Breaking Barriers in Music // Episode 8246 - Carly Webster

Original Recording Date: August 22

Carly Webster joins us and brings many important topics to the table, including her personal journey from fan to advocate, and the importance of accessible concert experiences. Carly shares how her teenage years spent in entertainment fandom opened her eyes to the deep lack of representation and support for disabled people in music spaces. At just 15, she founded a nonprofit dedicated to breaking down these barriers, proving that music should be accessible to all.

In this episode, Carly reflects on her experiences working with artist teams, delivering a TEDx talk, and how her vision for the future goes far beyond personal milestones. Carly believes that music and live entertainment are for everyone, and she's determined to make it a more inclusive space. Her passion for creating accessible experiences for disabled music fans has fueled her career in event accessibility consulting, public speaking, and event production.

Join us as Carly delves into her aspirations, her commitment to giving back to future generations, and her dedication to making real change. Whether you’re in the industry or a fan, Carly’s story is a compelling call to action to help redefine what accessibility means in the world of music and live events.

Join our conversation on social media:

facebook.com/breakingthebiz
instagram.com/breakingthebiz
instagram.com/yic_unity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/18149713

Interested in being a guest speaker? blieberman@yicunity.org

Transcript

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Hello, my name is Carly Webster and I am speaking on Breaking the Biz Podcast.[AI Narrator] Stay tuned for today's episode of Breaking the Biz, an informative podcast where we dive into the world of entertainment by interviewing seasoned professionals who have made their mark in the industry. Gain invaluable insights as they share their personal journeys, offering a advice on navigating the dynamic landscape of the entertainment industry. Whether you're an aspiring actor, musician, filmmaker, author, animator or any creative soul, tune in for expert career guidance, insider tips and firsthand accounts on breaking into the entertainment industry. Get ready to unlock the secrets behind successful careers and fuel your own passion for the limelight. Please remember to like this video and to subscribe to our channels for more great conversations.[Host] Greetings from Breaking the Biz Brought to you by Yes I Can Unity Through Music and Education. I'm William Felber, your navigator through the intriguing universe of the entertainment industry as revealed by the visionaries and creators who bring it to life. Stay tuned as we delve into diverse insights from the forefront of entertainment. Hearing from pioneers, creators and agents of change. Prepare for a journey filled with tales of innovation, resilience and the undying quest for artistic brilliance.[Moderator] Welcome everyone. We have a great guest with us. We have Carly Webster, who is the founder of Disabled Music Fans Collective and a whole bunch more. In her bio she shared that as a teenager years engaging in entertainment fandom and going to concerts that was a source of fun and community that she hadn't found elsewhere. She noticed a deep lack of representation for disabled people like herself. At only 15, she decided to create a non profit to help change that. Since then she's had the privilege of working with artist teams and even going at a TEDx talk. Her intentions and aspirations will always go far beyond that. She believes that music is for everyone and no one should have to experience barriers to accessing it. She wants to work in the music and touring business because she would like to travel and get back to future generations of disabled music fans that will come after her. With the work that she's done, she's seen a greater change and she is excited for us all to join her on her journey. Some of her skill sets include freelancing and contract work, event accessibility, consulting, event production, VIP merch, administrative virtual assistants and public speaking. Industry interests include booking, touring, live venues, management, marketing, human resources, operations, diversity, equity and inclusion, fan engagement and administrative assistance. Carly, I just want to thank you so much for joining us and accepting when I when I reached out to you. Yeah, of course. I want to talk about when you kind of fell in love with music. Talk me through that. Yeah, so I. It's kind of a funny story because I kind of grew up. My parents would play, like, country music and classic rock music in the car, and I'm like, this sucks. Like, I hate it. But then, you know, I would. I think. I think it's kind of funny because I kind of ventured onto the Internet at a really weird time. You know, I was, like, kind of just poking around on my iPad at, like, 10 years old, and I was like, okay, let's create a Twitter account. And so I kind of. I think kind of through the, you know, TV and, you know, YouTube and all that kind of stuff, I kind of just kind of discovered, like, the music that I really loved. And I think, you know, at the time, it was primarily pop music, and it's just, like, I found so much joy in that. And I think, like, I just remember vividly, like, spending my summers just, like, listening to music all the time and, like, creating little music videos on my own on my, like, iPad or whatever. And I think it. It really, I think, started to become, like, a career possibility for me after I left high school, or like, when I was high school, because I was very much into my grades and