Death By Lipstick

06/10/2026

🎵 DBL Industry Watch

I came across an article about music catalogs being bought and sold for millions—even billions—of dollars.

At first, that sounds crazy.

Why would someone pay that much money for a collection of songs?

Then I realized...

They're not really buying songs.

They're buying the right to earn money from those songs.

Think about it this way.

A house can be an asset because it can make money.

A business can be an asset because it can make money.

A song can be an asset for the same reason.

Every time that song is streamed, played on the radio, licensed in a movie, used in a commercial, or generates royalties, money is created.

That's what investors are buying.

You've probably heard about famous artists and bands selling their catalogs.

In many cases, they're trading years of future income for a large lump sum today.

Why would they do that?

Sometimes they want financial security.

Sometimes they want to invest the money elsewhere.

Sometimes they want to simplify things for their family.

And sometimes the offer is simply too good to pass up.

But here's the part that really got me thinking...

Most independent artists aren't worried about selling a catalog.

They're worried about finishing a song.

Getting more listeners.

Growing an audience.

Finding opportunities.

And that's exactly why this conversation matters.

Because before you can understand what your music might be worth someday, you first need to understand what you own today.

The bigger lesson isn't about billion-dollar catalog deals.

It's realizing that your music may be more than a release.

It may be something that creates value long after release day is over.

🎤 Question of the Day:

Before today, had you ever thought about your songs as assets—or only as music?

06/10/2026

I got over 10 reactions on one of my posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support! 🎉

06/06/2026

I've spent a lot of years around artists.

Some had incredible voices.

Some were amazing writers.

Some could walk into a room and command attention without saying a word.

But the artists I've never forgotten are the ones who refused to let life's challenges define what was possible for them.

The ones who kept creating after a long day at work.

The ones who kept believing in themselves when nobody else seemed to.

The ones who found a way to keep moving forward through disappointment, setbacks, family responsibilities, financial pressure, self-doubt, and all the things people rarely talk about.

Those artists taught me something bigger than music.

They taught me what perseverance looks like.

But they also reminded me of something else.

Nobody builds anything meaningful alone.

Behind every artist, entrepreneur, dreamer, and builder are often people who believed in them.

The friend who listened.

The mentor who shared wisdom.

The family member who encouraged them.

The person who showed up when things got difficult.

The people who stood by them, supported them, and reminded them why they started in the first place.

I don't think we talk enough about that.

We celebrate individual success.

But we rarely celebrate the people who helped make that success possible.

The people who stayed.

The people who encouraged.

The people who kept believing when the road got hard.

That's valuable too.

In fact, some of the most valuable people in our lives are the ones who quietly walk beside us while we're building something bigger than ourselves.

I think that's something the music industry doesn't talk about enough.

We spend a lot of time talking about songs.

Streams.

Followers.

Algorithms.

Marketing.

But eventually every artist reaches a point where none of those things are the real challenge.

Life becomes the challenge.

The question becomes:

Can you keep growing when things don't go according to plan?

Can you keep learning when you're frustrated?

Can you keep creating when nobody is paying attention?

Can you keep believing in what you're building when progress feels slow?

Those are the moments that reveal who we are.

And honestly, that's where I've seen some of the most valuable qualities emerge.

Not talent.

Character.

The willingness to adapt.

The willingness to learn.

The willingness to keep showing up.

Maybe that's why artist development has never been just about music for me.

It's about helping people build the person behind the music.

Because careers come and go.

Trends come and go.

Platforms come and go.

But who you become stays with you.

DBL Round Table:

What's a lesson life has taught you that made you a better artist, entrepreneur, or human being?

06/05/2026

Here's something artists don't hear often enough.

One of the most valuable things you can build isn't a bigger following.

It's better relationships.

Everybody talks about streams.

Algorithms.

Playlists.

Marketing.

But some of the biggest opportunities in life and music come from the people who believe in you.

The people who encourage you.

Challenge you.

Support you.

Celebrate your wins.

And remind you who you are when you forget.

Watching this studio footage with Lexi reminded me of something.

Success is rarely built alone.

Behind many artists, entrepreneurs, and dream builders are people who helped them grow, learn, and keep going.

That's value.

Not just what you know.

Not just what you create.

But the relationships you build along the way.

And for women especially, those friendships can become one of the most powerful forms of support we ever experience.

❤️ Lesson:

Relationships are not a distraction from success.

Often they're part of the reason success happens.

❤️ Takeaway:

Invest in people the same way you invest in your goals.

