We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shelby Hancock a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shelby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think at the end of the day in order to be successful you have to have passion about what you are doing. I knew that I wanted to work in the music industry but was having trouble finding a job and getting into the industry itself. I stumbled across a few different music industry resources that I thought were amazing and knew that there had to be more out there. Once I discovered more of them, I decided to compile a list of them and make a website to share with those who were in a similar situation as me. From creating this website out of pure passion it has opened up doors and opportunities that I would have never had without it. I also have made some amazing lifelong connections because of it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in May 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and PR right in the middle of a pandemic. I was working as a nursing assistant at a children’s hospital but I knew I wanted to go into live music but didn’t know where to start with having all events canceled. I got more serious on LinkedIn and started to connect with people who were in the business or in the same position as me. From there, I stumbled across the Clubhouse app and some great music industry resources that helped me learn more about the industry and different roles. I gained so much knowledge and figured there has to be more organizations out there that can help those trying to get in the industry. After I stumbled across more, I decided to compile a list of all the resources and create a website with them. I posted it on my LinkedIn for all of my connections to see and use for their benefit. It gained traction and then I started holding weekly Clubhouse rooms to meet with other aspiring music industry professionals. From hosting Clubhouse rooms I was able meet so many people in the industry and landed my first full time job in the industry as an agent assistant.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I was working as a nursing assistant at a children’s hospital and loved it but knew that the next step of becoming a nurse wasn’t for me. I knew I wanted to work in the music industry so I switched my major from nursing to communication since my school didn’t have a music business program. I worked at the hospital all through college and post graduation during the pandemic. It became a job where I was super comfortable at but then I realized that I really needed to make the jump if I wanted to get into music. So when I got offered a job as an assistant I made the scary decision to jump. It was super worth it in the end, I have learned so much from that role.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think being sincere and open about my own struggles of finding a job helped me connect with those who were in the same situation as me and build my reputation. It definitely helped others know that they were not alone in the search since it can feel lonely at times. I also shared what information I had to anyone that needed it since I wish I had all the information and resources when I had first started my journey. Everything I would post was real and exactly what I was going through whether it was a happy post of getting a job or a post just airing out my feelings of the struggles of job searching.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.musicindustryentryway.com
• Instagram: @shelbyhancock / @musicindustryentryway
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shelbylhancock/