Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Dartez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in East Texas and always dreamed of working in the music industry. As most who currently work in the business, I aspired to be a singer/artist. Shortly after making the move to Nashville when accepted to Belmont University, I decided the artist life WAS NOT for me… so I began interning everywhere I could get my foot in the door. My first internship was at a prominent management company and the staff took me under their wing and showed me the ropes of the music business. I look back on that internship with so much gratitude because those same managers now hire my firm to handle PR for their clients.
I went on to intern at a major label in the PR department, the Grand Ole Opry in the marketing department and landed a full time job in PR as a junior in college. I quickly realized that PR was my strong suit and began cultivating my relationships with media contacts.
Throughout college I also worked at a popular local bar in downtown Nashville. It was there that I learned how to interact with just about anyone and was also introduced to a lot of music industry professionals who I now work with daily.
I met my business partner, Carly Caramanna in 2011. Carly attended NYU and started her career in PR in NYC. She began working with Nashville labels as their NYC liaison for album street week media tours. After building a large database of national media contacts in New York, Carly made the move to Nashville and we met shortly thereafter. We quickly came to the conclusion that with our combined contacts in country music and national media and passion for networking, we should take the leap and launch our own PR firm. Of course with any business partner situation you have to go into it knowing you and your partner will be able to get along and secondly have the same short and long term goals in mind. Fortunately, 5 years later, I consider Carly a member of my family and we continue to work together harmoniously.
In December of 2012 Carly and I launched C2 Media Relations. We crammed our office into my spare bedroom for three months before moving into an office on Music Row in the spring of 2013. Over the past 5 years we have enjoyed working with country, pop and bluegrass artists, bestselling authors, brands, fairs and festivals and charity organizations. We have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best people in the business who we now call friends.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has honestly been a very smooth road. We are extremely grateful. There are definitely ups and downs such as when you don’t land a client you were hoping for, or a client you have been working with for a long time leaves… but we do our best to minimize the likelihood of both of those scenarios.
Please tell us about C2 Media Relations.
C2 Media Relations is a full service public relations company that executes media tours in New York City, Los Angeles and beyond for the hottest acts in music and entertainment from established artists to up-and-coming talents. Clients can expect to work directly with us at C2 Media Relations and receive services that go above and beyond. C2 Media clients have been seen across all platforms of traditional and non-traditional media including: TODAY Show, Fox News Channel, Country Weekly, PEOPLE, AXS-TV, Billboard, ABC’s The Bachelor, Good Morning America, AOL, USA Today, Us Weekly, Boston Globe, SIRIUSXM, Hallmark Channel, ABC News, and many more.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CURRENT AND PAST CLIENTS: Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam Music Festival, Lonestar, Justin Moore, Ronnie Milsap, Greg Bates, Craig Campbell, Kristen Kelly, Easton Corbin, Clay Walker, Lucy Angel, AXS Television Network, Smithfield, Leah Turner, Countryflo Music Festival, New Hollow, The Oak Ridge Boys’ Richard Sterban & William Lee Golden
Although we primarily do PR, we wear many hats in the industry. From artist development, to consulting, to artist management, to social media and digital marketing… we do whatever it is we can to take our acts to the next level.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
To not take things personally. I look forward to constantly learning and growing as a business owner and publicist.
Contact Info:
- Address: 800 18th Ave South
Nashville, TN 37203 - Website: www.c2mediarelations.com
- Phone: 903-452-3579
- Email: chelsea@c2mediarelations.com
- Instagram: @C2mediapr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/C2MediaRelations
- Twitter: @C2MediaPR
at Lucchese on April 19, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Image Credit:
All professional photos – Jake Anderton
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