Meet Natalie McCarty | Publicist, Manager, and CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie McCarty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I think the one word most frequently used to describe me is ambitious. Growing up, I was always that kid with a lot of dreams. I was always a creative person. I grew up singing, dancing, and writing all the time—whether it was song lyrics, which later became part of my band Chiara’s Halo’s songs, or stories that now have gone on to be articles for my media company, Gut Instinct—I loved being creative. Film and music really fed my soul, and during the COVID years, I realized how important it is to do something that made me feel fulfilled.

That’s when I discovered the world of entertainment PR. It allowed me to be on film sets and work on creative projects while still keeping a logistical side to my work. I love being challenged in my work; it’s always kept me motivated. I like problem-solving, so when I realized there was a way to do that passionately and creatively on the production or management side, I knew I had found my path.

I would say that what I’m most passionate about in life is highlighting and hearing people’s stories, and my career really allows me to do that. I love connecting with people and being able to facilitate the right connections, you know? There’s something so profoundly motivating about being able to get the right creative minds together so that a story or a vision can be brought to life. Whether it’s connecting a filmmaker friend from college with the right producer or serving as the publicist for a friend’s project, the experience is incredibly rewarding.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
There’s nothing I’m prouder of in this world than Gut Instinct, McCarty PR, and Chiara’s Halo.

Chiara’s Halo was the first project I was ever apart of that was truly mine. Alongside DJ Farr, I had the opportunity to create a whole brand from scratch. In a time of my life that was filled with so much turmoil and angst, the music became such an outlet for me. I think every part of my soul and the person I was at that time was poured into the songs we made. We came up with the band name together and collaborated on the lyrics. One of us would start with a phrase, and the other would build on it. If you look at our discography, you can see that “Seasons” is entirely his vision, while “Paranoia’s Playground” came straight from my diary. “Off The Temptation” is a shared creation. I wrote my favorite lyrics to this day: “I’ve just become an extension of what once was / an illusion of who I was,” and he contributed the phrase “I’m off the temptation,” which I played around with and brought that vocal riff. Literally we’d just take our thoughts straight from our notes app and play around until we could slot all the lyrics together in a way that not only made sense, but that we felt actually had a cool sound.

Moments like these showed me the importance of collaboration early on. Our song “Wounds” is in a world of its own in terms of the collaboration that went into it. Our lives went different ways, so despite our short-lived musical run, I really value that time we spent working on that project. DJ wrote all the guitar parts and entirely mixed and mastered our single “Wounds” and our EP “Paranoia’s Playground.” We worked with my friends Charlotte Siegel and Lauren Aho for the album covers (respectively). Honestly, I’m really proud of what we did. This experience of building a brand from scratch, handling marketing campaigns, and collaborating with others was my model for business and laid the groundwork for tactics I use with my clients at McCarty PR.

McCarty PR began as an unofficial brand, something I mentioned when working on small projects. But when I started signing clients, I built an official company. A lot of what I do is image consulting and brand development, which I’m trusted with because of my established work with Chiara’s Halo and Gut Instinct, which is so cool and so humbling, honestly. I feel very fortunate to get to follow my dreams and do this kind of work.

Nothing compares to my love for my media company, Gut Instinct. What began as a blog with my friend Stella Violet quickly became a success. I founded Gut Instinct to foster authentic human conversations. The symbiotic relationship between media and society—how media influences society and how societal dynamics shape media—has always fascinated me. I find it crucial to ensure that our media is genuine and reflective of real experiences. Now, we are a full-blown media company with nearly 20k followers on TikTok, hundreds of loyal readers, and a team of thirteen writers and an in-house graphic designer. This company has opened many doors, not just for me but for our entire team. Our goal is to provide young creatives with opportunities to build a professional resume and have published articles. It’s also allowed us to speak with and interview incredible people. Gut Instinct even landed Stella a job as a journalist covering the Cannes Film Festival! Words can’t express my pride. We’re about to launch our first in-person event, the Gut Instinct Weekender, and we have many upcoming collaborations. Creating a space that connects people and brings stories to light is a dream come true. Not just a dream, but our reality.

I’m a bit of a workaholic—I’m sure that’s no shock. I’m constantly busy creating something new, and all three of my brands were dreams that I spent countless hours bringing to life. The truth is my life has become my work, and my work has become my life. But I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I grew up in Los Angeles, California, moved to New York for college, and then moved back to LA for work. It’s hard not to be inspired there. Here are some of my favorite spots in both:

1) Griffith Observatory in Hollywood is the place where all of my dreams materialized. It just might be my favorite spot on the planet. So much Hollywood history.

2) Film festivals!! I’m lucky enough to have worked with the company Modern PR at both the Beverly Hills and Catalina Film Festivals. It’s networking central.

3) In New York, attending shows is a must, especially if you’re interested in the music scene. Explore the Brooklyn DIY scene! Shameless plug: Weathergirl’s Instagram is your gateway to the coolest bands, and they’re all very friendly. Let them know I sent you!

4) Washington Square Park and Central Park are iconic landmarks in New York, but for me, they were sanctuaries. Many of the things I’ve written, from songs to articles to my unreleased book and screenplays, were born from observations and moments of peace found on benches in these parks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
What I’m incredibly grateful for in my career is how my progress has been expedited and a solid foundation built from the support of others. People often advise against working with friends or family, but every project I’ve taken pride in involves collaboration with friends or those I consider family. I believe there’s untapped potential in working with your community.

Perhaps my time living in New York among the most passionate and creative minds inspired this ideology of mine, but I feel honored to work with people I truly love. It’s wonderful to collaborate with those you believe in and who believe in you.

To my business partner, Stella Violet, at Gut Instinct, who helps elevate our company every day—having a partner equally passionate about our work lets me keep dreaming and achieving. To Morgan O’Connell, who gave me my first producing credits, to DJ Farr, with whom I built a band and created music that still resonates, and to Liliana Chomsky, who allowed me to be a publicist for her film, Sewed Figs—I am deeply appreciative and proud of the work we’ve done together.

To my clients and friends who trust me to manage their music careers—Ethan Hoffman, Nasan Roberson, Kyra Horario, Cleo Harris, and Leo Menninger of Weathergirl, and Jake Lugenbuehl, Max Miller, Ruby Nash, and Otto Nash of Skookum—thank you. Your early trust gave me invaluable hands-on experience and insight into another aspect of the industry.

The work I’ve done with my friends is one of my greatest joys and passions. My goal is to continue working with people who inspire me for the rest of my life. When you work with people who are passionate about supporting you, and you support them in return, magic happens: records are broken, obstacles are surmounted, and art is immortalized.

Passion is the currency in life that gets things done. Even when the odds are against you, commitment, drive, community, and partners can bring you through.

Website: https://gutinstinct.my.canva.site/media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliexmccarty/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vknePUeF3JBw3LdyRWIpc?si=yKojG507THe_kxWRsfzavQ

Image Credits
In chronological order:
Adonis J. Gibson
Natalie McCarty
Natalie McCarty
Charlotte Siegel
Lauren Aho
Monet Pinkett
Axel Tamayo
Charlotte Siegel
Ollie Slade