impact the lives of so many young people in our industry. The program ensures a stronger set of industry leaders for decades to come, and I couldn’t be prouder of what it’s become. What’s your defining leadership moment? In my experience, leadership tends to show up when things are difficult more so than when they’re going well. This example is both in that spirit and quite recent: A peer manager of mine pointed out friction be- tween our teams that was rooted in com- munication. These communication issues weren’t something that showed up in a big explosive way, but a low-lying smolder that was wearing on our teams over the course of months, and, in some cases, years. This had been going on for a long time and was never given the attention it deserved, so we worked together to address it in a way that resulted in a better work experience for both teams. We developed a multi-departmental train- ing that identified the issue, the root cause and behaviors that would make a positive
change. The training focused on the reality of the stress that comes with being a supplier and our need to be a cohesive team to work through difficult times for the sake of each other and our partners. It focused on slow- ing down in order to speed up with curious and collaborative communication. Finally, it focused on being able to identify when a team member was struggling with their communication and providing supportive, peer-to-peer accountability. We managed to make an uncomfortable topic approachable, safe and actionable. I was proud to be a part of the solution. MI PROFESSIONAL AWARDS, MEMBERSHIP & RECOGNITIONS: Nexlevel Progressive Award; Salesperson of the Year (three-time recipient); Profit King (five-time recipient); Platinum Club (five-time recipient); Dave Renz Memorial Award; LEAD International Leadership Development Program; West Music Vendor Rep of the Year; NAMM YP Executive Committee member, including former NAMM YP president; and AIMM Part- nership Award for Outstanding Innovation Practices.
JEREMY PAYNE, 39 Vice President of Sales The Music People in Berlin, Connecticut What’s your biggest professional accomplishment? I’m really proud to say that I founded and built the NAMM Young Professionals Men- torship Program. Since its inception in 2018, the mentorship program has paired over 200 young people with mentors. I can so clearly see how this program will continue to grow and
42 I MUSIC INC. I NOVEMBER 2026
Powered by FlippingBook