very much, like, you know, studious, and I'm, like, not focusing on anything else but this grade right now. So, like, I. To be honest, I was at my senior year of high school, and I had only applied to, like, two colleges because I was, like, didn't want to do that. Like, I didn't know what I wanted to do. So I think it was the summer after I left high school. I, like, created LinkedIn, started getting involved with some street teams, and I think it kind of just slowly evolved. And I think music kind of helped me through a lot of those difficult times. And like I said, you know, fandom has been really important to me and, like, developing a support system and developing friends and, like, sure, now that I'm 21 and in college and stuff like that, there's not a whole lot of people from my fandom days that I talk to, but I still have, like, people that I speak to regularly, and I've made some of my best friends. One of my best friends is. I've known her for about eight years now because of music, because of fandom. So it's. It's. It's been a journey. Talk me through fandom. I'm unfamiliar with fandom, so the concept of fandom that can apply to more than just music. So it can be movies, books, TV shows, all that kinds of stuff. So basically. And it doesn't even really have to be digital either, but it's a community of people who like that particular thing for whatever reason. And they kind of. I wouldn't say it's more of like, oh, you know, it's a passive thing, like, oh, I just listened to this artist kind of whenever. It's more of like, they really make the effort to engage with whatever, like, media subject it is. So say it's a musical artist. People in the fandom will generally, like, create Twitter accounts to discuss the artists. They'll participate in voting, like, for award shows and stuff like that. And so I think it's. It's like, it kind of. I really enjoy it because it. It defies geological or geographical boundaries. You know, people. One of my still dearest friends is from Australia. So, you know, we. The time zones mean very little in the concept of, like, in the context of the friendships and the connections that we make. I love that. That's awesome. So, you know, you mentioned hearing country music and going, ah, turn this off. You know, I hear you on that one. What are some of your favorite artists? I would say right now I'm really loving Casey Musgraves, ironically, because, you know country music. But I feel like she's kind of on the. On the cusp. Let's see, what else have I been listening to? I don't know. I mean, this is a hard one because, like, it just evolves so much. But Peel Waves is a great British alternative band. Halsey just came out with some incredible music, new music that, yeah, there's. To name a few. But I think I kind of. One thing I struggle with, and I hope that my current. The degree program I'm going into, I hope it helps me kind of develop a different taste because I find myself listening to the same stuff over and over. And it's like, there's nothing wrong with that. Like, nobody's going to judge me for that because unless you're, like, stalking me on the Internet and, like, see my Spotify or whatever, then they know what I'm listening to. But, like, unless I, you know, outwardly say, hey, I listen to the same thing all the time, no one's gonna really know. But I feel like in order to truly appreciate and, like, be an advocate in this industry, I need to understand all aspects of it and the true landscape of it. And I think listening to different genres and understanding the culture and the history behind it is really important. No, I love that you know, getting. Expanding our palate, so to speak, on music. So. And I think the best thing with music is when a friend, you know, shares an artist with you to check out, or you go to a concert and you get there early and you see an opening act and you're just blown away and you fall in love with the new band. No. Yeah, Yeah. I think most of my, like, favorite bands have been openers of other favorite bands, so. So it's like, it's beautiful how you can. And I think that sharing of music really is like a bonding experience because then you and your friend, however close you are, have something to talk about, you know? No, I love that. And that's very true. You know, for individuals who have a hard time keeping a conversation or making friends, obviously having a musical artist or something that they have in common, that. That does make, you know, the. The friendship that much easier. Let me ask you, You. I know you're a music lover. Do you love the lyrics or the music more? I would say the music. I think for me, I don't. When I'm able to just like, head bang or like, even just like, shimmy around it, it makes you feel a certain way. I think lyrics are also really important to me as well. But if I can, like, get down with it, like, if I can, like, hear those drums, it's like, okay. It adds to that, that feeling. It augments the feelings that the lyrics bring out. And I think I enjoy. And that's another thing that I'm looking forward to about this program that I'm in is learning kind of the musicology, the, like, how something is like, sonically versus lyrically. Okay, I love that. So obviously listening to music, everyone on this call has an artist that they love. Music has, you know, impacted them in a certain way. Music saved them during dark times. Music was there for joyous occasions. But there's a difference when you actually go see an artist live, and that's something that I know that you're really working with. Talk me through the first concert you ever saw live, and then tell me the last concert and why it made such an impact on you. So my first concert, if we're. If