We recently connected with Brendan Jeannetti and have shared our conversation below.
Brendan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
In March 2020, I got let go from my job as an on-air radio talent in a phone call that lasted approximately 53 seconds. I wasn’t all that upset to be honest. I felt confined to that role because it was a great opportunity and I was young, however, I now had the freedom to pursue other endeavors for the first time in years. Unfortunately, the world was shut down due to COVID-19, but I still had this overwhelming sensation of freedom that I needed to act on. So… I packed up my car and drove across the country to Montana to live there for a few months – although due to COVID it lasted about 5 weeks. While I’ll spare the details of my short lived wild mountain endeavors, I will say, I had a very distinct come-to moment on top of a snowy mountain. I realized, I didn’t want to leave radio completely. I wanted to do what I was doing with radio, but 100% on my own terms and more focused on the music! So, from that moment forward, I decided to put all of my eggs in one basket and create a music discovery outlet called Music You’re Missing. Fast forward nearly 3 years, and I’ve since signed the brand to a production deal with Big Night Entertainment Group, threw 2 nearly sold music festivals, and have interviewed some of my all time favorite artists. Pursuing a career in the music industry independent of any major company was a huge risk, but luckily, it continues to pay off and I am beyond grateful for the opportunities I have been able to build for myself.
Brendan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
So the reason I am here is because I founded Music You’re Missing, which is a music discovery brand with a popular podcast and Spotify playlist. My favorite part of the gig is hosting the Music You’re Missing podcast and being able to directly connect with some of my all time favorite artists. I started my career in the music industry back in 2017 and have truly been grinding ever since. I had some really cool experience at huge companies in the industry including iHeartRadio, Live Nation, and Sony Music, however, these days I have been strictly focusing on entrepreneurial endeavors in the music space which I feel is the most rewarding. I live in Boston and will be receiving my Master’s Degree in Music Business from Berklee College of Music this spring!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I actually would say I have been very resilient throughout my career. An instance that specifically comes to mind is a moment where I had to know my worth and stand my ground. Since I came up with the idea for Music You’re Missing, I knew it was valuable. Unfortunately, not everyone understands your vision as well as you. So, there was a time when I was working with this company who was funding a creative endeavor I was doing with MYM. I requested $13 to purchase access to a software that was critical for the production, and they gave me push back… over $13. Under all circumstances, I wasn’t going to let them think that was okay. If you agree to fund my work, you agree to fund the entire project and if something trivial like $13 is going to send you into a tizzy, then maybe we shouldn’t be collaborating. I have personally seen this “large corporation not upholding their promise” type situation between artists and labels / managers / agents / etc., countless times. It is really unfortunate, but no one understands their art more than the artists themselves, so it’s very important to advocate for yourself and set boundaries with anyone who profits off of your work. And in this specific moment, it’s not like we’re talking about thousands, or even hundreds of dollars! When I was faced with this hiccup, I truly surprised myself with just how resilient I could be. I went on to hold my ground and made it clear in a very professional, but straightforward call that this was not going to fly. You bet your bottom dollar they gave me the $13 and never questioned my monetary requests after.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I don’t necessarily have a specific moment, but something I learned through the process of creating Music You’re Missing is that there is literally no right way to do anything. I spent so much time curating for algorithms, adhering to dated guidelines I was taught in school, investing in X because people said Y was overrated, and what I found is everyone’s and every brand’s path is different. Some things work for some people, other things don’t. While of course I am guided by my past experiences and good intentions, I find it best to make decisions based on my intuition and not based on something someone else said or did.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.musicyouremissing.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicyouremissing/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjeannetti/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MYM_pod
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kCWADfCS41ZOBScW8ejRg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@musicyouremissingpodcast