experienced in that. And she helps me in a different way, like, okay, you're not like month to month, but it's really looking at a year really looking ahead looking ahead maybe like one or two years you know so I think that's super amazing to have somebody like that is super helpful but yeah I'm still like learning because right now I'm into this five and a half years so of course I'm happy that it's all going and I'm still alive after five and a half years because that's like'm happy that it's all going and I'm still alive after five and a half years because that's like a tipping point for a lot of people as well that that five-year mark

but yeah it's it's just an ongoing thing yeah five and a half years means you made it through lockdown yeah yeah I was one year in oh my yeah no um I was really lucky that um back. I was one year in. Oh my. Yeah. No. I was really lucky that back then I was working with an artist and I had been working with him when I was still working for the company. And so when I started my own company, I got to continue working with him. And that was like such a big advantage that in, I think one of those first weeks when all of this happened, he called the whole team and he said like, guys, I'm able to, to like, to keep you guys with me. And I'm really happy to say that. So that was amazing.

Yeah. So that, that's, that's one of the things that, that got me through it. And of course, like also trying to find other things on how you can stay afloat, but yeah, I'm happy I got to make it work that's a big one that's a big one it's uh those things that you don't realize are going to happen when you start a company and the world's really not no no I think it's cool that you also mentioned you realize where you you know it's not your strength to run a business like you're not I wouldn't say well equipped but you know kind of's not your strength to run a business. Like you're not, I wouldn't say

well equipped, but you know, kind of like, okay, I need a business coach. So let me hire a business coach. This is not an area. Sure. You're really good at artist management, but we all have strengths and weaknesses. And I think that's a big part of when you're going through that change is like having people or figuring out who the people are that you need to kind of get where you have to go yeah which is really important because otherwise you know who's taking care of the business while you're managing the artists yeah so I think that's especially a lot of times you know it's known that people who are more creative sometimes it's hard for them on the business side and vice versa right sometimes on the business side it's known that people who are more creative, sometimes it's hard for them on the business side and vice versa, right? Sometimes on the business side, it's really

hard for them to kind of get creative. Some people are lucky and they, you know, they have, but also you're only one person. So you can't possibly do everything, even if you know how to do it. Yeah, definitely. And I think that from the start already, I really love like running a business and all of that. But as you probably know, and a lot of people know is that when you're in a project yourself, it's sometimes really difficult to get that helicopter view and look at your own business, because I do that every day for my artists. But doing it for myself is so much more difficult. So yeah, I'm really happy that for example, when the moment I started, I was like, I need to have like my own accountant and make sure that he does everything. And I'm really like, I want to know what's going on with my business. So I know what he's doing. I know about all the different rules with the taxes and everything. But I trust him to do to do that for me, like all the details and stuff and keep me updated or whenever I have questions and stuff. But yeah, that was one thing that I just was like,

okay, I cannot make many mistakes in that field. So I want to have somebody on board. And indeed also with the business coach, that was just, you know, you want to grow, you want to take that next step, but sometimes it's so difficult to see for yourself, like, okay, how's it going? And yeah, I want to take that next step. But sometimes it's so difficult to see for yourself, like, okay, how's it going? And, and yeah, I was, I wanted to make sure that my boyfriend stayed my boyfriend instead of like him being sort of my business partner or like discussing everything

with him. So I was so happy the moment I got a business coach that really like I could discuss everything with her and she could like help me and also with her like she's not like a business coach specifically for the music industry or anything so I think that's also a good thing because she looks at it in a different way and she makes me look at it in a different way because the music industry is fun it's super formal and informal all together because one night you're at a party together and like people are drinking beers and just having fun and then the week after you have to go into negotiation with that team or something you know so and that that's something that sometimes it's so nice that somebody from from

outside can actually say like hey but why are you doing it that way or why is why is the industry doing it that way and why can't you do it in a different way? And yeah, it's really interesting. That's such a cool point of view. Yeah, yeah, I love that. And I think it's also, you know, you work in something that I feel like is a bit of a, like a mystery out there. You know, when I first heard music publishing,

for example, I know that's your second, secondary business that you started. Like, what is that? What is this world? And I don't think it's something that people really know much about. So I don't know. Do you want to maybe also just give us a little bit of a rundown of what it's like?

