Community Highlights: Meet Maria Herrera of Evergreen Entertainment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Herrera.

Hi Maria, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started working in music in high school after years of being a fangirl and dreaming of being a pop star as a kid. Once I realized I could make music a daily part of my life – and get paid for it – I was determined to find a way in. I quickly earned my foot in the door with one of the biggest pop stars in the world, helping with fan relations, marketing campaigns, and reputation management.

After a few years of some of the wildest and unbelievable experiences, I knew the only “level up” from there would be to own my own business. That would be the next best way to positively impact lives. But I knew I was deeply inexperienced and uneducated about the part of the industry that kept the big stars afloat – indie artists.

After college, I worked for a wonderful woman-owned independent music PR firm, Pressed PR, that I’m lucky enough to be partnered with to this day. That experience taught me the reality of musicians. Things don’t come to these folks with the snap of a finger. They have to work night shifts, take side jobs, and save every penny just to create their next single. But what comes out of them is the most authentic and unique music. I realized I could make a massive impact with these artists and their fans by being a genuine professional connection who had the expertise to advise them correctly.

I moved from Florida to Nashville in February of 2020. Perfect timing, I know. After accepting a job at what I was told was one of the most coveted music PR firms in the city, I learned about a whole new part of the industry: The people who take advantage of independent artists. Coming to the city with the wholesome experiences I had, I was shocked when I learned that independent artists were expected to pay top prices for simple services. At this job, I experienced verbal and emotional abuse alongside the internal struggle of knowing I was a part of something that was centered around money.

Music had never been about money for me until then. It was about being creative and finding innovative ways to promote artists I truly believed in. I found myself forced to lie about my opinions and just say whatever needed to be said to please a client. Needless to say, I left that company after a few months. I’m actually grateful for the experience because I think that’s what pushed me to take the risk and start Evergreen. I knew the kind of leader I wanted to be – one that treated and paid her employees fairly, and one that used the opportunity of owning a business in Music City to stand up against those that are abusing and actively preventing true artists from succeeding.

I started Evergreen Entertainment in July of 2020. Hopes were high, but plans were low. Realistically, I thought we’d have about 5 clients in our first year. When we reached our one-year anniversary in July, we had worked with about 45 artists total. I realized within our first few months that Evergreen was something indie artists desperately needed. The business structure and client profile have definitely changed over the last year or so, but our mission remains the same: Provide our artists and team members with an experience that teaches them to never get taken advantage of in the industry ever again.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building Evergreen Entertainment into what is it today has been the most challenging project of my life. There were – and still are – days where I work 15+ hours. There will always be people who try to take advantage of our work, even with our prices being so low in comparison to the industry standard rates. But above all, the number one issue I’ve dealt with since starting the company is sexism.

Although I’m significantly more educated and experienced than most men in the music business my age, I’m constantly undermined by (some) men and spoken to like I’m incapable of being a boss. I’m constantly hassled for more and more discounts, yet more and more work. Interestingly enough, those same men have no issues paying their male booking agent and male producer far more for far less work. Those men are “real professionals” so I “should take what [I] can and be hungry [for business].” The number of times that I’ve met someone who’s worked in Nashville’s music scene for their whole life and assumes I’m Evergreen’s assistant or intern, not owner, is uncountable.

This battle, I’m afraid, isn’t ending anytime soon. What I’m doing to counteract this pattern is donating to female-focused non-profits that help provide education and resources to young women hoping to be a business owners, prioritizing internship and employment opportunities with Evergreen to women of color and people who are treated as less than because they aren’t a white man, and consistently call out sexism when I personally experience it or observe it with colleagues.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Evergreen mainly provides a la carte services – PR, marketing, artist development, social media, creative consulting, and just about anything in between – to independent artists in Nashville and beyond. We urge clients to come and go as they please because we understand that a retainer isn’t always in the cards. We are proudly one of the only firms that will actually tell a client to stop paying us for services when we feel their money is best spent elsewhere, even if we can technically find more to do for them.

In addition to a la carte services, we also take on clients looking for more long-term management-type relationships. I say “management-type” because what we do isn’t your typical percentage-based management situation. We give the artist the tools and hands when and where they’re needed each month, but keep the income and overall power in the artist’s hands. This type of service isn’t for someone looking for a manager who will turn them into a star. It’s for someone with the drive and confidence to call the shots, but who still needs a team behind-the-scenes with expertise and resources.

We’ve broken down the typical firm structure to understand what is critical and what is filler. I’ve found through past employment experiences that 80% of what typical PR/marketing-type firms do day-to-day is a waste of time, and therefore, a waste of money on the client’s part. We focus on the tasks that make a difference: Deep research, creative writing, and authentic relationships. We are 100% remote, with most of our team based in Nashville. This allows us to meet when needed, but work comfortably around flexible schedules.

I push my employees to prioritize their mental and physical health, which leads to more productive work and longevity for motivation. It’s amazing how happy a team can be when you allow them to take work into their own hands. I trust my team and they trust me, and that’s something I’m the proudest of in all of this.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love how Nashville offers something for everyone. Personally, I love being able to go for a hike on a Saturday then out to dinner at an amazing local restaurant that evening. The flexibility of the area’s seasons, retail, and energy is great. As for the music industry, I love that there are some really awesome local bands who have the opportunity to play live and network as they please, but also take a break when needed. Nashville is a great place for anyone looking to get the big city experience at a slower pace.

Unfortunately, I feel like Nashville still has a lot of growing up to do. This city has somehow gotten stuck in the patterns of past decades. We can still thrive from tourism without allowing hundreds of buses of drunk people to drive around the most packed part of the city. We can still be Music City without allowing racism and sexism to run labels and radio. We can still be an incredible place to live without interpreting mediocrity as modernism.

Pricing:

• PR [For one release] – Starting at $700 (flat fee)
• PR Retainers – Starting at $600/mo.
• Artist Development – Starting at $400/mo.
• Marketing Projects – Starting at $400/mo.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://evergreenent.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evgnent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evgnent/

Image Credits
Brenton Giesey