Dear Sorilbran,
Okay, I’ve been thinking about what you said about marketing, and it still sounds like a bit of a leap to go from playing gigs to becoming a marketing expert? Seriously??
You’re saying that not only did we learn marketing, but our work has made millions of dollars and we’ve built a legacy in marketing? That’s INSANE.
Okay, so what about the old crew? Did any of us figure out how to make it? Like, for real.
Also, you said we’re back to making music now, and I’m trying to picture what that even looks like. Are we gigging? Writing? Producing? Are we doing it alone, or do we have a crew again? Does it feel the same?
I guess I’m just trying to figure out what the future holds and how all of these pieces fit together. Did we make something meaningful out of this crazy detour? Because right now, it’s hard to imagine how stepping away from music, from friends, from everything we loved, could add up to anything worth it.
So, please, tell me the truth. Did we figure it out? Did we find a way to make it all make sense?
-Rib
Girl, yeah-
We became a marketing expert. Hardcore, right? And it’s not just cool—it’s empowering. But let me break it down because I know this sounds like a complete 180 from where you are now.
It wasn’t a straight shot from music to marketing. It was a gradual evolution, almost like the next logical step I didn’t even know I was taking. When we moved to Georgia, I wanted to try something new—to see if I could make it as a professional writer. That’s where it started: ghostwriting. From 2010 onward, I wrote everything from ebooks to academic papers to guides for authors. By the time I counted, I had ghostwritten over 60 books.
What I didn’t realize back then was how closely tied writing and marketing were becoming. The internet was transforming marketing, and content was at the heart of it. If you wanted to market anything, you needed writing. So as I honed my craft as a writer, I naturally started understanding marketing. It wasn’t just words on a page; it was about how those words connected with people, how they got found, and how they converted curiosity into action.
Now, here’s the part that will blow your mind: we mastered it. The same drive you have for music? That relentless hunger for excellence? That’s in us, no matter what we’re focused on. I took that drive and aimed it at marketing. And we didn’t just dabble. We studied patterns, algorithms, and consumer behavior like we used to study chord progressions and live performances. We became one of the voices shaping the conversation in marketing.
And let me tell you, we did things we never imagined. Our work generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue and influenced entire industries. The strategies we developed have helped brands grow and thrive. And you know what? That fulfillment we chased in music—the need to prove ourselves, to be seen—it got satisfied here.
Now, coming back to music, I don’t carry that weight anymore. It’s not about proving anything. It’s about creating because the music is in me and needs to come out. The marketing experience changed how we approach music. I study emerging patterns, listen to new artists daily, and create with a deeper understanding of what connects with people today.
As for the music scene back in the day, it’s bittersweet. Some of our friends stayed in music; others pivoted like we did. Not everyone “made it.” I won’t name names, but while you were away, we streamed music from some of your friends. And it’s also worth noting that now that we’re back, we stream the music of my Georgia friends. Haha! We weren’t active in the music industry, but it always had a way of finding us.
Currently, we serve as a lyricist and composer for a group called The Luv Files with Chris, Paul, and a new bestie named Frank. But we’re also building a separate collaborative that has more of an open door policy. It’s in the ideation stage now, while I’m building out the new home studio set up. But yeah… that’s happening, too.
I’ve learned that success in music isn’t just about talent. It’s about timing, visibility, and yes—marketing. As providence would have it, “airplay” in the music industry isn’t run by program directors anymore - the industry runs on algorithms. I was surprised to realize that when I came back. The modern music industry looks similar to the game I’ve been playing with Google for the last fourteen years!
Ain’t that just like God to send ME on a journey to learn a thing that YOU can't fathom us needing to know now? Only to discover that thing is exactly what WE would need to understand coming back into music all these years later. The beauty of this most treacherous journey is that in isolation we were able to gain the tools and knowledge we needed in order to come back and help our tribe fulfill the call on their lives. And you know what - because I’ve been so successful in marketing, I no longer feel the draw of the lights or the stage, and I can take a step back and be the person behind the scenes. Crazy, right?
So, here we are. Writing, marketing, and creating again. The road was long and unexpected, but it’s been worth it. The tools we’ve gained, the lessons we’ve learned—they’ve set us up for where we’ve always wanted to go.
With love,
Sorilbran
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