We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Wong recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

When I was studying at Berklee College of Music, I was surrounded by talents who are extremely gifted in storytelling through songwriting, music production, and much more. In fact, I started my music journey at my school as a music producer/engineer with a goal to become the next Kali Uchis. With that goal in mind, I strived for perfection in my music storytelling, hoping, one day, someone will discover my Spotify page and somehow “blow-up” my musical anecdotes. Little did I know, “good” music will only be heard when paired with “good” marketing. Having an effective marketing strategy is where the magic happens, which was when I started brainstorming the idea of providing a service to bridge the gap between independent musicians and music success.

After college, I had collaborated with several music marketing agencies, where I found out no one was able to nail the vision I had in my head. The main reason was that these services didn’t understand independent artists the way I do. No one saw the need to provide comprehensive branding services and social media strategies built upon a brand that truly resonates with an artist’s unique story. Therefore, I founded Music Marketing Memo (aka, MMM), a music marketing agency dedicated to artist growth. We help independent artists develop consistent branding and create marketing strategies that authentically tell their unique stories, ensuring they reach the right audience. Our mission is simple: artists focus on creating their music, while MMM shares it with the world.

Kelly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kelly Wong, and I’m the founder of Music Marketing Memo (MMM), a music marketing agency dedicated to helping independent artists grow their brand while they focus on what matters most—creating music.

My journey in music began at age three when I started playing classical piano. At 16, I hosted my first solo recital, performing renowned piano and cello pieces to raise funds for Action Against Hunger. When COVID-19 put everyone in isolation, I ventured into music production as a curious soul seeking new creative outlets. This led me to Berklee College of Music, where I intended to refine my production and engineering skills. It wasn’t until my final year that I rediscovered my true purpose: I realized that many talented independent musicians aren’t being heard simply because great music only travels when paired with the right marketing strategy. After working with various music marketing agencies, I noticed a critical gap—many services don’t fully understand independent artists and often miss the heart of their story and brand. I founded MMM to bridge the gap between independent musicians and real, sustainable success, using marketing that authentically reflects each artist’s identity rather than chasing fleeting trends. We don’t just provide content ideas; we review your brand to ensure alignment with your story, then deliver strategies based on your visual identity to build a foundation for long-term growth.

For artists who want to focus on their craft—writing and creating their stories—MMM handles the sharing. We provide clear brand direction, actionable marketing plans, and content strategies that connect with the right audience. What sets MMM apart is our artist-first approach: everything starts with your story and identity. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all marketing. Instead, we build strategies that feel aligned, intentional, and sustainable.

I’m most proud that MMM exists as a support system where artists can stay focused on creating while we ensure their work reaches the people it’s meant for. As an independent artist myself, I understand the struggle of balancing artistic refinement with marketing demands. Our mission is simple: artists create the music, while MMM shares it with the world. We turn your voice memos into momentum—we’re your favorite marketing department.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

When I was a full-time student, I mainly focused on two side pursuits: Content Creator for Berklee’s official TikTok page, where I learnt about the significance of community building, and Social Media Management for a professor, where I understood the importance of “FOMO” on social media. I have always been extremely fortunate with opportunities. Both jobs I, very fortunately, got were through fostering close bonds with professors and classmates, and of course, a curious mind and eager to bring your A game to every room you enter.

Through these opportunities, I constantly reflected on my creative process. I asked myself questions like “What worked with today’s video?” and “How can this format be improved?” I would knock on my marketing professor’s door for feedback and schedule additional meetings with my supervisor to learn how to read analytics. This dedication paid off—I created content that totaled 50 million views and grew accounts by 7% per month. That’s when this side hustle evolved into my main career path.

That was when I decided to transform my side hustle into an agency. Of course, with greater goals come greater risks. I didn’t consider myself an expert in running an agency or music marketing at the time. To uncover my blind spots, I started saying yes to every opportunity that came my way, treating each one as a learning experience. I would then apply those skills directly to my agency. That’s been the foundation of my growth strategy.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I don’t have a story from the top of my mind but throughout the journey of developing my business, I’ve learnt to enjoy all the small moments even though they might not be at the top of my favorite item to do. Every little task is a training that develops hones a skill so treat it with intention.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.musicmarketingmemo.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kellywongneverwrong
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellytszwaiwong/
• Other: Company LinkedIn (will be more active in April): https://www.linkedin.com/company/musicmarketingmemo/
  Company Instagram (will also launch in April): instagram.com/musicmarketingmemo