The Music Industry, NFTs and Leaps of Faith

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So of course, we’re talking about influencer marketing but this week, we’re looking at it through the scope of the music industry. So Amy has been with WIIM since we had about 200 people in our Facebook community. That was a long time ago. She’s been with us since and more or less the beginning. And that shows you how long she’s been in the influencer space. So she’ll tell you, in her own words, how she got to Roc Nation, which is, you know, this incredible company, they partner with all of the, you know, a list celebrities, and the music industry is all about influence and influential people. So it was a really interesting conversation.

It was a really interesting conversation about just thinking innovatively. And I love a good, you know, innovative approach to… everything. So anyways, stay tuned!

So about the Collective… I get questions a lot about it. What is it? Why should I join? What’s the distinction between the other stuff you guys are putting out? And how has it changed since I joined maybe like Amy five plus years ago. So let me sum it up in like 30 seconds or less. Here is how the collective is absolutely a game changer for the way that you work with influencers. Number one, if you’re not currently in our Facebook community, oh, my goodness, guys, you are totally missing out. So our Facebook community is super, super active. So are some of our slack channels. And these are communities that you’ll be able to gain access to as part of our collective. So it’s an incredible opportunity for networking. Of course, because we’re networking organization, you will literally get new business, you will meet incredible women in the industry. But you will also be able to information, share, ask questions, get other women’s perspective in the group. Those two are huge. Also, we have unlimited virtual events and discounts to premium events. So for example, we just came off of hosting ‘Nine Tools That She Uses to Run Her Talent Agency’. It was a virtual event hosted by one of our mentors because we have a mentorship program as well. We have educational events about things like whitelisting, YouTube direct from the source, but also networking events because y’all while it might be uncomfortable to push yourself out of your comfort zone, you know that it is hugely important. Let’s not mince words, to network, to connect with other women in the industry, to progress your career and to also just connect with incredible women. We’ve got job listings, if you’re recruiting for people, you absolutely want to recruit from our community. We’ve got the most incredible women who are fully qualified, fully eager, obviously if they’re in this group, they’re a great crop of women to pull from so we have the best talent in the industry. And therefore if you are looking for a role or just kind of curious we have an incredible job board just for you.

If you are on the brand or agency side and you want to connect with dozens of incredible talent managers, I can personally vouch for of both the large agencies and also amazing small businesses that are representing influencers, you want to use a WIIM cast in one intake form your information, your casting gets blasted out to over 100 talent managers in the space. Pretty much every single management company is part of our network. And so it’s just efficient. It’s so streamlined and is meant to just make your casting process so much easier. Within 24 hours, you get back a spreadsheet with dozens of recommendations. And of course, these are coming directly from WIIM members. So you know, you’re never wondering who these people are, they’re in the same community. It’s a great way to just give back to the community, deepen your relationships within there, and just save so much time. If you’re a talent manager, of course, we’re sending you these castings. So it’s an additional revenue stream for you. And these are, again, from WIIM members. So we vet these things, we are not paying influencers, $100 and an Instagram post, like these are well paid campaigns, great brands, and they’re in your inbox all the time. Oh, I always forget to mention this. And it’s actually one of the most amazing things about WIIM, our mentorship program. So guys, all of our mentors teach a master class, this is on a topic of our mentors, expertise. You can watch an hour long of them in their element, educating you on their topic of choice. And then if you’re like, holy crap, I want to learn more, I really want to connect with this person, something about them just resonates with me, you go on our website, and every single one of our members get a one on one session with one of our mentors twice per year. And each one of those sessions is at least an hour long. They’re very generous with their time. So you can connect with these women one on one and ask all the questions that you want. And like have that mentor that I don’t know, I was personally always craving I always wanted a mentor somebody who was just like, there for me to help me to support me to answer any questions that I had. If you go on our website, you can find all of these things. And so, so much more. I wanted to keep this short, and it’s not. So I apologize, but there’s just so many things that I’m super passionate about, that we’re bringing you as part of our collective membership. Again, our collectives are for those of you who really take this seriously who really want to invest in your future, in your career, and take all of these resources to the next level. I’m… I love giving that back. And oh my god, the feedback that we’ve gotten from the people who just genuinely like lean in, fully lean in to win and everything that it is and have joined the collective and come to our events and show up in our community. I can talk about it a lot but it’s it’s amazing to hear what other people have experienced. And I love that like I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. It makes me really happy and we’re working to make one better every single day. In fact, I dm a lot of you yesterday based on our Instagram poll, because a lot of you took our fun poll and answered a lot of questions. And I learned a lot about you guys which is awesome. So look out for more of those but I dm probably got it and a lot of you yesterday just wanting to get to know you guys more one on one and ask further questions about how we can be helpful to you guys. So, alright, guys, I have talked long enough but you know me I can talk a lot girl can talk so keep your ears peeled later on this episode, we drop that promo code. Let’s listen a little bit less of me and a little bit more for our guest of the hour. Amy Hamil of Roc Nation. All right. So Amy, I am so stoked to chat with you today. First and foremost, welcome and thank you for being here.

