10 Questions with ... Beth Laird

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Beth Laird was born and raised just an hour and a half from Nashville in the town of Winchester, TN. After attending the University Of Alabama, she embarked on a career in the music industry, landing in the publishing field. After working at BMG Music Publishing, she segued to a five-year tenure at BMI. In 2011, Beth and her husband, Luke, launched their own publishing company - Creative Nation Music. The couple combined Luke's songwriting prowess with Beth's business savvy to build a company with an artist roster that includes Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna, Steve Moakler, and more - which has led to more than a dozen #1 songs at Country radio and cuts from Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, and many more. As Creative Nation approaches its sixth anniversary, Beth took time to chat with All Access about her unlikely road in to the music industry, the business model behind Creative Nation, and her hopes for the industry in the coming years.

1. Hi, Beth! Thank you so much for taking time to talk with All Access. We know you've worked on the Publishing side of the business for quite some time now, including five years with BMI before launching Creative Nation. Where did the love of the industry come from for you, and how did you prepare for a career in the business?

I went to the University of Alabama for college. And, the way I ended up in the music business is a really round-about way. When I went to college, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. The closest thing to what I thought I wanted to do was Public Relations; I just knew that I've always loved music, and I loved people. I didn't actually know at that point that there even was a music business - and I only grew up an hour and a half from Nashville! But, I didn't know that MTSU and Belmont and all of these music programs existed. To me, the University of Alabama was a really beautiful school, and it was really fun, especially at football season. There were a lot of people and a lot of opportunities, and most importantly, it got me out of state and away from my small town. That's why I went. So, the summer after my freshman year, I was coming back home for the summer, and my old babysitter was Regina Stephens - who is now Regina Stuve - and she was the head of publicity at Capitol Records. My mom ran in to her in the grocery store in Winchester. [Regina] never came home, but she was home one weekend, and Regina said to my mom, "What is Beth doing?" My mom said, "Beth is coming home for the summer. She's going to try to find a job." Regina said, "I need an intern." My mom said, "Great. She'll come work for you." My mom comes home, and she said, "Remember your old babysitter, Regina? I'm going to move you to Nashville for the summer, and you're going to live there and work for her for free." I was like, "No. No, I'm not." But, literally, my mom drove me up here. She worked out a deal with the Extended Stay motel so that I could come up and stay two or three nights a week and drive back and forth. I walked in to Capitol Records, my old babysitter was there, and we reconnected and became great friends. From that moment on, I fell in love with the music business. I realized that it was exactly what I wanted to do. I also realized, though, that I did not want to do publicity, but I wasn't going to change my major. I knew it didn't matter what major I had in college. It just changed everything. That summer was when I realized I was going to move to Nashville and be in the music business. I didn't know how I was going to do it, or why anyone would ever hire me, but I knew I was going to figure it out. So, long story short, the summer after my junior year, I asked [Regina] if she would please save an internship spot for me, and she said she would. I moved back up here and did the same thing, driving back and forth, and I stayed at a place here and did an internship for free. I worked as much as possible, and I met as many people as I could. Then, I graduated in May of 2004. In June, I started a job here in Nashville at Nashville Bun Company and Bun Lady Transport, which made English muffins and had nothing to do with music! I just needed a job, and I realized that they don't post jobs - I just needed to get to Nashville. Ironically, the guy who ran the shipping department had been in the music business. He was a great guy, and he took a shot on me. I was literally booking backhaul shipments for English muffins on the Nextel with drivers. So, it was an interesting job, but I had my heart set on music. I'd tell Regina that I would literally come take plastic off of plaques or whatever she wanted. A year in, Regina's husband, Ron Stuve, took over BMG Music Publishing, and the receptionist left. Regina said, "You should at least give Beth an interview." I got that job, and that's how I met [Creative Nation co-founder, award-winning songwriter, and husband] Luke [Laird]; he was a brand-new writer there that didn't have any cuts. That was my first entry into the music business, and to be totally honest with you, I had never been inside a publishing company and didn't know what a staff songwriter was. I shouldn't have gotten the job when there are so many people graduating from music universities, but that is what make me work double as hard. From then on, I really felt like, "Wow. Someone gave me a shot. I need to prove myself and learn this really quickly." So, I think that's where a lot of my drive and ambition came from. I started realizing there were graduating classes of music business kids. It's really ironic, if you think about it, that I started a publishing company and married a songwriter. Because, really, I'm not kidding - when I got that job as a receptionist, I didn't know anything about it. But, it goes back to that I love people. I love working with people, and I love championing people. What I realized was that creatives - I can't write, and I'm not a singer or any of that - I still think it's magical, and I love championing creatives and helping them fulfill their creative dreams. I also love the underdog, and I feel like they are the beginning of the entire creative process. I love being a part of that. They walk in to a room with nothing, and they come out with a song that could change the world!

