Pulse Radio is proud to be supporting and working with the Women Leadership Summit, which has been taking place this week from Wednesday, September 18th to Friday, September 20th in New York. The conference is a way for successful ambitious women to come together through a series of events surrounding women leadership, innovation, and changing gender inequality in the workplace. In conjuction with the event, we will be conducting a series of interviews with prominent successful businesswomen behind the scenes in the world of electronic music.
Jen Schiffer founded Verboten along with her husband John Perez over ten years ago. The company quickly established itself as a leader in bookings, event production, and promotions in the New York underground electronic music scene with events featuring some of the biggest names in deep house and techno. Jen was also instrumental in arranging Guy Gerber's Wednesday night party concept "The Wisdom of the Glove" at Pacha Ibiza. We had the chance to catch up with her to discuss her career path and how she initially got into the electronic music industry, her many roles at Verboten, and her advice to young women looking to follow in her footsteps.
Did you find your way into your current role on a linear path or were there many twists and turns that brought you to where you are now? I'm the definition of twists and turns. I've worked on Capitol Hill and the White House and then Spin Magazine in the 90s - all before I got into dance music. I think the experiences that I had managing political candidates or throwing large rock events built the foundation for me to be a slightly 'different' dance music professional.
How long have you been working within the electronic music industry? 13 years
Who were some important mentors you learned from in your early career? Nicky Balestrieri - formerly of Paper Magazine, now with BMF Media - brought John and I into Crobar. It really was a career changing moment . As for female mentors, early on in dance music there were very few women to look up to. Sarah Varley, who I worked with at Subliminal Records was a great friend and Claire from Manumission was inspiring, but it wasn't until recently that I can say I had a female mentor, Barbara Raho of Golden Seeds, who formerly owned Urban Outfitters and has been guiding me with the financial side of opening a nightclub.
As head of Verboten one of NY's largest electronic event production companies in New York City, many people might not think that you also perform several other roles like artist management. What other things are you responsible for in your current role? Currently I use the title 'Director of Operations', but that leaves out what I love the most, as I also do all the DJ bookings beyond the nightly operations. We have a team of 8 people right now, so although it's a big project I'm not alone. It's going to grow exponentially in the next year, as aside from Verboten parties we are also building a nightclub.
Mike Roche & John
You're also rumored to be unveiling a new night club experience in the Williamsburg area, do you have any colleagues who've helped show you the way in this arena or has it all been a learning process built upon your experience with the countless previous events in other spaces? The rumors are true, we're opening a large nightclub in North Williamsburg. It's the brick and mortar realization of our Verboten brand, and is built for all things we believe in; a nice big dance floor, a focus on customer service, great sound, and the options for multi use.
My husband and I have found a new amazing person to become part of our team at every step of the way. Mike Roche, our production director, has been with us since our baby days with Erick Morillo and has been producing Verboten parties since its inception. He is central to the whole operation. We also have the pleasure of the support form the Provocateur owners, Brian Gefter and Michael Satsky - they do something very different than us but love the music too. The owners of RISE Boston, a long standing club, have also come on board to lend their expertise.
Who is currently under your care? We care for Guy Gerber full time, as well as Ida Engberg and Bill Patrick. But until the club opens, we've got our hands full. Next year we're looking to expand our management roster and have some great staff coming aboard to help do so.
You also have helped in arranging Guy Gerber's successful Wednesday night event "The Wisdom of the Glove" at Pacha in Ibiza. Filling the rather large shoes of Eric Morillo seems like a monumental task but the season seems to have been a great success. Tell us a little bit about the process of managing an artist and a new night from the other side of the Atlantic. No one will fill the shoes of Erick Morillo, in my eyes - he was my first big DJ client, I owe him an immense amount of respect. Guy is a very very different musician and we're lucky to have the support of Pacha in building Guy's avant garde Wisdom of the Glove concept this summer. The process of building a deal and a vision and then being responsible for the bookings was like squeezing half a year of Verboten into one summer. It required me getting up way too early and working extra long hours, in order to catch the Europeans during their workday. Most people move to the island for the summer. While I got to spend a few weeks there, I obviously needed to spend my time in Brooklyn as well.
Verboten made its name by doing parties all over New York City in various venues but this summer has expanded to include the Stage One series as well. What have been the key takeaways from your first summer on the East River? It was great to build it from scratch, a true vision of what a huge event can be. Throwing a 21+ event really makes all the difference; the crowd is just so much more mature, we can book great music and have what is just a special day.
What are some of the obstacles you encounter as electronic music continues to attract more people with less of a connection to it trying to make some quick money? The biggest obstacle here is that some great DJs have had horrible shows for big money and now they think their fees should be that high fee all the time. Don't doubt for a second that the DJs are as much part of the quick money game as the new participants in dance music. I am officially old enough to remember the last time dance music was 'big', it will wax and wane and the best people to work with are the people that are here all the time.
Some people suggest never working with family but an integral part of your operation is your husband, John. What's the secret to making it work? This question always makes me laugh! I would be lost without John. I'm not a promoter, John's a promoter. The key to working with family is to have separate jobs, so you can focus on separate areas and not have too much overlap. It's also key to separate personal time from work time, as the two can easily cross over. In all seriousness, I wouldn't be in dance music without John. It's not the most trustworthy business, and working with John constantly reminds me how lucky I am that I have an honest partner.
Luciano & Carl Craig
What advice do you have for young women looking to find a way to make a living in the electronic music world? So many people are here in dance music just to have fun. Be the kind of person who works a shift, comes early, leaves late and stays sober. It's really easy to fall into temptation but the reality is there's plenty of times to have fun and learning the party/work balance is key to success. My first big promotion in dance music was because my boss was too wasted to work his shift at a very prestigious club. If you can prove yourself as reliable and trustworthy, it will go a long way in this industry. And by the way, you don't get more business by sleeping with the talent!