Yeah, of course. What it looks like. Yeah. For our listeners out there. I get that question a lot. Yeah, yeah. like birthdays and stuff i i most of the time don't mind talking about my work because it's just such a fun thing and indeed a lot of people like everybody knows music everybody listens to music so they know a lot about it but still like there's a lot happening on the back end of course so one thing I am so as I said I work in the dance

genre so dance pops also like the commercial dance that you hear on the radio so one thing I get asked for example when I say oh I'm an artist manager then people say oh so you make sure that your artist plays at Tomorrowland like a festival in Belgium and I I'm like, well, not fully. Like I actually make sure like we have a booking agency for like every artist has his own booking agency. And I make sure with the artists, of course, that the booking agency can do their job. So they are aware of everything that we're working on. So I always explain it as the manager, like see a mind map. If you look at a mind map, the artist and the manager in the middle, so I'm like the right hand of the artist. And then everything you can think of when it comes to an artist, you see that around

us too. So you have a booking agency, you have a label, you have a publisher, you have a designer, you have a tour manager, but else you have a press agent maybe, or, you know, you have a lawyer, you have the accountant of the artist. You have so many people. And with the artist, I create like a strategy on like, where do we want to go? And okay, we have like goals for in like a year or maybe three years. But how does a smaller decision we make today affect the bigger goals? So I sort of like oversee that strategy together with the artists, of course. And to make sure that all the

people around the artists can do their job, it's really important for them to know where's the artist going. And yeah, what do we have to do to sell the artist in the best way? For example, with the booking agent, or if a music label is releasing their music, then they have to know what else is happening so they can like best promote it and all of that. So yeah, as a manager, I know a lot about all those different things. But there are a few things that I'm really good at and a few things that I'm not the best at

because well, as you said before, so I was like, I'm one person, I cannot know everything. So I always say to my artists, like, if you have a question, I either know the answer or I know where to find the answer. Because I have a lot of people around me or around the artist that can help with that. But also, I start working with a lot of artists that don't have a team around them yet. And I always say, well, we're going to find the right team. So if they, for example, need a lawyer, I know a lot of different lawyers in a lot of different price ranges. So then we'll find the right match for you. So yeah, artist management is pretty broad. And this is just a small introduction. But yeah, music publishing is even more difficult for a lot of

people. Have you been to Tomorrowland? Yeah, yeah, multiple times already. Have you been to Tomorrowland? Yeah. Yeah, multiple times already. It looks so cool. I was reading about how they started it. And it was like, they're the biggest one, right? Tomorrowland. So it was two brothers that started it.

And it's just grown. Is that the right one? Yeah, I think they are like one of the bigger ones there are a few others out there that are also really big yeah it's just it's a crazy experience and I think like I also manage a hardstyle artist so Defcon is like a really big thing in the Netherlands for hardstyle lovers and that's also like the stages they create and like the vibe they put out there it's just crazy and you know you you either love it or hate it like for example personally I probably wouldn't buy a ticket for Tomorrowland I love like smaller festivals more like a bit more like I don't know

cozy and stuff but yeah for a lot of people that's like an amazing to be at. And yeah, for my artists, of course, it's also a big highlight if they get to play at like festivals like that. Yeah, it's a weird world, but it's so cool. Yeah. So to experience that and then call that your job. started throwing parties in college and then they decided to start doing it and they they just grew so much in a short amount of time and then covid had a big effect on them and then every year since covid they managed to kind of outdo themselves and it's crazy to see like the size of the stage because they had ultra in miami a few months ago and we were looking at the stage and then we started looking into other festivals and we were just at the stage and then we started looking into other festivals and we were just like wow these things are just getting bigger and bigger yeah even for carnival in trinidad they do they like they're getting just way more sophisticated and it's a huge production it's really exciting to kind of see and i remember looking at it i was like wow these are like people

who are really living you know know, living in their truth. They are good Friday feels candidates. Yeah. Yeah, it's indeed crazy. Like, of course, they all look at each other, like all those festivals. And they're like, okay, we need to top that. We need to top that. We can make it even bigger.

And it really becomes like a spectacle that you go to. Because it's not only the stages, it's the light, it's the SFX, so like the fireworks and all of that. But what I, for example, really love about Tomorrowland is that when you buy a ticket, you get your ticket in the mail and it's always like an adventure on what you're getting. The ticket, and sometimes it can be like a box and then you have to open some stuff and then there's like some things in there and but it always has a little hint to what the main stage will look like and that's so cool and I think that like making the whole experience

on like getting the story out there and it's what I want to do with all of my artists as well. Like all the releases in the artwork we have for the releases, it's like all in line with the branding and what we show on social media, all the video clips, all the visuals, like the, the, you have led screens when you go to live shows and those visuals of the artists that we show is in line with the rest of the branding. And it's like, it's a whole story that you're telling because of course my artist is a person, but it's also a brand. So you have to find like the balance between it being a brand, but it's also a person.

