Where Are All My Friends | Discovering Creative Careers with Inspiring Entrepreneurs

Loren Wells is a music lawyer with an understanding and passion for the entertainment business unlike anyone I've ever met. He's also an owner and partner at Wells & Kappel, an entertainment and I.P. law firm with a focus on musical talent.

Having a good lawyer in entertainment can be the single biggest piece of getting signed, and getting the best record deal possible. In this episode we come back to that exact topic and discuss how much has changed since the last time we spoke in 2020, then Loren breaks down the new step by step process of exactly how to get signed in 2022.

In addition we talk about some much bigger topics like how to find and follow purpose in life, how to find the right team as an artist in the music industry, and the importance of finding your own momentum and playing the long game in life.

If you found this episode helpful - send us a message and let us know! If you want to go above and beyond - share this podcast and subscribe wherever you listen. It genuinely helps so much!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:05 - Being a Likeminded Talent Lawyer

7:00 - Be Polite, Be Patient, and Trust Your Leverage

9:00 - His Prior Self into His Present Self

16:00 - No One Can Tell You You’re Step One - Follow Your Momentum & Play the Long Game

22:44 - Reading the Tea Leaves / Predicting the Future

27:04 - We Are in a Time in Music History That Has NEVER Before Existed

35:30 - The Ideal Deal is Different for Everyone

40:00 - Negotiating Deals & Knowing Your Value

47:20 - There’s a Difference Between an Artist and Musician

55:36 - The Future for Loren

Loren Wells:

Email: If you listened to the end, you'll know :p

Instagram: @lorenswells

Wells & Kappel:

Website: wellskappel.com

LinkedIn: HERE

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited By - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast:

Website: whereareallmyfriends.com

Subscribe: HERE

Discord: HERE

Patreon: HERE

(this podcast would be nothing without you, thank you for listening <3)

Maria Gironas has had an insane life! She was signed at 11 years old as an artist, worked in publicity, then at YouTube, and now is at Reddit as the Senior Media Partnerships Manager for Talent.

In this episode she shares some extremely quotable wisdom on how to grow in your professional career, but more importantly as a person. She's been through some insane highs and lows in life and shares all of those experiences and the lessons she's learned through all of it.

If you like this episode, please do me a massive favor and share it with someone else you think would enjoy it! Word of mouth is the single biggest way this podcast grows.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:20 - Who is Maria

3:30 - Her role at Reddit

7:50 - Reddit Best Practices

10:50 - The Non-Binary Gray Area

13:00 - Being signed at 11 and Growing Up as a child of immigrants

19:30 - Getting into Publicity

22:00 - Working for Google/YouTube

26:00 - Get Out of Your Own Way

28:58 - How to Work at Google

33:40 - The Good and Evil of Tech

36:34 - Living in Ambition and Gratitude at the Same Time

40:10 - What Maria is Up To Now

44:00 - Sitting in Discomfort

45:25 - The Growth in the Lows

49:49 - Taking Care of Herself

54:02 - Adding Value and Knowing What You Want

Maria Gironas: @mariagironas

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited By - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast:

Website: HERE

Subscribe: HERE

Discord: HERE

Patreon: HERE

Caterina Nasr is the Senior Manager, A&R at Elektra Music Group and Fueled by Ramen. She sets such a great example of being passionate about what she does, matched with hard work, and the success that it can bring!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:20 -  Who is Caterina

3:20 - Hard Work is Part of her Family Roots

7:30 -  Fandom

13:05 - Fans are an Asset in the Industry

17:06 - Can Artist Create “Fan Mania”

21:30 - The Path to a Career in Music

28:50 - Don’t Chase Higher Ups. Just Make Friends.

31:05 - Realizing Her Gift

36:56 - “You are an A&R”

41:16 - Getting a Meeting with the Head of Elektra

46:40 - Knowing and Owning What You Want

54:10 - Opportunities Come from Passion

57:09 - Chloe Moriondo

1:02:16 - Modern A&R Means Uplifting Community

Caterina Nasr: @cat3rina

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited by - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast:

Website: www.whereareallmyfriends.com

Subscribe: HERE

Discord: HERE

Patreon: www.patreon.com/whereareallmyfriends

Mike Koziel is an incredible Director of Photography, a co-founder of Last Good Film Lab and ERA Studio in Los Angeles, and more importantly - an overall rad human being!

Personally, I'm very inspired by his passion for perfecting his craft and constantly pushing himself to level up creatively. I hope you listen to this and feel the same way! And hey, if you do - share it with a friend or on social media.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:50 - Who Is Mike Koziel

4:34 - Creating LAST GOOD FILM LAB

13:10 - Roots of Filmmaking

16:30 - Struggling on Being Present

18:49 - Working with a Team to Make Better Work

20:52 - Developing a Career Around Filmmaking

24:58 - Passion and the DSLR Revolution

32:32 - Moving to LA and starting the Dream

35:03 - First Impressions and Networking

39:35 - Path to Success is Different for Everyone

46:18 - “Making It”

48:04 - His Goal as a Filmmaker

51:04 - Take a Break

1:00:02 -  Good Vibes = More Work

1:04:20 - Koziel’s Advice to Lil’ Koziel

Mike Koziel: @mkoziel

Last Good Film Lab: @lastgoodfilmlab

ERA Studios @erastudiola

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited by - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast: www.whereareallmyfriends.com

Olivia Rudensky is the Co-Founder & CEO of FANMADE. She got a very early start into the music industry in a very cool way. She started by making a Miley Cirus fanpage, which ultimately led to her working directly with Miley. We talk about how being a genuine fan can make you the most qualified person to work in a role, and how we need to embrace that more in music! In addition to that, she shares a ton of actionable advice for anyone looking to get started in a career in music and the steps and lessons she personally learned.