2. You co-founded Creative Nation in 2011 and will soon celebrate six years in business. For those in the radio side of this business who may not completely understand - or, even realize - what Creative Nation is, can you give us a rundown of what Creative Nation does within the industry?

First and foremost, we are passionate about songwriters. Really, that means that I'm passionate about people who have something to say, know what they want to say, and they are able to say it in a compelling, unique way. That's where it all starts for me. And, I see it a little bit differently, because I just see those people as clients. They have lots of creative interests, and they have lots of creative outlets. So, we might find a songwriter that I'm passionate about, who I think is an amazing songwriter, but then they might also want to be an artist. Well, I see that as an extension of their creativity. So, we might do a development deal with them, where we really help them get it all started. We help fund an EP, we help them find the right writers and producers, we help them with packaging and photos and videos, and we help introduce them to digital retailers, or a label, or managers. That's some of it. So, we are always the publisher, but sometimes we help with artist development. Or, sometimes, it might go one step further, and we might end up doing artist management. If that's the case, then we will do it ourselves, we'll hire up someone to do it, or we'll go out and partner to find someone else to do it. In that case, we'll be artist management or will help to find the right artist management. And, then, in some cases, we fund the EP or the albums. Somebody needs to put it out - and maybe it's not the right time for them to be on a label, or labels aren't interested, or they just want to do it independently. In that case, we become the record company and help set up distribution for them and help to serve the functions of a label. There are many different ways we work with creatives, but to me, it all comes back to a creative person and a songwriter. The actual entities that we are involved in are publishing, artist development, artist management, and records. We have separate deals with everyone, because some just want to be a songwriter, where some may want to be artists or producers, so we manage them on that side. It's really different for everyone, and that's one reason why we have such few clients. I'd rather do a lot for a few. Really what we like to do is over-serve. Whatever it is that we need help with - we help book their travel and all of their writing days - whatever it is that we can help do so that all they need to worry about is being creative. I've found that when they're creative and get the business off their plate - the stuff they don't want to do or are not good at, like scheduling - they are way more productive, they are happier, and all of that turns in to more success for them and for us. It's really a great relationship when you find those people that fit perfectly.

3. As a business-minded individual, who works daily with creative people, how do you balance the two personality types to build a successful team?