And that's one of the most challenging things, but also super fun because that makes it so much easier to tell a story because there's actually a face connected to it. Yeah, I love that. You know, we've spoken a little bit about this personally as well. But, you know, as kind of starting my singer-songwriter and artist journey, I'm realizing how important that is. You know, exactly like you're saying, how do you um to everyone out there what you feel when you create these songs you know and what is the story behind that and how do people experience you and

yeah it's not just good enough you know to kind of just put it on spotify like it's like oh yeah you know so it's like everything around that and i remember we spoke to about you know we'd mentioned friday feels is going into the workation space and how to create that experience, you know, from start to finish. So I know you do a bit of event production. I did like two years in a row. I helped with a drum festival because back then I was managing a drummer. And then also with that hardstyle artists, we do our own events. So past two years, we did a big event here in the Netherlands.

And with that, it's just so cool because it's an indoor venue. So you cannot really do a lot about the venue. But then of course, like the stage setup, like the lights and the SFX, that is something that we can do. So yeah, but that's just, it's been amazing to work on that and really like put our vision into it and then together with the whole team either from the venue or like a team that we hire ourselves yeah and to get all those puzzle pieces together but also like from the moment that people get in and like the merchandise stand and all the things that are happening around it

uh there's not only in the big room i think that's just yeah it's really cool to work on and just yeah hosting that from from a to z that's awesome we want to come to one in the netherlands so i can get back to eating like stroopwafels and a million coffees a day yeah well you should come in the summer there are enough parties in the summer it's um it's crazy here in the netherlands i loved amsterdam i think i went in july sorry not july june let me say january um and it was cold but i don't it was so beautiful like all the canals and i did like the touristy stuff and i love I don't know why I just loved it

I had such a great experience and it was by myself I think that was the first time I ever stayed in a hostel and I was like this is awesome like people live like this like they're just chilling like in the snow driving their bikes and I'm like what is going on like two kids on there I was like wow we're really lazy in New York I could not be doing that in the snow yeah yeah that's so funny I remember I remember like my sister she lives in New York actually and she's been living there for um a really long time already and when I was like visiting her she bought like a typical Dutch bike when she was still living in Chicago and it's like a purple we call it a grandma bike it's like you see it everywhere here in Amsterdam and like she was driving to to her work and I was like sitting in a bag but we

didn't have any helmets on or anything because it's just not normal for us and so many people were looking at us like you guys are crazy what do you do and and it's so funny yeah it's um it's yeah for us it's pretty normal to do everything but bike even if it's snowing even if it's raining and we don't love it but yeah what else do you do take the tram yeah it's like an endurance festival every day if the weather's bad i'm just like people do pay to come do this but then isn't there like a stat where it's like they pull out thousands of bikes a year from the canals and it's like what are these people doing that their bikes end up in the canals like yeah they just fall in a lot of people fall in as well it's so normal yeah we just had king's day like two weeks ago and and there's like you go into the canals with

your boat and there are so many boats it's like it's like being in a traffic jam but then like super crammed with all the boats and then a lot of people fall in and sunglasses and wallets and everything so yeah a lot of people do like magnet fishing and stuff in the in the canals and they find crazy stuff interesting that's a lucrative business yeah it's crazy yeah that's amazing um now that you're talking about bikes quick side tangent uh i notice here a lot of um you'd see these women on you know they're dressed up going out to the nightclub and then you know and it's not something okay so africa you just don't do that because it's not safe you know but it's just beautiful to see these ladies in their high heels and they're cycling down you know the road

in paris because then you can drink and you can, you know, you make your way home if the train has stopped. Or you fall into the canal. Or you fall into the canal. Oh, my. You guys just say it so nonchalantly, like, oh, whatever. I mean, like, if that happened to someone in New York, you would, like, it would be on the news, like, oh, my God,

he falls into the canal after a night of news. Like, oh my God, he falls into the canal after a night of drinking. Like, it's just so funny. Like that's a big wake up call. Half drunk in the coal canal. Yeah. Well, if something serious happens, then of course, it will be on the local news and stuff. But a lot of people just fall in and then crawl back out so that's fine it's especially funny when it gets filmed by somebody and then you actually like it goes viral online and yeah I'm gonna google that later you should you should you can probably find a lot I'm just thinking like oh my god if all my stuff fell in the canal while I was going, what would I do? You know,

like I would feel, I think it's just, it's a cool personality. The people are just like, yeah, whatever. Let's just keep going. You know?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You get used to it. It's a, yeah, it's a way of life, right?

