Inspiring stories from inspired people
Lisa Brownlee is a music tour manager and artist. We recently sat down to talk about her career, mentorship, mental health advocacy and self-evolution.
"I love touring because I love the road and traveling. I also love being around people and taking care of them. That’s why I’m sometimes referred to as the “Tour Mom.”
Tell us about yourself. What would you like people to know about you?
I'm a music tour manager, and I've been on the road for 30 years working in a variety of roles, from general managing to production.
What inspires you?
Being creative is what's inspiring me right now. It's what's keeping me from losing my mind. Much like everybody else, I’ve never had so much free time, so I’m spending that time creating… all while listening to great music. I’ve been making a lot of collages and have turned it into a small business. It’s a great side hustle. Check them out at depop - @ms.elanius
"Oh my gosh girl, I cannot live without my AKAI products! I don’t leave home without them in my bag."
How do AKAI LIFE products help to support you?
I literally just popped a
25mg Body Balance Capsule because I slept on my neck wrong. I took it about 20 minutes ago and I’m already feeling relief. I use every single one of the AKAI products.
I suffer from a lot of “mature lady illnesses.” (laughs)
I have a really bad back, neck and suffer from anxiety.
The Nourishing Oil Drops Tincture is a must have for me, its always in my bag. For my face, I’m constantly using the
Zena Glow Facial Serum.
The other day I discovered that it’s GREAT for bad sunburns. I usually use aloe, but I decided to use a lot of the serum overnight—all over my face—and my burnt skin peeled off beautifully. I had baby skin underneath and it felt great. I couldn’t believe how quickly my burn was gone.
What is your story?
I didn't even know I wanted to be in the music business, but once I got exposed with a little foot in the door, it really took a hold on me and I just was a “yes” woman. I volunteered constantly, I showed my face everywhere I could, I worked for free for years, I slung merchandise, I hung posters. I just faked it until I made it.
I found mentors that made a huge impact for me. I learned to be true to myself and attach myself to a mentor. It’s important to find somebody that you believe in, somebody that inspires you, somebody who shares your same beliefs and ask all the questions you can. If you ask all the questions, there is potential. There is hope, it’s what made my life and career take off.
How do you inspire others?
I've been doing a lot of mentoring. There are a lot of young people wanting to get into music, so I've been trying to help where I can and mentor others, paying it forward by inspiring others to live their dreams.
Kevin Lyman, has been my biggest mentor. He is the creator and producer of the Vans Warped Tour. We met 30 years ago on the Lollapalooza tour. The Warped Tour is sadly over, but Kevin has moved on and still produces a lot of events. He was one of the main organizers of the
320 Festival. It feels good for me to inspire others by telling my story and encouraging people to go for their dreams. I encourage others to “Reach out and get it, it’s all possible.”
I love people asking me questions. I want to share what I know, because I want females to prosper in this business. And I want the next generation to do it the way that I was taught, because I think the blueprint works. If you have somebody willing to take the time to give you some guidance, if you ask all the questions, there is potential. There is hope to make it all happen and live the dream.
I was a panel speaker at the 320 Festival, it was three days of livestreamed events during the pandemic. A lot of artists and I jumped in and spoke on a panel for women in the music business about mental health, how we all support each other, and how we get through it every day.
If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
“EVOLVE” would be a word that would describe me, because I feel like I'm constantly evolving. One day I think I'm this person, and the next day I've added a few more things to that list of the person that I am. All hopefully positive, and reinforcing, and moving towards higher learning and expression.
Right now, I'm considering evolving my career. In the music business, we were the first to go out and probably the last to return. I need to parlay what I know into something else and I'm willing to evolve and not stay stuck in my same old cement boots.
"I have a lot of hope that live music will be back and better than ever, but until then, I will EVOLVE."
CBD & Mental Health:
Self-care and mental health are critical, but often difficult subjects to approach. With a variety of treatment options available for managing anxiety, depression, and a number of other mental health conditions, CBD presents an effective, safe, low impact option to help manage symptoms and maximize your personal well-being.
If you're interested in learning more, we encourage you to check out this great resource on the Project CBD website, discussing the relationship between CBD and anxiety related disorders.
Their website also contains incredible resources on the impact of CBD about a myriad of other health conditions. Check it out if you're curious about what CBD can do for you.
The overall mission of 320 is to bring awareness to mental health and provide resources to our community by normalizing the conversation surrounding all mental health pursuits. Providing hope and community are more essential than ever as all of us are impacted and being pushed past our normal limits during this pandemic. We are facing strange challenges emotionally, socially, fiscally, and academically, so speaking about our mental health in open discussions, especially while in isolation begins tearing down the walls of loneliness.
Recognizing that none of us are immune to mental distress is vital and pulling back the veil to remove associated stigma is the starting point for healing and awareness. If you're interested in watching inspiring discussions and awesome musical performances the festival was recorded and is available for free on the 320 Festival Youtube page.