Amy Hamil:
No, thanks so much for having me. I mean, I joined WIIM and it’s early stages. So you know, you maybe had a couple hundred members at that point. So it’s really incredible to see how much the group has grown since then, and the community support you’ve built over the year. So the pleasure is all mine.

Jessy Grossman:
So you are original of WIIM. I love it so much. We are… I am personally so grateful for you. Like if you join our Facebook group, I don’t know we’re probably talking 2018 2017 and potentially. You’ve seen different iterations and I hope you’ve met lots of incredible women. But I’m just so happy that you’ve still finding value in it. So thank you for so being a member. I am just so excited to like, have you all today and get to know you better, get to know your work better. Like I want to hear all your opinions about you know about the influencer’s stage.

Amy Hamil:
Well, I have lots of them so.

Jessy Grossman:
Good. Okay, can I tell you though real talk like, that’s what I love so much about the women who find their way into WIIM. I hear that same sentiments so often, which is like, Oh, I have opinions.

Amy Hamil:
Yeah.

Jessy Grossman:
And I love it. Like, please have all the opinions and we’re gonna get to them today. So thank you. But before we do, I love doing these get to know you questions because we’re obviously going to get to know you professionally, but I also just want to get to know you, Amy. So are you ready for some rapid fire get to know you questions?

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, hit me.

Jessy Grossman:
All right. Let’s do it. Um, what is your biggest fear?

Amy Hamil:
Oh, my gosh, I mean, my biggest fear, I mean, just on a personal level, I’m probably drowning.

Jessy Grossman:
Drowning. Here.

Amy Hamil:
I grew up in Florida. And um, you know, I was always going to the beaches and they had some really strong rip tides and New Smyrna Beach, the Vanek ocean. So, you know, I definitely experienced a few of those. And I, you know, I would have like recurring nightmares over the years about that. So.

Jessy Grossman:
Totally from one Florida into another. I get that. I get that.

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, Exactly.

Jessy Grossman:
Totally understand it. Maybe it’s a Florida thing. I could totally I get it. When you were a kid throwback to your Florida days. When you were a kid? What did you want to do for a living?

Amy Hamil:
Oh my gosh, I mean, I feel like this is really basic but I wanted to be a singer when I was a really young child.

Jessy Grossman:
And today as an adult, do you sing? Did you sing in school? Like, do you sing in the shower? Or Wow, do you? Do you still incorporate that in any way?

Amy Hamil:
Oh, my gosh, I mean, I do not. I work behind the scenes these days. I think that’s where my talents are our best foot.

Jessy Grossman:
Are you sticking to karaoke then?

Amy Hamil:
Um, you know what, I think my voice changed over the years. I sing in the shower here and there. I’m not horrible. But um, but I’m not super good. And, you know, I’ll sing karaoke time to time if I have a drink or tear. But, you know, it’s not something I would automatically go to, are you?

Jessy Grossman:
I well, so funny. I was actually a theater major, like a musical theater major in school. And I also met people in WIIM who were like, you know, opera majors, like legit singers. So I’m not one of those people but I was like, oh, maybe she has my wish. So like, here’s my question, Who? Who did you listen to as a kid? Like, who made you want to be a singer?

Amy Hamil:
Oh, my god. I’m, like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears.

Jessy Grossman:
How did I know? I mean, we must be around the same age. Like I knew you’re gonna say that.

Amy Hamil:
Free Britney

Jessy Grossman:
Free Britney.

Amy Hamil:
Hashtag free Britney.

Jessy Grossman:
Are you watching all of the documentaries and all of the YouTube videos about this? You know, free Britney? Everything?

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean, you’ve got to be up on the movement. We’ve got we’ve got to help her out.

Jessy Grossman:
We do. Oh, my gosh, I mean, we can have an entire episode about that now,

Amy Hamil:
Don’t even get me started on, you know, the latest documentary on Hulu, because then we’re just gonna go down a completely different path and rabbit hole so.

Jessy Grossman:
We will but we’ll also talk about this after the show because Oh, my gosh, free Britney, um, what is your biggest motivation?