It's a way of life. That's where you live. That's how it is. And yeah, it's, it's, I must've been really cool to build your business in Amsterdam in the city of Amsterdam and it's buzz and do you feel like

that's kind of added to like how you've grown your business or the dynamics of it you know I'm thinking it's different when you're sitting in the countryside especially in your industry so yeah I think it has many uh advantage advantages one of being like, if I'm in a co-working space here, there are so many like expats and so many people that have their own company. But also, of course, when you look at EDM, so electronic dance music, the Netherlands is a really big player. You know, looking at names like Martin Garrix, Chesto, Hardwell, they're all Dutch. So, and Armin van Buuren, of course.

So that makes it so much easier. Like all the big dance labels are here. And I think that, of course, like, because I started at Spinning Records, which is like a big dance label. So that, of course, like, was a big advantage for me as well. So yeah, being in the Netherlands, and you have ADE here, that's Amsterdam Dance Event, that's in October. And it's like a week of like everybody from the dance music industry, they all come to Amsterdam. And then there's like a lot of networking panels, parties, everything. So that's like the craziest week in the year, but so fun. And yeah, I'm super grateful every year when I hear all those people, I have i hear all those people i have to book my

hotel i have to put my flights and all of that and i'm like oh well i just live here so that's fine but yeah like having all those companies here it's so easy to meet up with everybody or go to like mixers and parties and just run into people yeah it's way easier than indeed being on the countryside or in some other cities that don't really have that active dance industry or dance scene. Yeah, that's incredible. Yeah, it's amazing how, you know, kind of where you're born, where you set up, where your family goes. I think often in life, things happen in a way that set you up for success. Or you take yourself there, right? If you feel a nudge to travel to

x country and go set up there so I think it's beautiful how your journey like you say has flowed to what you have now have is I know you've called it like a boutique yeah and I don't even know if that's like the right word to use but it's more like there are so many management companies out there that that have so many artists and so many different managers and you know it's it's not really the the personal approach and for me it could be the personal approach like I'm not judging or anything like it's it's just a different way of working and they also can offer other stuff that I might not be able to but I think that because I am like right now I'm doing it on my own in the past I had like an intern and somebody else working with me and maybe in the future I will have other people working with me but for now I'm on my own so the

things that I cannot just say yes to every artist that comes up to me or, you know, I, I, I have to be really specific. Yeah. I have to really think about what, what, where I want to go when it comes to me as a person and my business and also what kind of artists fit. And yeah, that makes it just different than, than when I'm like a really big company and yeah I just do my thing I think the personal approach for me that's one of the the yeah the most important things so yeah as I said I don't know boutique is like the right word but it is like a smaller company that uh yeah that has the more personal approach the interactions you and I have had, I've really appreciated that you can kind of, you really feel that you, you're so dedicated to that, you know, the art and I'm sure it hasn't been easy kind of getting into that space and making that decision. Cause I think

often when people go into the journey of entrepreneurship, it's kind of like, well, any client is cool, you know, but you really taking the approach of like, what is good for me in that sense. So yeah. Have you found that journey quite hard or has it been, have they been tipping points? Yeah. Well, yeah, because I just wanted to say, like, I made my mistakes for sure. And it's also what I, what I mentioned earlier is that, so most of the managers work on a commission so when I first started my own company I was talking to an artist and um yeah I was super excited to to work with

that artist and I was like I was just asking questions and um and then that person said like oh yeah I earned so many or this fee per show and I do so many shows a month and yeah so that's really good so I was like okay commission wise that could be interesting la la la so I signed a contract um for for me back then a pretty long term um and then eventually I started working with a person and, and it was like, okay, the fee that, uh, that the artist mentioned. Yeah. They got that like once a few years ago, you know, for one show and then having shows every week, that's not really true. It's like maybe once a month. So it was a totally different thing. So, and then I was sort of stuck to a longer contract. And I think that that really helped me in being more specific and changing my deal structures