we're getting technical, it was Dora when I was like two. But if we're getting like, okay, I chose to go to this concert. I think I would say my first was probably like a. Again, a country concert like that my parents took me to. You know, I think 2015. Ish. But the last concert. Oh, I've got a story for this One. So I. The last concert that I went to, I went to the 2022 I Heart Radio Day stage in Las Vegas. And the story behind that is kind of a long and winding one. But another one of my favorite artists is the band Five Seconds of Summer, Australian kind of pop, alternative genre. They were doing a very special show for their album release over in London at Royal Albert hall. And I was, it was. They were on tour that year and I was standing in line at their Cincinnati show and one of their, like their VIP coordinator who I was really good friends with actually came up to me and she was like, hey, I got something for you. And she introduced me to one of their security guards and I'm like, what's going on here? Like, did I do something? Like is what's happening? And so they gave me free tickets to that show. Long story short, obviously wasn't going to be able to go to London, but they kind of finagled things where I was able to go to Vegas and I spent a couple of days there with my aunt and one of my best friends that I met through them. It was a great time. I mean speaking of hot, that day was, oh God, it was awful. My friend and I both were kind of feeling a little ill and like we had a point where we had to kind of leave the pit because we were like, this isn't going to work. But I think it was a really impactful moment because I felt like, okay, if these like four individuals like feel good enough about the support that I'm giving them to give me like free tickets to a show overseas that I think, like, I don't know, it just felt very affirming and like very, very generous of them and it was nice to be recognized in that way. But yeah, that was the last show I wanted to. Okay, so talk me through the creation at 15, not too many 15 year olds create non profits, right? Like the inspiration, obviously the love of music, community around music. But creating a non profit, did you do that on your own? Did you have help and kind of just talk me through the creation of that? Yeah, so we'd actually. Again, this is another kind of long and winding story. But when I was kind of most active again, this, this deals with five seconds of summer. A lot of my story revolves around them that if that doesn't appeal to you, then oh well. But when I was most involved in, or I should say when I started getting involved in their fandom, about 2016, ish, I was 13 at the time. I kind of was active on Twitter. And fans would create these hashtags and they would a lot of times trend on Twitter for various minorities in the fandom. So it'd be LGBTQ fans, fans of color, all that kind of stuff. And I was like, this is really cool, but I haven't seen anything for disabled fans yet. And so some other people kind of noticed the same thing. And so we created a group chat and we were like, you know what, why don't we create our on a hashtag and see what happens. So, long story short, that hashtag ended up trending and I, you know, it. It was kind of a. More of a just kind of a few hour long thing. But I kept thinking about, kept thinking about it, kept thinking about it for a couple of years. And I kind of noticed kind of the same thing a couple years later when those kind of hashtags and online efforts began to translate over to, like, fan projects and things at the shows. And again, I was like, you know what, what a perfect time to like, bring this back. And so I will say I'll clarify that. Up until about April of this year, we weren't an official nonprofit. We were like, just kind of categorized, like, just as a kind of grassroots kind of fan organization. Very proud to say that we are now 501c3 nonprofit. It was a big, big process. But I say throughout the years, I've had various volunteers and other fans working with me, but a lot of it has been kind of me because, you know, especially last couple of years with getting nonprofit status, it's like, okay, yeah, I've put a lot of my own money and my own time into this because it's, you know, it's what I envision. And I think, you know, it's been quite the journey trying to work through a lot of burnout and anxiety and all these other things that I deal with as a founder and as a woman and as a disabled person. But I think I've really tried to lean on my network as much as I can. And that's why I appreciate when people like you reach out to me and give me the platform to speak, because I think that's most important. I've always been a word of mouth person, so I'm always kind of looking for ways not to, like, shameless self plug, but like to spread the message and be like, hey, this is something that we all need to pay attention to. No, I think that's, that's very important. So let's talk about advocating rights and the community that you are trying to Put together. When you went to a few of these concerts, did you feel that it wasn't inclusive? Obviously, you're very social media savvy and you communicate with different people through those platforms. But at the actual live event, did you notice that there were just not, like, accommodations or things that were needed for disabled fans that they needed to enjoy the experience or to be included in the experience? So, honestly, like. And I want to preface by saying, I don't speak for the whole community. I'm obviously just one person, but I always recommend listening to as many people as you can. But I would say most of my experiences have been pretty positive in that I have been