What do you do when people in power don’t believe in you? When they tell you you’re wrong — or worse, ignore your vision completely?
In this episode, I’m sharing the 8 biggest lessons from my A&R years in NYC: how I went from answering phones to signing artists, backing future superstars like Juliette Simms, Katy Perry, and Mark Foster, and learning to trust my vision before the world caught up.
These are the moments that shaped me: the risks I took, the times I trusted my gut, and what I learned when the world said “no.” If you’re building your dream, creating your next chapter, or learning to believe in yourself again — this one’s for you.
👇 Let me know in the comments which lesson resonated with you most. And don’t forget to subscribe — this community is for people who want to live what they love.
✦ CHAPTER 1: How To Find Your Passion (When You Have No Idea Where to Start) → https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HHzAjf8lkRvrxdgnw3ibJ?si=d31b9bcb1b59417a
🔔 FOLLOW: https://open.spotify.com/show/45uodFpMnMvgvXDsqQSVbF?si=8ab6d7e3d07b473a
❤️ FOLLOW ALLISON ON SOCIALS
✅ YouTube: https://youtube.com/AllisonHagendorf
✅ Official Website: https://allisonhagendorf.com
✅ Instagram: https://instagram.com/allisonhagendorf
✅ TikTok: https://TikTok.com/@allisonhagendorf
✅ X: https://x.com/allihagendorf
#confidence #trustyourself #allisonhagendorf #musicindustry #betonyourself
00:00 – Intro
01:58 – Lesson 1: There’s Opportunity in the Unglamorous
02:42 – Lesson 2: When the Door Opens, Walk Through
03:58 – Lesson 3: Believe Before There’s Proof
05:18 – Lesson 4: When Growth Stops, Move On
06:14 – Lesson 5: Champion Someone and Fight for It
07:23 – Lesson 6: Your Gut Is Wiser Than the Rules
09:04 – Lesson 7: The Next Chapter Is Already Inside This One
10:38 – Lesson 8: Trust Your Vision — Even If No One Else Does
11:32 – Outro + Final Takeaways
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19:40
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19:40
How to Find Your Purpose (When You Have No Idea Where to Start)
If you’ve ever felt like your passion doesn’t fit in a box—or like you’re meant for something more but don’t know where to begin—this is for you.
I didn’t have a master plan. Just a feeling. But that feeling changed everything.
In this first episode of my new series, I share how I went from a music-obsessed kid to becoming the Head of Rock at Spotify—without connections, a roadmap, or any guarantees.
💡 This is a story about purpose.
About choosing your path—even when it doesn’t make sense yet.
About following what lights you up—and trusting it to lead somewhere real.
🎬 What you’ll take away:
• What to do when you don’t know your purpose yet
• Why passion is your compass (even if you’re multi-passionate)
• How small steps can build a life-changing path
• What it really takes to turn your spark into something lasting
📌 New episodes drop weekly—subscribe to join a community of people living what they love.👇
https://www.youtube.com/@AllisonHagendorf
❤️ FOLLOW ALLISON ON SOCIALS
✅ YouTube: https://youtube.com/AllisonHagendorf
✅ Official Website: https://allisonhagendorf.com
✅ Instagram: https://instagram.com/allisonhagendorf
✅ TikTok: https://TikTok.com/@allisonhagendorf
✅ X: https://x.com/allihagendorf
#findyourpurpose #passiontopurpose #allisonhagendorf #inspiration #lifepath #purposedrivenlife #motivationalstory #originstory #womeninmusic
00:00 - Feeling stuck? You’re not alone
01:42 - Childhood signs you’re meant for more
03:06 - Dick Clark, dreams, and early ambition
04:47 - The Nirvana moment that changed everything
06:28 - When obsession becomes direction
07:25 - The role of connection over credentials
08:12 - Meeting your hero is just the beginning
09:21 - Real lessons about passion and purpose
10:08 - Your next step (starts now)
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18:27
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18:27
How Sleep Token Went from Cult Band to Global #1
Sleep Token just made history with Even in Arcadia, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 and redefining what it means to be a metal band in 2025. With zero interviews, masked identities, and a genre-blurring sound that fuses progressive metal, R&B, gospel, and ambient textures, they’ve become the most polarizing—and groundbreaking—band on earth.
In this video, I break down how Sleep Token rose from a cult following to global dominance, why they resonate so deeply with fans, and what their success means for the future of heavy music.
🎧 Featuring breakdowns of “The Summoning,” “Caramel,” and more.
💬 Drop a comment: Did Sleep Token convert you—or are you still not sold?
❤️ FOLLOW ALLISON ON SOCIALS
✅ YouTube: https://youtube.com/AllisonHagendorf
✅ Official Website: https://allisonhagendorf.com
✅ Instagram: https://instagram.com/allisonhagendorf
✅ TikTok: https://TikTok.com/@allisonhagendorf
✅ X: https://x.com/allihagendorf
#sleeptoken #eveninarcadia #sleeptokenreaction #progressivemetal #heavymusic #metalnews #rockrevolution
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17:39
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17:39
DPR IAN's full story: unique journey, new music & finding happiness
Allison sits down with singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, director, and visual artist, DPR IAN, who makes music you can see and feel and creates his own audiovisual language to express his unique creative vision. He recently put out his self produced EP Saint for which he also creates and directs all the videos and is currently on his “Dream Reborn” World Tour. They talk all about his musical journey, the lessons learned from accidentally becoming the leader of the K-Pop group, C Clown, his multifaceted talent, and the unique path he is paving to celebrate all of it.
• Watch & Subscribe https://youtube.com/AllisonHagendorf
• Listen & Follow: https://link.chtbl.com/TheAllisonHagendorfShow
• Follow Allison:
https://instagram.com/allihagendorf
https://TikTok.com/@allihagendorf
https://twitter.com/allihagendorf
Official Website: https://allisonhagendorf.com
The Allison Hagendorf Shop: https://allisonhagendorf.myshopify.com
Presented by Cloud Water
Visit https://www.cloudwaterbrands.com & Use code Allison30 for 30% your next order
An A-Game Production / Recorded at Danny Wimmer Presents Studios
Produced by Allison Hagendorf, Brian Jaffe, & Jake Miller
Thank you Karma Sauce
https://karmasauce.com
Photos by Nikki Phillips
Wardrobe by Tribute Project
https://tributeprojectcouture.com
Guest gift bags - Arctic Zone
https://arcticzone.com
Show Open Created & Edited by Guerilla McGavin
https://instagram.com/guerillamcgavin
https://guerillamcgavin.com
Show Open Music (Courtesy of Island Records): Kid Brunswick - Bipolar Rhapsody - https://sptfy.com/Q31a
Show Music: Ferdinand fka Left Boy - Sex Party - https://spoti.fi/3juqX1O
#DPRIan #DPR #TheAllisonHagendorfShow #Saint #KPop #CClown #Australia
00:00 - Show Open
02:20 - DPR Ian Interview
05:11 - Origins
07:58 - Starting a Band & Drumming & Dancing
11:07 - Packaging Experiences
12:20 - YouTube & Dance Tutorials
13:54 - Leaving Sydney
16:33 - Going to Korea
18:38 - K-Pop
24:10 - Lessons Learned & Low Points
26:01 - Bipolar Disorder
29:18 - K-Pop High Point
31:23 - Directing
32:48 - DPR Is Born
38:54 - The Music
41:13 - Cats The Musical & Theatrics
45:39 - Don’t Go Insane, Daft Punk & Fans
52:24 - Choreography
55:04 - New Music
56:20 - Mental State
59:25 - Deep Cuts
1:10:07 - Outro
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España