Amy Hamil:
Oh, my gosh, I mean, you know, I think my biggest motivation is… you know, of course, you want to do the best that you can for your future self, and, you know, the, your future family. And, you know, I think, you know, I’ve always just had a really high standard, you know, for myself, and I really, I really want to make sure that the work that I’m putting out there is, you know, really my best effort and yeah, I mean, I think I think that’s really important to be accountable and follow through and just make sure you’re delivering the best work and putting your best foot forward every day, and just continuing to grow and evolve as a person.

Jessy Grossman:
I’m super sad. Am I last get to know you question for today? If money were no object, what would you do all day with your time?

Amy Hamil:
Oh, my gosh, I would travel the world. A hundred percent. You know,

Jessy Grossman:
Yes. Oh, I do know. Yes, I mean, I yeah.

Amy Hamil:
And you know, of course, like get back as well and get back to charity. Wait let me just add that I’m not completely one hundred percent selfish, but those things.

Jessy Grossman:
And not necessarily in that order, but you know, simultaneously.

Amy Hamil:
Simultaneously.

Jessy Grossman:
Simultaneously, we’re gonna go. That’s awesome. I definitely feel like we got to know you a bit more. And I look forward to just continuing to. So let’s dive into like a little bit of your professional journey. Like we heard a bit about it in the intro to the show, but I always think it’s ideal to hear in your own words. So, in your own words, talk us through your professional journey, like your entry point into influencer marketing, and like why you’ve stuck with it?

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, yeah, for sure. I’d love to share more about my career path. And, you know, I think, for me, I really want to go back to the beginning, and you know, where this all kind of started for me. Was in undergrad, you know, I can truly say that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for, you know, my experiences as a student at the University of Florida. And, you know, one of my, one of my first mentors, um, you know, it’s true, what they say is, you know, try start networking and getting relevant experience in the industry that interests you as early as possible. So, you know, during my time there I majored in marketing I might earn in entrepreneurship. Yes, I was, it was there, you know, in the 10, TiVo heyday. So those are really our glory days. There was just an incredible, incredible energy, you know, on the campus, and it was a really great, you know, traditional SEC college experience. But, you know, during that time, I was involved in our homecoming event, Gator Growl, which was, you know, one of the largest student run pep rallies in the south east. And it was essentially it would happen the night before the big homecoming game. And it was a student variety show. So there would be skits, the band would play, and we would always have, you know, a really big headline performer, you know, at the swamp. So, you know, I was the Director of Community sales, and I was responsible for increasing awareness of the event, you know, in Gainesville, and also, you know, kind of selling tickets. And during that time, and, you know, one of my advisors was a gentleman by the name of Michael Blatchley and he was the head of University of Florida, University of Florida Performing Arts. So, you know, I think, from there after Gator Growl ended, you know, I had worked with him in an advisory capacity throughout my time as Gator girl and I really liked, you know, kind of what he did there, which was bringing, you know, world class artists, and entertainers to the city of Gainesville. So he brought everyone from like, yo, ma to the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and more.
And, you know, especially when you’re in Gainesville, there’s really not much like professional internship experience that you can get, you know, in the entertainment or indoor and or influencer marketing landscape. So, you know, I kind of took that opportunity, and I asked if I could intern with him, and I ended up interning with him, you know, for the first or for the last two years of college. So, you know, I think he was the one, you know, when the time came to help me really get my resume in front of the right people and open up the right doors for all the big talent agencies in New York City. So I mean, and you know, how it is to, it’s not like, you can just, you know, get in one of the talent agencies, it’s not super easy, it’s not like, you can just go to a career fair and you interview and then you know, you’re going to start the job on a certain date a year later, like, it’s really, it’s really a lot more opportunistic. And it’s a mixture of, you know, having the right professional experience, and also, you know, having the warm connection that will really, you know, get your foot in the door. So, you know, interviewed a couple times didn’t get the job. And then I finally landed one as an assistant in the contracts division at ICM partners, which was one of the big agencies up there. And, you know, I think, again, it was, it was a great training ground. You know, it’s kind of like the first foray into the, into the entertainment world. But, you know, the day to day work, which was routing and booking tours for the artists wasn’t really what necessarily piqued my interest as much. I think what I was drawn to was really the work that was coming out of our global branded department. So, obviously I had my degree in marketing, and I was like, Wow, it would be it. I think the next step for me would be to find a role where I can really help create the street strategic alliances between artists and talent, and brands, you know, to meet their own goals. So, you know, I think when I was decided that I was ready to move on to that path. He was probably about a year and a half. And when I was still at ICM partners, I ended up getting drinks with one of my good girlfriends, and she had just finished up doing some freelance work for a marketing communications agency called Full Picture. So, you know, I ended up interviewing and getting a role in the brand management division. And you know, I’m so thankful for this role because I was really able to get sort of foundational experience working on all types of projects for both brands, and talent in many different capacities. So, you know, we worked with a boutique talent roster, including actress Riley Keough, Chef Dominic. And so, you know, when influencers are still very much up and coming, I also signed our first ever influencers to the company and manage entrepreneurs, Katie Stirring over 12 style and Olivia pres friend of a friend of a friend in the early stages of their careers. And, you know, on the brand side, you know, we worked on projects, such as, you know, procuring talent for global brands, like Maybelline for their New York Fashion Week front row activation, and it was also on the team to secure a loyalty or sponsorship with pretty city for Heidi plumes annual Halloween Party, which was another client of ours. So, you know, it was really an incredible experience dipping my toes into different areas of the business. And you know, I think more more than just the field, the work we are doing, I’m surrounded by really inspiring leadership, examples of powerful women really doing it all each and every day. I mean, Desert Gruber, She’s the founder of the company, when Rob was my boss, and they’re all smart, fashionable, go getters. They’re really hustling and balancing work and family life. So it was just a really powerful example for me to aspire to at that point in my career. So, you know, that was really again, you know, I decided that I really liked working with talent, and I knew that I had that was where I where I wanted to focus, right. So you know, when it was time for the next talent next challenge, I decided to immerse myself more specifically as a talent agent in the fashion realm and joined global modeling agency next management on the talent board, you know, creating brand partnerships across the fashion and beauty space. For our clients. We worked on all types of talent from celebrities like Diplo, sweetie Suki Waterhouse, to, you know, global fashion entrepreneurs like Julie arrestin, bright fold. Larson Thompson activists, like she just caught Martinez, dancers, artists and more. I mean, it really, it really runs the gamut. And um, you know, I think overall, this experience was really key and developing some of my long standing relationships in the industry and building my Rolodex, I was really able to learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry and how you can really help talent navigate this world and, you know, build up credibility in the space.

