We recently connected with Schae Beaudoin and have shared our conversation below.

Schae , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I started my PR firm Deadbolt (https://www.deadbolt.live/) a little over a year ago – late spring 2023. Truthfully, it was born out of a desire to disrupt my routine and establish myself further in the industry. Anyone who’s been through the job application process in the last couple of years knows how energy-consuming it is. I knew I had a lot to offer in both skills and passion but often felt lost in the shuffle of hundreds of other candidates and the rat race mentality of working a 9-5 that I wasn’t satisfied with.

I had a music journalism background and often communicated with publicists. I desired direct involvement with artists, instead of what felt like the other side of the aisle. I intensively researched what it would take to begin offering publicity services -what people would expect of me, the newest trends and platforms, and strategy – while still applying to jobs in media & entertainment. Many others struggled to land a job, soliciting referrals and resume help. After all, this was LA during the 2023 WGA strike, with the SAG strike looming. It’s never an easy economy for professional creatives, but this was an especially difficult period.

I often find myself wishing I started sooner, but only in a “If I knew then what I know now” mentality. Of course, I wish I started this when I was 18-20! The thought of 5-10 extra years of experience in the field has me wondering what my income and client base could look like today. Yet at the same time, I think the knowledge & skills I acquired through those years helped me form this business. I spent years blogging, managing websites, and making artist & client connections at other companies. I probably couldn’t have done it without that experience – and I still have a lot to learn! I think the universe nudges us exactly when we are ready. While starting sooner or later would certainly have its advantages, I think waiting on the “timing” to be perfect is usually a way to hold yourself back from taking risks and chasing your dreams.

Shoutout to my friends at Don’t Blink Music Group as well. They reached out shortly after I launched my PR services to bring me onto their team. It was a helpful nudge that I was on the right path and helped me further grow my skills & client base.

Schae , 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?

Deadbolt PR offers publicity & creative marketing services for musicians. We focus on new release campaigns & content creation. Deadbolt PR was born out of a desire to work directly with artists to flesh out their brands, draw attention to their releases and strategize with them to give them the tools they need to promote themselves beyond our work together.

We help clients cut through the barrage of other artists and content on social media and streaming platforms through careful targeting, consistent vision and collaborative brainstorming. Of course we utilize technology, but we believe there’s so much value in the human minds & touches behind music, and that should come out in the promotion too!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My transparency, open communication & passion.

I keep my clients as informed as possible throughout campaigns, providing them with regular updates and a shared sheet that details the contacts I’ve reached out to, their responses and media coverage links. They’re never playing a guessing game about what’s going on with their campaign.

I also walk potential clients through my process before we work together and encourage them to ask any and all questions. I want my clients to feel informed and I realize I’m in a position where I have to earn their trust. Unfortunately, there are plenty of publicists & companies that do not have artist-friendly reputations. I try to combat any preconceived notions by learning my client’s interests and niche before getting on my initial call with them.

My passion is my whole drive for creating Deadbolt and it continues to propel it forward. I love music and will always be an avid fan first. I’ve been consuming, analyzing and appreciating media for my entire life. I have a keen understanding of how to stand out on platforms like Instagram, Spotify, etc because that’s where I discover artists. I would count myself as a fan of all my clients. All publicists should believe in their artists and understand their appeal.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Absolutely! I’m still working on growing my audience personally. I’m by no means an influencer, but I don’t think you need to be to invest in your social presence and create great content.

1. I’ve followed people in my industry who I have mutual friends with. It’s a great way to find common ground and start an easy conversation. And definitely don’t unfollow people after getting their follow back. It comes off as disingenuous. Interacting with your mutuals and commenting on their photos, replying to their stories, etc does a lot to grow your presence.

2. Be consistent. Your numbers will have slow growth at first. Maybe the growth is barely noticeable. I won’t lie and say numbers don’t matter on social media, because they do. But if you give up because you don’t see your numbers skyrocketing after a month, you’re counting yourself out before you’ve given things a chance to even gain momentum. Keep posting your content on a manageable schedule and sharing yourself with your followers. People have an easier time connecting with you when they see you regularly.

3. Share a variety of content. I share memes & polls to my story, where they get great engagement. On my main feed, I have a mix of professional & personal content – vacations, photo dumps, campaign summaries and my PR services. Don’t put yourself in a box by feeling like you need to create a hyper-specific type of content. Share the things that make you laugh, a thought-provoking conversation starter, your wins, personal moments & anything else that’s a part of your life & personality

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deadbolt.live/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schae.b/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011236548544
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schae-beaudoin-58b638174/
• Twitter: https://x.com/baebeaudoin
• Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@schaebae1

Image Credits

Photo 1 – Amar Batra (https://www.instagram.com/abatraphoto/)
Photo 3 – Jason Jiang (https://www.instagram.com/j02195/)