Mothers in Music: Navigating Parenthood and a Career in Music / DJing

Building a Sustainable Career: Long-Term Success in the Industry

Dubbed Palestine’s queen of techno, few artists know how to build a sustainable career in dance music quite like Sama’ Abulhadi. She went from Ramallah’s local hero to global headliner after her now-legendary 2018 Boiler Room set, and has since launched her own label and played Coachella, Glastonbury, Tomorrowland, and Awakenings. In our podcast finale, she opens up about how she built a sustainable career rooted in authenticity and activism, reflects on the realities of long-term success, and offers advice for others carving out their own path in music.

Mothers in Music: Navigating Parenthood and a Career in Music / DJing

What does it mean to navigate motherhood in music? How do artists balance family life with touring, late nights, and the demands of a DJ career? Cristina Lazic is paving the way. Since learning to DJ on maternity leave in 2016, she’s headlined Ibiza’s super clubs and released on Crosstown Rebels and Bedrock, all while advocating for structural change in the industry. In this episode, Cristina shares how she balances motherhood and music, the challenges and the rewards, and her vision for a more inclusive, supportive future in dance culture. Make sure you stick around for the surprise guest at the end.

Beyond the likes: DJing in the social media era

Social media is both a blessing and a burden for many artists. Viral clips, follower counts, and online engagement are starting to feel just as important as the music itself — but how can we manage burn-out while turning online popularity into real-world success? Annabel Stop It’s career began online through a series of viral moments, and she’s since grown into one of the UK’s most promising artists. In this episode, Annabel shares how she turned online momentum into a thriving DJ career, and how she feeds the social media beast while taking care of her mental health.

Behind the Scenes: The Role of Managers, Agents & Labels

Ask any of the world’s biggest artists how they made it, and they’ll credit their team of managers, agents and labels. But what role do they play in an artist’s career? In this episode, we hear from Maria May, the first woman to receive the IMS Legends Award and a powerhouse agent at CAA who represents David Guetta, Paul Kalkbrenner, Sara Landry and more. Maria shares exactly how she helped build historical careers, what really goes on behind the scenes, and why she’ll never stop championing equity within club culture. **Disclaimer: Paul Kalkbrenner is represented by CAA’s Team Disco worldwide, and his responsible agent is Roman Trystram.

The Art of Performance: Confidence, Stage Presence & Crowd Connection

What makes a DJ’s performance unforgettable? Is it stage presence, crowd connection, or turning a set into pure theatre? This episode explores all this and more with Lady Shaka, a performer who just never misses. The London-based, Afro Pasifika artist, producer, and DJ shares how she learned the art of performance,  from her start as a dancer with Parris Goebel’s Royal Family to founding London’s first ever Afro Pasifika club night. Lady Shaka has reshaped what connection and presence mean in dance music — and the best part is, you can learn how to craft performances that genuinely move people too.