Meet Jen Fritz, Founder of Fritz Media

After building a successful career in the music industry and working with major labels such as Sony Music, Jen Fritz found herself at a crossroads. Following a role leading media relations for the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, she decided to take a leap and launch her own company. Backed by an early contract with Sony Music Canada, Fritz Media was born, a boutique music publicity and digital marketing firm located in Vancouver.

Today, Fritz Media helps musicians and creative clients cut through the noise with publicity, social media management, digital marketing, and branding support. As the music industry has evolved, so has the company, expanding beyond traditional media relations to help artists build audiences and navigate an increasingly digital landscape.

For Jen, the work is about supporting artists, strengthening creative communities, and helping musicians develop the skills they need to build sustainable careers. In the following Q&A, she shares her journey as an entrepreneur, her passion for music education, and her perspective on running a small business in the Greater Vancouver region. 

What does Fritz Media offer the local community?

I work with a lot of local musicians, not just artists from Vancouver but from across British Columbia. A big reason for that is Creative BC, which provides funding for many musicians. Canada has a strong arts funding system, and while there's always concern about preserving it, organizations like FACTOR at the federal level and Creative BC at the provincial level play an important role in supporting artists.

Creative BC funds a wide range of creative projects, including music and film. When musicians receive funding to create an album, they can also receive support for marketing that album. If they hire me, some of that funding helps cover my services. It's a great example of how investment in the arts creates opportunities throughout the creative ecosystem.

I'm also very passionate about music education, particularly on the business side of the industry. The music business can be difficult to navigate, and many artists are expected to manage most aspects of their careers on their own. If you're just starting out and don't yet have a manager, label, or large audience, you're responsible for handling everything yourself, which can be overwhelming.

When COVID began, we launched a podcast focused on helping artists better understand the industry. I'm a strong advocate for education and digital literacy because today's music industry operates much like a tech industry. Artists need to understand digital platforms, online marketing, and technology to succeed.

There's a common assumption that younger people automatically have the digital skills needed to navigate these systems, but that's not always true. They may be comfortable with certain technologies, but managing a music career requires a much broader range of skills.

Organizations like Music BC also provide valuable resources and support for artists. There are a lot of places for musicians to learn and grow, and for me, it's always been about helping where I can. 

What does being a small business mean to you?

To me, being a small business means constantly thinking about the service you're providing and why you're providing it. It's something I come back to often.

As a small business owner, you have to stay on top of everything. You can't simply keep offering the same thing forever, especially in creative industries. The music industry, like many creative fields, is constantly changing and evolving. Keeping up requires a significant amount of ongoing work and learning.

I think another important aspect of being a small business is community. I'm very community-focused, and I honestly believe that one of the challenges society faces today is the loss of spaces where people naturally connect with one another.

Small businesses have the ability to create and support community, whether that's through a brewery, restaurant, bike shop, or creative agency. No matter the industry, you're connected to a community. Even fully online businesses are part of an online community. As a small business owner, you need to be engaged with the people you serve. 

What are your favourite parts of owning a small business?

Freedom is definitely one of my favourite aspects. I'm my own boss. I make the rules. If a process isn't working, I can change it. If a service isn't effective, I can stop offering it. That level of flexibility makes the business much more efficient.

In my experience, larger organizations can be very slow because decisions have to pass through multiple layers before anything gets done. An idea often has to move through several people before it can be approved and executed.

With my business, I can have an idea and put it into action immediately. That efficiency is probably what I appreciate most. I've always been a doer. I like to identify an opportunity and act on it rather than spend endless time talking about it.

One of the most rewarding parts of my work is seeing my clients succeed.

I've been doing this for a long time, and sometimes it's easy to become focused on the day-to-day routine and forget the impact you're making. Then an artist receives a piece of media coverage that I helped secure, and seeing their excitement reminds me why I do this work.

I work with artists whose music I genuinely respect, even if it's not necessarily the type of music I’d listen to when I’m not at work. I can recognize quality and identify projects that I believe audiences will connect with.

My goal is to help more people discover those artists and hear their work. When that happens, it's incredibly rewarding. The artist is happy, the label is happy, and it's a win for everyone involved. 

What kinds of unique challenges do you face as a small business?

One of the biggest challenges is the constant pace of change, particularly in the music and social media industries.

Something that works on Instagram one week may stop working the next because algorithms have changed. Meta can update its advertising tools, platforms can introduce new features, and suddenly the strategies that worked yesterday no longer deliver the same results. Because of that, continuous learning is essential.

Music is now distributed primarily through digital platforms, so it's important to understand how Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other services operate. There's a constant need to stay informed and adapt.

Like any business, you need to understand trends and anticipate future changes. For example, when I look at the future of publicity services, I know things will continue to evolve. It's important to think ahead and consider what the business will look like five years from now. That means building other service offerings and preparing for changes before they happen. 

Is there anything you'd like people to know about being a small business in the Greater Vancouver region?

It's difficult. I don't want to sugarcoat it. You need to be genuinely passionate about what you're doing. It can be incredibly rewarding, but entrepreneurship isn't for everyone.

You have to be comfortable with risk and uncertainty. If you're naturally risk-averse, running a small business can be very challenging. There are constant ups and downs, and you need to be able to manage that reality.

There will be times when you lose a client unexpectedly or a project falls through, and suddenly a significant source of revenue disappears. Those moments are stressful, and learning how to navigate them is part of being an entrepreneur.

One challenge specific to Vancouver is the cost of space. I'm fortunate to have a dedicated workspace because I personally prefer not to work from home. I like having a clear separation between work and personal life, and I enjoy being part of a community where I can interact with other people throughout the day.

However, maintaining that kind of physical workspace is becoming increasingly difficult as commercial and retail spaces become more expensive.

At the same time, Vancouver offers incredible quality of life. One of the benefits of working here is being able to finish the workday and go for a run along the seawall. That's a pretty special advantage and one of the things that makes living and working in this region so rewarding.