The right people can change your life.

DBL Round Table:

Who's someone that believed in you when you needed it most?

🎵 "Proud To Be A Woman" by Lexi Jones
Available on all streaming platforms.

06/04/2026

The other day I found myself thinking about something that happened years ago.

I was sitting across from someone talking about music, goals, dreams, and everything I wanted to accomplish.

At the time, I was completely focused on the music.

The next song.

The next project.

The next opportunity.

The next step.

Then they asked me a question I wasn't expecting.

They said,

"If music disappeared tomorrow, what would you have left?"

I remember thinking that was a ridiculous question.

Why would music disappear?

Music was the plan.

Music was the dream.

Music was what I was working toward.

So I brushed the question off and moved on.

But for some reason, that question stayed with me.

Years later, after working with artists, building Death By Lipstick, learning the business, helping people tell their stories, creating content, building brands, solving problems, making connections, and wearing more hats than I can count...

I finally understood what they were trying to ask.

They weren't asking me about music.

They were asking me about value.

Because somewhere along the way, I realized I had gained a lot more than songs.

I had learned how to help people find direction when they felt stuck.

I had learned how to build relationships.

I had learned how to communicate ideas.

I had learned how to market.

I had learned how to create opportunities instead of waiting for them.

I had learned how to keep moving forward when things didn't go according to plan.

And that's when the question started to feel different.

Because if music disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn't be starting over.

I'd still have everything I learned while building the dream.

The skills.

The experience.

The relationships.

The lessons.

The growth.

Nobody can take those things away.

And it made me realize something I wish more artists talked about.

We spend so much time asking:

"How do I make more money?"

"How do I get more streams?"

"How do I get more fans?"

But maybe a better question is:

Am I becoming more valuable?

Because the fastest way to make more money isn't always making more music.

Sometimes it's becoming more valuable.

The songs matter.

The talent matters.

But talent is only part of the equation.

Think about it.

What have you learned from chasing your dream?

Maybe you've learned discipline.

Maybe you've learned how to manage your time between work, family, and music.

Maybe you've learned how to network.

Maybe you've learned how to market yourself.

Maybe you've learned how to lead.

Maybe you've learned how to communicate.

Maybe you've learned how to solve problems.

Those things have value.

Real value.

The kind of value that follows you into every room you walk into.

Because music isn't just teaching us how to create songs.

It's teaching us resilience.

Adaptability.

Confidence.

Patience.

Courage.

The ability to keep showing up when nobody is watching.

And those skills create opportunities.

Talent might get someone to notice you.

But value is what makes people want to work with you.

Hire you.

Recommend you.

Invest in you.

Support you.

Trust you.

That's why I believe every artist should invest in themselves as much as they invest in their music.

Learn new skills.

Learn the business.

Learn how to build relationships.

Learn how to solve problems.

Learn how to create value for others.

Because the industry will change.

Technology will change.

Platforms will change.

Algorithms will change.

But nobody can take away what you've learned while building your dream.

And that may end up being one of the most valuable things you ever create.

❤️ DBL Round Table:

What skill have you gained from your music journey that has made you more valuable, both inside and outside of music?

05/24/2026

DBL POLL QUESTION ❤️

I had an interesting conversation recently with a marketing expert, and they gave me advice I honestly wasn't expecting.

They told me I should think about changing my business name.

Why?

Because when people hear "Death By Lipstick," many automatically think lipstick, makeup, beauty...

Not music.

Not music production.

Not artist development.

Not helping creatives build careers.

And I get it.

Even though my logo literally has music notes and a music staff built into it... I still wonder sometimes if people miss what we really do.

But then another part of me thinks...

Is it really the name?

Or is it awareness?

Because the truth is... millions of people still have no clue who Death By Lipstick is yet. 😅

We're building.

Growing.

Learning.

Adjusting.

So I genuinely want your honest feedback.

❤️ Keep Death By Lipstick exactly how it is

🎵 Keep Death By Lipstick but make it much more clear that we are music production, artist development, and helping artists build careers

🔄 Change the name completely

💭 Other thoughts? Tell me below.

I'd truly love to hear what you think.

05/23/2026

I’ve been thinking a lot lately.

Death By Lipstick started back in 2012.

Some days it feels like yesterday. Some days it feels like ten lifetimes ago.

Back then I had big dreams. Bigger than what I knew how to do at the time.

I just knew I loved music.

I loved helping people.

I loved seeing artists believe in themselves again.

