In 2014, Taylor Swift removed her songs from Spotify to protest the almost non-existent remuneration of artists on the platform. Ten years later, she won her fight and is the most listened to artist on Spotify.
It just goes to show that it’s not by letting yourself eat the wool off your back that you build your fortune. Online music streaming services had immense power over the music industry, but Taylor certainly wasn't going to wait for his due.
DISTURB, TAKE RISKS, SAVE YOURSELF: THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT YOUR BOSS IS NOT GOING TO DO IT FOR YOU.
What would Taylor Swift do in your place? She would openly discuss her salary and working conditions with her colleagues, so that they can give themselves the means to defend their rights if necessary. She would also not hesitate to speak with her managers if something did not suit her or did not respect her collective agreement.
Vulnerability (assumed) pays off
Taylor doesn't have Whitney Houston's voice and she dances about as well as me. Her strength is rather in being an outstanding melodist and transforming her moods into powerful song lyrics, which give everyone the impression of being the heroes of a romantic comedy. Casually, she’s a unique talent and Taylor Swift knows how to sell herself as “the singer-songwriter we can relate to”.
Yes Madam! Tay-tay has a completely jet-set social life, and yet she goes through the same heartaches as us. Like us, she sometimes cries in bed, hates her ex and feels inadequate.
What would Taylor Swift do in your place? She would fully embrace her emotions at work while kindly replacing anyone who labels her as an emotional woman. She would also show empathy towards her colleagues, would know the power of humor at work and would not hesitate to use it.
And privilege… it helps
You'll tell me that if there's anything that helps you become a #girlboss, it's being born on an idyllic Christmas tree farm, with a father who has the means to invest in our first record label and a mother who can dedicate herself full-time to supporting our dream career. Being thin, blonde with blue eyes and perfectly matching American beauty standards can't hurt either.
BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT? NOT BEING A 1% FIREWORKER SHOULD NEVER PREVENT US FROM CONDUCTING OUR CAREERS AS IF WE WERE ONE.
The best lesson to learn from the way Taylor Swift conducts her career is that the best place to invest all our energy and our rage to win is, in a very selfish way, in ourselves.