I mean, a lot of talent wants to work in fashion, and you know, with luxury brands, but just because you’re a celebrity or famous, or you have a following, like doesn’t mean that’s necessarily going to happen. There’s, there’s a lot of like, behind the scenes, you know, things you have to do, you’ve got to be working with the right people, your stylist, creative director and your team. I mean, it just doesn’t happen overnight. So that was a really important experience for me. And, you know, during my time there, you know, towards the end of my time I started thinking about, you know, what would it look like to work more closely with musicians who are also influencers in their own right and really go in house on the management side. You know, I’ve already worked with, you know, big stars like Billy Eilish and Diplo, which was an incredible experience, but you know, as only representing them in the fashion category, we were kind of like the last one to the party. And I realized that I actually wanted to play a more of a foundational role shaping and building the brand for artists, you know, at the beginning of their career. So, you know, when Roc Nation finally approached me to join as the Director of Music brand partnerships, I think, you know, everything kind of came full circle so you know where I am now, I sit underneath the Roc Nation unified division, which is the commercial arm of the business. And we serve as the in house brand specialists for artists underneath our label and our management divisions, as well as for company wide initiatives. So, we do anything that brings cash registers and brands including strategic partnerships with our talent sponsorships at our events, such as Made in America, The Roc Nation Grammy brunch, charitable initiatives under team Roc. And yeah, our talent roster here include some of the most culturally relevant relevant celebrities today, such as Alicia Keys, Megan Thee Stallion, Big Sean, Romani, and more. So overall, you know, all my experiences really working with talent, sponsorships, brand agency side have really come together and what has been a natural next step in my career. And, you know, my goal for this role is to really continue to elevate and build upon my portfolio work across different industries. And something really exciting about Roc Nation is that, you know, we have a bigger runway to do deals beyond fashion and beauty. And, you know, also outside of just talent. So I guess you could say, you know, it’s a little bit more room to play. And then finally, I think, you know, the, one of the biggest takeaways throughout the entire journey that I just shared is that, you know, you can still achieve your dream job by not taking the traditional path per se, and you can back into it in other ways. You know, as long as you’re thoughtful about the experiences that you’re getting and how it leads you to where you ultimately want to be.

Jessy Grossman:
Totally. What a cool path you’ve had, I mean, from the traditional space and then into the fashion space in particular, and music. And I mean, it’s so interesting, and what would you tell someone who listened to that incredible recap of your professional journey? And also, like, I assume you’re in maybe your 30s. And like very much in the middle of your career, right? But there’s so much more to even go. But like someone who’s listening in and they’re like, Damn, like, that sounds so interesting. That sounds so cool. What would you tell someone who sort of wants to follow in your footsteps, and I’ll preface it by saying this. We all want to leave a legacy to the generations before us. And I think that part of what’s so important about that is like helping them get a leg up, to maybe avoid some of the pain points that we experienced, or some of the confusion of like, what do I do? What path do I take? So, like, what would you tell somebody to sort of give them a leg up? If they’re… if your career path seems particularly interesting to them?

