Meet Nikki Johnson-Bolden | Music Publicist and Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nikki Johnson-Bolden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikki, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I really started my own business because I love working one on one with musicians. I love to surround myself with creatives, and I try help them get their hard work seen through the skills I’ve honed over the last couple of years. Getting into the music industry on a professional level is difficult, especially when you live in a relatively small town like Denton. Although there are great artists here, there isn’t a big industry machine like there is in major cities like Los Angeles or even Austin. I wanted to be that helping hand that local musicians need.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Some people would describe my freelance management firm as a business, which is understandable, but I view it more as a creative vehicle. It’s all about the art of music and how to elevate it and put it in front of the public. I work with artists on a personal level – Hyphen Management is just me, so I get the joy of really getting to know the people I work with on a close level. Getting started definitely wasn’t easy and I’m still not in a phase where I would consider myself “established”, but I’m on my way there. My biggest obstacle has honestly been believing in myself and having the courage to even start Hyphen. I overcame that by remembering why I wanted to do it in the first place: my love for music. That outweighed all the fear and insecurity.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I was the tour guide for someone visiting Denton, the first place I would take them is Recycled Books. It is my absolute favorite place in town. It’s like time stops when you’re in there looking through all the books and vinyl records. Another awesome place to eat and hang is this dive bar that is also in Downtown Denton called The Loophole. It has a great vibe and is really cozy and fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I went to UNT and majored in journalism. I worked with the North Texas Daily for most of my time at school, and that’s really where I learned everything I know about writing, PR and the media industry. I made so many good friends there as well. I also delved into the DFW music scene through covering local music for the publication, which is what inspired me to use my communication skills to work with musicians the way I do now. Big shout out to the Mayborn School at UNT and the North Texas Daily!

Website: hyphenmanagement.com

Instagram: @nikkijobo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-johnson-bolden-488a44182/

Image Credits
All images by me. Photo of the girl sitting on the grass with tarot cards is my client Lauren Cashion.