I am delighted to introduce Sarah Thwaites as the second example of great female talent to appear in Thrive’s ‘Women Who Rock’ series. Sarah is a driven and focused young music industry leader at Sony Music. Having worked with music industry clients over the last few years, I’ve learned just how male dominated the industry has been historically. Sarah’s ambitions and her continued hard work has however paid off and she has been the Label Head for Masterworks and Sony Classical labels for the last year.
Sarah and I also share a passion for advocating flexible working and she recently appeared in the Telegraph’s Stella Magazine feature ‘The joy of flex’.
Who has opened doors for you?
I am incredibly lucky to have had some really wonderful mentors throughout my career, and I still rely on my mentors for advice now. I find that doors open because of a combination of luck, hard work and positive relationships.
What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?
The same advice that I give to all young women I work with: take a seat at the table, have an opinion and use your voice.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken?
Handing in notice is always a risk, as the grass isn’t always greener, but you have to be confident and in control of your own career.
What’s the best book you’ve read/podcast you’ve listened to so far this year?
I rarely listen to podcasts, because my work involves so much listening, so I prefer silence in my spare time. I recently read ‘Julian is a Mermaid’ to my daughter and found the message and illustrations incredibly moving.
When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?
Playing in the garden with my daughter is my favourite activity. Her vivid imagination and unlimited energy can pull me out of the grumpiest funk!
If you weren’t doing what you are doing, what would you have done?
I would work with children in some capacity. They are our future leaders.