My First Job in Music: Miguel Ramos
Every month, Queer Capita highlights LGBTQ+ Music Industry Leaders through our series, My First Job in Music.
We continue the series with Miguel Ramos (He/Him), the Founder & Artist Manager of Elevación Talent LLC. Based in Washington, DC, Miguel’s journey into music is a story of creating your own path and recognizing that a career pivot doesn’t mean starting from scratch. After more than a decade building experience across sales, marketing, strategy, and data analytics for major consumer brands and publicly traded companies, Miguel turned his attention to the entertainment industry and launched his own artist management and development company. He opens up about the power of asking questions, how relationships can become a roadmap when there’s no traditional career path to follow, and why sometimes you have to be the person who builds the path that didn’t exist for you before.
Read about other LGBTQ+ Music Industry Leaders and Allies in our community.
What was your first job in music?
My first real job in music was the one I created for myself.
I had always loved music, but growing up in a town of around 900 people in Kansas, working in the music industry never really felt like an obvious career path. I was born in Mexico, raised in Kansas, became a first-generation college graduate, and followed the opportunities that were in front of me.
That led to more than a decade in sales, marketing, strategy, and data analytics, working with major consumer brands and publicly traded companies. In fall 2024, I started exploring the entertainment industry more seriously. By the end of December, I decided to take what I had learned and build something of my own. I formed Elevación Talent LLC and officially began working in artist management and development in January 2025.
I quickly realized I wasn't starting from zero. The industry was new, but so many of the skills I had spent years building were directly transferable.
Who was someone who supported you to help you get your start in your career?
There really wasn't just one person, and I think that's an important part of my story.
My network became my roadmap. Friends introduced me to people, those people introduced me to others, and along the way there were people willing to answer a question, take a call, make an introduction, or simply point me in the right direction.
There were also plenty of moments when nobody had the answer for me. I had to research it, ask more questions, make another connection, and figure out what piece I was missing. Eventually, those individual pieces started connecting, and I began building my own path into the industry.
It's also made me much more conscious of doing the same for other people. You never know when taking 15 minutes to speak with someone or making one introduction could open a door they didn't know existed.
What was a lesson you learned at the start of your career that you still carry with you?
You never know unless you ask.
I've always had friends in the industry, but I didn't have a traditional music-industry roadmap. I started looking at my network almost like a web. One conversation led to another, one introduction led to another, and I kept asking questions. Who does what? How do these pieces connect? Who should I know? What am I missing?
Some people helped me along the way, and there were plenty of things I had to figure out myself. But I learned pretty quickly that you don't need to know everyone or have everything figured out before you start. Sometimes one conversation, one email, or one introduction can completely change the direction you're heading.
That's something I still carry with me today. Ask the question. The worst someone can say is no, and a no can still point you toward the next person.
What was your favorite memory from your first job?
One of my favorite early memories wasn't necessarily one big moment. It was the realization that I could actually do this.
After spending more than a decade building a completely different career, stepping into music meant being comfortable not knowing everything again. But I've learned throughout my life that getting comfortable being uncomfortable is usually where the most growth happens.
Then I started seeing the skills I'd spent 10+ years building translate into music. Sales became pitching. Data became audience strategy. Relationship-building became partnerships. Marketing was still marketing. The industry was different, but I wasn't starting from scratch.
Seeing that happen was incredibly validating. It made me realize that a career pivot doesn't erase everything that came before it. Sometimes those experiences are exactly what prepare you for what's next.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don't wait until you feel completely ready.
I was born in Mexico, raised in a small town of 900 people in Kansas, and became a first- generation college graduate. Growing up, I thought success meant finding the right career path, working hard, and staying on it. I eventually learned that success doesn't have to follow one straight line.
You can be proud of everything you've accomplished and still decide you want something different.
Take the meeting. Send the email. Ask the question. Introduce yourself. Walk into the room even when you don't know anyone yet. And don't assume that because you haven't seen someone with your background take a certain path, that path isn't available to you.
Sometimes you have to be the person who builds it.
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