I think that everybody at Creative Nation has a specialty skillset, whether on the creative side or on the staff. I really try to find people who bring something to our team that is different than what we have, that will work well with everyone within our culture, and that adds something new and exciting. For instance, on the creative side, a lot people would sign five or ten writers or artists who all kind of live in the same lane. At Creative Nation, I sign one. I want every writer or artist to feel like they have their own lane - it is their lane, and they are the person that we are putting there and working with, and that way they all support each other and can work together, and it becomes less competitive inside of the lanes. It's more of a supportive entity. Because we are small, I'm just not going to sign ten people who all do the same thing. I would rather sign one. Honestly, it's the same thing on the staff side for me. I like building a team where I find people who are better at things than I am, and they bring something special to the table. They love being around creatives, and they feel the same passion and love for creatives that I do, but they bring a specialty skillset that I don't have and creatives need. For instance, I'm organized, but I'm more of a visionary overseer; I'm not great at details. So, I hired someone who is really great at details. She helps us manage our song catalog, she helps with demo session and billing, and scheduling - all of the highly detailed things, because I want that done well at a really high level. But, she also has the same heart that I have for creatives, so they all love her, because she takes all the details off of their plate, and they don't have to worry about it, because they know it's going to be done right. They trust her. At the same time, she loves being around creatives, and she's really inspired to do the details well, because she gets to work directly with the creatives that she's working for, so she feels like there's a lot of purpose there.

4. Since launching Creative Nation, your team has landed well over a dozen #1 songs on the Country charts. Do you find there to be certain advantages - or disadvantages - to being a smaller organization with a concise roster of writers? How do you handle the competition with larger corporations when doing business?

I definitely think there are advantages and disadvantages. I also think that we do things a certain way that is very strategic. It is more of a high-quality, boutique style. Creatives are either attracted to what we do, or not, and I'm okay with the people who just don't choose to do it this way. If you're attracted to a bigger company that is maybe set up a little more corporately, and if that's your style, that's totally fine, and I don't even need to take a meeting. I do realize that what we are doing is a unique style, and I think that the way we continue to stay in the conversation and remain in the same space as the bigger companies is to have high quality. If we can always maintain a high quality of songwriter, then I think it can continue to keep us in these conversations. Clearly, it is a disadvantage in a way. It's not like we are going to have as many monetary resources or as much staff, but I also think that keeping it simple, and being small and nimble, and being able to do whatever deal we need to do and having the ability to move quickly and change fast can be a real advantage. A lot of times, the bigger you get, the harder it is to move and evolve quickly; in the music business, we all know that everything is constantly changing. We really want to and we continue to grow, but we also want to be small enough that we can pivot as we need to at any point so that we can always evolve and stay nimble and quick on our feet. As you said, a big part of that is that we have to remain high quality.

5. With a tighter artist roster, and so many talented people moving to Nashville on a daily basis, what is it that you are looking for when you prepare to sign someone to Creative Nation?

When Luke and I started this company, we were writing down things that we wanted it to be and what we cared about. We really came up with three rules, and we still always go by these three rules. Number one is no assholes. It's just the way it is. I'm not going to put them inside my company and work with them every day. Number two is, "Would you believe in them if everybody in town passed, and no one was interested? Would you still passionately believe in the talent, no matter what?" And, number three is, if they came and had coffee on your couch every morning, would you like to see them coming? Honestly, it is very hard to find someone who fits all three boxes. When we go through that checklist every time, it usually is pretty obvious whether it works or not. Now, what I also have to think about is, I go through our whole roster, and I think, "Would they fit with these people?" Because, yes, I really like them, and I think they are a great person, and they are super-talented - but, can I put them in this group of people and have these people respect them as a songwriter and think they are at their level and want to hang out and write with them? I have to think about that, as well, because we are creating a community, and everybody is very supportive. They all are challenged by each other, and it makes them want to raise the bar, and they go to each other's shows and write together - so I have to really protect that culture. There are a lot of people moving to town, and there are a lot of people here, but honestly, there are just not many people - a lot of writers that I really like, and I might even like to work with them or think they are talented, but it just doesn't fit our roster and our company. We are just very specific.

6. As the battles rage on from Music Row to Capitol Hill surrounding compensation for songwriters, how are you and the team at Creative Nation continuing to fight for songwriters' rights and royalties?

