While I was studying music business, I cold-emailed a bunch of labels and companies asking about internships. While working and studying at NYU, I tried to do as many internships as possible at the same time and ended up at Warp Records, mtheory, Save The Music Foundation, MATTE Projects, and even True Panther (where I work now). A few years after working a non-music job, I eventually reconnected with Dean from True Panther, texted him my resume, and begged him for a job. The timing worked out really perfectly and 3 months later, I joined the label full-time as its second employee. My advice for people wanting to work in music is to really hone in on your pitch. The first email really matters, and knowing exactly what your strengths are makes a difference in how someone imagines you fitting into their team. Always be proactive, creative, and genuine.

It’s a lot of sitting at my computer! Emails, spreadsheets, weekly check-ins, project trackers. The majority of my work lies in release timeline management, vinyl & CD production, artist relations, and pitching to DSPs. I act as a middleman between a lot of different people, so mostly it’s just making sure everyone is aligned at all times.

Absolutely. When I first started, I didn’t really have any idea what I was doing. I knew that I was good at organizing and communicating, but I was still new to having a full-time music job. I also noticed pretty immediately that there weren’t too many Asian women in the community around me. It probably took me a full year before I felt somewhat comfortable and confident in my work. Now, fast forward four years, I’m happy to say that I feel much more self-assured in my skills and knowledge. It was all about time and practice. I still wish the industry was more diverse, but it’s something I feel passionate about working towards for both myself and those younger than me.

Go easier on yourself – you’re doing your best 🙂

I’d really love to grow True Panther into a bigger label and team. I find a lot of joy in bringing new people onto the team and feeling like I’m growing the company from the ground up. It’s a great feeling to constantly reimagine and expand on our vision.

It’s always about the music first, but then we like to look at the team and community around them. Do they have existing fans? Do they have a dedicated manager? Do they have a drive that matches ours?

Probably the entire Oklou ‘choke enough’ album campaign. It was an extremely challenging project because I was learning how to do so many things for the first time (like partnering with another label in Europe), and we had to deal with so many stressful challenges (like dealing with leaks and hackers). When the album finally came out and was immediately beloved, it all felt so worth it. It felt like a big breath of relief knowing that our hard work and investment in her as an artist paid off.

Everything is more difficult right now, but ethical monetization, career sustainability, and finding super fans are harder now than ever. We’re all spending more money and reaping fewer rewards. Being independent is the hardest it’s ever been.

My husband Charly always! And also of course Dean (founder of True Panther). He’s been an amazing leader and believer in me. I’m infinitely grateful to him for giving me countless opportunities.

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