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Heather Lowery was working as VP of Expertise and Touring at Dwell Nation City when a single query altered the course of her life.
“I used to be doing a panel, and somebody requested what I used to be doing to help girls in reside music — and I did not have a solution,” Lowery remembers. “That query haunted me for months.”
Decided to make a difference, Lowery based Femme It Ahead, a female-led music and leisure firm targeted on celebrating, educating and empowering girls, whereas offering them with a platform to share their voices each on and off stage.
Femme It Ahead’s debut was a “multi-format collection” of all-female live shows and occasions, that includes A-list headliners like Brandy, Monica, Teyana Taylor and Cardi B.
“I shortly realized this was greater than only a collection,” Lowery says. “It was the beginning of a motion.”
Femme It Ahead shortly developed from a collection to a full-fledged enterprise, however every little thing modified when the pandemic hit. The nationwide lockdown spelled catastrophe for any reside occasions firm. However for Lowery, it was a blessing in disguise.
“Now I can do every little thing I’ve all the time wished to however by no means had time for,” she says.
First on her agenda was becoming a member of the wildly fashionable Verzuz collection, created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. Verzuz, a digital showdown between main hip-hop artists, grew to become a defining second of early COVID-19 tradition.
Lowery, a fan of the battles, seen a obtrusive hole: “They weren’t doing any girls’s battles.”
Decided to alter that, she reached out to Swizz’s supervisor and finally obtained on a name with the music mogul himself.
His response? “Present me what you bought.”
Lowery shortly secured a Verzuz battle between Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Quickly after, followers had been handled to iconic face-offs like Brandy vs. Monica and Keyshia Cole vs. Ashanti — among the most-watched episodes of the collection.
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Flip setbacks into springboards
Whereas Verzuz was a hit, Femme It Ahead confronted the problem of a halted reside programming business. Adaptation grew to become important for survival.
“I used to be pondering, what can I do proper now, after we cannot do reside occasions?” Lowery shares.
She launched the Next Gen Femme Mentorship program, pairing business leaders with aspiring talent targeted on the enterprise facet of the music business. Later, she launched the MUSE mentorship program, supporting the inventive neighborhood, from songwriters to producers to artists.
“I began Subsequent Gen Femme as a result of I needed I had a mentor after I was developing,” Lowery says. “As girls rise within the business, it is vital to elevate up these following behind us.”
Femme It Ahead is constructed on three core pillars: mentorship, training and empowerment. These values are mirrored in initiatives like Subsequent Gen Femme and MUSE, the Give Her Flowers awards gala, and the Femme It Ahead Femmeland at Sea Cruise.
Picture credit score: Femme It Ahead
As if that weren’t sufficient, FIF produces music albums, manages reside occasions, and is dipping their toes into short-form documentaries and podcasts.
Regardless of the numerous initiatives, Lowery explains how every a part of Femme It Ahead is interconnected, supporting each other to embody these core ideas. The Give Her Flowers awards gala, for instance, serves as a platform to showcase rising artists like Doechii, connects girls within the business, and raises funds for initiatives like mentorship applications.
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Be the change you wish to sea
Femme It Ahead’s newest initiative, the Femmeland at Sea Cruise, is considered one of its most formidable initiatives. Curated for girls, the cruise provides reside performances from FIF artists Monica and Coco Jones, together with business panels, wine tastings, and salon journeys.
Although the dimensions might sound daunting, Lowery had a clear vision from the beginning.
“I knew what I wished to see on the cruise already,” she says, describing her course of as inverted — beginning with the ultimate idea and dealing backward. “The simplest half for me is visualizing, strategizing, creating, and executing,” she explains. “I usually see all of it earlier than it exists, then work to deliver that imaginative and prescient to life.”
Lowery remains to be early in her journey with Femme It Ahead, however the positive feedback from her community is overwhelming.
“As a result of I give a lot and help girls in so some ways, I am now seeing that love return to me,” she says. “It feels wonderful.”
Regardless of the early success, Lowery stays grounded, specializing in her final purpose: constructing a robust, supportive neighborhood for girls within the music business. “The perfect recommendation I give myself is an affirmation I repeat usually,” she shares. “Keep in mind who you’re and why you began.”
