Women Who Rock Columbus: Lisa J
The next boss lady highlighted in the series is someone I admire to the fullest. Being an artist manager just might be one of the most complex jobs in the biz. Artist managers take on a role similar to that of the Wizard in this magical Oz known as the music business because they essentially are the ones who run things behind the curtain of your favorite artist. It takes a special kind of person who possesses a delicate balance of both toughness and kindness to succeed and she is one of the best around in that department. From working with top clients to mentoring local humans in the how-to of the management side, her passion for what she does shines through in every aspect.
Allow me to introduce you to Lisa!
Lisa sits by her fantastic artwork piece by Vanessa Jean Speckman
Lisa has worked with a number of talented artists over the years, including Peter Frampton, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. She is also currently a producer on his upcoming documentary as well. She has been a participant of the Music Monday artist management workshop curated by Music Columbus. For her next adventure, Lisa will be mentoring up and coming music industry professionals participating in the Grammy U mentorship program through the Recording Academy.
Let’s dive a little bit deeper into Lisa’s journey in the music business and her current role here in the Columbus scene.
1. What made you decide that you wanted to get into the music business?
“I grew up loving music. I also wanted to travel the world. So, when an opportunity came up for an artist needing a personal assistant, I applied and was lucky enough to get the job.”
2. What made you choose Artist Management?
“After being a personal assistant to an artist, I realized that I loved being behind the scenes, learning the business. Management was the perfect next step.”
3. Was there a defining moment in your career where you thought, this is major, hey I made it, I'm really doing it?
“Meeting Peter Frampton for breakfast and deciding to work together was life changing. Obviously, his winning a Grammy and getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were pinnacles that followed!”
4. Describe your current role within Music Columbus and the Columbus music community.
“I moved to Columbus 7 years ago and enthusiastically volunteered with Music Columbus. My experiences with the organization were so positive, I jumped at the chance to join their board, and I currently serve as the Board Secretary. My roles with Music Columbus align well with my passions for mentoring young people in the business and going to live shows of local and national acts.”
5. Is there anything you'd like to see more of in the local scene?
“We have an amazing, diverse music scene in Columbus. What I'd like to see is the different genres of music supporting each other more.”
6. If you could recommend one local artist every one should catch just once, who would it be?
“Big Fat Head”
(Shoutout to Olivia, (and her bandmates) our first highlight in the WWRC series)
7. What is the best piece of advice you've received from someone else in the music business?
“Don’t take it personally.”
8. Any sage words of advice for other women looking to get into artist management or the music business in general?!
“To be a manager, you need to find an artist for whom you are passionate. You’d better be organized, fearless, great at multitasking, and find a way to help with all aspects of the artist's career. It's a big job, but can be incredibly rewarding!”
Lisa is not only hard working and brilliant at what she does, she's also a true champion of people. I’ve never seen someone who’s been in the business the length she has and seen the success she has be as kind and willing to help others out in their journey as she is. As long as I’ve known her, she’s always taken time with people who have questions or need advice about something within the business. Matter of fact, that is how we met. I myself was an aspiring artist management wannabe and I was struggling. Finding someone to talk to when you are not in the business but also a minority in it AND have aged out of qualifications for most if not all internship programs isn’t super easy, so I found myself at that Music Columbus’ Music Monday event. After the event was over, I very hesitantly and kind of shaky went over and introduced myself to Lisa, who was kind enough to stand and talk to me for probably a good half hour. She shared some advice and her card, and told me if I ever had any questions, to shoot her an email. I was completely blown away in the moment. Over the past few years however, I’ve come to learn that kindness and passion for wanting to help others succeed is just a part of her DNA. It’s just who she is and we are certainty lucky to have her here in Columbus.
I want to send a big huge thank you to her for not only teaching me some very important things about artist management but for also taking time out of her busy schedule to be a part of this series.
Also, I have to talk about the “dress”/art on her wall featured in the photos. It was made by then local Columbus artist Vanessa Speckman. The first time I saw it I knew we had to take Lisa’s photos for her edition around that piece because it very much speaks to her strong, fearless, bad ass woman in the biz character and it HAD to be part of this.
Vanessa has recently moved out of Ohio but you can check out her Instagram page here if you’d like. https://www.instagram.com/vanessajeanspeckman/?hl=en
To check out more about Music Columbus and their mission in the local community, click the link below.
Or to learn more about the Grammy U mentorship program, follow this link…
https://www.recordingacademy.com/membership/grammy-u
And, if you feel like I do, you’ll keep your eyes peeled for that upcoming documentary on Peter Frampton she is in the process of helping produce.
That’s going to do it for this edition of WWRC, thanks for reading, and until next time:
Peace, Love, and Who Run The World, Girls!
