Last night, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) held their 11th annual Women Behind the Music event to celebrate the women pushing music forward. It’s one of the few events that recognize that ladies leading the the charge  behind the scenes. In a record moment, three Black women that have helped shape the landscape of today’s music industry are being spotlighted.

Singer-songwriter Victoria Monét, who co-wrote Ariana Grande’s No. 1 hits “thank u, next” and “7 rings.” The 26-year-old Sacramento native was honored alongside Roc Nation Co-President Shari Bryant and Britney Davis, Capitol Music’s VP of Artist Relations, Marketing, And Special Projects, Wednesday night (Oct. 9) in Hollywood. Past honorees include hip-hop legends Salt-N-Pepa, OutKast’s Andre 3000, and 11-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan.

Although the event was all about recognizing their achievements, the three women imparted some sage advice for other aspiring hopefuls during a Q&A session, which was recapped by Billboard. 

Here is what each woman had to say:

Bryant on going after the career you want: “I left [Def Jam] at that moment, I was working like Nas, [Jay-Z], I had all the hot artists at that time, right? And I went to work at a label that was really just kind of building, and everyone was like, ‘What are you doing? Why would you leave this roster?’” she said. “And that was the moment I realized artists don’t make your career; you make your career.”

Davis on fostering self-care: “I do know things I’m trying to implement now, like boundaries so that hopefully I can have more of a personal life and a family. Because we need something outside of this, especially women. We give so much of ourselves to this and I know the older women in this business have told me, ‘Don’t give everything to this. Because when we leave, this business don’t love you.”

Monet on representation: “As a bisexual woman of color, I think that it would help in the next five years to see more of us. ‘Cause I know that we’re here.”

Read the rest of Billboard’s write-up here.