Amy Hamil:
Um, you know. I think, there’s a few things right. You have to be your own entrepreneur in your career. I mean, like, when you graduate college, it’s not like there’s a clear path, right? So, you know, find some roles that really interests you find some successful executives, entrepreneurs, like really, really, whatever you’re interested in. I kind of stalked him on LinkedIn to be honest with you and, and see kind of what their experiences have been like and you know, what led them to that place ultimately, and try to go in a similar direction.

Jacqueline Johnson:
From The Opposite of Create and Cultivate. I’m Jacqueline Johnson, the host of work party, a podcast for ambitious women looking to create and cultivate the career of their dreams. Burke party is paving the way for a new generation of women, women who are redefining the meaning of work on their own terms. Every Wednesday, we bring in leading female powerhouses for real talk and BSP advice on building your business. You’ll hear from female founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, creatives, and so many other badass lady. Are you ready to create and cultivate the career of your dreams? Then tune into work party a podcast, be sure to subscribe to the show and never miss an episode.

Amy Hamil:
You want to you also want to go to a company as well, just when you’re looking at companies to join that, that you’re gonna have a tailwind versus a headwind. So you know, look at a company that’s changing with the times, one that’s open to evolving and trying new ideas. The next piece to it is to really read as much as possible. It’s especially in this role, it’s incredibly important to stay on the pulse of industry trends, and really be educated about what is currently resonating with consumers and in the marketplace. Read up as well on kind of the history of advertising and marketing to see, you know how these industries have evolved over the years. Because, you know, a lot of times a good idea is just a new iteration of translating an older format and maybe tweaking ideas at play in today’s market.

Jessy Grossman:
And I love sharing like a good resource on this show. I feel like that’s such a common question in WIIM. It’s like what newsletters you consuming? What podcasts are you listening to? What like, what resources are on your radar? There are a couple favorites that you could share.

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, I mean, in terms of my my daily news consumption. I definitely have a routine. You know, I like to listen to podcasts in the morning to get my daily news. I listened to NPR at first I really like New York Times the daily. I also always especially… if you want to work in in fashion and beauty. Read Business of Fashion is really important. I also use an app called Feedly, which is essentially a news aggregator, and it will show you the most popular articles across your categories of interest. So I think that’s on it. That’s honestly like a little hidden weapon but I think more people should know about because you can find some really great information from there. And just make sure to stay on top of all of the important things that are happening and resonating with consumers. And then, you know, I think think Finally, like when you get a chance on the weekend, I think, especially during a year like this. A really big lesson for me is that… is to really, you know, look at the headlines and read more about what’s going on in the world. Especially also from an economic perspective because, you know, in terms of obviously, the pandemic created a recession, which has affected consumer spending and really how brands are reacting and like what that means for me as a salesperson, and how to best navigate your job and manage expectations based on, you know, the current environment.

Jessy Grossman:
And so I’d love to just jump. Well, first of all, thank you for Feedly I’m gonna go check that out. I I love that aggregator there’s just so much out there on the internet, right? And it’s like, oh, my gosh, I could feel a little overwhelming. And sometimes when you just want like a really, like filter down feed of, you know, content that’s applicable to you, um, you got to look for something like that. So I have a couple but I’ve never heard of Feedly before. I love that I’m going to definitely go check that out. So thank you. And like let’s talk about some of those trends a little bit. Um, you know, on a, what is it Business of Fashion? I think I follow them on Instagram. And they were talking recently about. Do you know about NFT’s. Are you aware of what NFT’s are?

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, yeah, we are familiar with NFT’s.

Jessy Grossman:
Okay. So like I was listening into this Clubhouse room. And that was my like entryway point into NFT’s and they were talking, it was like Lindsay Lohan, was in a room on Clubhouse, talking about NFT’s and Business of Fashion posted on their Instagram the other day, how Gucci has released a digital shoe. Yeah, that’s like, I think it’s like 1999 or less, it’s like somewhere around that price point. I would love to hear your thoughts on this because I would let me like not give my opinion, I would love to hear your thoughts on Gucci releasing this virtual shoe for like 1999.

Amy Hamil:
I mean, you gotta hand it to him because you always think it’s important for brands to really kind of be ahead of the curve and try out some of these new emerging trends, trends and platforms. And if nothing else, it’s going to generate some incredible earned media for them. But you’re definitely here for artists at Roc Nation, that is a space that we are looking to play in and explore even further. You know, obviously, our, you know, our artists, they have their own merch that they’re creating. So they can create, you know, their own merge or, you know, products that can drop alongside their album, for example, it just creates another revenue stream for the artist. So it’s all positive here.

