Ladi's journey through music, tech, and NYC

In 2017, dissatisfied with her corporate job, Ladi plunged into the creative scene by joining various art communities and music organizations here in NYC, such as The Digilogue, Art Girl Army and Gender Amplified.

Her participation in these collectives wasn't just about networking; it was about immersing herself in environments that celebrated creativity and collaboration, which the corporate world lacked.

The turning point came when Ladi decided to attend the ASCAP Expo in LA in May 2018. The experience was transformative, providing her with not only connections but also a clear vision of what she needed to do to seriously pursue her music career.

Being laid off from her corporate job at the same time as receiving the prestigious 2018 Harold Adamson Lyric Award from ASCAP for Rhythm & Soul solidified her commitment to music.

So, Ladi set a goal: by the end of 2018, she would relocate to Los Angeles.

Despite the daunting prospect of starting from scratch — no job, no apartment — her determination was unwavering.

She met with industry reps, sent out her songs, received encouragement, and set forth to make her mark in LA chasing her musical aspirations and defining her path in the creator economy.

New York would miss her… 🥺

Embracing LA's creative landscape

LA offered a different vibe from New York — Ladi thrived in this new environment rich with music, TV, and film creatives, ideal for her ambitions.

She frequented studios, mixers, and events, enhancing her music scene presence. Notably, even Uber Pool (#tbt) rides became opportunities, often connecting her with industry professionals who were picked up along her route.

She hustled by working in hotels, at restaurants, tutoring and finding roles as extras in music videos, all so she could pay rent and keep going.

But then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed everything…

The pivot during the pandemic

The pandemic became a forced interval of introspection and skill-building for Ladi.

With studios shut down and traditional networking halted, Ladi turned to YouTube tutorials, learning to produce and engineer music independently.

This period wasn't just about survival; it was about empowerment and finding new ways to thrive in a constrained environment. Her determination paid off with sync placements and recognition, proving her to be an incredibly resilient and innovative creator.

Her music was licensed to several major networks, including Fox and NBCUniversal, and with global publishers such as Warner Chappell!

Ultimately, after a few remaining months in LA, Ladi made a move back home to NYC, as mostly everything was moved online.

Clubhouse chronicles

Situated back at home, Ladi was determined to keep advancing in the music space. She was introduced to Clubhouse which was popping off at the time (remember them? The social audio app that took the world by storm?).

On Clubhouse, Ladi spent time engaging with fellow creatives but also ventured into different “rooms” that exposed her to completely new up-and-coming areas like tech and Web3.

Through Clubhouse, Ladi connected with an entrepreneur who founded a company allowing investments in music artists, similar to startup funding. Although this innovative venture eventually closed, it relaunched with a focus on Web3 and music IP to help artists monetize their work.

Drawn to this concept, Ladi joined the company, contributing her skills in business development, partnerships, and social media. Her combined expertise in creativity and business was instrumental in her role.

After some years, Ladi left to pursue freelance opportunities, focusing on content creation and strategies in biz dev and social media.

A “techno-optimist” view on AI, Web3 and NFTs in the music creator economy

Ladi’s background provided her with a wealth of knowledge and perspective on the world of emerging tech like AI, Web3, and NFTs and its impact on the music industry and broader creator economy.

1. The collaborative potential of AI:

Ladi recognizes AI as a game-changing collaborator in the creative process, enhancing rather than replacing human artistry. This is why she supports initiatives like The Human Artistry Campaign, which promotes human creativity in the AI era.

Ladi highlighted Grimes as an example of an artist pioneering the integration of AI into music, who recently launched a project called "Grimes V1," where she essentially open-sourced her vocals through an AI model.

This allows other creators to collaborate with her voice, creating new music pieces that, when approved and released, would be split 50-50 between Grimes and the collaborator. Pretty cool.

2. Web3 and the transformation of consumer experience:

Ladi is particularly excited about Web3’s capacity to democratize and simplify access to content and rights management in the music industry.

She advocates for a more user-friendly approach, ensuring that the benefits of Web3 are accessible to all, thereby broadening the horizons for creators to reach and engage with their audiences.