accommodating, that I have been listen to. And it's. It's primarily been the experiences of people like my friends or people they know or just things I've seen in the news that, like, have struck my attention in that way. And I think it's really a lot. I mean, obviously it's a lot of gray area because it's like, okay, you know, I think it goes down to people are wondering what it is, like, required. They are required to do by law. And it's like something that a disabled fan might be asking for is, like, not included in that law. Where it's like, okay, is this like, where it's a new. A new kind of request to whatever party? But I think so you're basically asking, was it inclusive when. When I went, yeah, no, I'm just like, for maybe for your experience, was there something that you were not that you didn't see that you needed for yourself? Yeah. So the main thing for me, so I have cerebral palsy, so it affects mostly my lower limbs. And I primarily use a walker or crutches at a show. If it's an arena show, probably crutches. If it's a walker, most likely, or if it's a GA show, most likely locker. So for me, it's like, okay, can I get in early before everybody else? Not because I want front row. I do want front row, but because I don't want to get simultaneously trampled while everybody else is trying to get the front row. So it's like, it's that. And it's also like, can I have front row as a. Like a something to hold on to? Those are usually my two main concerns. And a lot of the time it's been pretty smooth because I've usually already been, like, close to the front of the line anyway, or I've known somebody, like, had a contact, like, whether that's with the VIP company, whether that's with the venue. And I, you know, in those days when I was very heavy concert going, I haven't really gone to concerts much since the Pandemic hit. But in those days I was like, very, I would say, proactive about reaching out to venues and be like, hey, this is my situation. Sometimes they would be like, hey, we can't help you. And sometimes we'd be like, hey, absolutely, we'll give you a point of contact for day show. We'll help you out. And yeah, so for me, the experiences has been experiences. Experience has been mostly positive. But I can't say that for everybody. And I've seen some pretty heartbreaking stuff happen. And it's kind of just one of those things that we keep seeing over and over. And you would think, oh, a worldwide pandemic that primarily affects disabled people. You would think people would look at accessibility a little bit differently. But it's clear. It's like we're simultaneous simultaneously, like going three steps forward. Like as they say, one step forward, three steps back. It's like, yeah, we're, we're, we're having the conversations when it's like, okay, where's the action? You know, And I think disability and accessibility, like especially in like the venue promoter, that kind of space, I think it gets kind of forgotten about primarily because these venues and promoters are running Zoom Freeze or me. That's you, Shiv. But please mute. Sorry, Carly, continue on. Okay, but these venues and promoters are primarily run by non disabled people. So it's like, it's. There's a lack of representation there as well. And that's something that I hope my work can contribute to as well. I want to, I want to say a few things here. One, I want to give you kudos for being able to self advocate in your communication skills, reaching out to a venue, finding a point of contact, explaining the situation and what you need in order to enjoy the show and for safety reasons I think is amazing. I also want to let you know that there is a lot of people in this space working on fan engagement and accessibility and inclusion. There's John Bell with yes, you know, Live Nation. I've chatted with John Bell a couple of times. Who's great. Austin Whitney with 1050 Entertainment, who is also, you know, a champion and someone that I deeply respect. There's, you know, there's two or three. I think Live Nation has two now. Golden Voice has accessibility as well. And when Austin spoke to us from a perception of being in a wheelchair, Looking at a festival like Coachella, where it is just massive. Right. And how do you get through? You know, like, I'm exhausted walking around and I'm not in a wheelchair. You know, having to get around from multiple stages and getting through crowds and, you know, these are. These are serious things. And the other thing that, you know, he looks at is food allergies and things that are served, you know, Right. Being able to bring in your own food if indeed, you know, it's a gluten issue or a peanut, whatever it is. You know, we all have our own issues. Right. But just know that there are people in this space that are hearing you and you advocating and having a platform and doing what you're doing is. Is working in a positive way. Because you've mentioned your experiences up to this point have been, you know, pretty good. But there are people, like, sometimes security at music venues can just be jerks. Right. But you can kill someone with some kindness, and you can really kill someone when you're reaching out and sharing your disability. Being open about. This is who you are. This is what you need again in order to enjoy the experience. So I just want to give you absolute kudos on that. Thanks. So let me ask you, you graduate high school, you. You know that, you know, you want to do something in the music industry, obviously you're pursuing college now. What did you do as soon as you got out of high school to pursue your dreams of being in the music business? Yeah. So I kind of quickly learned that, like, LinkedIn is important and connections are