Conversations with Shauney “Baby” Recke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shauney “Baby” Recke.

Hi Shauney “Baby”, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey really started when I moved to Los Angeles at the recommendation of a friend. When I arrived, I got my first job at MCA Records, working in the A&R department. During the day, I was at the label learning the business, and at night, I was out auditioning, playing, networking, and immersing myself in the music scene. It was such a different time in the industry, and I really hit the ground running.

My first touring opportunity came with an artist named Davina, who was signed to Loud Records at the time. Toward the end of that tour, I was asked to audition for an opportunity that I really knew nothing about. I went in, did the audition, and afterward found out that I had been hired for a national television show. That became another important turning point for me.

From there, by the grace of God, I just continued to work. One opportunity led to another. I began working with a number of Interscope artists, and back then so much of the business was word of mouth. If you did a great job with one artist, the people at the label knew who you were, other artists heard about you, and your name continued to circulate. Eventually, I also became connected with Hollywood Records, and the opportunities continued to grow.

But as exciting as that journey was, there was another side to it. I often felt alone. There really wasn’t anyone who looked like me or had experiences similar to mine whom I could confide in about what I was navigating—particularly life on the road and the realities behind the opportunities people saw from the outside.

I had grown up journaling, so writing became a place for me to process those experiences. It gave me somewhere to put the things I didn’t necessarily have someone to talk to about. Looking back, I think that part of my journey ultimately planted the seeds for becoming an author.

When I think about how I got to where I am today, I certainly feel fortunate and blessed, but I also know that I was prepared. I practiced. I rehearsed. I stayed ready for the opportunities when they came, even when I didn’t know where they would lead.

Today, I’m able to look at my journey as more than just the story of a working musician. I’m still a musician, but I’m also an author, and those two parts of my life are deeply connected. The experiences I had, the things I witnessed, the moments of isolation, the opportunities, and everything I learned along the way ultimately gave me something to say—and eventually, something to write about.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been experiences ranging from sexual harassment and people feeling as though they had the right to touch my body, to the quieter challenges of simply being the only woman in the room—or the only person in the room who looked like me.

And not every difficult experience was as overt as harassment. Sometimes it was about navigating environments where the conversations, the energy, and even the culture of the room were shaped by the majority. Being the only female in the band, there were many times when I found myself simply going along with that energy.

I certainly had interests that connected us. I loved technology, I loved talking about music, and I was always interested in learning more about the business and the craft. But there were also plenty of conversations that were very specific to the interests and experiences of the men around me, and there wasn’t always space for my perspective or for the things that interested me personally.

So a lot of the time, I would sit quietly. I would listen. I would observe. I learned how to read a room, how to navigate different personalities, and how to exist in spaces that weren’t necessarily created with someone like me in mind.

And through all of that, I remained grateful for the opportunity. I was grateful to be working, grateful to be playing, and grateful to be building a career doing something I loved. But gratitude doesn’t mean the road was easy, and it doesn’t erase the challenges that came with being a woman navigating those spaces.

Looking back now, I realize that those experiences shaped me just as much as the opportunities did. They gave me a perspective that I didn’t necessarily have the language for at the time, but that I can speak about much more clearly today.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Today, I wear several hats. In addition to being a creative, I’m the CEO of Amplify, a global brand management company, and under that umbrella I oversee a merchandise brand and various products that have grown out of my career and experiences. At the same time, I’m still very much a working musician. I tour as a drummer and percussionist, I’m involved in producing, and I continue to do the work that people have come to know me for—drumming.

But when you ask me what I’m most proud of, interestingly enough, my first answers aren’t necessarily about my career.

I’m incredibly proud of my health. I’m grateful to be healthy and to sleep well at night. To me, being able to lay my head down at night with peace of mind says a lot about how I’ve chosen to live my life.

I’m also extremely proud of my family and, particularly, the relationships I have with the children and young adults in my family. They respect me. They admire the woman I’ve become, and I don’t take that lightly. I’m proud that the person they see today is consistent with the values I’ve tried to demonstrate and contribute to their lives over the years. That means more to me than any title or professional accomplishment.

As far as what sets me apart, I believe we’re all unique and bring something different to the table. For me, though, one of the things I’ve been unwilling to do is sacrifice my values in order to succeed. Family is more important to me than anything, and I’ve worked hard to build a life and career that reflect that.

I’ve also learned how to manage my time, my finances, and my businesses responsibly. In professional relationships, I believe that translates into integrity, accountability, and trustworthiness. I’ve been fortunate to hold positions that come with significant responsibility, and I understand that those opportunities don’t continue unless people know they can trust you—not only with the work, but with their business, their brand, their time, and sometimes their careers.

That sense of responsibility extends beyond my professional life. I also serve on the board of my community in a significant leadership capacity, a position that carries substantial fiduciary, administrative, and community responsibilities. I regard that role as an act of stewardship and public trust. The decisions made at that level can have meaningful consequences for the people and community we are entrusted to serve, and I neither take that responsibility for granted nor approach it casually. For me, leadership is not simply about holding a title; it is about exercising sound judgment, maintaining integrity, honoring the confidence others have placed in you, and remaining accountable for the decisions you make.

So while people may know me first as a drummer, I’d like to think the larger body of my life says something about who I am beyond what I do professionally. Whether I’m onstage, running a company, serving my community, or simply being present for my family, I want the same principles to be evident: integrity, responsibility, discipline, and trust. I’ve built my career and my life without separating achievement from my values. For me, that’s the real measure of success.

What does success mean to you?
I think success is balance. It’s not simply about chasing money or constantly pursuing the next financial goal, particularly if that pursuit means being absent from your family and from the people who matter most in your life.

For me, success is having the ability to do something you genuinely love and are passionate about while still having the time and freedom to be present for your loved ones. It’s being healthy enough to enjoy the life you’ve built, to travel, to spend meaningful time with family, and to actually enjoy the things you’ve been fortunate enough to acquire through your hard work.

I think sometimes we become so focused on achieving success that we forget to leave room to experience it.

Time is a significant part of that for me because, unlike money, time is something we cannot earn back. The goal, ultimately, is not to spend your entire life trading your time for money or sacrificing your life in the pursuit of financial success. The reality is that, for a season, many of us have to make those sacrifices. We work long hours, we give up time, and we make certain choices because we’re trying to get to a particular place in our lives.

But I believe the purpose of making those sacrifices is eventually to create greater freedom—not to remain trapped in the sacrifice itself.

So when I think about success today, I think about having a healthy relationship with work, money, and time. It’s being passionate about what I do, being financially responsible and secure, and still having the freedom to be present with the people I love and enjoy the fruits of my labor. To me, the real luxury of success is not simply having more—it’s having the time, health, freedom, and presence of mind to enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shauney-recke-legacy.lovable.app/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shauneyrecke?stkn=MXFmeWs2dHBnc2lmaQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shauneybaby
• LinkedIn: Shauney Recke
• Twitter: https://x.com/shauneyrecke?s=11&t=zdplxFyNXSSJDokHqsLSpg
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@shauneyrecketheprocesspodcast?si=sDgirjzco5Tpr6Fn
• Yelp: https://a.co/d/0b3V7niX
• Other: https://books.by/shauneyrecke/the-female-musicians-guide-s

Image Credits
Pictures with cowboy hat and black jacket Photos by Kelly Rebecca Walsh.
The others were me