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Heather Lowery was working as VP of Expertise and Touring at Stay 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 assist ladies in stay music — and I did not have a solution,” Lowery recollects. “That query haunted me for months.”
Decided to make a distinction, Lowery based Femme It Ahead, a female-led music and leisure firm targeted on celebrating, educating and empowering ladies, whereas offering them with a platform to share their voices each on and off stage.
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Femme It Ahead’s debut was a “multi-format sequence” of all-female concert events and occasions, that includes A-list headliners like Brandy, Monica, Teyana Taylor and Cardi B.
“I rapidly realized this was greater than only a sequence,” Lowery says. “It was the beginning of a motion.”
Femme It Ahead rapidly developed from a sequence to a full-fledged enterprise, however all the pieces modified when the pandemic hit. The nationwide lockdown spelled catastrophe for any stay occasions firm. However for Lowery, it was a blessing in disguise.
“Now I can do all the pieces I’ve all the time wished to however by no means had time for,” she says.
First on her agenda was becoming a member of the wildly fashionable Verzuz sequence, 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, observed a obvious hole: “They weren’t doing any ladies’s battles.”
Decided to vary that, she reached out to Swizz’s supervisor and finally acquired on a name with the music mogul himself.
His response? “Present me what you bought.”
Lowery rapidly 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 sequence.
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Flip setbacks into springboards
Whereas Verzuz was successful, Femme It Ahead confronted the problem of a halted stay programming business. Adaptation grew to become important for survival.
“I used to be considering, what can I do proper now, once we cannot do stay occasions?” Lowery shares.
She launched the Subsequent Gem Femme Mentorship program, pairing business leaders with aspiring expertise targeted on the enterprise aspect of the music business. Later, she launched the MUSE mentorship program, supporting the inventive neighborhood, from songwriters to producers to artists.
“I began Subsequent Gem Femme as a result of I needed I had a mentor once I was arising,” Lowery says. “As ladies rise within the business, it is necessary to raise 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 stay 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 ladies within the business, and raises funds for initiatives like mentorship packages.
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Be the change you need to sea
Femme It Ahead’s newest initiative, the Femmeland at Sea Cruiseis certainly one of its most bold initiatives. Curated for ladies, the cruise gives stay performances together with business panels, wine tastings, and salon journeys.
Although the size may appear daunting, Lowery had a transparent imaginative and prescient 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 carry that imaginative and prescient to life.”
Lowery remains to be early in her journey with Femme It Ahead, however the optimistic suggestions from her neighborhood is overwhelming.
“As a result of I give a lot and assist ladies in so some ways, I am now seeing that love return to me,” she says. “It feels wonderful.”
Regardless of the early success, Lowery stays grounded, specializing in her final purpose: constructing a robust, supportive neighborhood for ladies within the music business. “The most effective recommendation I give myself is an affirmation I repeat usually,” she shares. “Keep in mind who you’re and why you began.”