as well, because as like being alone, only working on commission, I couldn't really take that risk all the time. So I had to like come up with other ways of working as well. So that took some time, you know, to find my way in that. And also like having your own company and just starting out, you are like attempted to say yes to everything that comes your way because you're like, oh my God, it's just business, you know, that's amazing. okay, so I work with a specific artist and that didn't really work out or that wasn't what I expected, or I had like high hopes, but then I should have seen those and those signs. So I think over the years, you just become better at that. And I think right now I'm probably going to make other mistakes. And then in a few years, I'll be like, oh yeah. Okay. Learned from that. And I think that's the whole journey of being an entrepreneur. But what I'm happy with right now is that I have the right people around me, like my business coach is that whenever I run into something where I'm really like in doubt, or I don't feel that confident, I have people to go to and to talk to and get advice.

get advice um and one of the things that I'm really lucky with as well is that a lot of people within my family are entrepreneurs as well um so I get to like talk to a lot of different people I'm like how you did you do that and yeah just get tips and tricks and um hopefully not make the same mistakes but yeah I also have my own mistakes to make. And that's just part of the process. Yeah, it's the journey, right? We were saying last week, you know, it's tipping points might seem like a moment, but it's really the journey. It's the journey before, it's the journey after, the many journeys to come. So yeah, it's great that you see it like that. Because I think a lot of people resist that and and you know kind of battle against it but if you're open to being in the flow then it helps a lot yeah and also like you know I say this right now and it might sound so easy and all of that but being in the middle of it I was also like oh my god so scared or

just so insecure and like oh no like why did I do like, why did I do that? Or why did I do that? And I had my, my nights when I was like awake for a few hours and you know, all of that. And I will, I will still have that, but indeed, as long as you can reflect and really like, okay, this is, this is part of the journey. And also just, just making sure that on some end, for example, for me on the financial end, I just want to make sure that whatever happens, I still will be able to go on for like a few months or maybe a few years, you know?

And that's something that in the beginning, of course, you don't have that luxury. You have to build and build and build. And that takes a lot of time. And yeah, that's just also something you have to go through. Yeah. Well, it's the price you pay to do your own thing, right? Yeah. Yeah, indeed. What would you say is the best professional advice that you've gotten, you know, from the

whole network of people that you kind of lean on is there anything that sticks out to you well I think one thing is that I really am a perfectionist and that can really get in the way when you have your own company you want to do everything perfect uh both for my company but also for my clients and sometimes that's just not possible because I'm only one person and right now I am like all the different things I like as you see that a lot on Instagram reels or TikToks and stuff on like yeah I wanted to become like yeah I wanted to start my own company and now I am like the the admin person I'm like HR I. I'm the salesperson. I do marketing.

I do everything, you know? So sometimes it's really like seeing, okay, where's the priority and what should I focus on right now? And I learned a hard way as well. Like when I was still working at Spinning, I actually had a burnout for a bit. And even though that was really difficult going through it, but right now I look back at it as like one of the best things that happened to me because I learned so much in such a short amount of time. And one of those things was like prioritizing and all of that.

And then recently, like I heard a lot of times before, but the, um, the 80, 20 rule or like, you know, it doesn't always have to be 100%. It can also be 80%. And I've heard that so many times. I saw it online for years and years and years. But I think only recently, I would say in the past year or so, it really, really stuck. So I was like, OK, it's fine. It doesn't have to be 100%.

Because for me, what's 100%? For others, it could be my 80%. And, and I think I really like try to stick to that. And sometimes that's still difficult. It's my own process I have to go through, but yeah, I try to let go of that a little bit more and just do what I can. And then sometimes also say to my clients or to my artists, like, what I can. And then sometimes also say to my clients or to my artists, like, you know what, I forgot, or I didn't get around to do that just yet. And they are fine with that as well. As long as like, not, I know where the urgent things are and those other stuff. Sometimes I can also say, you know, I was focusing on the other thing first and the other thing will come now or in a week or,

the other thing will come now or in a week or and I have to say that since I started doing that I'm not getting any like negative feedback or anything people actually appreciate it if you're honest and just yeah say what what it is yeah yeah that's true I can totally resonate with what you're saying because i also struggle with that and uh i've also been implementing the 80 20 a lot more and it's it's really incredible that's incredible it's so cool to hear yeah yeah it is and and yeah i guess we're all about the real honest conversations you know on the podcast keeping each other accountable in that way by friday feels but it's nice to hear that it's always nice to hear that that is really what humanity is looking for out there and we forget that yeah we kind of drive it into this box and of what

maybe a different kind of society thinks we should be or present to the world so yeah that's really awesome that that's worked out for you. And where do you see yourself in a year from now as you strategize and work with your coach? And yeah, what's coming? Well, actually, I have to say that right now I'm really happy with where I am. I just got two new clients in and right now I can actually say