Jessy Grossman:
So tell me more. Yeah, no, tell me more about that because I like whether you’re an influencer and like the lifestyle around or you’re a musician, or, you know, there’s so many different types of influencers. Revenue streams are something that, you know, are constantly spoken about and they’re in my opinion, there’s way too many influencer influencers out there who are solely just focused on like, incoming brand partnerships. And that market is hard to break into, you touched on it earlier about, you know, relationships and getting jobs, you know, in careers on our end of things. Imagine how influencers feel, we recently talking about this in the group, do influencers have a fair shot always in getting in the room? Or getting the same partnerships? Or is it a lot about who you know? And so, I don’t know, I’d love to talk about these other revenue streams, so that it isn’t just all about brand partnerships, I think the smartest influencers are always diversifying their revenue streams and like products and book launches and NFT’s and maybe courses, you know, there’s all these other opportunities for influencers to get into. Talk to me a little bit about your recent experience at Roc Nation and your experience and what you’ve observed in that capacity?

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, for sure. I mean and diversifying also couldn’t be more relevant at a time like this, especially, you know, during a pandemic, when, you know, brands haven’t necessarily had as much budget to invest in brand partnerships. So, you know, it’s always smart to make sure that, you know, you’re looking at new commercial opportunities to understand how you can continue to grow and expand your brand, you know, into spaces that feel authentic to you. And I think you know, where we come in as a talent manager is to really understand, you know, kind of who you are as a person, you know, what your passions are and what your goals are, and help you see that big picture and create a roadmap to really building your empire. So, you know, I think a lot of times brand partnerships can really serve as a stepping stone to something a little bit bigger. You know, whether that be creating your own brand, like, for example, Alicia Keys, we actually brokered her deal with Elf Cosmetics to create her own standalone brand called Keys Soulcare, which launched and sells and Ulta, for example, so, you know, what she really wanted to do was, you know, find these joint ventures and really have a, you know, a company that was true to her and her values and something that she could run on her own. So, of course, you know, creating your own brand, is a way to diversify, obviously, through NFT’s, um, you know, also, you know, what do you want to start, do you want to start your own marketing agency, for example, like you just see, like Shaquille O’Neal, for example, just just started the majority advertising agency, which is something you can check out. So, it really just depends on like, what your personal passions are, and you know, how you are going to create another opera standalone opportunity out of it. And I think, you know, a lot of times where that starts is really is really through your content and making sure that you know, you do have an expertise and you have a point of view. And that’s something that people really look to you for advice, and really just building out from there. And then you know, if you have your nation, you’re an expert in the space, the brand partnerships are gonna come right, those are going to come naturally. So it’s really just about meaning into yourself, your brand interest and understanding like the right opportunity that works for you.

Jessy Grossman:
I hope you’ve been enjoying this episode as a special treat. And a huge thank you for being such a loyal listener of the podcast. We’re offering you 10% off your first year of a VIP membership to our collective. Essentially, it’s our Facebook group on steroids. So check out all of the benefits at iamwiim.com slash benefits and then use code podcast 2021 to get 10% off your first year of a VIP collective membership. Again, that’s code podcast 2021. Okay, so go sign up. But also keep listening to this episode. I also like really appreciate the idea of sort of reinventing yourself, right? Like, I appreciate that as you progress in your career, and maybe one day you were like the best basketball player of all time. But like not wanting to just, like live only as that and live the rest of your life, just having that be your one claim to fame. And people are so multi-talented these days, it’s so rare that you meet somebody who, you know, just does one thing. And I think that it’s so interesting to see people like leaning into what otherwise may have been just referred to as passion projects, and you know, diversifying that and reinventing themselves and staying current. And like, it also takes guts to say like, I was always known as a singer and now I’m going to start this product line. And you know, people are gonna have feelings about that, right? Like, everybody has an opinion, especially if you’re always Yeah, if people

Amy Hamil:
Oh, no matter what you do, there’s always gonna be haters or an opinion or people who love it, or people who hate it.

Jessy Grossman:
A thousand percent and you’re never gonna please everybody anyway, so you know, if you could just sort of like, you know, get over that piece of it. I think it’s so brave to go and diversify and just explore other things. And I think it’s particularly interesting in the music space because of how much that world has changed. I mean, we’re talking about Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the beginning of this call. And, you know, they like Christina Aguilera is a great example of, you know, someone who’s definitely done all sorts of stuff with her career. But so many artists have, and I just, it’s a path to really observe, like, if there are things in there that seem really fascinating about that, I’d love to hear your thoughts on like, the music space in particular, like, when the people that you are currently working with, like they’re having a lot of success. Yeah. Why do you think that is? What do you attribute it to?