important. So, like I said, I created an account. I started, like, joining street teams, so, like, to name a few, fan to fan. Jonas Group Entertainment, Jaded Productions. Started kind of volunteering where I could. I had my first internship in March of 2022. My first three internships were unpaid, unfortunately, but I've been paid since. So I'm like. I'm, like, thankful for that. But I kind of just tried to kind of throw myself in wherever I could and learn wherever I could. I was attending, like, probably weekly or at least bi weekly, you know, webinars and stuff like that. I've got some. Several books. And I kind of just. I think I started out when I left high school. I started out community college because, like I said, I didn't know what I wanted to do. Kind of wasn't sure where I should go. And even though I really appreciated my experience there, like, academically, extracurricular wise, all that kinds of stuff, I felt like the people there just did not have the Music industry knowledge that I needed. And that's why I'm so grateful that I am where I am right now, like sitting where I am right now, which is at a liberal arts college that's got one of the top music industry programs in the country. I'm very grateful to be here because it's really going to give me that well rounded knowledge of like, okay, these people know about the industry. These people are prepped with industry relevant knowledge that's applied to here in the Cleveland market. You know, I think, you know, back home in Dayton, where I lived, I really struggled a lot with finding opportunities. I think the main issues were like, either they weren't going to pay me or they already paid everybody they could and kind of worked for all the staff. So it's like it kind of sucked because in this beginning times, I was getting the same advice over and over and I'm like, okay, I've done that, I've done that, I've done that. What now? So that's another thing where I'm like, I'm super grateful to one, I've spent the summer in Nashville and two, now being a somewhat larger market here in Cleveland, we've got the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, we've got House of Blues, we've got the Agora, all that kinds of stuff. So I'm super grateful to kind of be in a spot where stuff like that isn't so out of reach. No, I think that's awesome. And you're right. If you can find an internship that's a paid internship, that's definitely a plus. Obviously we need to get by. You have to pay your bills. I love also how you mentioned going to a community college if indeed you just didn't know exactly what you wanted to do. You knew you wanted to be part of this industry, but just not sure how to navigate and get there. The thing I want to, you know, point out to our listeners is that you do have to try a little bit of everything. You know, you mentioned doing merch, you mentioned, you know, fan engagement, you know, doing an internship here and there. That is how you get experience and that is how you build a network. Now, speaking on network, tell me how important networking has been to your success. Oh, oh, absolutely. I mean, I can't count on my hand the one, the amount of times that I've gotten a certain opportunity or I've been introduced to somebody like all throughout there. I don't think I would have. I think somebody had introduced me to John Bell and somebody had introduced Me to Austin Whitney. Like, people like that, that are. That I maybe didn't even know were working in accessibility have like, been because somebody knew them. And so I think it's been super important, especially as I built Disabled Music Fans Collective. I think, you know, my network has been super, super supportive. And I think one thing I'll say is I have received a lot more support from people in the industry than I. Than I ever did from people at my school in my hometown. I think they more kind of just blew it off as like, oh, she's just a fan girl doing whatever. You know, this can't really be like, serious can and like. But the people in the industry do see it as something serious. Granted, you know, they're kind of limited in what they can do based on, okay, do we have the nonprofit status or not? But like, even in those kind of early months and like, you know, 2022 ish, like I was getting invited to speak on panels and invited to speak in workshops and stuff like that. So from my network. So it's been super important and I think it will continue to be important. I always am trying to reach out to certain people to say, hey, do you have knowledge on say, fundraising or partnerships or something like that? Because I know, I think my philosophy is this, why spend money looking and using resources out there? Yes, some of the paid resources are worth it, but why use that when I can go and talk to the people who've already done it, already been in my shoes once, and learn from them, you know, And I think I will say this to also list the listeners as well. Yes, it's important to invest in your career, but I think you should do it wisely, especially if you're. And I think, you know, everybody here is probably conscious of their money and conscious of what limits they have. But I think my advice is this. Your career should never come at a cost of either actual financial resources or your mental, physical, you know, emotional well being. It should never come at that cost. And I will say, you know, yes, go and buy some books or something like that. But like, don't feel like you have to dig so deep to even get your career started because there's so many free resources and people out there who are just willing to talk. I'm sure Rhett is one of those people. But yeah, I would say networking is incredibly important. And I'm