Best Advice From the Billboard Canada Women in Music Executives Roundtable

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Some of the country's most influential executives sat down for an honest conversation about what it's like to be a powerful woman in the Canadian music industry.

FACTOR CEO Meg Symsyk, Director of Radio at iHeartRadio Sarah Cummings, Warner Music Canada (WMC) President Kristen Burke and Music Publishers Canada CEO Margaret McGuffin got together to share wisdom and discuss their experiences for a Billboard Canada Women in Music Executives Roundtable.

Interviewed by CHUM-FM's Josie Dye in partnership with iHeartRadio Canada, the panel covered confidence, mentorship, collaboration, and what they would tell their younger selves. They spoke about how much has changed for women in the industry, with more space for career advancement, as well as the "glass cliff" trend, where women are often brought into positions of power during a crisis.

Kristen Burke was recently honoured as the Billboard Canada Women in Music Executive of the Year, and the panelists featured in the roundtable also gave advice to the next generation in the Billboard Canada Women in Music Industry Spotlight.

Here are some of the best takeaways from the insightful panel discussion:

Take Your Seat at the Table

When asked how she found her confidence as a woman working in the male-dominated industry, WMC President Kristen Burke told a story from her days at Universal. She remembered how at their weekly label meetings, she would always sit at the back around the edges, not at the boardroom table where the action was at.

But one week, she decided to literally take her seat at the table.

"I don't know what gave me that confidence, but being able to sit at that boardroom table, and being able to actually finally, very slowly, start to put my hand up and voice my thoughts and opinions — which started to be received well — I remember that building some confidence for me," she recalled. Burke's story prompted interviewer Josie Dye to recall a mentor who told her that, even when you're an intern, you should always ask one question in a meeting. If you don't speak up, no one will know you're there.

Know What You Want From a Mentor

Asked about how to find the right mentor, Sarah Cummings of iHeartRadio shared that it's important to know what it is, exactly, you're looking for in a mentor. "You need to know what you want, be respectful of the time that you're asking for, and then follow through on it," Cummings said, as well as highlighting that mentorship can take many forms, from an organized program to a friend who tells you straight what's going on.

Margaret McGuffin of Music Publishers Canada and also emphasized that you should look for mentors who might not be directly in your workplace and can provide an outside perspective on career moves.

Don't Give Away Your Power

FACTOR CEO Meg Symsyk recalled working with major artists like Rush, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and Brody Dalle, and reflected on some key feedback she got from Homme when they were on tour in Australia.

Homme said to her: "You need to read this book," referring to The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. "I see you give away your power all day. You do all this work and you let other people take credit. Why are you doing that?" Symsyk said that she started reading the book and quickly moved to tears, realizing how right Homme was. It inspired her to stick up for herself on what she was bringing to the table.

Create The Collaborations You Want to See

Speaking about collaborations between women, Margaret McGuffin of Music Publishers Canada shared that one of her favourite things to do is bring people together. Throughout her career, she's always tried to bring different organizations and even different sectors into dialogue, and to know what each piece of the industry is up to.

"You can organize those collaborations," McGuffin said. "You don't have to wait to be invited in."

Revisit the best moments from the Billboard Canada Women in Music celebration here.

This panel is brought to you by Amazon Music Canada, a proud industry partner of Billboard Canada Women in Music.