PROFITABLE MUSICIAN: FEM FRIDAY EDITION

May 1, 2026

Happy FEM Music Friday!

This week I turned 54.

And I’ve noticed something about birthdays at this age and stage. They don’t just feel like a celebration. They feel like a mirror. You start seeing patterns more clearly. The choices you made. The roles you stepped into. The things you put on hold.

For a lot of us, music was one of those things.

...because something else needed you first.

• You said "yes" to the job that paid the bills.
• You stayed up late helping with homework when you were exhausted.
• You made room for your partner’s career moves
• You took care of parents when their health started to decline.

You kept everything running.

And your music got put on the back burner.

You told yourself you’d come back to it later. When things settled down. When there was more space in your schedule. When it made more sense.

Now here you are. And it finally is your time...at least on paper.

But if you’re honest, you’re still not fully giving yourself permission...

You’re working on your music, yes.
​
And you’re maybe even posting here and there.

But you’re still holding back in very specific ways.

• You don’t talk about your music directly. You kind of mention it in passing.
• You don’t tell people where to go listen. You just hope they find it organically.
• You post once and then move on cause you assume EVERYONE saw that post and since you heard crickets, no one cares.
• You hesitate to send the email because you don't know why people would want to hear from you, especially about your music.
• You second guess whether you should spend money on anything that could help it grow because you're used to prioritizing everyone else's needs.

It’s subtle, and sometimes even subconscious, but it adds up.

The truth is: you’re still instinctively putting yourself last.

So even now, when no one and nothing is actually stopping you, you stop yourself.

You wait until everything else is handled before you focus on music.

You give your best energy to everyone else and then try to create or market your music when you’re already drained.

You treat your music like something you have to squeeze in instead of something that deserves its own space.

The same thing shows up in how you see yourself and talk about what you do.

You might say either, "I do a little music," or even "I'm a musician."

But do you truly think of yourself as a "real artist."

You might soften your language and downplay what you’ve created because you don't feel like you've earned the right to call yourself a serious creator, a performing artist.

No one is going to hand you permission to go all in.

So I’m going to say something to you that I wish more women heard earlier.

"I grant you permission to step into your artist era."

Permission to put your focused music sessions on the calendar and stop treating them as optional or second-tier commitments.

Permission to spend money on your artist career without justifying it to anyone.

Permission to call yourself an artist without adding a disclaimer.

This is what stepping into your embodied artist era actually looks like.

Always in your corner,
​<3 Bree

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You're reading the Profitable Musician Newsletter, FEM Friday Edition. This Friday newsletter is created for Female Artists & Advocates, and focuses on our mission to amplify quality music by Female Artists & Female-Fronted Bands in all genres and help them build a thriving music career and solid business. If you'd like to unsubscribe from FEM Fridays but still receive our regular Wednesday Profitable Musician Newsletter, click here and we'll note your preference.

ON THE PODCAST

In this episode, I share my personal experiences and practical advice for mature artists looking to promote themselves in today’s music landscape.

• Overcoming feelings of starting too late in your music career
• Navigating social media trends and choosing platforms that fit your audience
• Tackling tech overwhelm one step at a time
• Dealing with guilt and emotional baggage from past promotional efforts
• Building a support system and embracing your identity as a real artist

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE FEATURED TRACKS

Sarah Brindell - Raise Your Voice A songwriter, arranger, musician, and vocalist, Sarah Brindell has touring credits around the world. She has shared the stage and recorded with many renowned artists including , , George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Ivan Neville and . Her original songs can be heard on many television shows including MTV’s Made. She was a finalist in the Song of the Year contest as part of VH-1’s Save the Music Foundation, as well as the Billboard World Song Contest. Brindell teaches courses in person and online in songwriting, harmony, ear training, arranging and stage performance. She conducts clinics nationwide and internationally, and continually helps thousands of students to reach their full potential as professional musicians and songwriters. Successful former students include artist St. Vincent, Amy Allen (songwriter for Harry Styles, Selena Gomez and Halsey), Jake Torrey (songwriter for Charlie Puth, John Legend and Maroon 5), and Nikki Glaspie (drummer for Beyonce and Maceo Parker). Raise Your Voice Sarah Brindell PREVIEW   ​ Fulton Cavalry - Rip My Heart Out My career began in 1st grade when slapped by a nun for liking The Beatles. Rip My Heart Out Fulton Calvery, Alexandra Ke... PREVIEW   ​ Maggie Murray - Boo Hoo Maggie Murray - The Balkan Cowgirl brings HOT gal power energy with Country-Pop anthems specifically for the HOT COUNTRY GIRLS! Shaking up the UK county scene with tracks like ‘Bar Fight’ - the ultimate country baddie main character moment. ‘Boo Hoo’ -the ultimate hot girl moving on soundtrack! And ‘Bikinis & Boots’ - a sun-soaked banger for your road trips and Summer campfires… After her success collaborating with Mexican DJ, being played on the Mexican grand prix and hitting over 100,000 streams, Maggie has returned to her routes and is writing and releasing country hot girl bops, for the small-town dreamers… Boo Hoo Maggie Murray PREVIEW   ​ LISTEN TO THE WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE MUSIC PODCAST

Bree Noble

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