not saying that just because I'm like, oh, connections are everything. They are. But I think, I think it's just as important to have people who, you know, will generally support you throughout your journey and will say, hey, like for me, you know, disabled user pants, like has been inactive for a couple of years because I kind of transitioning through college and stuff like that. And it's just not have, it hasn't been something I've been able to dedicate time to. But these people on my network are telling me, hey, take your freaking time, like, don't worry about it because the industry will always be here to support that when you're ready. So it's those types of people that you want to look for and that you want to surround yourself with. You don't want to surround yourself with people who you feel like, oh, they can just kind of get me this one thing one time and then never talk to them again. Because you know, there's one thing about, you know, transactional relationships, but there's also, it's like if, if they're not going to support you in the long run that are, they will then are they really worth having in your circle anyway? You know. No, that's a, it's a, it's a very true point. Right? Like you do want genuine people. You don't want anyone around you who's saying like that's a dumb idea. You're wasting your time. You want people that help bring you up and rise you up and are going to be support systems. And you mentioned something very important. The industry is not going anywhere. Fan engagement is going to be needed. Advocating for people to have great experiences and safety is, is a very key component right now of the music industry. So I'm curious, obviously you're in college right now to kind of fine tune exactly what you want to do in the industry. But if you could have any job in this music industry, what would that be? Yeah, so it's funny because like when I first started out, I knew I wanted to work in touring. I knew I wanted to be on the road doing vip, doing merch, doing that direct like band experience type stuff. But then you know, like I said, I spent them summer nationalized interning at Wasserman in their tour marketing department. And I realized like even just seeing like day to day, like how much like the agents were like rushing around, always on their phone, always like talking to somebody. It's like I kind of want better work life balance than that because I know, you know, obviously touring people work, you know, 14, 16, 18 hour days and on the road for months and months at a time and it's like, you know, have their relationship strained and all that kinds of stuff. And I'm like, maybe that's not what I want. So, I mean, obviously, obviously still evolving, but it's also the concern that I have of, okay, can my body physically handle it? Because I, you know, realistically I've had to like turn down some one off gigs because they weren't going to be accessible, you know, because I can't do the heavy lifting. I can't, you know, push things really without some difficulty. So it's like other things that people who are touring are used to doing or could or can do without trouble. It's like it's going to be a different story for me. So it's like I, like I said, being where I'm from, it's like I haven't had a whole lot of opportunities to even try that out. So it's still kind of a thing of like, we'll kind of play it by ear, we'll kind of address it out as it comes, you know. But I really would love to be on the road and just kind of, like I said, make an impact on people because I think, you know, sitting behind a desk, I mean, yes, I was able to kind of see fans enjoy tour launches and stuff like that, but I feel like sitting at a desk, it's like it feels less, less involved. And I think I definitely, like, I think it's so very rewarding to see the smiles on people's faces when they say, oh, I'm so excited to like meet or see this artist. And like, I waited XYZ amount of hours or I, you know, paid this money and I'm here and all that kind of stuff. When people are just so excited and so happy, that's what I want to see, you know. So it's like I'm trying not to limit myself, but I'm also trying to be realistic in that, like, hey, again, don't sacrifice your health for an industry that you may not want to stay in, you know. No, you know, you're very wise. Obviously self awareness is such an important skill that you need to have in life. And being realistic, knowing where, you know, what your body can handle, what your mind can handle. I've never been on the road, but the people who have, my friends who have been on the road come home exhausted, you know. Yes, there are those great fun moments and eating fun things and such and, and experiencing the fans. But you know, it's like, okay, now's the call. Jumping on the bus, now you're going. And it's so, it is, it is very Physically draining both, you know, on the body and the mind. And, you know, working at Wasserman and having an internship, that's one of the largest agents out there. You know, for our listeners that, that's not only just music, that's sports and agents in sports and in movies and television and film. And then of course obviously festivals and musical artists and so great, great experience working at, at Wasserman. So obviously that, that helps prepare you. And as you can see, agents are constantly on the phone, constantly doing deals and trying to get the best for their artist and, and then obviously being able to take care of themselves a little bit by booking those artists. So. Right. You know, you, you definitely have that all locked in. I'm curious, do you have a mentor? Is there a mentor that comes to mind when I say, you know, do you have a mentor? I