I definitely think that compensation for songwriters is such an important subject right now, and I'm so passionate about those songwriters. I think two things: one thing that I really try to do is always educate myself on what is actually happening, and no what people are telling me is happening. I really have tried to go in and meet with all of the digital retailers or PROs - every aspect of the industry - and talk to them directly and find out what their story is. Where do they feel like the problems are? And, I really have tried to get to the bottom of it. I feel like a lot of times in Nashville, we just take in the information and make an assumption that everyone buys in to or believes. I really want to know what the real facts are and get to know these people. Instead of just fighting with them, I want to go in and make a relationship; then, I feel like making a relationship and educating myself on what their goals and challenges are helps me to know how we can make a deal and how we can affect change. If we just go in with what our issues and challenges are, that's not helpful to anyone; we have to understand where they're coming from. Communication is so key. That's just always been more my style; I want to get the information and talk to the people and get to know them and form a relationship. Then, hopefully if I explain the challenges of my songwriters, they will hear me start from not just fighting because I want to make more money, but really understanding the problems of the songwriters' royalties and how it fits in to a system or model of their goals and what they are trying to accomplish, and hopefully help them see the value in it. The two-fold part is being open-minded and realizing that the music business changes; it's not going to always look the same, but how do we protect copywrite and songwriters in this change, and what does the new model look like for that. I think a great book about all of this - it's an old book that is a parable - it's called "Who Moved My Cheese?" It's really great, and it's - to me - the music business.

7. What are the next major advances you see coming down the line in the next five to ten years that the music industry should be preparing itself for now? How do you think the landscape of our business will continue to evolve?

I think the structure of deals will change, and that's in all capacities - not just publishing. I think when we have a new technology - all these deals we've created are based upon old technology - the deals really need to change. That's one thing I see coming, and that is starting to happen now. I honestly wish it would happen a little faster. The other thing I see is more transparency, and I think that would be good for everyone. I also think that there will be a lot more diverse companies, so to me, there will be more entities, and people will do a lot of different things. I don't think it will be so siloed. It won't be, "Oh, you're a publisher. You're a manager. You work with records." The reason that I say that I do publishing, and artist development, and records, and artist management, is because I have to say that for people to understand what I do. People feel comfort in understanding your business, and they can really take it in and grasp it if you can speak in terms they understand and know about. In the industry, we like to put things in lanes; for me, I just see it as a creative music company who serves our creative clients. But, when I say that, people don't really understand what that means. So, I actually speak in the terms that people can understand what I'm doing. I think as we evolve, it won't be so siloed out - it won't be, "You do this, and I do this, and this company is this." I think more people will do more of all of it. I think there will be more creative entities. Even as an artist, you might want to be an artist who does it all yourself, or who partners with a business person and does it your own way. There will always still be small, independent companies all the way up to majors - and that's great! I think that the more choices we have, the better it is for creatives. I think everybody should be able to choose, and there are different things for different people. But, I do look forward to more choices and more diverse companies with different ways of doing things. Also, with genres - you can tell, especially with the streaming listeners - that listeners are genre-less. They just like good music, whatever that is. It's exciting for me, because I grew up listening to all different types of music. I love the chance to impact and be a part of all different types of music. I love the idea that someone could make a record and not fit in a specific lane or format, but it still works and does well and reaches an audience. I think that's one thing that is interesting about the future, and that's exciting about radio, as well. As listeners are more open to the diversity, that allows [radio] to take more risks on music.

8. You've also had success with writers releasing their own material, including highly-touted projects from Steve Moakler and Lori McKenna, among others. Do you see Creative Nation expanding at any point to take on an independent label role for these artists? Is radio promotion a venture you plan to fold in to the Creative Nature business model?

