In a recent episode of the Profitable Musician Show, host Bree Noble sat down with Raven Rae—a multifaceted singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and mindset coach—for an inspiring conversation about building a fulfilling and sustainable music career. Whether you’re an emerging artist or a seasoned performer, Raven Rae’s journey offers valuable lessons on carving your niche, establishing boundaries, and valuing yourself and your art.
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Turning Pain into Art: The Professional Butterfly
Raven Rae’s musical journey began early, rooted in her experience singing in the church at age four. “From there, I kind of just started falling into these programs and going to school for music and art and different things like that, and getting the training that I really needed,” Raven shares. Embracing songwriting at a young age, she soon discovered the therapeutic power of music. Her first project, released at 19, focused on mental health—a theme that continues to run through much of her work. As she puts it, “I blend music, storytelling, and wellness together to create my brand, which I call the Professional Butterfly.”
The concept of transformation is central to Raven Rae’s artistic identity. “Professional Butterfly is basically me taking what I’ve gone through, turning my pain into art, and I call it Butterfly Language… everything kind of just really circles around that transformation,” she explains. It’s a message she encourages other artists to adopt—infusing their work with personal meaning while connecting with others.
Finding Focus: The ‘FAME’ Framework
A recurring challenge for artists is balancing creativity with focus. Often, musicians feel pressure to chase every opportunity, leading to burnout or diluted impact. Raven recognizes this struggle. “There’s so many different avenues. Like, everybody doesn’t want to be a mainstream artist. Everybody doesn’t even want to be an indie artist. Some people want to do sync, some people just want to be behind the scenes, some people want to produce.”
Her solution is a powerful acronym: FAME. “FAME is Focus, Aspire, Mentally prepare, and then Execute. And it’s this powerful framework I came up with in my book Butterfly Language.” Raven recommends artists focus their energy on “what you’re trying to do. And that’s really the point of the FAME framework—focus.” The lesson? Don’t spread yourself too thin—choose your lane and pursue it with intention.
Mastering the Art of the Pitch
One of the practical hurdles discussed in the episode is pitching yourself for gigs, press, and radio. Raven’s advice is clear: systematize your outreach and keep it concise. “What I like to do is I have spreadsheets, I have Google Docs, I have all of these different systems to keep my pitching organized.” She adds, “You don’t need to give everybody your whole life story in a Gmail, but you’re just taking what you want to do. So if you’re pitching yourself for a show, you’re just saying your short little bio… very short and sweet.” The key is consistency and volume: “I have a list of about 100 or so that I like to do at least minimum a week… Prospecting is something artists need to be doing on a regular basis, weekly.”
Setting Boundaries and Knowing Your Worth
When discussing payment and boundaries, Raven is passionate about artists refusing to play lengthy gigs for meager fees. “You’re kind of giving away your sauce for pennies. And then what happens is you’re kind of devaluing your art in a way… And then they’re probably going to say no because I heard you did this.” She encourages artists to build a reputation that reflects their value: “If you have high value art, you believe in what you do, it’s okay to negotiate what you deserve.”
Monetizing Beyond the Stage
Raven Rae’s approach to income is as creative as her music. In addition to live shows, she sells a book, “Butterfly Language,” which ingeniously incorporates QR codes linking each chapter to a corresponding song. Merchandise like “musical candles” with QR codes, bundles pairing books and shirts, and even natural vegan products demonstrate her multi-passionate business strategy. As Raven says, “You just really need to think outside of the box. We’re so creative… come up with something creative that you can sell to package your brand.”
Believing in Your Art
Above all, Raven Rae’s message is about unwavering self-belief. “You have to be your number one cheerleader, your number one fan, and then it’s like your fans or your community. But if you’re not believing in what you’re saying, then… I don’t know what to tell you. You just have to write stuff that you love.”
Raven Rae is proof that, with focus, self-value, and creative entrepreneurship, you can thrive in the music industry—on your own terms.
Catch the full episode to hear more from Raven Rae, and follow her journey at ravenrayofficial.com.