mean, yeah, I have like several mentors. I think some like. Okay, so the main inspiration for me wanting to work in VIP and Merch specifically is because of a VIP coordinator that I met when I was very, again, very heavily into five seconds of summer and was attending their concerts like every year. And she was very into. She was very determined to make the experiences accessible for me. And I think that's why we connected so much. But she still is such a big mentor for me. We don't talk very often because again, she is still always on the road, but she, you know, we even sometimes on Instagram be like, you know, message each other or whatever and I like say, hey, like, this is so awesome, so happy for you. Da da da da. But I do have several mentors, like either through formal programs or just kind of out of happenstance. But yeah, I have some people that I look up to greatly and who have also just been huge advocates for me. Lisa J. Robinson over. She was working. She didn't want to bet them, but she was working over at Downtown Music Publishing and she really was a huge advocate for me through the process of getting a music biz scholarship. She was on the committee for that and she was like, I can't like directly vote for you, but like, I will, I will strongly advocate. So it's just like, it's, it's those types of things where people really want to succeed. See you succeed, not just career wise, but also academically, also just in general. And I think, you know, it's really, it's kind of. And some people may view this superficially, but I can tell when people, when it's like the same people that like will comment or, you know, like A post of mine, like a, that's more of a, like a life update and not like a, hey, I'm announcing that I'm starting a decision. Like, it's more of like a, you know, life update when I can tell that the same people kind of engage with those and like, okay, these people may not necessarily be mentors, but they're people who I know are like, here for the long haul and who see me doing things and who want to consistently be part of my, my life and my career. But yes, I think, I think mentors are extremely important. And I think I would say to the listeners, like, don't. I think the right mentor will come to like, don't go out there looking for a mentor and just go around people, you know and be like, you can you be my mentor? Like you. It needs to be how. It needs to have like a. Not necessarily a formal conversation, but like a two way street type thing of like, okay, like I need xyz, like, you know, advice or guidance or whatever. And then I think the important thing about mentorships, and I did an article for my school newspaper at community college about mentorships and how important those are. And one of the interviewees said, you know, it's really about learning alongside each other. Like, what can you learn from your mentee or your mentor? Like, what can you learn from each other? So I think. And some of my best mentors have been those that have really listened to me about accessibility and how frustrating it is to be a disabled student and person in this industry. But yeah, I mean, mentors can't be. The importance can't be understated. I love that. Or overstated, I should say. I want to say there's a nonprofit that I think you should reach out to and get involved. It's Living the dream. Have you heard of Living the Dream? I might have. I might. Scotty Summers created that. And I believe the singer of Pierce the Veil is kind of running with it. And you know, I can't remember Scotty had. Has a disability or a health issue, but it's almost like the, the Make a Wish foundation type thing. Yeah. Oh, yes. They definitely, you know, if somebody is having, you know, some serious health issues and they have a certain band that they love and they want to meet, if that's Blink182, if that's Slipknot or, you know, the used, whatever it is, they make those experiences happen and you know, give them all access passes and they, they really have that one on one time with the artists So I feel like you're. Your road could lead there. So most definitely you should reach out and say that I sent you that way. I want to ask you just one, two last questions, then I want to open it up if anyone on our call has questions for you. Is there a mantra that you catch yourself saying daily that kind of keeps you positive, focused, you know, something that you just see yourself, you know, you know, saying daily? I don't think I have a mantra, but I definitely. When things get really difficult and as often, I. I usually like to kind of remind myself, like, hey, there's people out there who, like. And I'm not saying I'm a savior. I'm not saying I do everything, but I'm saying that there's people out there who. Who don't know that I exist or, like, when I do exist or, like, whatever, but, like, didn't need it, that want it, that need this community. And that in order for them to get it, in order for them to find it, in order for it to get to them, I need to continue pushing forward. And I think it's that the. Carries me forward because I think as a disabled person, obviously this work is very emotionally taxing. It's very laborious in that way. But I think the impact that I can make is really fulfilling. And I think it's why I do what I do. And so I think I want that to kind of be my guiding light. I love it. Beautiful. One last question. Obviously, you did some pretty amazing stuff when you were young, creating a nonprofit at 15. But where you are now and all that you've experienced, what's the biggest piece of advice that you would give to your younger self? I would say, like, don't say yes to everything. Like, even now, even now I do that, and I catch myself