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I would like to formally declare myself as a member of the Louis Opens Doors Squad. I have no idea if that’s how it works, but I am pretty sure now that I’ve formally declared it, it has to be true otherwise I’m a wanted criminal or something. Anyway, L.O.D. SQUAD AF!

#this post can be entirely blamed on #jaw-drops #and #scrufflecake #because this has been all over my dash today and I have strong opinions on the matter

Over the years, you’ve work on a variety of campaigns. What’s that transition like? The difference comes with the type of artists. Take Jim Jones and Beyonce for an example. They were already established when I started working with them. It becomes new territory when I transitioned over to working with emerging artists. One Direction was my first emerging act. I watched them go from nothing to something. With the established artists, you don’t get to see them develop from those early stages. It’s different when you’re three or four albums in. But with the new artists, you experience the struggle. When you work with someone with a name, people answer your emails quicker, they’ll answer your phone calls quicker but when you work on something fairly unheard of, it takes more time and effort, but the results are greater. It helps to be apart of a great team and that’s what we have a Columbia. We’re all a great team. We build off of each other to make things happen.

What’s your role with Juicy J’s upcoming album, Stay Trippy? I’m coordinating and figuring out the press plan for it. I have to be able to tell his story. He’s been in the game for 20 years. He’s been able to reinvent himself and not discredit who he is. A lot of acts these days are influenced by his music. We’re working with him, seeing his vision and figuring out how we can make it happen and spread the music. It’s a great album. I think people are going to be excited about it.

With an artist like Juicy J, what’s more important: the pitch or the relationships? It’s a little of both. Without a story, you’re not going to be able to get anything written. A relationship only goes so far. You can pitch stuff at people all day but at the end of it, you’re going to get called out on it. With Juicy, it’s all real. I’m lucky to have been working with artists that have those stories. Being excited about the project makes the pitch better. Everyone has a story. You have to be able to listen to the music and understand the artist. A lot of that comes with time spent with the artist. I feel like I know Juicy J’s story so it makes me want to pitch it and make things happen. Sometimes, people can easily look at his past and count him out because he’s been around for so long. But you have to look at the Taylor Gang affiliation and the younger fans too, to them he’s a brand new artist. We have to school them on the history. Then, find a way to bridge the gap with the older fans. He’s the peoples’ champ. If he calls any rapper, they’d be down to work with him. He’s been able to maintain these relationships in the industry for so many years.

Speaking of relationships, how important is it for someone on the come up to have a mentor? Extremely. Benny Tarantini runs the publicity department here and is a great role model to me now. Also my first bosses Kathy Baker and Yvette Noel-Schure, they’ll always be someone I look up to for advice. You need to find those people in this industry that you can look up to and always count on to be there with the right answers.

What’s your advice to people looking to get into publicity? Do it because you love it. You don’t get paid a lot in the beginning. I honestly don’t think you get paid a lot until you’re in your thirties. When you’re the boss and executive and everyone questions what you do, you’re there because you put in work for multiple years. These people put in their time. Even today, I’m still putting in my time. I was at Good Morning America this week and I had to steam all of the artist and bands clothes. I’m a publicist, that’s not part of the job. But you have play those roles. You have to be able to adapt to every situation and help where help is needed. Also, find a healthy work-home balance. It’s a lot of work. There’s always something to be done in publicity but you need to know when to stop for the day and pick it up again in the am- the work will ALWAYS be there.

What’s next for you? Continuing to grow at Columbia Records. It’s a great team here, we have each other to lean on. We have our supervisors who oversee the campaigns but we get to manage the projects on a day-to-day level. If I wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I was given. Like with One Direction and Juicy J, I don’t think a lot of other places can offer that type diversity.

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