If you like this one, do us a massive favor and share it with a friend, or anywhere on online!

Timestamps:

8:10 - Who is Olivia

11:09 - Diving into the World of Entertainment

16:00 - Idea vs Execution

21:20 - Miley Cyrus sliding in the DM’s

25:18 - Working with Miley and Dropping out of College

27:52 -  Building on Community Helped Her in Her Career

31:35 - The Music Industry Doesn’t Know What Fans Know

35:20 -  You Don’t Need to Know Everything About Social Media

35:57 - Know What You Know and Know What You Don’t

37:11 - Why She Started Her Company

42:02 - Activating an Audience and Fanbase

45:20 - New Chapters of Life

49:40 - Feeling Unqualified

52:56 - Not Wishing For It, Just Doing It

55:20 -  How to Understand Your Worth and Skill

Olivia Rudensky: @oliviarudensky

FANMADE: @fanmadeinc

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited By - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast:

Website: HERE

Subscribe: HERE

Discord: HERE

Alex Garcia is the guitar player for Mayday Parade and an overall rad person! We've been friends for quite some time, but this was the first time I got to properly sit down with him and truly learn his story starting from the very beginning all the way up to now. We also discuss the current state of music and what he and Mayday Parade are up to in 2022. 

If you're new here, please share this with a friend and make sure to subscribe! It helps the podcast a ton.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

3:39 - Early Days: Learning Guitar to Look Cool

9:40 -  Bands Before Mayday

14:40 -  Forming Mayday Parade & Local Band Beef

18:10 -  Understanding the Band as a Business

33:50 -  Mayday Being an Example to Many Younger Bands

36:20 - Imposter Syndrome

43:20 - The Pressures of Social Media

1:00:24 - The Anniversary Tour and Album

Alex Garcia: @maydayalex

Mayday Parade: @maydayparade

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited By - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast: 

Website: Here

Subscribe: Here

Discord: Here

Patreon: Here

Jake Posner is a manager to various artists, songwriters, and producers. He manages the band A R I Z O N A and is the founder of The Culture Theory.

More so than that he's a brilliant dude who I'm extremely inspired by. We talked specifically about his come up and the massive amount of work it took him to finally find his place in music, along with his outlook on a topic that I think is very important "THE GREAT FOLLOWER DISCONNECT"  

Hope you enjoy, and if you do please share it!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:04 - Who is Jake Posner

6:56 - Producing Music

11:15 - Finding His Path & Arizona

22:00 - Imposter Syndrome

34:00  - Luck is Preparation Meeting Opportunity

36:00 - Culture Theory and Music Management Business

39:20 - Show Up and  “Figure It Out”

42:08 - The Great Follower Disconnect

1:03:52 - Creating a Creator Middle Class

Jake Posner: @posner

The Culture Theory: Website

The Great Follower Disconnect Discussion (All Links): change.org/musicindustry

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited by - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends: Website | Discord | Subscribe

This short episode features three of my favorite clips from a few recent Where Are All My Friends episodes featuring Aaron Gillespie from Underoath, Guardin, and Christine Osazuwa (Measure of Music).

Let me know what you think of the format and if you want more episodes like this!

Aaron Gillespie: @aaronrgillespie

Guardin: @guardin

Christine Osazuwa: @christineosazuwa

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited by - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast: www.whereareallmyfriends.com

Myrone or Pat Lukens is an artist, producer, and band member. And has had great success (and failures) in each of those lanes. He joins the podcast this week to talk about each step of his career and share some extremely valuable lessons he's learned each step of the way.

Something that really stands out to me about Pat is his extreme honesty and self awareness. Each step of his career has come with so much personal growth which he articulates and shares so well on this podcast.

If you get value out of this episode, please do us both a massive favor and share it with a friend!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

1:42 - Friendship & Banter

6:25 - Finding Music in Forums

10:30 - Early Days of Music

14:10 -  Making Music with SZA

22:09 - Firstborne

29:01 - Career Almosts

35:25 -  Checking His Ego

40:07 -  The Future for Myrone

49:14 - Connection to Myrone and His Love for Cars

55:11 - Advice to Younger Self

57:21 - Looking Forward to Losing

Myrone: @myroneofficial

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited by - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse

Where Are All My Friends Podcast:

Website: www.whereareallmyfriends.com

Subscribe: Here

WAAMF Discord: Here

Drew De Leon is the founder of The Digilogue which is a community that focuses on education, artist discovery and careers in music. If you know me, you know those are three things I love a lot, so you can guess, this was a great episode! We talk about all of those topics, and specifically dig into jobs in music and how to find your place in the industry.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend!

Drew De Leon: @drewcurator

The Digilogue: @thedigilogue

Website: https://www.thedigilogue.com/

Andrew Cramb: @andrew_ftw

Produced & Edited by - Deanna Elise: @deannaelxse