Hey, friends.

Digging my swaggy new logo? I had it designed by this awesome woman I found on Instagram and it's perfect for the vibe of the new album. And quite pleased with how  turned out, too! Really feeling like I've got all the pieces together these days, I'm telling you.

On a related note, does ANYONE know where I can get business cards made on embossed velvet? Err, asking for a friend.

So, I'm back in Berlin finally--and while it's already Friday evening here, I couldn't leave you guys hanging with how all the recruiter stuff went this week. 

Cliff notes version: I completely botched the first one, and I completely rocked the second.
 

Hey, friends.

Hope your Tuesday is off to a cracking start. I'm curled up in a tucked-away corner of a rooftop bar in London, working my way through projects and and emails... and launching today's music video.

This is a special one for me. I discovered this song in my teens and I'd go so far as to say I think it's one of the best songs ever written. So, when it got suggested for my album, I was beside myself with enthusiasm.

Hey, friends.

Having a total and complete blast in the UK so far. I'm in Manchester now--where I've never actually been before, even though it's only an hour train ride from Leeds. And it's been incredibly fun to explore the coworking spaces and techie hubs in both places, which is awesome.

This weekend, I head to the Jorvik Viking Festival (yes, really) and then it's down to London for some meetings and hangtime. Which brings me to what I'd like to chat about today: My Fancy-Sounding London Meetings.

I always make an effort to try and meet people when I'm in London (or any new city). It's just never a bad idea to have professional ties to a new place. And this time around, I decided I wanted to meet with recruiters.

Hey, friends.

Currently writing you from a backwards facing train seat somewhere between London and Leeds. I'm in the UK for the next two weeks, and so excited about it. For those who are a little shady on Alexa Shoen Life History Trivia, I did my Masters (in Jazz Performance!) at a conservatory in Leeds and it's a devastatingly special place to me. Though, from what I can tell, it's usually like that for anyone who traveled somewhere in their early twenties. It just... stays with a person.

So, I've been blabbing on for the last few weeks about soft skill stuff--which is terribly important, but I am forever aiming towards a mixture of motivation and legitimately actionable sh*t with these emails. Meaning this week, it's back to some good ole' Alexa-tested networking tactics.
 

Hey, friends.

The year is off to a rip-roaring start! I just fired off a proposal for what may be a very fun and interesting project, the album is finalized (and coming soon), and I recently bought a second-hand fur coat. So, moving strongly into February.

Today, my mind is on the concept of paying your dues. Specifically, should you pay them? To whom? What are they? When can you stop? Have you even started? Naturally, I've got some thoughts.

I had really shitty bosses in my first two "grown-up" jobs. They were either stressy, or power-hungry, or micromanagers, or didn't know how to deal with different personality types, or all of the above and then some. It's in situations such as those that you'll usually get the following advice: