Hi Rebecca, long time no see! Thanks for speaking with me — how are you?
I’m very well, thanks. I’m looking forward to chatting!
Shall we start at the beginning? Can you tell me about yourself and your background?
My name is Rebecca, and I grew up in Stockholm, Sweden. If you want to go way back, my father was a political refugee from Chile in the 1970s. He met my mum, who is Swedish, after he fled to Sweden in the 1980s. He’s from a very upper-class, academic background. My mum is from a working-class background and was the first academic in her family.
They gave me three choices for life after school: law, finance, or medicine. Pick your poison. They had high hopes for me, so I went into law. But while studying law at University, I quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t at my best. I decided to finish my degree, which I felt was the right thing to do. You only really need a lawyer when the shit hits the fan and you’re on one side of the fence. I really wanted a career where I could create solutions without any party losing out.
Music has always been my main creative outlet. I’ve always DJed, booked artists, gone to parties, and enjoyed the nightlife scene as much as I could. One of my friends, who was much better at school than I was, got me an opportunity to join Absolut Vodka as a brand ambassador. They trained me in the drinks industry, the brand, its art heritage, and what it looks and feels like in nightlife.
They sent me to Amsterdam to activate the brand. A big part of that was getting to know as many people as possible and building a network. I would co-create events and help the brand get to know the LGBTQ+ space. Amsterdam is a very small community, so I found it quite easy to find the right people. And it helps when you have vodka as your resource to bargain with!
I spent around five years at Absolut Vodka in various roles — mostly events and experiential, but I realised that as a brand, they didn’t have a direction when it came to music and the artists they worked with. So, I convinced my manager to let me set up a music strategy that used my knowledge of youth culture and how we could keep the brand cool. That whole process has helped my career so much, and it’s still on my CV!
After Absolut Vodka, I moved to London as Head of Music at a small agency called Pitch & Sync. My role there was to deal with the licensing of music for advertising and brand artist partnerships. I worked with production, creative and advertising agencies and brands to compose and produce original music for their campaigns or activations. I worked there for around four years before meeting my partner, who is Northern English and didn’t really enjoy living in London.
We were approaching our mid-30s and decided we wanted a family, so living in London didn’t feel right. We settled on Stockholm, and I started with H&M Group’s digital merch platform, Creator Studio. My role here is to find the right partners for the brand within the music industry and closely related creative Industries.
I talk to the music business about what products and services they and their peers want from a merchandise partner. A big part of my role is to advise the marketing team about where to advertise to reach a music audience. To summarise my scattered career, I think I’m the bridge between music talent and commercial reality.
You don’t have to be the main character to exist in the creative world. You can be an accountant and still influence a new, cool indie label, or you can be a project manager in an agency. The creative world is massive, and the industry has so many unexpected paths. There’s no set format for how you exercise your creativity. You might start as an artist or designer and then transition to a managerial role. Or the other way around. If you want to be in the creative industry, there are unconventional routes that might not be obvious.
Does your legal background help you marry those two things together?
Hmm. It helps when you sit with the big tech company or one of the major music labels, and neither side won’t budge. It’s helped me navigate and negotiate agreements, personalities, and collaborations. Everyone needs to feel like they are getting something, so I feel I can balance those goals quite well. I’ve been able to jump into different roles and see what’s important and what can be taken out without losing anything.
What was school like?
Since becoming a mother, I’ve asked myself, ‘who would I be if I wasn’t a music person?’. I know I wouldn’t have come out of my shell as a 14-year-old girl who wanted to listen to East Coast rap music when all my friends listened to indie. I had to take my fake ID and get into concerts on my own, being really shy. I had to network and grow as a person. I had to introduce myself and make new friends so that I could go to the next gig with someone and feel a little more comfortable. Music has made me a stronger person, and I’ve made friends for life.
I believe many people start their creative journey in their early teens. That’s such a fragile time in your life. But, if you find your peers — even if you’re into Norwegian Death Metal — then it will help you. That’s so unique and so rare. Be proud of your individuality. Embrace it and don’t be afraid to show it.
There are communities on Reddit or Discord where you can share your illustrations and get feedback. The creative community spans across the world now. You can be talking to someone in Australia, and they’re only 10 or 11 hours ahead. You could co-create a project together. That’s so cool. So, regardless of how you are as an individual, you don’t have to be an extrovert and network; you can still find your community online. I’m happy that it exists for young creatives now.
There’s a stereotype of what a creative person looks and sounds like. What their personality is, what they like, and how they dress. That stereotype just isn’t true. You can be different on all those parameters and still succeed in the creative industries. You also don’t have to be ‘the creative’ to be creative.
How was the transition from University to Absolut Vodka? What helped you, and what held you back?
Having the confidence and support of my bosses was really important. They hired me as they felt I’d be a good personality fit. But at the start, I struggled loads. I remember having so much anxiety in the beginning. I would say the wrong thing or not understand the abbreviations and acronyms. I’d have to Google things after meetings to make sure I was on the right track.
In hindsight, getting my first gig was really just a fluke. I was in the right place at the right time. But that’s how opportunities come about — you need to be open to them. Take them with both hands, make the most of them and prove you can do it to people.
I found the early days of my career super stressful — but I might have found that regardless of where I ended up. At University, you’re in a safe space with your peers… then suddenly, you’re in a not-so-safe space. You’re probably entering at the lowest point on the ladder — if there’s a hierarchy like that. You might not have a good manager or supportive colleagues. So you have to find your footing and show initiative, and at the same time be new at something. The start is always the hardest part of any journey.
What I realised was that there are so many human aspects to commercial creativity. Sometimes the creative output isn’t the one you envisaged — it’s often a compromise, or your boss’s boss’s boss who has the final say. That’s also the reality of being in a commercially creative field. It’s not always the most creative idea that wins or gets attention internally. So being able to navigate difficult personalities or complicated processes is really important. If your brain doesn’t naturally work that way, it’s good to have someone onside who can help you negotiate, present and manage your work so that everyone gets what they need.
You’ve always had DJing as a creative outlet too — is a love for music the thing that links everything up for you?
Yes, exactly. That’s definitely true. Growing up as part of the nightlife scene in Stockholm and Amsterdam, we all knew each other. Different jobs and opportunities would come through that network, and music has been a great way to learn how to collaborate creatively. You can make mistakes and learn from them.
Have you ever had a mentor?
No, not as such. It’s something I’ve definitely tried to have over the years, but I think what I’ve lacked in my quest for a mentor has been the purpose of the mentorship. So… I’ve not been the best mentee! There have been times when I’ve been searching for my next step, so I’d reach out to people I trust and ask their opinion, but I’ve never had a formal mentor that I do regular check-ins with.
One trick I’ve learned is that you sometimes need to filter through the bullshit of senior people. It helps to have a radar for finding who’s there to make a genuine impact. You might have a manager who lacks diplomacy or is a heavy-handed communicator, but they have a really cool perspective. So there are things you can learn — both good and bad — from everyone.
What principles underpin your work?
I would relate the question to my previous role at Pitch & Sync. ‘Don’t screw the little guy over’. When brands come calling and demand the world for nothing, it’s okay to tell them that it’s not doable. But, for someone who makes a living off their creativity and might not have consistent income, it’s cool to have their back — even though you’re working within a budget. So, I’ve definitely tried to stick to that as much as possible.
You’ve always struck me as a very honest person. Do you see that in yourself?
I always think back to Radical Candor by the author Kim Scott. She talks about radical candour, as you can be human, warm and kind but still honest and drive results. That mindset has stuck with me. When you have responsibilities over a team or a project, being up front about what you need to do just makes everything easier.
I also think I’m quite impatient. I still do the British back-and-forth about the weather five times before getting to the point, but I think it’s important to be upfront with what we’re here to do.
What brings you joy?
I love it when I can help bring a concept to life. Things like pitching a song for an IKEA advert that’s by a brilliant new artist. They’ll get so much exposure, payment and growth from that. Seeing his or her music aired on the telly for two months excites me. There’s a lot of royalty and cash for the artist when picking a song, so I get the most joy from seeing other creatives rewarded for their passion, talent and hard work.
And how do you stay inspired?
People inspire me. New artists, underground producers, and unique brands. I love coming across young filmmakers from south of London with a totally unique visual approach that makes me sit back and think, ‘no one’s done it this way before’. I love that because I know I could help them take their next steps. They probably won’t have a Marketing Director, but they know they need to find ways to expand and make money from their talent.
In 2025, when everything is commoditised, it feels good to help young talent progress. The music industry is a machine — even protest music can be adapted to fit with a Pepsi commercial now. Folk punk is commercialised. So you ask yourself, ‘What the hell is going on? How can we bring back a sense of authenticity to things?’
I went into the city the other day and I saw a young kid, maybe 12 years old, with a proper punk mohawk, studs and a leather jacket. Maybe there’s something anti-establishment happening? How can we help the dance music world break out of the £200 festival tickets and ‘underground raves’?
Gen Z is listening to more music than ever before. We know they listen to more music from various decades and genres.
I think some forces want to move back to music that feels commercialised and more authentic. Real human connections.
What challenges does our industry face at the moment?
The bar has been set quite high now. I’ve never experienced at a previous time throughout my career a higher number of very, very talented people out of work. It’s really daunting when you look at the numbers.
I’m also seeing an anti-AI movement that goes back to the drawing board, literally. People want to see pencil strokes made by a human so they know they’re seeing something real. I think we’re seeing something about implode, because people want a realness, but how do you get that without taking a big step back? Are we going analogue now?
We need to understand that the creative industries are not just for the artists themselves. It’s also for people like me who understand creatives and how the creative world works commercially. You need lots of people to piece together this complex, evolving puzzle.
I agree. The industry has so many opportunities for people across the board. It’s a huge production, and there are so many people making that happen. We’re seeing a backlash against purely online brands because people don’t know what they can trust now. Is this image AI? Are these reviews fake? Are the ingredients what they say they are?
Exactly. You can also see that when it comes to marketing activity. I’m seeing more physical activations than before — people in the street handing out samples. I thought that had gone forever!
What advice would you give to someone entering the creative industries?
Your peers are not your competition. Even though there’s a lack of roles right now, especially at entry level, they will be your project team member at some point. Or your manager. Or you’ll manage them. You will meet each other in the real world, and it’s better to keep that in mind.
It’s also okay to have another job in between creative roles. It’s okay to do retail. It’s okay to do fast food. It’s okay to put food on the table and pay your bills. You’re still a creative.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
We’re not saving lives. Take your work seriously, but learn to relax, too.
Thank you so much for that, I really enjoyed hearing about your experiences.
Thank you so much for having me, and good luck.
