Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Heather Lowery was working as VP of Expertise and Touring at Reside Nation City when a single query altered the course of her life.
“I used to be doing a panel, and somebody requested what I used to be doing to help girls in dwell music — and I did not have a solution,” Lowery recollects. “That query haunted me for months.”
Decided to make a difference, Lowery based Femme It Ahead, a female-led music and leisure firm targeted on celebrating, educating and empowering girls, whereas offering them with a platform to share their voices each on and off stage.
Femme It Ahead’s debut was a “multi-format collection” of all-female live shows and occasions, that includes A-list headliners like Brandy, Monica, Teyana Taylor and Cardi B.
“I shortly realized this was greater than only a collection,” Lowery says. “It was the beginning of a motion.”
Femme It Ahead shortly advanced from a collection to a full-fledged enterprise, however all the pieces modified when the pandemic hit. The nationwide lockdown spelled catastrophe for any dwell occasions firm. However for Lowery, it was a blessing in disguise.
“Now I can do all the pieces I’ve at all times wished to however by no means had time for,” she says.
First on her agenda was becoming a member of the wildly fashionable Verzuz collection, created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. Verzuz, a digital showdown between main hip-hop artists, grew to become a defining second of early COVID-19 tradition.
Lowery, a fan of the battles, seen a obvious hole: “They weren’t doing any girls’s battles.”
Decided to vary that, she reached out to Swizz’s supervisor and ultimately received on a name with the music mogul himself.
His response? “Present me what you bought.”
Lowery shortly secured a Verzuz battle between Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Quickly after, followers have been handled to iconic face-offs like Brandy vs. Monica and Keyshia Cole vs. Ashanti — a number of the most-watched episodes of the collection.
Associated: How This Gen Z Marketer Built a Multi-Million Dollar Business
Flip setbacks into springboards
Whereas Verzuz was a hit, Femme It Ahead confronted the problem of a halted dwell programming trade. Adaptation grew to become important for survival.
“I used to be considering, what can I do proper now, once we cannot do dwell occasions?” Lowery shares.
She launched the Next Gem Femme Mentorship program, pairing trade leaders with aspiring talent targeted on the enterprise facet of the music trade. Later, she launched the MUSE mentorship program, supporting the artistic neighborhood, from songwriters to producers to artists.
“I began Subsequent Gem Femme as a result of I wanted I had a mentor once I was arising,” Lowery says. “As girls rise within the trade, it is necessary to elevate up these following behind us.”
Femme It Ahead is constructed on three core pillars: mentorship, training and empowerment. These values are mirrored in initiatives like Subsequent Gem Femme and MUSE, the Give Her FlowHERS awards gala, and the Femme It Ahead Femmeland at Sea Cruise.
Picture credit score: Femme It Ahead
As if that weren’t sufficient, FIF produces music albums, manages dwell occasions, and is dipping their toes into short-form documentaries and podcasts.
Regardless of the various initiatives, Lowery explains how every a part of Femme It Ahead is interconnected, supporting each other to embody these core ideas. The Give Her FlowHERS awards gala, for instance, serves as a platform to showcase rising artists like Doechii, connects girls within the trade, and raises funds for initiatives like mentorship applications.
Associated: You Need a Mentor. Here’s Where to Find One for Free
Be the change you wish to sea
Femme It Ahead’s newest initiative, the Femmeland at Sea Cruise, is one in all its most formidable initiatives. Curated for girls, the cruise gives dwell performances together with trade panels, wine tastings, and salon journeys.
Although the size may appear daunting, Lowery had a clear vision from the beginning.
“I knew what I wished to see on the cruise already,” she says, describing her course of as inverted — beginning with the ultimate idea and dealing backward. “The simplest half for me is visualizing, strategizing, creating, and executing,” she explains. “I usually see all of it earlier than it exists, then work to convey that imaginative and prescient to life.”
Lowery remains to be early in her journey with Femme It Ahead, however the positive feedback from her community is overwhelming.
“As a result of I give a lot and help girls in so some ways, I am now seeing that love return to me,” she says. “It feels superb.”
Regardless of the early success, Lowery stays grounded, specializing in her final aim: constructing a robust, supportive neighborhood for girls within the music trade. “One of the best recommendation I give myself is an affirmation I repeat usually,” she shares. “Keep in mind who you’re and why you began.”
