Hip Hop United, LLC exclusively reserved this cover edition to highlight a powerful, inspirational woman within the entertainment and media realm. Rachel “Rachie” Jackson is an artist relations manager who brings an abundance of talent, diligence, and vision that manifest as epic projects. She currently serves as This Georgia peach brings the greater out of Decatur, gracefully maneuvering her way within the scene since teenage years until manifesting her destiny. Rachie lives in her power by remaining grounded within her truth, continuing to establish and reinforce positive rapport within her networks, be introspective and socially responsible, and nourish/nurture others as a fierce and fearless leader. Continue reading for more details on how this queen secured her throne and maps out the blueprint for other young women rising within their callings.
Setting the Foundation
When asked how she got started and rose to the level that she’s on now within entertainment, Rachie vividly illustrated her pathway. Her avenue to public relations and marketing pertaining to artists and management companies began on the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “We were like the first on the internet and we used it to not only promote our parties, but to push music when it needed to be pushed,” she detailed. As true pioneers of this era, she and her friends utilized Myspace to network, sell, and build an unshakable foundation. Undoubtedly, mentorship is an integral element to both enrich and catalyze one’s personal and professional lives. Although Rachel Jackson is a self-started with relentless entrepreneurial spirit, she has made solid choices with seeking wise counsel. Since the impressionable age of 15, she has interned within agencies where leaders instilled growth-mindset and encouraged her to explore different types of opportunities. She secured an internship at DTP Entertainment, which allowed her to network with Black women who were wise, powerful, and pioneering–including Ayisha Olufemi & Chaka Zulu. While reflecting, Rachie modestly described her route to greatness as “a very interesting journey,” and we celebrate her for being a trailblazer within artist development while on her path.
Building a Brand
Rachie attended the infamous Clark-Atlanta University for her undergraduate studies. She made her mark by participating serving as an Orientation Guide and joining various service-based, on-campus organizations. During her tenure, Luda Day Weekend was entering its prime and she served as a project manager for the collegiate relations, talent relations and sponsorship departments. From there, she expanded her reach and network by spreading her wings into the City of Atlanta during her time as the Market Manager for the tobacco-free campaign for teens, Fresh Empire where she leveraged relationships with the collegiate base and networked to receive support from prolific artists and local influencers. DJ Greg Street was a primary supporter, ensuring artists, promoters, etc. who wanted to reinforce their fanbase were in contact with Rachie to tap into both high school and college scenes.
Manifesting the Vision
The turning point to building her own brand was years ago when she realized that a position within entertainment and media had a ceiling; however, she refused for her talents and potential to be reduced and limited by one. She took a leap of faith and bet on herself, smoothly maneuvering until she was in the position in which she prayed to be. In her current role on YouTube Music’s global artist relation team, Rachie works to equip all partners with tools and resources to elevate their platform as they use YouTube’s platform. This is done by employing one of her top skills of “building deep and immersive relationships” with everyone–including artists, managers, PR reps, etc. Rachie is one of the most noteworthy professionals in her position, allotting opportunities to all creatives and people striving to achieve their goals. “People are saying you’re the GOAT,” Bri candidly praised her fellow queen during the interview as she asked Rachel what was next on her radar. “Unless it’s some crazy opportunity, I don’t see myself looking for any other opportunities.” While Rachie was touched by the collective feedback, she is taking the time to master what she is bringing into her current environment. Moreover, she is taking time to refine her focus on her entrepreneurial endeavors by “doing less and yielding more,” epitomizing the classic millennial approach of working smarter instead of harder to be more impactful.
Importance of a Healthy Work Environment
It is important to note that a truly healthy work environment positively impacts the entire person, not just who they are as an employee. Rachie highlighted her experience within her current role at YouTube Music, which is important for all professionals, especially those developing within their industry to be successful with work-life balance. “Personally, I feel that I have reached my ultimate and optimal career goal. I’ve always wanted to be in a place that allows me to be myself, that respected what I had going on outside of the building, and respects what I bring to my position,” Rachel expressed. Don’t settle for less, but understand when you’re in a position that grants adequate levels of freedom and flexibility to build your brand both inside and outside of the workplace. Additionally, she underscored the importance of having a cohesive and productive team. “I work on a team that’s so inclusive. Everybody’s heard; even when we disagree, we do so in a way that is so respectable that we can understand each other and take something away from it… and there aren’t many times that we don’t agree because we’re so harmonious.” This is important for mental, emotional, and physical processing on a daily basis. She continued, “My team works well together and I love what they allow me to bring to it. Everybody always wants to go where they feel appreciated and celebrated and I feel appreciated and fully celebrated where I am.” Those with whom we frequently interact have a direct impact on our processing, so ensure that your environment nurtures creativity and is a safe space for transparency.
Reflections and Advice for Rising Artists and Entrepreneurs
Rachie is passionate about developing something that pours into women who are looking to excel in music. She praised social media as a resource to connect with others, especially the opportunities it has afforded to Black women; however, even the positive posts can be overwhelming. She explained, “I think that sometimes we allow social media to pour into us negatively too much and allow us to burn out. Someone on Clubhouse called it ‘inspirational burnout,’ where there are too many signals of ‘Ok girl, go get it, keep building.’” Not everyone is on the level where they can move full throttle ahead because they are still rooting. Rachie requests for messaging that pours into women who are actually looking to find a career or other type of goal where they can actually be impactful. It is crucial for people to be fully present in their beginning phases and feel the beauty in it instead of the constant pressures to excel. Rachie expressed that they should feel comfortable asking questions and seeing solutions to meet them where they are, such as “ok im here now, what am i going to do?, What is going to be my next move?, or How am I going to make this opportunity that I’ve been afforded work in the best way?” She went further to urge readers that setting goals for over a year or two at a time is not a failure, it is not a lateral move, it is not a step backwards. “It literally solidifies you more than anything because it shows that you know how to optimize your time properly and be impactful,” she underscored. Understanding that building a sturdy foundation is key and appreciating the opportunity to be doing so is essential for staying focused and elevating. Rachie explained that she tries to be careful with her social media in both how and what she shares because she is aware that impressionable girls are watching and she is a role model. She recalls when she was younger before social media days when she looked up to famous women on screen and in ads and she wanted to do exactly what they were doing. Rachie brought more context, “Was I supposed to be thinking that way? No, because I have my own life to walk through. But at the same time, their lives and the way that they publicly live them really set the format for who I wanted to grow into, only to find out that I needed to grow into another version of myself.” Of course, we all have our phases to grow through and Rachie chooses to serve as the person who she needed during different times in the past. Granted the panoramic that we’re in, Rachel calls for social media being used more responsibly by public figures. Being that mentorship is indirect with the culture of “following” whoever we choose, what we put out there can be a piece of someone’s puzzle regarding how they respond to life in both negative and positive moments. “While we seek to continue to grow into ourselves by being honest, we need to make sure we’re putting out energy that we’re wanting to receive in the world. Being of service to all humankind even in our darkest moments. You may see me getting serious, but it shows when pushed, it’s okay for [women] to stand up for [themselves].” Women exude our divine feminine nature by being malleable, supportive, walking in our truths, as well as being strict with our boundaries–which should be strictly enforced, especially in regards to the internet/social media networks.
Get in Touch:
Stay tuned with exclusives and updates from Rachel Jackson by following her social media handles: @rachiebabie- IG, Twitter @itsmeRachie and https://linktr.ee/rachiebabie.
