We were lucky to catch up with Erica “Ricki” Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ricki, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I think the most desirable part of having a standard 9-5 job is the stability that it brings with it. While I love building my business and am very passionate about it, there have been times where money has been tight and I have contemplated transitioning back into the workforce. However, I find that being self employed best allows me to be productive on my terms and build upon my ideas and strategies that may differ from corporate structures.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Originally starting as a musician, I built The Sharp Pitch as a way to help other independent musicians like myself find the tools and resources to manage their artist careers themselves. We offer artist development, digital marketing, creative direction, and consultation services to musicians and businesses alike to strengthen their brand identities and find their audiences. As a queer Autistic business owner, we prioritize artists and businesses from marginalized communities and are proud to uplift the voices of voices who are less likely to be heard.

If you are interested, please send us an email to [email protected] with the keyword “hidden gem” for a 15% discount on future marketing or consultation services!

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Because I started this business during the pandemic, there have been several times where we have had extremely close financial calls where we didn’t have enough income coming in to self-sustain. However, my faith in our mission to uplift marginalized artists always keeps me driven towards progress and motivates me to find unique solutions to these problems.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I would have leaned into the femme music professionals community earlier on! I have gotten so many resources and suggestions from fellow femme people in my industry and they have been crucial to my success. One group I highly recommend is Girls Behind The Rock Show (GBTRS) on Facebook.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesharppitch.com
• Instagram: @thesharppitch
• Linkedin: https://LinkedIn.com/in/enelso28