I know what we're good at and what we're not good at, and I am not going to pretend that I have a skillset that I don't. The one skillset that I'm really honest about not having is radio promotion. If we were going to go that route, I realize that I would need to partner up or hire an expert in that field. Right now, that doesn't feel like the direction we're going. I think there are a lot of great people that do it who we could partner up with if we need that. It just doesn't seem like the obvious next step for right now. But, at the same time, I'm never really opposed to entertaining any growth opportunity if it's what is right for my creatives that I work with. So, if they needed that, I don't want to say we wouldn't do it. Over time, if that's the side of our business that grows and more creatives need help, then I would definitely be open to it. Right now, I think it makes the most sense for us to really help lead the creative part of all of it. Then, we get to a point where they can intersect their art with commerce. But, I'm not sure that I need to jump out there and really go that far just yet. I don't want to say that we wouldn't, but right now, that's an aspect of the industry that I know takes a special skillset and someone with a lot of relationships and experience.

9. What goals have you set for Creative Nation as it looks to its tenth anniversary in a few short years?

One thing that is interesting is that, when we decided to start this company, we sold Luke's publishing catalog to put enough money in the bank for operation for five years, and we did a five-year business plan. Our thought was, if we get to the end of five years, and it's not working out, the worst-case scenario is that we will be trying to get the same jobs we have right now. Or, we will hopefully have built something that someone would be interested in partnering with us on to help us fund moving forward. Or, we'll keep going. So, the five-year mark last November was a really big deal for us. That's one reason why we did a Five-Year Show at the Basement East; we really wanted to take the time to celebrate that we had made it and weren't just going back to find the same jobs. I think one thing that might be a little different about me is that I don't actually know exactly what it looks like, and I'm not good at set-in-stone goals. Because the music industry changes so much, I think I'm just more open to always exploring new opportunities. I'm always meeting with new people about new things that we can do and new business opportunities and meeting to discuss what's happening in the current landscape and what we see moving forward. I always want to just be educated on everything and be open to new opportunities, but I'm not exactly sure what those new opportunities will look like until they show up. It's really been like that my whole career, even just going back to getting that first job in publishing. I didn't know what publishing was, and I didn't know if I wanted to work in publishing, but I knew it was a great opportunity, and I took it. That's the same way when I got the job at BMI. I think all we know is that our heart and passion is for creatives that know how to write and say something unique. Business-wise, I just want to continue to do this for a really long time with the people that I love to work with. So, my goal is always figuring out how we continue to do this and be better at it. I want to create more opportunity and grow in a way that isn't too fast, but is fast enough. I want to educate myself so that we can change quickly and evolve quickly but still have consistency and tradition. More for me, I don't care exactly what the business model looks like, I just want to really do what's best for the creative people I work with and set us up so that we can continue to have success and keep having a lot of fun together. That's my ultimate goal.

10. Looking back over that time, what would you consider your proudest professional achievement at Creative Nation? What was your biggest hurdle to earn that win?

Two things that come to mind immediately - when I left BMI, and we started this, I was excited and obviously really nervous. Luke and I both knew we were taking a big risk. There was a moment - because, I had a wonderful boss in Jody Williams - there was a moment between when we started and when I left BMI that I thought, "I just need to go and tell Jody to give me my job back. This is crazy." Jody, ironically, was one of my biggest supporters and mentors. He told me that I could do it, and that I needed to do it, and that I needed to jump out and try it. In the middle of this, I was trying to figure out how we were going to set it up, and I was really questioning if I could actually do it. I had never been a boss; I had never had to lead a team. When we started, Barry Dean was Luke's best friend and also his number-one co-writer. Barry came with us, which was a huge step in faith. At this point, I was saying I was starting a company, but it was from my kitchen table. I didn't have anything to show for it. So, that was a huge milestone for me - that [Barry] was willing to say, "If you guys are stepping out, I want to step out with you. I believe in you, and I'm willing to put the success of me as a songwriter - and my hopes and dreams - in your hands." That really motivated me. When he did that, my first pitch in my first plugger group meeting was when I played "Pontoon" for Todd Ramey. When that song came out and worked like it did, I think that really gave me a lot of confidence to go, "Just put your head down and do what you know. Just focus. Don't listen to the fear. Do your job well." I really, truly feel like that - for five years - that's what we've been doing. It's crazy to me when people talk about the success of Creative Nation, because to me, I still have to look up. I still feel like we are in the grind and the growth. It's so fun, but we're still climbing the hill. I have to step back to look at how far we've come. That moment, when Barry came with us, and when I pitched "Pontoon" and that happened - when I saw how massive of a song that was and the impact it had - the relationships we got from that with Jason Owen and Little Big Town and Todd Ramey opened up to more relationships. That was a defining moment. And, because I had left BMI, when I went back to BMI and Creative Nation got an award as a publishing company, and I got to go on stage and receive that award from Jody, it was really emotional to me. I was the person at BMI that handed up the BMI Awards to Jody - I was the Vanna White - so, for all of those years, I had stood on the side to hand him the awards to then hand to publishers. Because he had been such a massive supporter of mine, and a mentor, and because I had worked there and done that job, that was a huge moment for me to step up there. To hear them call Creative Nation Music as a publisher that was getting a BMI Award for one of the most performed songs on Country radio was really special. We started Creative Nation in November of 2011, and in 2012 Luke won BMI Songwriter Of The Year. It was just an amazing full-circle moment.