I cannot take on a lot more, which is great. So with that, I just hope with the clients that I work with, we can grow on their profile and that we only get more success on their end. And of course, we're always aiming for that number one hit. And then, so I also have my publishing company And yeah, with that, it's been like really building over the past one and a half years. And right now also see like a growth in there and really like building on the foundation there. So I'm really happy that that that's like going so yeah I just I just really hope that I can continue this way and yeah a year is already like time flies so I think so it's so close by so yeah I just I really think that right now like I want to go like in the coming year to more conferences that's something that's that's really on my list like I have been doing that in the past but then over the past like two years or so

as I said like I started my publishing company and all of that so it's been a lot of investing um therefore I had to make choices but right now I'm really ready to go back and just um travel more with my artists um to their shows like abroad but also um going more to other conferences because you have Amsterdam which is an amazing one going more to other conferences because you have amsterdam which is an amazing one like with amsterdam dance event but you have so many more all over the world but yeah so that's it's that's definitely something that's on my schedule for the coming year oh that's exciting yeah you can go visit saj in miami yeah, we have a big EDM scene here. I know. Miami Music Week. It's growing.

It is. Yeah. So I think Ultra got rained out a little bit this year. But that's how we started watching Tiesto and then our friend that we were seeing, he just had like, he's like, that's not even the biggest one. Look at Tomorrowland. And we just started

watching all these shows and I was like, wow, I really just didn't know how big it's become um because some of the friends here they go each year and I was like yeah like I kind of like music with lyrics like I you know like I just you know it's it's not something that I've really explored too much I would say but when I started hearing it I was was like, oh, wow, this is good. Like, I can listen to this. I feel happy when I listen to this, right? And that's the thing about music. It's kind of universal.

Nicole sent me songs, and I don't understand what the lyrics are, but I can understand the feeling or, like, generally kind of what they're talking about. So it kind of forces you when you listen to it in other languages to kind of reconsider your pre-conceived notions right which is nice because that's that's what some of the friends were saying I was like they're Jamaicans I was like really you guys want to go to EDM but it's not you know it's not a personal like reflection I was just curious because they go every year and i was like oh what do you like about it but sometimes music is just

something you like you don't know why exactly you like it it's the power of music right yeah i listen to a lot of music in hindi i have no idea what they're saying but you i could sing all the words i have no idea what they mean. I know the melodies and everything. But yeah, come for sure. Let us know if you happen to be in Miami. The scene here seems like it's just growing. Yeah. That was really good about Miami. I've been once before to Miami Music Week.

But you have the... So Ultra is just the festival, of course. But then at South Beach, at a lot of those hotels you have a lot of pool parties and stuff and they used to have like a conference part as well but now they stop with that a little bit and i actually saw that next year they're gonna start with that again so i think that's for me as a music industry professional like more on the business side that's the added value instead of like only going to parties and like a lot of people are like oh I'll be at that party let's network there and then

you're like cannot even understand you or hear you because it's like yeah so loud but yeah I'm really happy that the conference part is coming back so yeah probably next year Miami I'll be back but it also has to make sense right like right now I don't have any artists that are actually playing there so yeah it has to make sense on like who's going to be there on the networking end that's interesting for me you have to define the balance in that and um yeah we'll see yeah oh I I smell like a creative workation vibe coming. Yeah, it's exactly that. And that's awesome.

That's really awesome. And yeah, very, very excited for everything you're getting up to. And it's just been so awesome to hear your journey. And yeah, it's very inspiring what you've done. And I know you've made difficult decisions along the way. And yeah, it's really cool how you, you you know as a one-man band go forward and and do so much and yeah so thank you for sharing all of that with us yeah it's awesome learning about that it's a whole new world for me but I hear some from Nicole. It's very interesting to kind of see. I'm curious, is it like a very male-dominated industry or is it kind of mixed? Yeah, it's pretty male-dominated, but there are a lot of women working there as well.

