We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eli Verano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eli below.

Eli, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Earning a full-time living from creative work can definitely be challenging, and it took me a long time to get here. For nearly 10 years, I balanced my creative pursuits with working as a lead marketer in IT. During that time, I helped launch dozens of tech products, built brands and marketing teams from scratch, and developed strategies. But of course, my music career often felt like it was on the back burner, because my full-time job took up most of my energy.

However, as I gained more experience in both marketing and as an independent artist, songwriter, and producer, I started to realize something: I could turn my creative work into a full-time, profitable career if I applied my marketing and business skills to the music world. So, I decided to not only focus on releasing my own music and working as a songwriter and producer for other artists, but also dive into the business side of the industry.

Things moved quickly after that. I started promoting my own music, and soon artists began reaching out, asking for help with their releases. Before I knew it, I was consulting for music tech companies, startups, and labels. This eventually led me to launch my own music marketing agency, WONDRWORK (www.wondr.work). Now, I work with an incredible team of professionals, helping artists and brands think like marketers and act like business owners.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As an independent artist, I recently released a dance-pop single “Wrong Love” (https://open.spotify.com/track/3Efn7n6fAquN6mvz9Cxwb1?si=461da6e7a7534914) in collaboration with a U.S.-based artist. The track has received radio play in both the U.S. and Europe. Coming up, I’m releasing my first Spanish-language single, “Mañana,” (https://offstep.link/619330412843) on November 8th, marking my debut for the Spanish-speaking audience. I have several new releases planned, both solo and in collaboration with various producers and artists.

As the owner of WONDRWORK (www.wondr.work/), I aim to build an agency that offers a full spectrum of music and marketing services. From music production, recording, coaching, mixing, and mastering, to content creation, promotion strategies, playlist placements, pitching to radio and media outlets, and more.

What sets us apart is that we work as a small, tight-knit team of professionals, each of whom I’ve personally worked with for many years. We don’t take on projects in bulk. Instead, we focus on each client individually, ensuring that the work we do is tailored specifically to their needs. We’re selective about who we work with, too. For us, it’s crucial that the artist, label, or brand is ready for close collaboration because success in our field relies heavily on the efforts of both sides—our marketing team and the client.

Another thing that makes us unique is our mission to show artists that much is available to them right now. You don’t need tens of thousands of followers or a label contract to start collaborating with brands, other music creators, and music tech companies. Our goal is to teach artists to think like marketers and business owners, so they can continue applying this mindset long after working with us.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One significant lesson I had to unlearn was the stereotype that you can’t earn a living from creative professions. For a long time, I lived with this mindset, and it held me back from progressing in my music career. While it’s true that it can be challenging, I can confidently say that it’s more than possible, especially if you remain open to the diverse opportunities the industry presents.

I believe that many artists limit their growth and earning potential by labeling themselves. If you’re a talented songwriter, a skilled producer, or someone who can organically attract a new audience on social media, why not turn that into a business? The advice I would give my past self is to start considering your music career as a business.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One common misconception among non-creatives is that artists are solely focused on creativity and that we’re distant from topics like planning, marketing, and teamwork. However, after spending ten years in both creative and so-called “non-creative” professions, I’ve realized just how similar many of these roles can be.

For example, when developing marketing strategies for an IT product, I often found parallels to preparing for a music release. The themes may differ, but the approaches and tools can be quite similar. Blending of skills is essential for today’s independent artists, who often juggle multiple roles.

My message to independent artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a dream is simple: trust your journey. Every challenge you face is an opportunity to learn. Whether you’re launching a product or releasing your music, stay committed to your vision, embrace your unique path, and don’t be afraid to wear many hats. Your hard work and passion will pave the way for success. Keep going, because the world needs what only you can create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eliverano.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eli.musicana/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eli.musicana
• Other: Creative music agency WONDRWORK: https://www.wondr.work/