1. One of your teammates is your co-founder husband, Luke Laird. Aside from the traditional struggles of maintaining a work-life balance, the added twist is creating that balance within your marriage, as well. How are the two of you able to separate businesses from personal when the two are so closely interwoven?

I would tell you that most married couples probably couldn't or shouldn't do it, and I understand that. But, for us, it has been a huge blessing. We have two different skillsets, and we really respect and rely on each other. Every day, he goes in and is creative; he's either writing a song, or he is in the studio producing. I am running the business side of things, so I'm running the staff and overseeing business for everyone and looking for new creatives to sign. He's upstairs, and I'm downstairs, and we do two different jobs; we have two different specialties. Every night when we come home, I still say, "How did your day go?" We still have information to share with each other. Also, I still need his input. I might be looking at a writer, and I really want to know what he thinks - if he thinks it's really special and unique, and if he's heard from any of his co-writers about that writer or what he thinks about their skillset. I also want to know if he will write with them and give me feedback. So, I think that's what is amazing about our relationship - we really do have two very different skillsets that happen to complement each other, and we're fully fifty-fifty in both life and business. We have two young children, as well. It's always a balance, but for us, we would prefer this way. This morning, we just went to a business meeting together, and I would rather be working on projects with him or for him than spending all of my time on other writers and he be at a different company doing different things. I think that way, we would just never see each other. This way, the wins are fun to celebrate together, and the losses we can talk about and support each other in those, too.

2. Additionally, you are the mother of two young boys. What advantages and unique strengths do you think women bring to the table in this industry, and what advice do you have to other women who may still be working to find the work-life balance while try to rise through the ranks in this field?

They always say to give the busiest person the job, and they'll get it done the quickest. I've realized that I am way more focused, and my perspective on life is very different. I'm more driven than ever, and I think a lot of that is because I have less hours to work during the day. I obviously want to spend quality time with my children and my family, so what I do with those hours is very strategic and very focused. I waste a lot less time. I don't know how, but I get more done in less hours now. It really makes me more efficient, and that's a great thing. Everything changed for me when I stopped seeing being a female as a disadvantage and I focused on the advantages that it brought me. I'm very aware that some people in this industry might not enjoy or want to work with females, and that's okay. That's their preference. But, I'm not going to worry about convincing them of that so I can try to work with them. I'm going to really try to find the people who enjoy and love working with females, and I'm going to work with them. I try to look at it out of a different lens and focus on the advantages in this industry of being a female, and then I take those and use those - and really over-emphasize those - to be successful. I'm always up for a good challenge, so if I need to find a different way around, or if I have to find a different path, or if it might be a little harder, that's okay for me. I do enjoy the challenge, and I enjoy problem solving. It might take a little extra work or thought, or a more strategic plan, but I'm up for the challenge.