LinkedIn is widely known across the internet as the place where careers are born and hopes and dreams go to die. But, as reported by Sadie Bell on Stereogum, the professional networking site could find its name inextricably linked with that of golden-tressed pop music superstar Gwen Stefani. The No Doubt chanteuse and Voice judge posted her profile to LinkedIn last Friday, the same day as her third studio album This Is What Truth Feels Like…, and that shit’s not even remotely bananas. In fact, Stefani’s profile is dryly professional, dutifully listing the singer’s many professional triumphs over the course of a 30-year career. Given her dynamic and colorful personal style, the staid and stuffy LinkedIn is an odd fit for the California native, but she gives it a whirl anyway. A sample follows:
In addition to sections on her background, experience, honors, awards, and skills, Stefani’s profile includes a specially written essay entitled “The Key To Creativity—and Success—Is Truth.” It starts with some vaguely motivational talk about how “the creative process is more important than the end result” and how “there’s a real spiritual side to creation.” But, after a few paragraphs, she’s talking about “growing the brand.” It’s like LinkedIn is the world’s most boring haunted house, and Stefani has just moved in and become possessed by the place. Even when she discusses the “three constants” in her life, it sounds like fodder for a PowerPoint presentation. The essay comes complete with an accompanying six-minute video in which Stefani talks with Daniel Roth, an executive editor at LinkedIn. That may not sound scintillating, and the term “revenue streams” does come up distressingly early, but there is some interesting info here, as when Stefani discusses interacting with listeners in the pre-internet days.
Back in the day, like when I was in my band, our whole thing was, “Whoa! Let’s go to our P.O. box, and we can get our fan mail!” And there’d be like five letters in there, and one of them would be be the one mad person that had something bad to say. And we would write them back, and it was this really long process of getting to know people that were supporting our music.