But most of them are behind the scenes. It's a lot of like male DJs. Of course, there are some female djs but definitely um it's male dominated as well on that end but there are like a lot of females that are like oh like boss ladies they're like so cool to see that uh yeah some of the bigger companies are actually owned by by women so yeah it's uh but yeah it's definitely um more meal but that's awesome to kind of hear how you've navigated it you have such a nice outlook as well like demeanor thank you about it and um maybe you can also tell us and help us kickstart this kind of little section we do each time of the week, each week.

It's called our gems of the week. And it's really about what is helping us be better working professionals in the world. What's filling your cup this week? You know, something cool that happened, something that challenged you. Yeah, I'm excited to hear it. So this week has really been about kind of, I have said this before in previous weeks, but I guess the universe has been pushing me a lot to do that for a while. But you know that moment where you're like,

well, I own a company and it's like, okay, stepping into the CEO role, stepping into that role of waking up and going, I'm actually doing this. And the moment I made certain mind shifts, these big things have been coming towards me. and then it's about saying yes to those things and not being overwhelmed by it and questioning yourself like is this really happening you know am I worth this and yeah so it's been really cool in that sense this week has been a lot about really just settling

having that energy settle within myself and also from an artist perspective you know a lot of people don't appreciate how long it takes to develop your brand and you'll know this how long it takes to figure out what is your strategy what is the what is your niche what is like your message to the world it's taken me a long time to figure that out and then everything else that you do aligns to that your social media your website your you know who you show yourself to be in the world and obviously you but like you say you're still a brand and so a lot of this week has been kind of like these little switches and synchronicities that have come into place for me where it's like oh this wasn't working this is not aligned you know let me change that um and they seem like small things but they're

big big changes for me so that's been it's been such a relief this week to have that shift and yeah it's really helped me a lot in other things that's that's been it for me how about you sage this week has been really interesting because i was reflecting a little bit about a good few months ago, I was thinking, wow, I really just wish I had some companies to work on. Like, because I, when we, about a year ago, a little over a year ago, actually, about a year ago was when I was thinking about, you know, I have all this time, I have some money saved up, like, what is it that I actually want to do that I'm not going to want to say I'm doing temporarily so that I can get skills or get money? What is it that I actually want to do? And I was thinking, oh, I really want to build a company, but I just don't have the right idea. I don't know what it is.

I just wish I was building something that I really wanted to build versus I've worked in growth and partnerships for a while and you're always doing it for other companies. And so I was thinking about that this week and just reflecting on, wow, now I am building things that I actually want to see in the world. And I thought like I need to kind of similar to Nicole kind of push myself into that role because I feel like a lot of times I kind of flip back into like employee mode. I'm just like doing things as an employee

versus like as a CEO. And so I went on my socials and I started changing it. And I was like, I feel like this resonates with me now. Like trying to think about, you know, how you present yourself in the world. What is the most important thing when you meet people? Because I meet people from all these, like, I like to go to networking events and like see what's going on. And I do it for different industries. And it's sometimes it's hard to really say exactly

all the things that you do. And so that was one sentence that I was like, yes, that makes sense to me. I can say that they can go on my social and figure out from the next point on, you know, what's the best way to work together. So for me, that was a big mind shift. And I was really grateful to kind of have that reflection because I thought, you know, sometimes when you think about how far you have to go, you don't think about necessarily how far you've come. And I try to always do that when I remember because it's definitely helpful for the days when you're like, I have all this stuff to do.

And then being grateful, like, yes, I have all this stuff to do. And then being grateful, like, yes, I have all this stuff to do. So for me, that was what was filling my cup. How about you, Madeline? Really great to hear your stories. For me, I think it's actually two different things. So one is I got two new clients in. And this week I started with one already and the next week with another one so I'm super excited about that I really feel that over the past year maybe two

years I planted a lot of seeds and I worked on a lot of stuff like starting a second company and really like investing in that and just building building building, building. And, but still like feeling like I am building, but it's not like showing. And now, yeah, I'm really happy to get like two new projects in and I'm really excited to start with that. And the other thing is that as an entrepreneur, you sometimes forget about like holidays. When you work for a boss, you get a day off and you're

really happy and and like april and may in the netherlands they have a lot of different holidays and normally i would just continue working because my clients are all over the world so they don't really care about dutch holidays um but this time i was like, you know what, I'm actually going to take the day off. So tomorrow is a holiday in the Netherlands and I'm going to take the day off. A lot of holidays, of course, fall, like that you can take an extra day off. Yeah. With this, it's, uh, uh, I'm just going to take the one day. So, um, yeah.

