Focus On Helping People: Interview with Cassie Petrey, Co-Founder and CEO of Crowd Surf

I recently went one on one with Cassie Petrey, co-founder and CEO of Crowd Surf.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Cassie: I view my journey the same way I view building a pyramid. Layer one was building my foundation and love for music. I fell in love with concerts and live events and became a serial super fan from there. The next layer was mastering using the internet as a tool to be the ultimate super fan. I created an online magazine about the Backstreet Boys, then used that skill set to learn HTML and build websites. Then I used this experience to help local bands and record labels in Kentucky, which helped me build the perfect resume to land a job as a college representative at Warner Music Group. Warner Music Group let me build my digital marketing skills, which eventually gave me the platform to jump off of and build my company Crowd Surf 15 years ago. Then eventually, Crowd Surf needed its first employee. It's always been about little baby steps for me, and I like it that way. I love building brick by brick. It may not be for everybody, but I feel it in every little bit of my ethos.

Adam: What are the best lessons you have learned through your years working with leading entertainers?

Cassie: I've learned so many countless lessons that I'm very grateful to have experienced. Here's a couple ones that really stick out to me:

The first lesson is that everyone is just a human at the end of the day. Celebrities deal with the same issues we all deal with — just sometimes on a magnified scale. They worry what people think about them, if they hurt somebody's feelings if they're being misunderstood if they're doing good for the world, and all the other things that us "normal" people have in our lives. Your life experience matters just as much as theirs, and you often have more in common than you would imagine. It's easy to be of service to a world-famous entertainer when you are able to accept that they are not gods, and they deal with the same problems that everyone else does.

The second lesson is that "common sense" is not common. I used to not speak up in meetings and "state the obvious" because I assumed there was no way that none of these executives I looked up to would have missed the seemingly obvious thing that I was going to point out. I look back now and realize I could have really prevented some marketing campaigns going sideways if I would have spoken up. Now I have a rule that I hold myself to: say what you're thinking even if somebody might say "Cassie we of course already thought of that." I'd rather be embarrassed than regret not speaking up.

Adam: In your experience, what are the common qualities among those who have been able to enjoy success in the entertainment industry? What advice do you have for those either trying to break in or advance?

Cassie: One common quality I see among those trying to break into the music industry is absolute sheer determination. This field is not for the faint of heart, and it will weed out the ones who aren't passionate pretty quickly. If there is another field that will make you just as happy, go work in that field. It's going to be less stressful and you'll likely make more money that way. You should only work in entertainment if you literally cannot live without working in entertainment.

Adam: What are the keys to building successful relationships?

Cassie: The most important part of any relationship is providing value and support in another person's life. If you approach any relationship with the goal of leaving it better than you found it, there's no way it can go too wrong.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?

Cassie: When your service or product is providing value to people's lives, it makes selling, marketing, and branding it so much easier. Focus on making the best product you possibly can, and get help with the things that you aren't innately skilled at. There are a lot of great companies and consultants that can help you with everything else if the product is rock solid.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Cassie: The best leaders always prioritize other people over themselves. They're willing to have a client be upset with them rather than be upset with the employee. They're willing to take the backlash for a PR nightmare rather than their client getting the backlash. They think about the greater good of a brand or entity rather than what's best for themselves. I know I keep going back to this, but the easier way to lead people is to figure out how to help people. It's quite simple. When you're helping and adding value, you are leading.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

Cassie: 1. Your team won't (and shouldn't) work as hard as you work. Everyone is inspired by different things in life, and it's ok that they don't operate the same way as you do. If they did, they would be running a business that competes with your business.

2. Quit trying to be an "influencer" and just focus on helping people instead. The best influencers really are just the people who give the most back in their own unique way.

3. Every client and employee will quit one day (or you'll fire them). When you accept that and know that all good things must come to an end sometime, it relieves a lot of day-to-day anxiety.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Cassie: Beyoncé’s father Matthew Knowles was one of the first executives I spoke to in the early years of my business, and he gave me some great advice. He told me that I was trying to do too many things at once. He said do one thing really really well and become known for that. Then you can do whatever you want. I see so many people drowning in opportunity, and I feel like I was blessed to receive this advice at the right time in my career. And that's what I did. My company Crowd Surf became well known for digital marketing in entertainment, and now we've expanded into other adventures.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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