An Interview With Blair Miller, CEO of Chaos Creators Entertainment
Blair Miller - Founder & CEO of Chaos Creators Entertainment
After Blair Miller earned her degree in Music Business from Belmont University, she dove head first into music marketing and found herself working on projects at major music companies like Atlantic Records, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Nashville, The Recording Academy, Crowd Surf, and Thinkswell, but getting there did not come without a connection from others. “Every job and project I have worked on has come to me through my community and network,” Blair explains about getting her start in the music industry.
Prioritizing community, Blair took the power of connection and creativity and used it as fuel in her work. As her career in music marketing developed, she took her connections to a whole new level when she helped Kevin Jonas, Sr. found Jonas Group Media where she lead marketing strategy as Creative Director for artists such as Frankie Jonas, Lanie Gardner, PUBLIC, Melanie Pfirrman, LIVVIA, and Lucy Cloud.
Now, the rising music business executive is the Founder & CEO of her own entertainment marketing agency called Chaos Creators Entertainment, where she and her team focus on disrupting traditional artist development and fan engagement in the digital space. Having been featured on The Nashville Briefing’s “30 Under 30” list for 2022 as well as a speaker for the NAACP, Women In Music Summit, SXSW’s mentor program and more, Blair continues to blend together creativity and strategy through digital storytelling. To learn more about Blair, Chaos Creators, and her approach to music marketing, read on.
Hi Blair! Can you remember the first time you fell in love with music, or the artists that inspired you growing up?
I fell in love with music the first time I heard Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross. Growing up, my mom’s car had a 6 Disc CD changer filled exclusively with Whitney and Luther CDs. Every day driving to school, my mom and I would sing along and talk about the power and beauty of their voices.
There are so many different roles that make up the music industry and many people spend a lot of time trying to discover what they truly want to do. Did you always know you wanted to be a marketer? What do you love about marketing in music?
Growing up, I played classical violin, viola, and piano, so I always knew I wanted to work in a creative field. I love digital marketing because I am able to think outside of the box and consistently challenge myself to ideate authentic content for differing personalities.
You studied music business in college. How much do you think your college education informs your career now? Or do you find that the more experience you gained working in the industry was more valuable?
The Belmont University music business program highlights the importance of hands-on experience, so my college education led to me interning at Scooter Braun Projects, Atlantic Records, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Nashville, The Recording Academy, Country Music Association (CMA), and Crowd Surf. Through these internships, I was able to learn more about myself and find the area of the music industry I wanted to pursue. In addition, digital marketing is a piece of a large puzzle, so my college education helps me have an understanding of the other areas of the music industry.
Many of our audience members are aspiring music industry professionals. Can you tell us what your job search or first few jobs out of college were like? What was it like getting started in music for you?
My community and network played a key role in my first job search process. My first job out of college was at a digital marketing agency, and I saw the job listing posted by a friend who had graduated from Belmont University a few years before me. Since then, every job and project I have worked on has come to me through my community and network.
Have you come across any challenges as a Black woman in this industry? Are there any anecdotes you’d be willing to share? If so, what keeps you coming back to work in music, despite its inequality?
As a young Black woman in the music industry, a challenge I have faced is being underestimated and having unwarranted skepticism about my thoughts and advice. Diverse opinions unlock even more creativity, so I hope to be a part of bringing positive change and impact to the music community.
On the other hand, what has been the most rewarding part of your career so far? You’ve also worked with so many artists and influencers - do you have a project that you’re most proud of?
The most rewarding part of my career has been launching Chaos Creators. One of my first projects at Chaos Creators was leading the marketing for the 100th episode of The Zak Kuhn Show podcast. Bobby Bones says, “You’re not a real podcast until you hit 100 episodes.” So, our goal was to have Bobby Bones as the special guest for the 100th episode. We executed virtual and physical stunts, including designing a billboard, to request Bobby Bones' appearance on the podcast. The stunts captured Bobby Bones' attention on social media, leading to Bobby Bones reposting the content and agreeing to be a part of the 100th episode.
Chaos Creators Entertainment is such an inspiring endeavor! What made you want to launch your own marketing agency?
I launched Chaos Creators because I had a vision of a marketing agency that uplifts creatives who are willing to go above and beyond in their endeavors to create quality content and engage fans. Creating chaos means shooting for the stars and not holding back. I knew I had to take a leap of faith and launch Chaos Creators so I could build a place that encourages others to do the same.
At Amplify Her Voice, we truly believe in the power of the fans and how much they fuel the success of artists. Why is fan engagement so important to you, in terms of the marketer’s point of view?
In general, I value 50-50 relationships. Fan engagement is important to me because we are in a world of selling, and we are constantly asking fans to stream music and buy merch and tickets. It is important to me that we create opportunities for engagement and show gratitude to fans since they fuel the success of artists.
Is your role in music marketing now more creative? Strategic? Artist-facing? Analytics-based? What are the day-to-day activities at your agency like?
My role in music marketing is a mix of creative, strategy, and analytics. It is extremely artist-facing, as I work closely with artists to learn their voices and assist them in developing their brands. I help artists translate their stories to social media, so my day-to-day activities include brainstorming sessions for music rollouts, photo, and video shoots, capturing behind-the-scenes content at recording studios and concerts, and staying up-to-date on culture and trends.
What do you think is the most valuable thing young women, or even WOC, can do for themselves when they’re trying to pursue a career in music?
The most valuable thing young women can do for themselves is to find their community within the music industry. Whether it is peers or mentors, it is important to surround yourself with people who ground you, who challenge you to grow, who you trust, who are there to support you when times are hard, and who will be there to celebrate the big and little moments with you.