We recently connected with Hannah Madison-Taylor and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
When I first began my career, there really wasn’t a specific type of degree at a university, or very many resources that provided a ‘how-to’ guide for what I hoped to do. In the very beginning, a lot of skills and lessons I learned were on the job, and while I was working on projects. Looking back, I would say I think some of the learning process could have been sped up by my joining more professional organizations early on, with access to mentorship programs.I truly believe connecting in with the right people in your field, and finding a few great mentors, can be a game changer for your career goals.The most essential skills I started out with during my early career journey, were discipline and tenacity. While it’s important to have talent, the longer I am in the entertainment business, the more I realize that it’s often not the most talented people that end up having longevity, but rather, the people who have great work ethic and are dedicated to the end goal.The marathon versus sprint approach, which is so much easier said than done, isn’t it?! During my early years(as a teenager),the greatest obstacle I faced in learning more about the field I hoped to go into, was probably location. I grew up in a small town,so in the years leading up to my going to a university, it was difficult to connect in with professional programs and opportunities without traveling hours, or sometimes states away.
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 began my career as a songwriter and producer for an ad agency while in university.I remember thinking after getting my first ad placement, “this can’t possibly be a real job, right?! It’s probably just a one-time thing.” However, it was in fact a ‘real job’, and led to my moving to Los Angeles after finishing school.I began working with film production companies, which led to my work at several music libraries initially as a songwriter/producer, and later in music licensing and clearance. From there I had opportunities to work in sync A&R, music supervision, music publishing, and music rights and management. I have been truly fortunate to have worked with some amazing companies and on a wide range of projects and productions in my career which include VH1, MTV, AMC, SYFY, Disney Music Publishing, Concord Music, Van Heusen Music Group,Secret Road, Sony/ATV, Nettwerk, Pitch Perfect, Lala Land in Concert Live-To-Film, The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert Live-To- Film, The Deep Water Horizon Documentary, Black Christmas, The Big Ugly, and The Mattachine Family.
While I have worn a number of hats in my career thus far, I would sum up what I do as creative music strategy and business development.Sometimes that comes in the form of music consulting or music supervision projects,and most currently, as Manager of Digital Marketing and Strategy for the estate of legendary songwriter, Jimmy Van Heusen.You ask what I’m most proud of: I would say it truly gives me joy to have a key role in both the achievement of goals for the companies and clients I work with, and the continued growth and opportunities that open up, and that they might have initially thought were not possible.The thing I love most about my work, is being a part of bringing people’s dreams and visions to life.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Absolutely. In 2021, I had a pivotal shift in my career.While I loved working on the creative side of music in Film/TV/Ad(and continue to do so to this day, as project-based), I had begun to work more on the business side of music, and was approached by Disney Music Group for a role in digital rights and management.It was as if all roads, and every work experience I had up until that point, prepared me for that role.However, I remember initially being hesitant about taking that opportunity, because I really had a moment of imposter syndrome.Though I had worked for several notable companies, as well as on major projects, this was uncharted territory for me with a global company like Disney. I had also never really worked in a corporate environment up until that point.I truly believe that I achieved the success I did in that role, because of the incredible support I received from my manager(and teammates) from day one.It’s amazing how we can grow and flourish when we receive the right kind of guidance and encouragement as we take steps in a new direction. The lesson I learned from that experience was the importance of saying ‘Yes’ to those pivotal times of growth, that often come in the form of a massive challenge.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Very early on in my career, I had someone I looked up to,and that was over a work project, tell me, “Whatever you do, don’t ask me, or anyone for help.If you’re good enough for this job, then you’ll figure it out all on your own.Any time you ask for help, it makes you look incompetent.It’s a competitive business, so you better be able to prove you’re valuable.” I remember really taking those words to heart, because the last thing I wanted to do was look unprofessional, or seem like I didn’t ‘have it all together’. Only much later did I realize that nobody has it all together, or has all of the answers.By following that person’s fear-based advice, I made things so much harder for myself in every way, and on every level.What really helped me to unlearn and replace that lesson, was when a mentor told me, “Yes, it’s important to ask for help for the obvious reasons,but there’s more to it than that.By asking for help, we let people be a part of helping us achieve our dreams, and the same is true when someone asks us for help.” That was such an illuminating moment for me, and I’ve tried to apply that excellent advice from that day forward.
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