Jasmine Sandler is a true woman warrior in both the business and music world. In business she is a top rated Social Media keynote speaker in the field of branding, digital marketing, social selling, and social media branding. Sandler owns The #BrandYou Conference Series which supports the growth of female entrepreneurs. She is also the producer and host of The Warrior Women in Business live audience podcast and event series. On top of all this, Sandler runs her own company JS Media that includes female leadership mentoring, all female-entertainment showcases and community development. Her outstanding efforts garnered her several awards as a Social Media Leader by Google, LinkedIn, The Online Marketing Institute, Entrepreneur and multiple Internet Marketing industry associations yearly since 2005. She has also released a series of online courses and books with lesson plans, group courses, and monthly subscription options.
In the area of music, Sandler is both a solo artist (JazzRock) and the lead singer-songwriter for the rock band Silent Fury, where you can catch her live performances throughout New York City’s local music circuit. Her music style has been compared to the likes of Portishead and Patti Smith.
Having the ability to market yourself successfully in the music industry is where Sandler is an expert. In this interview I asked what it has been like for her as a woman dominating in the field of social media and digital marketing, what sacrifices she had to endure, and what advice she has for women seeking social media branding for their music career.
Visit Jasmine Sandler’s website at: www.jasminesandler.com.
WiMN: You have been involved with social media marketing for nearly 20 years now. What has this life long experience been like for you as a woman in this field? And, has there been a shift in how women are perceived in this type of marketing since you began your career?
JS: Yes I can say I am a pioneer of sorts in the world of Social Media Marketing. When I began in Social it was Data Mining at its core – all about social listening. I was very prepared for Digital coming from originally IBM and working with mainly male technicians and developers. I think women were natural for sales and client development and over the years have now super-seeded men in many of these tech positions. More and more women have gravitated towards the field of technology in general over the years. Marketing and Sales, specifically marketing and PR have generally been roles consumed by women. The difference now is that there is more room for female innovators, engineers and leaders in the cross-section of tech and marketing and more VC money being thrown at women founders in these companies. There is still not nearly enough women at the top. IBM, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Linkedin – I could go on and on here – are all still led primarily by men. This is where our opportunity is moving forward.
WiMN: What sacrifices have you endured to get where you are today? What have been the outstanding rewards in developing such a successful career?
JS: MANY! As a woman, even in the 21st century, there is the still the expectation of society that to be a woman means having children, having a family and the career is an after-thought in many cases. To build a big company and have big impact – which has always been my goal – means you may have to sacrifice things like that until you get to a place where you can sustain a child as an entrepreneur. Believe me I am the best Aunt 🙂 but I do look forward to being in that place. Many of my sacrifices have to do not with just choosing to be an entrepreneur, but in a way, being chosen to do so. All my life people have always told me I was meant to lead and create something unique. I have had to forgo most luxuries of people with standard 9-5 executive level jobs. I have had to say no to vacations many many times and so many other things people take for granted. However there is a silver lining! I have positively impacted many people, helping them to find their calling, helping them to grow professionally and personally. I have many industry awards and honors as well, but nothing as important as the reward of creating an entity (or entities if you count my digital agency, my conference series, my podcast, my client successes) that I can say I did and has long-lasting value to others.
WiMN: What are a couple of ways that women in music can benefit from digital marketing, and at what stage in their career is the right time to hire a professional for their social media strategy?
JS: Digital Marketing, when done in a way that supports specific business goals and reaches a targeted audience, can increase the monetary value of a woman in music. If they are a musician (like me) they can use Digital to grow their brand, which can drive sales of show tickets, merchandise. Further by using the grow their audience to drive up their position and value in touring and opportunities for sponsorship and ultimately for sync and licencing opportunities. With non-artists in the industry, such as promoters, producers, publishers, publicists, A&R people, women entertainment lawyers, etc where they represent the artist, they can use not only to support the growth of their artist but also develop B2B relationships that will help to drive continued bushiness development..
Digital should be used at all levels of career development – from looking for a job (requiring social branding of the job-seeker), to creation of an artist brand (site, social, search, 3rd party tools and service providers online) to transactions such as ticket sales and products,to social selling for B2B women in music. I have supported everyone from the new job seeker to the executive looking to advance in her career to the artist looking to create a real business brand and make money to lawyers and bankers supporting artists who need strategies for building a trust-worthy brand to the industry.
WiMN: Let’s talk about your music project Silent Fury. What inspired the band, and is this your first time collaborating as a lead singer?
JS: Yes! Love my band. I created the band from the idea that I wanted to deliver messages that could impact and serve the under-served (by big industry) meaning creatives of all types. The name denotes what’s behind the songs and the lyrics (I write all) that there is silence in this fury in this movement we are taking forward to make positive change. I started the band after leaving a cover band where I was a lead singer on songs from GnR, Black Sabbath, and more. A cover band is a disconnect to who I am. I never feel I do exact justice to someone else’s feelings and message. And since I started and have developed and continue to develop Silent Fury with my crew of five, I will continue to create. We play on International Women’s Day, this weekend, March 8th as the headliner at a charity show supporting Sanctuary for Families and other women’s charities I believe in at 5pm at the Red Lion in NYC.
We will be live streaming from the SILENTFURYBAND IG and FB channels of course and welcome woman in music!
WiMN: You also go by JazzRock as a solo artist, your creative outlets are so vast! Do you cross-engineer your music with your marketing? Or is music more of a creative escape from the corporate world?
JS: Music is an integral part of everything I do including my business. As JazzRock I write songs for my band and for others. I produce my own event series Warrior Women Business (WWIB). In this as part of every event I create is an element of women in entertainment, I bring in female musicians, theater directors, dancers, artists, film directors to all of my business events for my female entrepreneurial audience. I call them my Warrior Women Entertainment Collective. I am making opportunities for not only my own music brands, but also those of other women to succeed in a very real way.
The ways in which to reach your audience using digital marketing seems so overwhelming with seemingly unlimited resources, and yet there are so many aspiring entrepreneurs who struggle in growing their brand. How is your brand reaching these people and getting heard above the noise?
One key is remaining authentic. The next is having a plan and sticking to it. I Keynote such conferences as recently for the Music Entrepreneur Conference, Many audience members are struggling, I tell them to begin with who they know, to really develop the parameters of the artist brand they know deep inside is the one that resonates with their passion, To think like a business person and to say no as much you may say yes to opportunities.
For my own brand, my goal and passion with my digital marketing agency, my keynote speaking work, my books I write and my band is to authentically help struggling entrepreneurs. I now the pains of it. I know how to overcome and with my many years in the field,m 2 MBAs, 1000’s of attendees of my events and 100s of Digital Marketing strategy entrepreneurial clients and being a musician I know how to give them proper advice. When you help from that position your brand builds. I produce and own a conference #BRANDYOU. I speak across the country on Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs. I am focused. When you are focused and driven and know how to take advice you can get above the noise because you are only concerned with your own path.
WiMN: Finally, where do you see your brand and digital marketing in the next two years?
JS: Love this question! I have just completed my business plan for the next 3 years. Every entrepreneur should do this – a new plan every 3 years at minimum. I will have a consulting and speaking/training practice that spans the globe. A conference and events series that will support women in business and entertainment and their growth in NYC, FL, and LA where I will provide opportunities for women coaches, consultants, speakers ,and entertainers. My songs and my music will be in video games, ads, film and tv and will also be used for specific women’s initiatives where a portion of all monies will be used to help women in need.
