In this episode of the Thriving Musician Podcast, Spenser welcomes Carolyn Ortiz, a seasoned marketing and operations executive with over 20 years of experience in the music industry. Carolyn’s career has spanned across prestigious organizations like Universal Music Group, Chanel, Viacom, and more recently, her own venture, Big Ass Kids, a record label and creative agency she co-founded in 2020. This in-depth conversation dives into Carolyn’s insights on industry evolution, artist support, financial literacy, and the challenges of balancing a career with personal life.
Mat Maxwell is an American musician with almost two decades of studio and touring experience, specializing in the electric bass. He has played this instrument with some of music’s biggest names, performing all over the world. Mat is also the author of “Hired Musician: A Guide to Getting and Keeping Gigs,” a book offering insights on navigating the modern music industry. Beyond his touring and session work, Mat also enjoys teaching lessons and hosting clinics… a good cigar and tasty beverages.
Having marketed, mentored and developed over a thousand artists and projects within the highest levels of the music industry, R Wayne Martin is the prolific strategic executive behind the careers of recording artists and music producers signed to his boutique management firm, mthree.
And as the host of the Small Plates Podcast (with subscribers in nearly 40 countries), he is the artist development authority that guides independent artists and their teams through mission critical challenges facing todays professional musicians (and musicians as entrepreneurs).
Wayne’s experience and expertise was honed as an artist development leader in multiple key roles inside major and independent labels (Warner Bros, Sony Music, Knitting Factory & others) and as an executive managing intellectual property licensing for music publishers and music industry organizations (The Harry Fox Agency / National Music Publishers Association).
Martin often shares his voice with music entrepreneurs on college campuses such as Harvard Law, NYU, and Berklee School of Music, and as a career development expert in the pages oof Billboard, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and others.
With a prosperous career spanning over 25 years, Neil Mason is a seasoned artist, manager, and record label founder in the music industry.
Neil’s musical journey includes being a part of three bands that have secured major label record deals, performed globally, and played over 2,500 shows to audiences in the millions.
Neil’s multifaceted involvement in the music industry extends to writing, managing, publishing, and producing songs that have collectively garnered over 1 billion streams.
His current band, The Cadillac Three, has released six albums.
In 2016, he launched Badlands Management, an independent management company that aims to guide artists toward their goals in the music business.
The artists he works with have been streamed over 600 million times and have toured with artists such as Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, and many more.
In 2023, Badlands Management began working in partnership with Red Light Management.
Recently, he co-founded War Buddha Records, a joint venture with Warner Records.
With experience in the creative and business sides of the industry, Neil is passionate about helping other artists and music industry professionals solve their challenges to build the careers they envision.
Patrick Ermlich is a seasoned music industry professional hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Born into a musical family of opera singer-entrepreneurs, he inherited a unique combination of artistic and business acumen. He honed his skills through formal education, including studies at Northeastern University’s music business program in Boston and The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Arizona.
Starting as an engineer and producer at the renowned Cutting Room Recording Studios in New York City, Patrick rose through the ranks to eventually manage and develop the studio into one of the most successful in the city, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the music industry along the way. His entrepreneurial spirit led to the launch of an independent record label followed by a music publicity agency, Gramophone Media, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager / head of A&R.
With over 1000 artists in his portfolio and a reputation for insightful, direct, and thoughtful artist and business development, Patrick is a sought-after mentor, strategist, and collaborator.
Patrick continues to leave his mark on the industry through his mentorship, speaking engagements, blogging, and his role as an educator at Berklee Online.
