Jennie Smythe is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of award-winning Girlilla Marketing which heads digital strategy for a diverse roster of world-famous entertainers and brands including Dead & Company, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Blondie, Brooke Shields, Iliza Shlesinger, Terry Crews, Kristin Chenoweth, Vince Gill and many others. Smythe is a forward-thinking entrepreneur who leads her self-built company with equal parts passion and drive.

Girlilla Marketing celebrated 15 years of success in 2023. The talented team oversees social media endeavors, partner marketing and content creation for clients. They bring expert knowledge to developing online audiences, digital monetization, virtual events, fan clubs, paid media campaigns, analytics tracking and creative services such as graphic design and video editing.

In her more than two decades of experience, it is no accident Smythe has emerged on top of an ever-evolving field. Motivated by a lifelong love of music, her creative approach has earned numerous awards and recognition. She has been featured in Forbes, the Associated Press, Billboard, MusicRow, Fast Company, People, HITS and The Tennessean. She is a multi-year winner of the Nashville Business Journal’s Women in Music City Awards, a MusicRow magazine Rising Women on the Row honoree and was recognized on the Nashville Post In Charge 2023: Music list.

Her upcoming memoir, Becoming Girlilla, is an honest and witty journey through her formative years, career growth, breast cancer diagnosis, navigating the pandemic and lessons learned along the way. “I hope that I can make you think, laugh and see your own story in mine,” she says, “because we are all connected, online and offline.”

Smythe is President Elect of the Country Music Association, as well as on the boards of the CMA Foundation (past chairperson) and Music Health Alliance. She is a past board member of the Academy of Country Music, and a graduate of the prestigious Leadership Music executive development program. Her early career includes time at Disney’s Hollywood Records, YAHOO! Music, Warner Bros. Records and Clear Channel.

Smythe is married to fellow entrepreneur Shannon Houchins and resides in Nashville with their two children.