#44 Capitol Music Group President, Arjun Pulijal
Shakira, ABBA, Paul McCartney: the life of a star-maker
Welcome trailblazers! I’m Simi Shah, and every other week, I dive deep into the journey of a South Asian trailblazer. Find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple, and Spotify.
Hot of the Pod 🎶 Arjun Pulijal, President @ Capitol Music Group
Shakira, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Halsey, Troye Sivan, Tesher, Katy Perry, Sam Smith, ABBA, Norah Jones, and many many more.In our latest episode, I caught up with Sean Desai, Associate Head Coach-Defense for the Seattle Seahawks 🏈
Our guest today is Arjun Pulijal, President of Capitol Music Group. Capitol Music Group is an American front line umbrella label owned by Universal Music Group. In this role, he oversees all areas of artist development, including Creative, marketing, and Operations. Based in Hollywood, Arjun joined the company in 2013 as the Director of Marketing for Capitol Records. In 2016, he ascended to the role of Vice President and was promoted to Senior Vice President Head of Marketing in 2020. Prior to Arjun’s work at Capitol Music Group, he spent 7 years in New York at Epic Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. There he served as Director of Marketing & Artist Development, Manager of Digital Marketing, and started his career in A&R aka Artists and Repertoire.
Throughout his career in the music industry, Arjun’s long roster of artists spans Shakira, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Halsey, Troye Sivan, Tesher, Katy Perry, Sam Smith, ABBA, Norah Jones, and many many more. Arjun graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Computer Science from NYU in 2006, and has since made his mark on the music industry. I’m so excited to chat with him today about his journey and all things music. Arjun, welcome to Trailblazers!
In 2013, you made the transition from college ball to the NFL. Did that feel like a ‘Hey, I made it!’ moment?
I've had a few of these, ‘Hey, I made it!’ moments. Getting promoted at Temple was the first one. I thought, ‘Okay, wow. I’ve made it. It took me four or five years as a graduate assistant and now I'm a coordinator in college.’ And then it only lasted a year, because Al [our head coach] left and I took a position off the field at the University of Miami. From my perspective, going off the field, I took a step backwards. And then the year after that, I went to Boston College to be a running back coach, so again, I felt like, ‘Finally. I'm out of the woodwork. I've got my access. I'm at a big-time program.’ And then we got fired a year later.
So that’s another ‘Hey, I made it moment’ where I didn't actually make it. And then when I got to the NFL, it was definitely one of those moments. I got this entry-level position and my wife and I decided we’ll make the sacrifices to make it work. Usually, the average lifespan is about two to three years for a quality control job and then you get promoted. But after two years, we got fired again. So I become a quality control coach again for another Head Coach, and I did that for another three years. So I had all these, ‘Hey, I made it!’ moments, but it was really all about the persistence and the support from my family to endure those tougher moments. This profession is really humbling.
You’ve spoken publicly about an instance when your own 4-year-old son asked you and your wife if he could ‘paint his skin white,’ so that he could be a professional baseball player — because he had never seen an Indian in that position before. I can’t imagine how difficult it was as a parent to hear those words. Can you speak to that conversation and how you think critically about your position as a role model for South Asians everywhere?
A lot of unexpected things happen in parenting. Nothing can prepare you for a question like that. It was so innocent. Baseball, in particular, is such a diverse sport. Most sports are pretty diverse in terms of the players, but regardless, that’s how he felt — not seeing Indians there. And you’re not wrong to feel whatever you’re feeling at four-years-old.
As a parent, you acknowledge that feeling and just have to show him that opportunities are available. Those opportunities gotta come with hard work, persistence, and setting yourself apart. If he wants to be a baseball player at age four, then he’s got to work to be a baseball player. You don’t just become a baseball player, the same way you don’t just become a coach. That’s how we talked to him, saying: ‘Well, if nobody looks like you, that’s okay. It doesn’t mean that you can’t do it.’
There’s this duality you know. Some of the stories of South Asians who’ve been inspired by me have made my role a little bit more special — when I have the chance to reflect on it. But again, I try not to think about it much. Because when you’re in that role, you’re just trying to be good at it, stay in it, and prove you deserve to be there.
More on Sean’s journey to coaching in the big leagues on Apple, Spotify, or our website!
I love what Arjun said about his career versus his ambitions as a musician: "I can do this for fun and I can still have a really fulfilling experience doing that." I think any of us with creative ambitions grapple with how much to compromise, how much is practical, and how much is "selling out." The reality is only you can decide for yourself. That's what makes it so hard.
Also, I'm still reeling from the Adnan Syed news. I haven't listened to Rabia's podcast yet, but I definitely have it saved for later.
Thanks for writing, Simi!