I’ve known Gabrielle Rubaine for about 4 years.  Whenever Gabby aka (Gab) and I meet at events, we end up gabbing (badooom chich!) for at least 20 minutes or so and have great convos.  She’s got so much industry experience and is incredibly warm and knowledgeable.  Gabrielle is now the Outreach & Development Director at MMF Canada.  MMF (Music Managers Forum) Canada is the collective voice for Canadian music managers and self-managed artists. It’s her mission to connect and build partnerships with all communities that are underrepresented by promoting and creating a safe space for intersectionality between those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, and/or LBGTQ2SIA. and the music industry. 

I hopped on their panel during Indie Week 2020 and all I can say is “woah!”  Lots of stuff resonated with me to my inner core.  Here’s my top takeaways.

1. Delegate and allocate.  Get organized with your team, and make sure your team is compatible with each other and are on the same page, as communication and trust are paramount.  Think of it as dating.  Would you go on a second date with a team member?
2. Hey! Who’s at the wheel?  It should be the artist, and the artist needs to understand what is going on and be on top of things. It’s your bus, man!  
3. Everyone has shit going on outside, especially now.  There are times when team members get salty, but you need to deal with them with a grain of salt too.  Speaking of condiments, I always say you get more flies with honey than vinegar.  So be nice and don’t be an arse.  
4. Working with your bestie?  Hmm well, be careful.  Your friendship could be at jeopardy so make sure you have clean lines of communication on this one, incase things go south.  Speaking from a recent personal experience, I can totally back this advice.
5. Being uncomfortable is a good thing. It will make you grow.  

For more information on MMF Canada, please visit, https://mmfcanada.ca/