Amy Hamil:
I mean, I think first and foremost, it’s really the connection that they have with their fans in their audience and you know, if they’re putting out music that’s really resonating. I think that’s a really important piece to it. And the next thing like you said, is really making sure that you know, over time, you know, you evolve your brand and I think that also that kind of naturally happens you know, as you grow as a human and you know, you have different interests that come up as you move through the different milestones of life and but you know, I think you know, anyone can really get like 15 minutes of fame but you know, the elusive question is really how do you… How do you sustain success and how do you pivot and diversify your brand successfully? Um, so, you know, I think for a lot of our talent, you know, they do that in different ways. And something that has really been interesting to a lot of the brand clients that we’re working for is, you know, partnering with our talent that really stand for something, or, you know, they’re, they’re fighting for something bigger than themselves, and they contribute to their community in some way. So, for example, like, Big Sean is one of our clients, and he has The Sean Anderson Foundation, which helps assisting the education, health, safety, and well being of primary through college age students and underserved communities across the country. And, you know, I think brands, again, especially in like this day and age that we’re living in, they’re definitely looking to partner with talent to really, you know, not only create an interesting creative marketing program for brands, but also give back to their communities, and they can do that through the talent Foundation’s,

Jessy Grossman:
That’s so good. And like any sort of artist that has amassed a certain amount of money, I don’t know, I just personally think they should give back in some capacity like everybody, and you know, what, like, this isn’t, you know, It is a bit of a financial thing I was about to say like, that’s not even think about money, I mean, I whatever, wherever you have influence, I just think that it becomes a choice after a while about how you use that platform. And I’m always just particularly impressed with people who you to, you have to get to a certain point to be able to, you know, provide for yourself and your family and live the type of life and lifestyle that you want to live. And then there comes a point where you are able to give to other people, and whether that could be time to it doesn’t always have to be financial, it can be, you know, I have all this all this expertise, like I want to give to this community that I’m particularly passionate about. And I just, I don’t know, I always have like, a lot of respect for people who take the time out of their day, because, arguably, time is more valuable than money. It’s certainly opportunity cost.

Amy Hamil:
Exactly.

Jessy Grossman:
Opportunity cost. Absolutely. And so, um, you know, I would be curious to ask you about, like, your professional journey, like, what’s the quality of yours that you think has helped you the most in business?

Amy Hamil:
I mean, I think there’s a few. Being scrappy is definitely one, I think, you know, I am in a sales or more business development type of role. So, you know, any deal that you’ve got in or, you know, any partnership, you that, that you secure, is probably because an idea or a contract that you found, I think you really have to be proactive, resourceful, and creative, and, you know, kind of what your pitches and you know, how you’re approaching the clients and getting them on board for your idea. So that’s a big one. And then I think the second one is also the human touch. I mean, we are in a relationship based business, that’s for sure. And, you know, I think it’s really important to come from a place of service, you know, follow up, anticipate your client’s needs, really get to know them, and how you can help and, you know, having a strong sense of accountability and follow through and also, you know, be empathetic to what they’re going through to and really try to understand and yeah, I mean, I think the human touches is really important.

Jessy Grossman:
Empathy, that’s so huge. It’s sometimes it’s like that, isn’t it, like the simple things that people tend to forget, that are like,

Amy Hamil:
Like say thank you, you know, like, a personal note, like goes a really long way, or just like taking the time to craft like a well, a well written note or, or compliment them on, like, a recent project or accomplishment, like, you know, you’re noticing that you’re taking time out of the day.

Jessy Grossman:
Hundred percent. Like we had a post in our Facebook group actually just saying, like, when you’re in the market for a new role, like, what do you look for? And I was just really intrigued. The answers were so interesting, and like, if I could summarize the theme or the gist of most of the answers, it was like, treat me like a human. That was a lot of what it was. Yeah, it was like, you know, just have some humanity compassion, empathy, things like that. It’s like, I’ve said this so many times, I just so I believe it so strongly. It’s like sometimes, like the right answer is always the simplest one. And you know, in this case, like, that seems to be the case as well. You know, I love to get as real as possible on this on this show, too. And, you know, I don’t know I’ve been listening to a lot of content that’s been talking a bit about, like, toxic positivity, which is really interesting, I think, and I want to be able to be real on this podcast because while you are a perfect example of someone who has had a seemingly from the outside really impressive career and journey. I’m sure, I don’t know, I can imagine that there have been like failures perhaps along the way or difficult moments, difficult times. And so I’d love to learn a little bit about like, what’s the role of failure in your professional journey,