3. NFTs leading to “the return of the fan club”:

Ladi sees NFTs as a revolutionary tool for music monetization, offering artists unprecedented control over their work and a closer connection with their audience.

She highlights examples like Sona, a user-friendly music streaming and NFT platform, and MITH, which creates expansive fan clubs for various artists using blockchain and AI.

Her outlook on the above emerging tech is cautiously optimistic, acknowledging the potential of these technologies while advocating for their wider accessibility.

The Big Apple's Influence

Ladi was born in the Bronx and raised most of her life in Yonkers which is home to many New York creatives like Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss and DMX. She describes herself as an “uptown girl,” given the furthest south she ever lived was Harlem.

Her life and career have been deeply influenced by the city's blend of opportunity, energy, and a unique mix of technology and creativity, making New York an ideal hub for innovators like her.

Ladi cherishes NYC for its unparalleled ease of getting around and the serendipitous encounters it fosters.

Ladi's favorite spots in NYC are reflective of her personality and her journey as a creator. Here are some of the places she mentioned as her favorites: SoHo House, Remi Coffee Shop, Maman, Ops Pizza, Court Street Bagels and Union Square, and Bryant Park.

Today, Ladi stands ready to embrace new challenges and opportunities that align with her rich skill set. She is open to full-time, part-time, and contract roles in content, brand, and social strategy as well as copywriting, blogging, and ghostwriting opportunities.

You can reach out to her to discuss potential opportunities and collaborations via her newsletter, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram and other links here!

Featured Event

Creator Economy NYC’s Day of Community, Connection, and Impact - Jan 15th, 3:30-7:00pm

Happening NEXT WEEK, on Monday, Jan 15 (MLK Day), we’re hosting our first epic community service event to give back to our city.

Join fellow leading creators and builders as we pack boxes of food together to be distributed to those in need in NYC. After packing, we’ll wrap the day up with a celebratory DINNER and DRINKS with beautiful views thanks to our friends at Vendo.

RSVP, and share with a friend! The more volunteers, the better. See you there!

Upcoming Event

We’re joining forces with Passionfroot and Notion on Tuesday, Jan 30, to bring together our city’s leading creators, influencer marketers and founders to discuss how to craft successful creator <> brand partnerships.

• Jason Levin launched an ingenious idea — Man-on-the-Street-as-a-Service.

• Beehiiv revealed the seed deck they used to raise $2.6M back in 2021.

• Interesting observation from Jordan Haber on the power of consistent branding in thumbnails.

• The internet is about to get weird again (Anil Dash, Rolling Stone)

• TikTok’s planning to boost its in-stream commerce spend 10X in 2024 (Andrew Hutchinson, Social Media Today)

• AI and casual music creation to lead “unprecedented expansion” of music creator economy, per new report (Crystal Koe, MusicTech)

• I have long been a black coffee drinker, but love the occasional cappuccino. So I caved and bought this automatic milk frother/steamer which has been exceptional.

• College-like campuses built for creators may be coming soon to a city near you.

• Stumbled upon this account that does 1-minute podcasts on the subway.

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought by replying back to this email.

See you next week,

Brett

Ladi's Journey Through Music, Tech, and New York City

In 2017, dissatisfied with her corporate job, Ladi plunged into the creative scene by joining various art communities and music organizations here in New York City, such as Art Girl Army and Gender Amplified.

Her participation in these collectives wasn't just about networking; it was about immersing herself in environments that celebrated creativity and collaboration, which the corporate world lacked.

The turning point came when Ladi decided to attend the ASCAP Expo in LA in May 2018. The experience was transformative, providing her with not only connections but also a clear vision of what she needed to do to seriously pursue her music career.

Being laid off from her corporate job at the same time as receiving the prestigious 2018 Harold Adamson Lyric Award from ASCAP for Rhythm & Soul solidified her commitment to music.

So, Ladi set a goal: by the end of 2018, she would relocate to Los Angeles.

Despite the daunting prospect of starting from scratch — no job, no apartment — her determination was unwavering.

She met with industry representatives, sent out her songs, received encouragement, and set forth to make her mark in LA chasing her musical aspirations and defining her path in the creator economy.

