All I ever wanted was to be an artist and a songwriter. I moved to Sydney with two very specific goals:<ol><li>Get a record deal as an artist.</li><li>Get a publishing deal writing for others.</li></ol>That was the mission. No backup plan. No “maybe I’ll try this for a bit.” Just tunnel vision. This is really going to age me, but I literally bought a physical copy of the Music Industry Directory and emailed every single person I could find in there. I even sent them demo CDs, burned and labelled by hand. I was relentless. I got some replies. But mostly? Radio silence. I even reached out to radio pluggers (not knowing what they actually did) and got a response like, “We can’t help you, that’s not our job.”But I was learning. Fast. And looking back, those early years weren’t just about chasing cuts, they taught me lessons I’d carry into the next chapter of my life: building teams, running studios, launching businesses, managing artists and now building platforms. Here’s what beginning as a songwriter taught me about business, the hard way: 1. Rejection Isn’t the End. It’s the Process.There’s nothing glamorous about chasing opportunities that go nowhere. The early years were full of rejection: ghosted emails and phone calls, demo CDs that probably ended up in bins. Even songs I believed in were met with silence. And when I started getting cuts? Rejection was still part of the process.Lesson: Rejection isn’t personal. Sometimes it’s timing. Sometimes it’s the wrong person. And sometimes… it’s just the game. In business, the same applies. A ‘no’ isn’t the end, it's just information. It's feedback. It's redirection. Keep moving. 2. Obsession Beats TalentBeing a songwriter wasn’t just hard, it was brutal. But I was obsessed. I’d literally write a song during the break between writing songs. There was no off-switch. Just an all-consuming desire to get better and be heard.Lesson: Full immersion was necessary. In business, that same level of drive - the willingness to go all in - is still the edge. Talent is a great starting point, but obsession is what creates consistency. That said, nothing comes without a cost. (Burnout is a real theme.) Learn where to channel it. 3. Find Great Collaborators (and Learn to Navigate Them)I moved to Sydney as part of a songwriting/production team with my then-production partner, Tom Diesel. We wrote with everyone. That partnership taught me how to build with someone, how to share the load, and how to respect creative dynamics. It also wasn’t without its challenges: creative differences, friction, burnout. I had to learn how to navigate the storm when things got tough… and eventually when it was time to find new collaborators.Lesson: Great things rarely happen in a silo. Whether you're launching a product, leading a project or building a team, it takes more than good chemistry. It takes structure, communication, and ego management.<img src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D5612AQEi3DxB3OY4nQ/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/B56ZaYeLTtG4AU-/0/1746314770277?e=1756339200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=4KV6R9S_GvKcbXI3IyhKFnO06l9mu3f-PDEVfgypf0I" alt="Article content" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); border-style: none; border-width: 0px; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none 50% center / cover repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); outline: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9) none 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, &quot;Fira Sans&quot;, Ubuntu, Oxygen, &quot;Oxygen Sans&quot;, Cantarell, &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; object-position: center center; object-fit: cover; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 632px;" loading="lazy" class="ivm-view-attr__img--centered reader-image-block__img evi-image lazy-image ember-view" id="ember66" draggable="true">With Tom Diesel at Alberts 2012 4. Right Message, Right People, Right TimeSome of my best songs went nowhere. Not because they weren’t strong, but because they were in the wrong hands. I learned quickly: great songs don’t always cut through on merit - they need advocates. People with real influence who believe in the work and believe in you. At the same time, I also learned that writing a great song for an artist wasn’t enough. Sometimes the manager wasn’t into it. Other times the label passed. Sometimes the marketing team didn’t see the fit. Eventually, I stopped writing just for the artist and started writing for the whole ecosystem: managers, A&amp;Rs, label heads. The project only moved forward when all the stakeholders were aligned.Lesson: In business and in music, ideas don’t succeed on quality alone. You need the right champion, the right environment and a sharp understanding of the power dynamics at play. Now more than ever - with AI reshaping production, algorithms steering discovery, and gatekeepers shifting - relationships still determine what cuts through. Design your pitch, product, or song with everyone who touches the outcome in mind.5. Make People Feel Like They’re In ItHere’s a secret: sometimes in sessions, I’d rewrite songs I’d already written. Change a lyric here, reframe a melody there. But I’d always leave space for the artist to feel like it was theirs. Because if they didn’t feel ownership, they wouldn’t push it. My ego early on wanted to finish everything myself …and I could’ve. But it didn’t matter if it wasn’t going to land.Lesson: Whether it's creative work or business strategy, co-ownership leads to buy-in. If people feel part of the process, they’ll fight for the outcome.<img src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D5612AQGbD30mJGaBSA/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/B56ZaYfWuhHAAU-/0/1746315079113?e=1756339200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=UaVvDGi3rHyx8ubVk4oAGwnPu1j9lqBl7kqaIKnFJ9s" alt="Article content" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); border-style: none; border-width: 0px; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none 50% center / cover repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); outline: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9) none 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, &quot;Fira Sans&quot;, Ubuntu, Oxygen, &quot;Oxygen Sans&quot;, Cantarell, &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; object-position: center center; object-fit: cover; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 632px;" loading="lazy" class="ivm-view-attr__img--centered reader-image-block__img evi-image lazy-image ember-view" id="ember74" draggable="true">Sony circa 20136. Follow the