Before She Bully Marketing and Entertainment, there was Soul Jams on KDNA radio in Granger.

Sol Trevino started her entertainment career at age 16, playing soul music and speaking English on a Spanish radio station Wednesday nights from 1993-95.

After high school, Trevino earned a degree in music business from the Art Institute of Seattle. That degree led her to The Cube radio station in Seattle and a few casinos in Washington state.

While working in Aberdeen, Trevino planned and booked a show for Sir Mix-A-Lot. The show sold out, a rare feat for any promoter, much less someone so new to the business.

“I never envisioned myself, like, owning my own company, starting my own company,” Trevino said. “It really never occurred to me.”

She Bully Marketing and Entertainment wouldn’t be what it is today if someone hadn’t pushed Trevino to start her own company.

“She Bully, it sounds like a negative connotation. At first you hear the word ‘bully,’ and it’s quite the opposite. It’s really about me and what I do for a living and particularly with the entertainment aspect,” Trevino said. “Because sometimes I don’t get taken as seriously, I’ve had to work harder to prove my capabilities, which is unfortunate.”

Booking and promoting shows is a male-dominated business.

“I’ve had encounters with men who do the same thing as me and they make it a point to say little nasty things to me, undermine me because I’m a female in the entertainment business,” Trevino said. “Doing shows, I have to bully myself to be a little bit more aggressive in the sense of I’m not an aggressive person by nature, but at the same time, I have to put myself out there a little bit more.”

She Bully Marketing and Entertainment is a one-woman show. Trevino does media buying for clients and plans events, shows and concerts.

“Everything is based on a fan perspective. I don’t necessarily always do it for the money aspect. Even if a show is gonna lose money, I will never cancel the show. Because that’s my name, my reputation,” Trevino said.

Trevino has brought Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Downtown Julie Brown, Lisa Lisa, John B., Sir Mix-A-Lot, comedian Eric Schwartz and the Ladies of Native Comedy to the Yakima area.

Schwartz has worked with Trevino four times now, most recently performing in Richland Saturday night, July 23, 2022, at the Uptown Theatre.

“I’ve been wanting to hit the Tri-Cities market. It’s bigger and you can reach a part of Oregon. I just want to expand out,” Trevino said.

Trevino is always looking for opportunities to grow.

“If you’re uncomfortable with something, that’s good.” she said. “You shouldn’t be comfortable. Life’s too short to not live your dream or to live your dream as best as you can.”

Trevino didn’t have a plan when she started, and encourages everyone, in the entertainment business or anything else, to have a plan.

“Make sure that even if you have to work 9-to-5 right now, start doing stuff that you love on the side. Build up that side hustle until it’s no longer a side hustle. It’s a lot of work, a lot of time and a lot of effort,” Trevino said. “But no one will care as much as you do. I find myself working harder now than I did ever working for somebody else. And I mean, that’s so rewarding.”

Taking the plunge with She Bully Marketing and Entertainment wasn’t Trevino’s original plan, but she knew it was meant to be.

“I always believe that whatever is meant for you will find you. If there’s something that you’re thinking about every day, you’re having those feelings for a reason. Just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? It doesn’t work out,” Trevino said.

It wasn’t easy going out on her own, but Trevino picked a lot of brains along the way. She isn’t afraid to ask questions, network and trust her instincts.

“I have amazing access to others for insight and they’ve been really helpful if I’m doing something incorrectly, but for the most part, I do it based off of gut instinct,” Trevino said. “Honestly, because who knows better than yourself? I try to find somebody who who can lead me in the right direction, but for the most part, I go off of gut and instinct.”

Trevino is open to helping people because that also helps her grow.

“I love talking to younger people, too. They have such insight on different things and different perspectives,” Trevino said. “I’ve done a lot of cool things, worked on a lot of cool things. That can help everyone.”