Greatest Achievements of 2016
shesaid.so members share their success, by Clare Everson
Having hardly stopped for breath this year, it’s easy to forget to take time to enjoy our achievements or to give ourselves the credit we deserve for the hard work and commitment that I know so many of us have dedicated to the music industry this year. It is important to be comfortable with feeling proud of ourselves. Acknowledging successes, difficulties, failed ideas, even better solutions and perseverance all help to bring us satisfaction and happiness in our career and personal life. It has been an honour to collate ssso members’ greatest achievements of 2016. Be inspired by the positivity exuding from this collection of personal and professional achievements and encourage yourself to admire your own achievements of 2016!
“Biggest career achievement: supporting a new revenue stream for my company (in a department I’ve never worked in before!). Biggest personal achievement: meeting more people than I ever have before in a new city — expanding my network!” — Tara Gardner
“Playing Glastonbury for the first time this year was a ground-breaking step forward in my career. Can’t wait to go back.” — Carly Wilford
“This year I produced the first ever all solar powered music festival that happened in Los Angeles on June 18th 2016, the Sunstock Solar Festival. I was the Executive Director. We created a community of art, food and music, thousands and thousands came. Everything was run on solar, from the stage, to the lighting, the electricity, everything was powered by the sun. It was an amazing feat and accomplishment. Vie Shair a Japan based company is developing a product that is an open air headphone that has a 3d printed frame that allows the user to be able to listen to their music while keeping up a complete conversation and also share playlists with like-minded users. I created the video and marketing concept and worked closely with PR team and we did crowdfunding campaigns between here and Japan that raised over 500k. This year I also painted a school for Music Unites which helps bring kids music education globally.” — Allison Shaw
“My biggest achievement of 2016 was taking a career step to run the music department at a marketing agency.” — Nicole Prutch
“Biggest Achievement of the year is having two of the records we worked publicity on up for Grammy Awards 2017. They are Louie Vega (Best Dance / Electronic Album) and Timo Maas & James Teej for Best remix (non classical) for their work on Paul McCartney & Wings ‘1985’.” — Melissa Maouris
“Resigning from my job after a decade and starting my own company. Exciting and scary in equal measure and I am feeling very alive right now!!!” — Claire Wright
“Finally moving into my new home and office after 10 months waiting.” — Jill Thompson
“On my ‘2 years in London anniversary’ — promoting a sell-out Royal Albert Hall show with some amazing artists — and not messing up the ticketing!” — Chloe Uppington
“The company I was working for in May, for the last 2 years went into administration. I was working as a Business Development Executive. In August, the assets of the company were bought and I was one of 2 people asked from the original company to come back and help get it back up and running. I’m now working as Head of Business Development. For me, this is a huge career move as I’m very much involved in the company decisions and strategy and I’m only 23! I feel so thankful to have so many people support and trust me.” — Chantal App
“Managed to stay in business one more year making it a total of 22 years in biz for Fly PR (indie publicity firm based in Los Angeles). In fact, financially we did better this year than in the past five! I am pleased!” — Ilka Erren Pardiñas
“Forging my own path in my relationship with and career in music. In this last month of 2016, I moved on from a PR job at a record label to a community management role at a creative agency, where I already feel more inspired. However, I would say my biggest achievement this year was realizing my own limitations in dealing with stress and getting the help I needed to be the best version of myself.” — Melina Powell
“Having the courage push my independent projects forward. Being my own boss has been the most difficult feat in my career.” — Andreea Magdalina