New York would miss her…

Embracing LA's creative landscape

LA offered a different vibe from New York — it was here that Ladi found a more conducive environment for music production and collaboration. LA’s vast network of creatives across music, TV, and film provided a productive ground for her ambitions.

Utilizing every opportunity, she frequented studios, mixers, and events, gradually building her presence in the music scene. Ladi even attributes Uber Pool to helping her gain opportunities, as the people who were picked up along her route tended to work in the music industry.

She hustled by working in hotels, at restaurants, tutoring and finding roles as extras in music videos, all so she could pay rent and keep going.

But then came the Covid-19 pandemic, which changed everything — in a positive way!

The pivot during the pandemic

The pandemic became a forced interval of introspection and skill-building for Ladi.

With studios shut down and traditional networking halted, Ladi turned to YouTube tutorials, learning to produce and engineer music independently.

This period wasn't just about survival; it was about empowerment and finding new ways to thrive in a constrained environment. Her determination paid off with sync placements and recognition, proving her to be an incredibly resilient and innovative creator.

Her music was licensed to several major networks, including Fox and NBCUniversal, and with global publishers such as Warner Chappell!

Ultimately, after a few remaining months in LA, Ladi made a move back home to New York City, as mostly everything was moved online.

Clubhouse chronicles

Situated back at home, Ladi was determined to keep advancing in the music space. She was introduced to Clubhouse which was popping off at the time (remember them? The social audio app that took the world by storm?).

On Clubhouse, Ladi spent time engaging with fellow creatives but also ventured into different “rooms” that exposed her to completely new up-and-coming areas like tech and Web3.

Through Clubhouse, Ladi connected with an entrepreneur who founded a company allowing investments in music artists, similar to startup funding. Although this innovative venture eventually closed, it relaunched with a focus on Web3 and music IP to help artists monetize their work.

Drawn to this concept, Ladi joined the company, contributing her skills in business development, partnerships, and social media. Her combined expertise in creativity and business was instrumental in her role.

After some years, Ladi left to pursue freelance opportunities, focusing on content creation and strategies in business development and social media, which she still does today.

A “techno-optimist” view on AI, Web3 and NFTs in the music creator economy

Ladi’s background provided her with a wealth of knowledge and perspective on the world of emerging tech like AI, Web3, and NFTs and its impact on the music industry and broader creator economy.

1. The collaborative potential of AI:

Ladi recognizes AI as a game-changing collaborator in the creative process, enhancing rather than replacing human artistry. Her support for initiatives like The Human Artistry Campaign, which promotes human creativity in the AI era, reflects this belief.

She believes AI can significantly advance the music industry, saying:

Ladi highlighted Grimes as an example of an artist pioneering the integration of AI into music.

Grimes recently launched a project called "Grimes V1," where Grimes essentially open-sourced her vocals through an AI model. This allows other creators to collaborate with her voice, creating new music pieces that, when approved and released, would be split 50-50 between Grimes and the collaborator.

2. Web3 and the transformation of consumer experience:

Ladi's enthusiasm for Web3 stems from its potential to transform the consumer experience in the music industry.

She is particularly excited about its capacity to democratize and simplify access to content and rights management.

She advocates for a more user-friendly approach, ensuring that the benefits of Web3 are accessible to all, thereby broadening the horizons for creators to reach and engage with their audiences.

3. NFTs leading to “the return of the fan club”:

Ladi sees NFTs as a revolutionary tool for music monetization, offering artists unprecedented control over their work and a closer connection with their audience.

She mentioned a company called Sona, which she described as a music streaming platform that integrates NFTs in a user-friendly manner. Users can sign up traditionally and engage in a marketplace to buy songs or participate in auctions. This company represents a model that combines traditional streaming with the benefits of NFT ownership, making it a 'Web 2.5' platform.

Ladi highlighted the potential for such models to benefit artists directly and create a more engaging fan experience.

Her perspective on the above areas is one of cautious optimism, recognizing the need for these technologies to be more accessible and practical for mainstream adoption while also highlighting the significant opportunities they offer for creative innovation and empowerment.

The Big Apple's Influence

Ladi was born and raised as an "uptown girl" in Yonkers, which is home to many New York creatives like Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss and DMX.

Her reflections on NYC are not just an ode to her hometown but a deep dive into the city's profound influence on her life, career, and creative outlook.