Amy Hamil:
It’s part of the process. It’s part of the overall learning experience, I mean, it’s exercise, the more you do it, I guess, the less scary it becomes but, you know, I think in terms of things going wrong and whether it’s losing a client, or maybe a deal falling through, or maybe you didn’t want to project, I think these are all really inevitable bumps in the road that happened, you know, throughout your career. And sometimes you can improvise or pivot and save it but you know, other times, it might not go as you planned, and, you know, it builds character. And I think, you know, the most important thing is to take the time to reflect and, you know, take stock on, you know, maybe what went well, and what could have been improved upon, and, you know, just just kind of take mental notes at the key takeaways. So you can really adjust and, you know, refine your approach accordingly. And, you know, in this business, especially, I think there’s, there’s a lot of rejection, right? People will say no, to you so many times, but I think where your power is, really… if you have a good relationship, it’s easier to do this as well but you’re asking for feedback from the client. So you know, if they say no, it’s like, Okay, great. Well, you know, what, could I have done better? Or, you know, how could I have adjusted this approach? Or, you know, what did what did the winning pitch look like? And that way you can incorporate that in your approach moving forward?

Jessy Grossman:
Yeah, all of those things, and they take process, they take time, and but I love the how you even started that answer is just like it, maybe become a little less, it becomes a little less scary as, you experience that. And as you move through it.

Amy Hamil:
You’re able to brush it off a little bit easier. And you don’t care personally, right? Like the first couple times you’re rejected, you’re like, Oh, my God, is it something that I did? And then you’re like, no, actually, it’s because, you know, this specific offering was better for like, this logical reason. So.

Jessy Grossman:
You can look at it a bit more objectively.

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, exactly.

Jessy Grossman:
Yeah, yeah. Which is helpful. So just even like, Look, it’s like anything in life, right? Like you to be able to master something you got to practice. It’s anything in life and, like, some things are a little bit more uncomfortable to practice, right? I think that’s maybe that’s certainly what failure is, it’s certainly not comfortable to go through something that you’re like, Oh, I failed.

Amy Hamil:
That’s where the growth comes in. Right? Yeah. That’s how you get to the next level.

Jessy Grossman:
Every time but I think to your point to it’s like what you do with that failure is key, right? It’s like, you know, not just like, lamenting in it or like, drowning in it. It’s like, Okay, let me take something away from this, let me learn from this, let me analyze this a bit. And it’s also like, where you focus your mental energy and because you can easily especially because words are so powerful, like the word failure is this like, you know, usually like meaningful word. And you could just, like get lost in that. So I love your advice. I think that it’s I hope people are listening and take that into consideration. It’s like, what you do with it after and focus on that, focus on that. Finish this sentence, my life changed when?

Amy Hamil:
So I think you know, my life really changed and my mindset really changed when I started living with a greater intention. So you know, what that means is really knowing your why and knowing your purpose and you know, of course there are going to be days there are going to be good days and there’s going to be bad days. But you know, if you know your overall goal and why you’re here and you know realize that’s really part of the process. It doesn’t affect you as much and it also, also having boundaries is important as well. So knowing or you know, always making sure that you know, you’re respecting yourself, your first and foremost, you have boundaries. And yeah, I mean, I think those are the really big game changers for me.

Jessy Grossman:
Yeah, I’m so glad to hear that you found those things for yourself because those are huge. Those are truly huge, huge, huge. What do you wish that someone had told your younger self that would have given you a professional or a personal advantage today?

Amy Hamil:
Hmm, let’s see. I mean, I would say don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith, or go all in on some of the emerging platforms or trends because I really do believe that sometimes. You know, the present… you know, the future is really just the present accelerated, right? So if you’re looking at Instagram for example like when I started my career cover many years ago, it was still very much up and coming. And, you know, there weren’t really many dedicated roles, you know, for social media, for social media people. So, you know, I think it’s really finding your niche, finding kind of like what’s up and coming, becoming an expert in that space, and that can really propel you to new heights.

Jessy Grossman:
Hundred percent. I love that so much. I have a feeling that our listeners are definitely going to want to get in touch and just connect with you and perhaps learn a bit about more about Roc Nation. I’ve so enjoyed our conversation, and where can our listeners find you to learn more and connect with you?

Amy Hamil:
Yeah, so you can look me up on Instagram. I’m @amy_hamil and then I’m also on LinkedIn. So feel free to shoot me a message there.

Jessy Grossman:
Perfect. And we will link all of that below. Amy, It’s been so nice having you on today. I’ve so enjoyed this conversation. So thank you so much for coming on.

Amy Hamil:
Thank you. Appreciate you having me.