When most people think of breaking into the music industry, they picture smoky bars, years of rejection, and maybe a lucky break. For Jennifer Adan, the story is similar, but with a twist. She did it her way. With no major label backing, no publishing deal, and no musical instrument in hand, she still found herself backstage watching Blake Shelton perform a song she co-wrote, her very first cut, which went on to become a platinum-selling, number-one hit.
Jennifer didn’t grow up in Nashville. She was raised in San Francisco, far from country music’s traditional stomping grounds. Her journey into songwriting was rooted in a childhood filled with eclectic sounds, Motown, rock, and even a little Garth Brooks, courtesy of her cousin. But country wasn’t her initial path. She had set her sights on Los Angeles. Then a surprise contest win with legendary songwriter Jeffrey Steele changed everything.
After getting selected for Steele’s intense Nashville songwriting boot camp, Jennifer found herself learning more in a few days than she ever had before. Networking homework, crash courses in industry etiquette, and face-to-face access with some of the business’s top players helped her understand the value of putting herself out there. “You’re your best spokesperson,” she recalled, emphasizing how much that mindset stuck with her.And it paid off. She met fellow songwriter Corey Batton simply by walking up to him after a show and asking to write together. That collaboration turned into “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” a track that caught the attention of Warner Music. Before she knew it, Blake Shelton had recorded the track, and the rest is history.
But the road after that hit wasn’t all smooth. Jennifer faced industry politics, gender dynamics, and the challenges of being a strong woman in a traditionally “good ol’ boy” town. She was often overlooked, dismissed, or treated as an outsider. “There were rooms where I just wasn’t taken seriously,” she explained. Still, she kept showing up, kept writing, and most importantly, stayed true to who she was. Eventually, she launched her own publishing company and took on leadership roles like running West Coast Songwriters, a nonprofit that supports emerging talent. Jennifer didn’t wait for a seat at the table, she built her own. And in doing so, she became a guidepost for other artists navigating similar storms.
Despite the setbacks, she’s never stopped writing. “It’s like breathing,” she says. Whether it’s a song, a screenplay, or a short story, creativity flows through her. And her best advice to aspiring creatives? Do it scared. Because sometimes the thing you’re afraid of is the very thing that changes your life.
Jennifer Adan is living proof that success doesn’t have a single shape, and sometimes, it doesn’t even require a guitar.
