We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mahlleh. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mahlleh below.
Mahlleh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Back in Early 2019, I was living in New Orleans working mysef to the bone and feeling a bit lost. At the time, I recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and was struggling with my health. I was dealing with a break up, staying with friends, dealing with a family loss, Some friendships were strained and falling apart, and overall I felt like my music was becoming stagnant and not being heard by enough poeple. I was forced to throw my own events since I wasnt getting booked enough. One of my jobs was also giving me a hard time for not being at my best. I was honestly desperate for a change.
One day I got a call from Brandon Marx, Richard Marx Son, who recieved a reference of me from a mutual music associate. He had wanted to work with me on an Album and asked if I would be willing to come to LA to record with him, meet his dad, industry connections and build a music team with him. I was skeptical at first because I had never met him in person before this phone call. I wasnt sure if things would even go as planned. So, I told him I would think about it before giving him an answer.
The Next morning, I was on the bus heading to work, talking to my Ex, telling her of the news. I told her that If I was to do this big move I would need a sign from the universe that this is the path I have to take. I still wanted to try and work things out with her and she lived in the East Coast. I decided to visit her for the weekend and maybe see if I should choose my original path prior to us breaking up.
During our weekend visit, I had connected with Boyle Heights Emcee, Viva Mescal, Who I met the previous year when I was performing in ATL during A3C fest. I had entered an online challenge for him that weekend and sent in my submission video. While I was in New Jersey, I was able to clear my head and talk more with my ex and she told me If I wanted to, I can always come and live with her. I can go to LA, do the album and after I could fly to the East Coast and work on our relationship. It definitely gave me a push toward the West coast but I was still skeptical. Then it was time for me to go back to New Orleans, and our weekend had ended.
Now Im back in New Orleans, and the same day I come back I get a call from Viva Mescal. Although my submission had not been chosen for his challenge he wanted me to come to LA to perform for a Big St. Patrick day event he was throwing that was a couple weeks away. He offered me compensation that was enough to buy me a one way flight to LA. I was in literal shock and I told him of the offer I had been given and how I was looking for a sign if LA was going to be the move for me. He gave me words of encouragment and also wisdom. Letting me know to travel with caution and have back up plans. So in that same night I decided to sell my valuable belongings and downsize to a travel bag, I quit My 3 Jobs, called my closes friends and planned a goodbye party.
It all happened so fast. I was getting so much support and poeple letting me know If I needed them to just call. Even though I was a cali native I was still very anxious about going to such a big city that I didnt spend much time in prior to leaving. In all than just a couple weeks I managed to get some money in my pocket, make arrangements for travel and stay and have gigs lined up for me as soon as I arrived.
When I touched down to LA I felt this crazy surge of relief esp as I was getting so many poeple reaching out to work with me, book me, and hang out with me while I was in town.
I didnt think that with that one phone call I was going to completely change my course of direction. I didnt think my skeptism would be met with so much encouragment and validation. Honestly it was one of the smoothest and best moves I ever Made. although I ended up going back home to the Bay Area after a few month working in LA. I had never had so much everyday work as Mahlleh, being anywhere else prior to.
Mahlleh, love having you share your insights with us. Tell us the story of how you got started.
I originally got my foot in the door when I was an adolescent. I was about 12 years old when I started Street performing and making a living by performing in front of establishments and stores and various crowded public areas.
It wasn’t until my late teens and early adulthood that I started making money from being in bands and performing in venues & bars, Doing tours, And Selling merch.
Eventually, I found myself working as a work for hire musician, and providing services For booking, Management, Online/Street marketing, merchandising, Media and event organizing for other Acts, bands, Collectives, and agencies.
I wasn’t just known as a musician who Performed at A high performance level, but a musician who was also very involved with the events I was hired with. Being praised for my hard work, consistency, and determination really set me apart from the rest of my industry.
What I am most proud of in my years of working in this industry is the great relationships and genuine friendships I’ve been able to maintain and acquire. It has honestly been a big factor in receiving so many fans and followers. With how involved I am with my clients, who have projects that mean the world to them, I have Developed family like relationships with them carrying the same value in the creative work. Its one thing to want to succeed for the sake of winning, it’s another thing to want to succeed for the sake of your livelihood being aligned with the success. Putting my all into whatever I am apart of has definitely made me cherish peoples dreams as my own and I truly feel I have a community because of it.
Ultimately my goal is for everyone to win. I know this comes with eveyone putting in their own work but having poeple who help your workload by connecting you and pitting you around the right resources has always been my biggest intention. If the poeple around me grow I grow with them and vice versa. I have managed to do this and I continue to strengthen that.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
The one book I learned most of my work ethic, strategies and techniques from was “Your Band is A Virus: Extended edition”.
I read that book when I was 18 and it was from then on I was able to understand how to tackle social media as a marketing tool and use it in a very genuine way. I learned how to brand and stay consistent with the guidlines and strategies it provided. To this day I still go back a re-read chapters from the book to brush up on any of the ideas I might have forgotten to apply.
Another book that really helped is “All you need to Know about the Music Business” also known as “The industry Bible”. This book helped me outline how to conduct myself as a service provider and know exactly what my place was in the industry. It also helped me build teams, and gave me guidlines on how I should be organizing my work.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The greatest lesson I had to unlearn was when you’re told No by someone or somehow you dont always have to turn it into a yes. I used to really take my plans, expectations, and dreams so serious that I would sometimes overwhelm myself or even others along the way with how determined I was to do things a certain way.
The industry doesnt always work like that. When you are learning and growing and understanding this business for what it is. You realize this job will throw you some of the wildest curve balls and you honestly have to roll with the punches just to get to the end.
Sometimes its not about how you get there as long as you get there. I used to be so adamant on the ”how” that sometimes I wouldn’t get anywhere. I have learned to be more lenient and surround myself with poeple who share that same outlook on business and life overall. As long as the poeple are having a good time and getting what they paid for then I did my job right regardless if it wasnt perfect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.linktr.ee/mahlleh
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahlleh
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mahlleh
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mahlleh
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mahlleh?si=Hi-YBZEIUm8iBPXn
- Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/mahlleh
- Other: Follow me on TikTok @ MahllehVisithttps://www.linktr.ee/shwluv
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Image Credits
@Vexshotme
@advissmusic
@lexthevillian