Interview with the music and entertainment executive Cindy Nguyen
Cindy Nguyen launched Create Music Group’s first pop/indie and influencer division last year. As the Head of Pop and Senior Artist Brand Strategist at CMG, she specializes in artist account management, content strategy, and brand development. She oversees the company’s priority artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Dillon Francis, Tate McRae, and The Chainsmokers. Recently, she was honored in Billboard’s Inaugural List of LGBTQ Executives Shaping the Music Industry and was selected to speak at the 2019 Billboard Pride Summit in Los Angeles as well as last month’s Women in Music’s Virtual Panel.
1. How did you get your start in the music industry?
I got my start at UCSB organizing music events on campus. We threw concerts and festivals for the student body and I was fortunate enough to get real life experience with event production. After I graduated, I hosted a few events of my own before I realized that I wanted to do more music management and artist services.
2. What have you been working on lately?
Last year I launched Create Music Group’s first pop and indie division. Since then, we partnered with JLo and Hitco Entertainment to roll out new content on her Youtube channel, in addition to supporting the rest of the label’s upcoming artists such as Delacey and Dinah Jane. We also partnered with Blood Company and distributed Bea Miller’s recent single “That Bitch”, which was an unapologetic anthem for female empowerment. Right now I’m currently focusing on growing the team and bringing on new talent to our roster. For any artists interested in learning more about our services, they can email pop@createmusicgroup.com
3. What is your ultimate goal and how are you working to accomplish it?
I’m really determined to grow the department and evolve our artist and label services. We’re currently developing and fine tuning strategies to provide independent artists with support and resources in an industry that’s constantly changing. We’ve been able to find new ways to creatively promote projects and are constantly testing out new forms of non-traditional marketing. The long term goal would be to fully build out these services and hopefully create an in house label.
4. How has the current pandemic/crisis affected your work day-to-day, and what have you done to shift gears? What has been the greatest challenge? What has been the silver lining, if any?
Since our company is mostly digital, we have been quite fortunate to transition pretty easily to the current situation. It feels like our services are made for this moment because we focus on helping artists find new avenues to make their content available and connect with their fans worldwide. I think more people are understanding the power of digital streaming, which has given us new excitement and determination to bring on more people and projects.
5. What advice would you give your younger self? What advice do you have for women entering your field?
Don’t be shy about going after what you want and don’t be afraid to fail while trying. Oftentimes when women are proactive, they are stigmatized as being too aggressive and doubt themselves if something doesn’t work out. However, I find that I learn the most from my mistakes, and the people who once thought that I was too aggressive, now respect me for my persistence.
6. Success is such a personal concept — we all define it differently. How do you personally define success?
I would love to get to a place where I can say I’ve been instrumental in the success of a few important high-profile projects. I would also be very happy to one day create a label. At the end of the day, I just want to be proud of who I am and what I’ve accomplished. It’s important for me that I can achieve a certain level of stability and be able to return that ten fold to my team. It just so happens that I currently have an all female team and have been able to promote talented and hard working women and I want to be able to continue providing those opportunities. I can say I’ve succeeded if I can achieve something noteworthy of my own, while opening the door for those around me.
7. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned being a part of the entertainment/music industries?
Be open to trying new things. I’ve seen a lot of people that are too protective of their brand or image and too comfortable with familiar habits that it gets in the way of productivity. How can you grow if you don’t expand your horizons or try something you’ve never done before?
8. If you could collaborate with any other female in the industry, who would you choose and why?
Dua Lipa! I’m a big fan of her most recent album. Everything from her retro-futuristic vibe to her female empowering lyricism gave me new life during quarantine. It’s definitely my anthem for 2020.
9. Last but not least, where can we find you online?