Inspiration – but Know When to WalkI’ve walked out of sessions. Not because I was being difficult (well… maybe a little bit of a diva), but because I knew it wasn’t working. Either the energy was off, or I had nothing more to contribute and I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. On a SongHubs I once walked out if an unbearable session with a certain songwriter to jump into another session with my homies Justice Crew.Lesson: Trust your gut. Whether it's a creative collab, a new business venture, or a client engagement, if it's not flowing, don’t force it. Time is too valuable to spend in the wrong room. 7. Reinvention Is the Only Constant‘You’re only as good as your last cut.' That was the line. So I kept writing, kept building, kept evolving. There was no time to dwell. You moved onto the next one.Lesson: That carried over. Don’t rest on one win. Don’t crumble after one L. In business, like songwriting, there’s always another idea, another opportunity, another version to get right. 8. Take Bold ChancesSometimes all you need is the confidence to move - anywhere. In 2011, I had friends working in Malaysia with the country’s biggest artist Siti Nurhaliza and I was somehow convinced to travel over for an amazing opportunity to be part if it. So I packed my bags and chased the wave. Only problem? When we landed, it wasn’t what it seemed. So I hit the phones, fired off emails, pitched myself to anyone I could find - full names, bold subject lines, vibrant detail. I had to make something happen. Six months later, I had a number one single in Malaysia with an independent artist named Nadhira. That opened the door to years of creative work across Malaysia and Indonesia, as both a writer and an artist.Lesson: The play might not be perfect, but movement builds momentum. Sometimes you have to leap, trust your gut mid-air, and figure it out on the way down.<img src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D5612AQFO5h1tty6pag/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/B56ZaYeudzHAAU-/0/1746314914078?e=1756339200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=qbwOscoggKY_d33PLuKXYGLuZBfSO35nG3vMX_Sl7iU" alt="Article content" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); border-style: none; border-width: 0px; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none 50% center / cover repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); outline: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9) none 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, &quot;Fira Sans&quot;, Ubuntu, Oxygen, &quot;Oxygen Sans&quot;, Cantarell, &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; object-position: center center; object-fit: cover; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 632px;" loading="lazy" class="ivm-view-attr__img--centered reader-image-block__img evi-image lazy-image ember-view" id="ember84" draggable="true">Writing the Amazing album with Marcia Hines 9. Invest in RelationshipsThis one’s simple—but often underrated. You never know where a single session or introduction will lead. I met Marcia Hines through APRA’s Milly Petriella in 2012. We heard she was writing, and we got the call. We were probably one of many writer/producers she worked with at the time. But sessions in a small APRA back room turned into an album. Then videos (produced by Russell Crowe). Then national tours. Then tour management. Then ten-plus years by her side. That’s just one example. There are so many names I could add - people who started out as songwriting collaborators and became close friends, creative partners and peers.Lesson: In music and in business, trust and consistency compound. Keep showing up. Relationships are the long game. 10. It’s Not Happening Until It’s HappeningThis one’s the reality check. In songwriting, you’ll hear “this is a smash” ten times… until it quietly disappears. I’ve been told it’s the next single. I’ve shot music videos with Lil Jon. Been promised syncs on Fox Sports. Spent months developing projects for major labels. Even filmed an entire feature film across Asia. And then? Nothing. Same thing in business. You can draft the deck, lock in a handshake, even schedule the launch… but if it hasn’t shipped, it’s not real.Lesson: Announcements aren’t outcomes. Don’t confuse momentum with delivery. Ship it. Then iterate. Then ship again. In a world where momentum is often measured in likes, leaks and LinkedIn updates, it’s easy to forget: real impact still comes from what actually lands. And most of all: actually do it. Press publish. Send the email. Ask for the sale. Start messy. Finish strong. Clarity doesn’t come from planning—it comes from action.<img src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D5612AQE_bkpSXxRE8A/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/B56ZaYfDVYHgAU-/0/1746314999833?e=1756339200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=YOz2-yqpwfZzVH1kX8h4v_l1BLoM1RxZbraxBmH-iGc" alt="Article content" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); border-style: none; border-width: 0px; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none 50% center / cover repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); outline: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9) none 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, &quot;Fira Sans&quot;, Ubuntu, Oxygen, &quot;Oxygen Sans&quot;, Cantarell, &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; object-position: center center; object-fit: cover; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 632px;" loading="lazy" class="ivm-view-attr__img--centered reader-image-block__img evi-image lazy-image ember-view" id="ember91" draggable="true">Lil Jon session in Kuala LumpurFinal ThoughtSongwriting gave me more than cuts and credits, it gave me a mindset. It taught me how to move fast, collaborate deeply, and hold space for uncertainty. It taught me to care about the work, but not take the outcome personally. It taught me to build, then rebuild, then start again.I’m still figuring it out. Still obsessed. Still creating. Still learning. And maybe that’s the whole point.

Step 1. Get a record deal as an artist.
Step 2. Get a publishing deal writing for others.

That was the mission. No backup plan. No “maybe I’ll try this for a bit.” Just tunnel vision.

Please Listen to My Demo: 10 Lessons Songwriting Taught Me About Business (the Hard Way)

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Please Listen to My Demo: 10 Lessons Songwriting Taught Me About Business (the Hard Way)

Please Listen to My Demo: 10 Lessons Songwriting Taught Me About Business (the Hard Way)

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