...
I walked away from the biggest record label opportunity in my life because I was scared shitless. They wanted to turn me into something I wasn't....
After 10 months, I wanted back in. On my own terms, doing it my way, doing my own songs and I did exactly that! Thousands and thousands and thousands of albums sold, touring the country, music on the radio in the U.S. and some countries, television appearances....controlling my royalties, my publishing.....MY CAREER!
BUT...
Still thinking that I NEEDED the RIGHT record label...that didn't want to change ME.
In 2002, I sat knocking on the doors of divorce with my marriage, and my musical touring career coming to a screeching halt due to something that a large record label said to me.
Figuratively, the tide was up in my musical life because I believed in what the "holier than thou" big kings of record labels told me and my drummer husband...
...and when that "tide" finally washed out, what was exposed was a jagged, rocky marriage yet, a music scene with fanatics still begging for more.... Venues kept booking me even without my knowledge....but my home life was in ruin, disgruntled band-mates including guys that gave EVERYTHING to me and this business...
But my home life was in even more despair.
On the outside?
What everyone else saw was a rock star...
Yet what no one knew, was behind the facade, I was living in my own personal prison of literal hell-on-earth.
With the pressures of trying to save even a shred of my marriage and musical career - while feeling nothing but cold conflict from my husband - the tension led me to take control.
Yes, you read right... I TOOK CONTROL!
Instead of others filling my head with crap....I took over. I filed for divorce and fought for what I could to keep... some musical rights in my name. You see...my now ex-husband completely pulled one over on me and I lost majority control of my musical creations, musical history and most important....music publishing and royalties.
Yet, I remember the day when everything changed for me...
I was stripped of everything...starting over. But, you know what?! IT FELT GOOD!
One word came to me, almost through a subtle whisper:
“Surrender”
"Surrender?", I asked myself.
...I didn't completely understand what that meant at the time, but my GUT knew there was traction here.
And this single word, delivered almost as a whisper into my mind, spoke to my soul...
“I Knew the Only Way Out, Was To Go ALL IN.”
And at that moment, I decided never to be uneducated of ALL of the possibilities of how to use everything we have at our digital fingertips.
It was at this moment, I would figure out how to be a marketing expert, a sales expert and a conqueror of the digital marketing space!
I solemnly swore to myself I would FIND the way.
What I didn't expect was the result of this journey I set out on....
See,
I set out to promote and market MYSELF... not even giving an ounce of thought to helping other musicians let alone creating something other folks could follow and use.
BUT...
Now 10 years later, as a result of that single inceptive moment...