And then in, in, I think two weeks we have another holiday and I'm also going to take that day off. So I'm actually sort of proud of myself that I can do that. I have room to do that. And yeah, it just feels good to take care of myself as well and not only my business. That's super important, right? Yeah. The balance, the balance of work-life balance.

Yeah, absolutely. And that does get very blurred when you're an entrepreneur and a solopreneur at that. Definitely, yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. And congratulations on your new clients. Thank you.

Yeah, I'm really excited. Yes. And so where can people find you and connect with you for our audience out there? So on my website they can read everything about my businesses and my clients or my artists uh that's um 88 so the number eight eight um music mgmt so 88 music mgmt.com, um, I'm most active on Instagram. Uh, that's also 88 music MGMT. And there I post about my artists. I used to post a lot of like music industry tips and all of that, uh, business tips, entrepreneur tips, all of that. Uh, I haven't done that in a while,

but I am going to start that again. So, um, yeah, a lot of new tips coming in soon. going to start that again so um yeah a lot of new tips coming in soon yeah yeah thank you and thank you for sharing all of that with us today and coming on the podcast and you know i think also for our audience listening out there a good question to you and something we'd love to hear more about is um how are you making moves in the industry in the industry that you work in that you live in that you you know maybe want to work in um are you taking those leaps of faith or turning those dreams into reality and yeah i hope we hope you take inspiration from madeline's story so thank you again for sharing with our audience out there thank you thanks so much for having me it's been real fun yeah thanks for coming on i really enjoyed learning more about your your industry and your lifestyle and look

forward to meeting in person sometime in the future at one of those parties and however we can help you yeah and how you would have to tell me when they are I will invite you you will be on the guest list and everything VIP service oh yeah super excited for that I can show you around the other stuff in Miami yeah I'll hit you up for sure yeah

of course Nicole can come fly over too I'm sure she'll love it I do love a bit of EDM, I must be honest. Nice. It's a good feel-good music. I run around long road trips too, and I need some energy. I kind of put on. And they have a crossover, actually.

I know I sent you a bunch of music, Nicole, from Trinidad, but they actually have a crossover section of Soca EDM, which is actually really cool and amazing. Like when you, you know, we go for carnival every few years and there started to be more crossover and the kind of speakers that they have at these events is very much like similar to Tomorrowland. I i mean not as big but it's like those big booming ones where you're standing there and you're just hearing it when you go to sleep you're still hearing it so that's what they do for regular soca music so that combined with like edm you're just like oh wow this is like a whole you know vibe yeah and you

know i'll i'll leave it as the last thing that I mentioned but there's this thing that I noticed where people who play carnival which is like two days of like non-stop you're moving through the town I think you do like it's 10 miles between the two days so you're having all these people who are like drinking and dancing for two days straight all through the town with booming music. And what's funny is when you hear the music in other places or other settings like wedding or birthday or you just like hear it on, you just start moving. Like you just you'll see like their vibe of their body. You could always tell who kind of did it and who didn't because they just dance different they kind of move into this like they call it chipping where you're kind

of like you're you're not jogging but you're like dancing and walking um and it's like a trance almost like you you know you just without even knowing that you're doing it you start doing it so it's a cool industry you know that, that you work in, in music, because it has the power to do that for people. We have so many friends that are not even from the culture that they love it. You know, like as soon as you hear it, you could tell they just start bopping along. Yeah, that's really cool. I always say dance is a therapy.

It really is. It really, really is. So the fact that you can be in music, which I think is like the universal language of love, and dance at the same time, like it's a beautiful combination. Yeah. So thank you for sharing.

And we encourage all of our listeners to reach out to Madeline if you're interested in working in this space or learning more about it. Please follow her and connect with her. And we'd love to hear from all of you. You know, as Nicole mentioned, how are you making these moves in your life a reality? And remember to tag us using hashtag these Friday feels to share your stories and listen to us on all your favorite platforms. your stories and listen to us on all your favorite platforms.

And to work with us or have us broadcast Friday Feels from your space and organize your next workation, reach out to us at hello at friday-feels.com. Yeah, and next week we are very excited to chat to a lady who's working with individuals who want to make a move. So Erica Madison is an executive coach and career advisor, and she's focused on helping people lead with their strengths and cultivate a proactive approach to having a career. So stay tuned to hear more about that next week. But until next time, that is our mix. We've had so much fun mingling with you and we wish you safe travels into your bed, into the night

and into this awesome weekend so see you next week and keep it real