Hey there :)

What does an average day look like for you?

A lot of laptop time and Zoom calls! I wake up at around 9am (I am NOT an early morning person), check emails, do a cursory glance at the news overnight and maybe a bit of FB/Twitter/Instagram, and then I’m locked and loaded on Sonos Radio and Sound System work for the rest of the day. Sonos’s teams are spread all over the globe, so Zoom and Slack are essential tools/platforms for our work. I can meet with product design teams, PR and Comms folks, brand designers, music consultants and potential new artist teams and collaborators over the course of a day, planning upcoming radio content and how it shows up in the Sonos app.

How has the current COVID-19 situation affected your industry, and your work personally? How have you dealt with it?

It’s been tough… music has taken a particularly hard hit, especially live and touring musicians. Without that income, many folks are struggling, venues are closing, and albums have been delayed indefinitely. However, on the Sonos Radio side, we’ve seen an ever-increasing demand for new audio content. We’re in the studio recording weekly and on calls daily thinking up amazing new show concepts.

Personally, it’s been pretty rough. New York City got hit early and hard, and we’re still dealing with the affects of COVID-19. It’s been hard being solo while isolating… there’s a lot of times I’ve been super lonely. Add in a high level of anxiety because my neighbourhood was considered a “hot zone,” plus being somewhat high-risk due to respiratory and allergy issues, and it’s not been the best time. But I have learned that friends and family are the most important things out there. I’ve cut down on rampant consumerism, which has been a game-changer. I’m committed to telling my friends that I love them every time I speak to them (but I did do that before C-19), and allowing joy and personal growth to be my new driving factors.

What does productivity look like to you and what tips do you have for managing your time?

For me, productivity is relative. There’s some days when I don’t have a tonne on my plate, so I use that time to clear some of the emails in my inbox and return those messages that set me up for future projects. I mean, I can honestly have a day where I do nothing but listen to new album releases. The one thing I’ve discovered that I have to do is plot everything on Google calendar, from work Zoom times to friend hangouts to moments to call my family members. I’ve accepted that as I’ve gotten older, I can’t automatically recall times for things anymore.

How do you deal with procrastination?

I will be 100% honest—this is a problem of mine! I came from the school of “last-minute work means future genius.” Is that a college thing? A Political Science thing? I’ve gotten better at ignoring that tendency as my job roles have gotten larger. Again, this is where Google calendar comes in handy. When I see due dates laid out, it really gives me the boost that I need to get in gear and get work done. 

What do you consider your biggest failure? And how did you persevere and grow from the experience?

Getting fired from a job for not getting along with a new supervisor and not implementing their new mandated skill sets. I was young, stubborn and brash, and assumed my working methods were just fine. Not being willing to find a middle ground cost me that job. It was a bit embarrassing, but I have to say it was freeing, as I had never “failed,” in a traditional sense, up until that point. I was forced to find a new way to pay rent and keep myself in NYC, which resulted in me going freelance for eight years and building out a roster of clients and agency work that helped me grow as a cultural marketer and tastemaker. So I am thankful for that experience.

When working on a new project how do you overcome self-doubt and fear?

You’ve got to dive in with both feet, and just go for it. I get super nervous at the beginning of new projects, and I surely have an inner saboteur that tells me that I’m going to mess things up and ruin the work for everyone else. But then I have to course-correct and remind myself that I got this project for a reason, and that I have kick-ass skills that no one else has!

Do you have any rituals that help with your work or mental health?

Talking and laughing with friends—this helps keep me mentally in check. Listening to music loudly and dancing it out. I constantly sage my apartment and living environment, and I keep my toxic load very low. I ask for help if I’m stuck on projects. I log off at a decent time, I cannot work at all hours and expect to remain healthy. 

Can you recommend any resources that have helped you in your career?

Find and ask mentors or people that you admire for help and advice in your career. I’ve been lucky to have a host of people that have believed in me and given me great career notes, tips, and lanes of opportunities to shine. I’d love to shout a few of them out: Stephen Greco, Amy Schriefer, Kobi Wu, Anya Grundmann, Steven Dolcemaschio, Nanda Neng, Joy Howard, Simon Wainwright… the list can go on and on!

What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice: always be myself, there’s no reason to change who I am in order to fit in. Sometimes the best way to succeed is to stand out and shake things up. 

The worst advice: sit down, shut up, look cute and let the boys lead the way… I was actually told this is how women succeed in the music industry. Ugh.

Are there any misconceptions about what you do that you’d like to dispel or clarify?

I guess there’s a couple: I think people assume that all I do is listen to music, hang out and party with cool people, and that’s how I get to work on awesome projects and get connected into the more glorified parts of the music game. NOT AT ALL. There’s many different levels to being a successful woman in music and culture: you have to be able to know the history and theoretical sources of why things are popular and resonate with fans and across global culture. I was a Political Science and theory major and did graduate level fellowship work, so I look deeply into patterns, concepts, and practices that underlie any cultural movements, as well as being able to read what a society wants or desires at any given time. You also have to be able to read people like a politician, and figure out if they’re being genuine and/or if they’re worth the effort. Sure, it’s cool to hang out with bands, but you better know when it’s time to cut and run if things go down.

 
Additionally, I am actually a very shy and introspective person. Being an only child sometimes made it very tough for me to meet new people. I’ve really had to punch up being social in adulthood, because I can easily not say hello and hide in a corner. It’s always a work in progress.

How do you navigate social media, any rules or guidelines you set for yourself?

I have to be super careful with social media, especially Twitter, as I can get way too involved in a thread and get argumentative. That’s the thing with us ex-politicos, we love to “debate.” Facebook, I keep it strictly locked down and only converse with friends. Instagram, I have no boundaries, LOL. I love it, and use IG Stories to workshop music for Sonos Radio as well potential ideas for a future podcast/show idea I’m working on...

List five things keeping you inspired and sane right now. 

Who do you nominate for the next interview?

I’m nominating documentary filmmaker, photographer and activist Aliya Naumoff. She’s an extraordinary woman who seizes everyday of her also extraordinary life. She captures the lives of people so honestly and beautifully through her work, from refugee camps in Syria to a female-led Presidential run in Liberia to the mask-wearing populace of a COVID-19 afflicted NYC. She is a rare bright spirit, and I am proud to call her my friend.

Much love, 
Lilith and Arabella

L+A xx

Find more content over on our Instagram and Pinterest ↓