I believed if I kept showing up, kept learning, kept building… somehow I’d create something that mattered.

Over the years Death By Lipstick became a lot of things.

Music production.

Artist development.

Marketing.

Social media.

Websites.

Film projects I’m honestly so grateful and blessed to be part of.

Meeting incredible people.

Watching dreams unfold.

Being trusted with people’s stories.

Helping people build something they believe in.

That part will always mean something to me.

But what people don’t always see…

are the years trying to do everything myself because I couldn’t afford help.

Late nights staring at a screen trying to figure out one more thing.

Learning things I never thought I’d need to know.

Building websites.

Studying marketing.

Trying to understand social media.

Creating content.

Answering emails.

Taking calls.

Trying to keep growing.

Trying to keep learning.

Trying to keep moving.

There were seasons I honestly believed if I just worked harder…

everything would happen faster.

If I made more money.

Did more.

Produced more.

Posted more.

Learned more.

Pushed harder.

Maybe then I’d feel like I was doing enough.

Maybe then I’d finally get there.

And music…

Music has a way of making those feelings louder sometimes.

Streams.

Growth.

Algorithms.

Comparison.

Watching people announce wins while quietly wondering if you should somehow be further ahead.

Feeling like if you slowed down everything would stop growing.

Feeling guilty resting.

Feeling guilty sitting still.

Feeling guilty if you took a minute for yourself.

Meanwhile quietly carrying stress while trying to help everybody else build their dreams.

The thing nobody tells you…

is you can love what you do with your whole heart…

and still get tired.

You can be grateful…

and overwhelmed.

Blessed…

and carrying heavy things.

Both can exist at the same time.

Somewhere along the way something shifted for me.

Not overnight.

Little by little.

I stopped believing rest meant falling behind.

I started understanding peace mattered too.

Boundaries mattered.

Stepping outside mattered.

Nature mattered.

Laughing more mattered.

Protecting my energy mattered.

I started understanding my value wasn’t tied to how much money I made.

How much content I posted.

How productive I was.

Or how much I accomplished in one day.

My worth was already there.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

And I think especially in music… and honestly business too… we need to talk about this more.

The pressure.

The comparison.

The quiet weight people carry while trying to build something they care deeply about.

Maybe somebody needed to hear this tonight.

Going into this next week…

If you’re feeling stuck.

Overwhelmed.

Like your dream feels heavier than it used to.

If any of this feels familiar… here’s what helped me.

1. Take one next step. Not twenty. One.

Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves looking at everything left to do instead of focusing on the next thing in front of us.

2. Stop waiting until it’s perfect.

Perfect keeps people stuck longer than failure ever will.

3. Protect your energy like it’s part of your business plan.

Because it is.

You can’t build something beautiful while constantly running yourself empty.

Keep building.

Keep believing.

Keep learning.

Keep growing.

But don’t lose yourself chasing the thing you’re building.

The dream matters.

But so do you.

❤️
What’s something you wish more people talked about when it comes to building dreams?

— Jaunty’s Round Table😁
Death By Lipstick

05/01/2026

Opportunities

103.9 The Fox/Krol Communications Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

05/01/2026

Love seeing moves like this.

Strategic partnerships and catalog are becoming a bigger part of how artists and labels actually build long-term value.

This is where the business is shifting… and it matters.

Congrats to Michelle—excited to see what this opens up.

We’re excited to announce a key addition to our team.

Michelle Garramone joins Symphonic as Head of Strategic Partnerships, where she will lead our expansion into catalog deals and global partnerships.

With over 15 years of experience across the music industry, Michelle brings deep expertise in building long-term value and connecting artists, labels, and rightsholders with the right opportunities.

Her arrival marks an important step as we continue growing our capabilities across catalog, capital, and strategic partnerships 🌎

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4tw7lZS

01/16/2026

my own energy is my medicine

This kind of energy is everything to me, and here’s why… ✨

When I say “my own energy is my medicine,” I mean:
It’s what helps me get back up when life hits hard.
It’s what I bring into my family, my friendships, my business, my art.
It’s what decides if I’m moving from fear… or from faith and confidence.
When my energy is right, I think clearer.
I create better.
I choose better people.
I hear my own intuition louder.
This isn’t about being “perfect” or positive 24/7.
It’s about taking responsibility for the vibe I’m walking into the room with…
and knowing that how I feel on the inside will show up in everything I touch on the outside.
That’s why this energy matters so much.
It’s not just a mood — it’s the foundation for the life I’m building. 💋✨






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