The city's dynamic environment provided her with countless opportunities to engage with different art forms, people, and ideas, fostering her growth in the music and tech industries.

For Ladi, NYC is synonymous with opportunity and energy — attributes that have continually fueled her ambitions and efforts. She is particularly drawn to the city's ability to bring together technology and creativity, describing it as "the perfect balance of both."

This balance, she believes, makes New York a unique hub for creators and innovators.

Ladi cherishes NYC for its unparalleled ease of getting around and the serendipitous encounters it fosters.

Ladi's favorite spots in NYC are reflective of her dynamic personality and her journey as a creator. Here are some of the places she mentioned as her favorites:

• SoHo House & Dumbo House: "I love me some SoHo House. SoHo House and Dumbo House are like two of the most reliable places in New York to meet."

• Remi Coffee Shop: A unique coffee shop that doubles as a flower shop.

• Joe's Coffee: a staple for many New Yorkers

• Maman: the perfect spot for casual business meetings or working on creative projects.

• Ops Pizza and Court Street Bagels: exceptional pizza and delicious bagels with top tier customer service.

• Union Square and Bryant Park: whether it's the winter fair at Union Square or the fall ambiance at Bryant Park, these locations hold a special place in her heart for leisure and inspiration.

These favorite spots of Ladi in New York City provide a glimpse into her world and her connection to the city.

Ladi's journey is a vibrant tapestry of resilience, creativity, and innovation. From her roots in Yonkers to her transformative experiences in Los Angeles and back to the bustling streets of New York City, she has continually evolved as a creator and thought leader. Her journey through the realms of music, technology, and the broader creator economy highlights her adaptability and foresight. Today, Ladi stands ready to embrace new challenges and opportunities that align with her rich skill set. Whether it’s full-time, part-time, or contract work, her expertise in content creation, brand and social strategy, and a keen eye for storytelling make her a valuable collaborator in any creative endeavor.

Currently, Ladi is open to exploring opportunities that align with her diverse skill set. She welcomes full-time, part-time, and contract roles in content, brand, and social strategy, as well as in copywriting, blogging, and ghostwriting. For those looking to collaborate with a visionary and versatile professional, Ladi is available to take on clients in any of these capacities. You can reach out to her here to discuss potential opportunities and collaborations:

• Newsletter: ladidaix.beehiiv.com

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ladidaix

• Twitter: twitter.com/ladidaix

• Instagram: instagram.com/ladidaix

• Other links: koji.to/ladidaix

Featured Event

Creator Economy NYC’s Day of Community, Connection, and Impact - Jan 15th, 3:00-7:00pm

Happening next week, on Monday, Jan 15 (MLK Day), we’re hosting our first epic community service event to give back to our city.

Join fellow leading creators and builders as we pack boxes of food together, each brimming with over $250 worth of nutritious and premium groceries to be distributed to those in need in NYC.

​After packing together, we’ll wrap the day up with a celebratory dinner and drinks with beautiful views (located in Industry City, BK) thanks to our friends at Vendo.

Vendo is helping content creators easily start and grow their online marketplace with a quick setup, diverse brand options, and tools for selling across all digital platforms.

RSVP, and share with a friend! The more volunteers, the better. See you there!

Upcoming Event (GRAPHIC?)

We’re teaming up with Passionfroot on Tuesday, Jan 30 to host an awesome mixer & panel event focused on forming successful and sustainable brand <> creator partnerships. More details and speakers to be announced soon.

• Jason Levin launched an ingenious idea — Man-on-the-Street-as-a-Service

• Beehiiv revealed the seed deck they used to raise $2.6M back in 2021

• jordan haber

• The internet is about to get weird again (Anil Dash, Rolling Stone)

• We aren’t posting on social media as much anymore. Will we ever?

• TikTok’s Planning To Boost Its In-Stream Commerce Spend 10X in 2024

• AI and casual music creation to lead “unprecedented expansion” of music creator economy, per new report

• Social Media Creative, Marketing @ A24

• Crypto Reporter @ The Information

• Social Media Content Creator @ GoPuff

• Milk frother

• Whalar video

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought by replying back to this email.

See you next week,

Brett