doing that. I'm like, you gotta stop. Because I think. I think as, you know, young early career professionals, we get stuff thrown at us. It's like, oh, do everything you can, get involved in everything you can get experience. Xyz. But I think it's important for us to step back and really realize, okay, what's our capacity? What's realistic for us to do? Because there's. And I was shown this, like, curve the other day in one of our, like, welcome presentations here at College of, like, here's, here's. On the. On the Y axis is, like, productivity or stress, and then on the X axis, productivity. Well, when stress goes up, then you're always going to have some amount of stress. Like, when stress goes Too much, then your productivity goes down. But when you're at kind of that base, that you know, base level of like, okay, I know I'm managing, I've got some stress, but I know I'm managing, then you're going to be in a good spot. If you overload yourself too much, whether that's with internships, volunteering clubs, whatever. If you overload yourself too much, you're going to find that like your productivity in those various spaces decreases dramatically. And then it's going to be a vicious cycle of, oh, I don't feel like I'm contributing enough. And I feel like then that's going to lead to burnout. So. And I've experienced that cycle way too many times and still do. But I think it's my biggest piece of advice would be like, just have know your own limits and don't overdo it. I know it's easier said than done, but trust me, like I said, now repeat this again. This industry is not worth your mental, physical, emotional well being. It's not worth your health. So do the work that you can now to prevent because your body is the one that you get. You only get one and you got to take care of it. So do what you can now to take care of it and do that and so that you have the career longevity that I know you all want. All right, what do you plan on to do with your company eventually? Like what is your business plan and long term business plan once you graduate from college and once you form your charity into a bigger organization? Yeah, so I see. That's kind of one of those things that's kind of unclear right now because like I, that's one of the things I'm working on is a business plan is a long term plan. But I think I would love to eventually work with artist teams in consume capacity of like, okay, we know that your fans like you. You got a disabled fan base, you just want to get them engaged. So like here's some tools, here's some kind of starting resources to do that. I'm the type of person and I'm sure a lot of disabled people are like this. We will not hand hold you, we will not spoon feed you everything because that's not our job. But we will certainly give you the resources and give you the tools to get started and then you can kind of build upon that from there. So I would certainly love to kind of approach artist teams on like a consulting basis of like, okay, let's start with your social media content. Let's Start putting captions on your videos and all that kinds of stuff so you have at least have the baseline of like, okay, here's the accessibility. But because obviously accessibility isn't going to happen overnight. There are a lot of. It's not just checking boxes either. I should make that clear. But I think I would love to do that at some point. And obviously partnering with other industry organizations and nonprofits and companies and stuff like that. I'd love to get some, you know, young disabled professionals involved and connecting them with opportunities and stuff like that. Again, it's unclear, but I would love to. I hope you. I hope you stick along for the ride. I love it. Beautiful. Carly, I want to thank you again for your time. I have no doubt you're going to be successful in anything you do. You're extremely smart, you're driven, you got resiliency, you know how to communicate. You know how to advocate for yourself and advocate for others. Just know the work that you're doing is. And I think you know this, it's bigger than yourself. And just keep going. You know that you're going to find more mentors. You've got a strong head on your shoulders. Just keep going. I can't wait to see. You know, you said stick along, stick around for the ride. It is going to be a positive ride for you. So like I mentioned, just keep up the good work. Good health to you and thank you again for making time for us and inspiring us and speaking on Breaking the Biz. Thank you so much. As we conclude another enriching episode, we hope you found inspiration in the stories shared today. Let's take a moment to Honor Yes I Can's role in bringing Breaking The Biz to life. Yes I Can's commitment to empowering young people with disabilities through education, advocacy, and mentorship shines brightly, paving paths of opportunity and dialogue. This podcast celebrates the organization's dedication to nurturing talent and facilitating impactful discussions. Breaking the Biz is more than a podcast. It's a part of Yes I Can's broader mission to amplify voices, dismantle barriers, and craft a world that's more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Each episode is a chapter in our shared narrative of progress, education, and empowerment, driven by the spirit of Yes I Can. Thank you for spending your time with us on Breaking the Biz. Continue to challenge the status quo and share stories that resonate until our paths cross again. Let's keep transforming aspirations into achieving achievements and infuse every endeavor with optimism. Here's to advancing the landscape of the entertainment industry one episode at a time. I'm your host, William Felber. See you next time.