Crystal Haryanto is an academic and economic consultant who teaches business and public policy through the lens of Taylor Swift, using one of the world’s most recognisable cultural figures to unpack how power, value, and influence really work. Her interdisciplinary approach blends rigorous research with playful, participatory teaching, turning complex systems into something tangible and memorable. Known for making abstract ideas feel human and applicable, she uses incentives, storytelling, and shared cultural touchpoints to bring learning to life. In this piece, Taylor Swift isn’t just the subject, she’s the framework.

On my book tour this year, a question I sometimes received and mostly dreaded was whether I had learned anything from the business of Taylor Swift that surprised or shocked me.

My debut monograph, The Glory of Giving Everything: The Taylor Swift Business Model, was published this July 2025. I had received the invitation to write it after the course I founded at the University of California, Berkeley, which focused on Swift’s artistic and entrepreneurial innovations, and made its way into newspaper headlines.

As a lifelong fan, merely saying that Swift’s music resonated was an understatement. It was the way she carried herself, interacted with her family and friends, enacted her values, and reflected on her experiences that was not only admirable but akin to me.

The reason I feared the “surprise” question on my book tour was that many of Swift’s entrepreneurial choices were in line with my own. Thinking it over, I realised that for all fans, Swift’s system is so delectably crafted around consumer involvement that we are insulated from potential shocks, as she has let us in on the inside of her journey.

With this in mind, let’s dive into Three Taylor Swift Lessons to inspire growth in your career too:
Build Upon the Foundation

Born on a Christmas tree farm, Swift named her most visible holiday hit accordingly. When “Christmas Tree Farm” came out in 2019, she didn’t stop there. Swift then shared a behind-the-scenes video, performed it in New York City and London, and over the years released a live version and an “Old Timey” version, eventually compiling these into a digital collection in 2024. With one track, Swift established five years of revenue-driving momentum by actively creating, rather than relying on fans to keep the song going.

This theory applies to various avenues of professional development. During each semester of my course, I have enjoyed using current events to reinforce learning content. Sustaining ongoing interest doesn’t mean you need to concoct from scratch; leveraging existing material to further your output will maximise productivity while preserving energy.
Make Memories Tangible

You can’t quantify a memory, but Swifties have tried. They typically do this by spending vast sums on merchandise, as evidenced by the collective $862 million spent on goods at the Eras Tour. While music and concert experiences are intangible, Swift physically grounds her art, allowing consumers to buy products that connect them to the music besides streaming or attending performances. In her Christmas merchandise store, for instance, she sells Christmas tree ornaments designed to embody metaphors in her lyrics. This maintains seasonal relevance while encouraging profitable engagement.

Education, like music, is immaterial. I’m thankful that I had opportunities to give out prizes to my students for earning the most points during our traditional end-of-semester Jeopardy review session. Such tokens seem small but can enhance the otherwise abstract quality of academia or fandom.

Beyond the creative or sentimental realms, capturing an experience in concrete ways has practical usage. Attach tangible emblems to impalpable services or measure how soft skills translate into real impact on your resume, and you’ll find those around you gaining an understanding of the scope of your reach.
Lead by Example

Lots of Swifties have been avid supporters of Sabrina Carpenter since Swift enlisted her to open for the Eras Tour and the breakout “Espresso” (2024) infected pop radio everywhere. My love of Carpenter, however, was solidified with her holiday EP, fruitcake (2022), a six-track run ending with “white xmas.”

Carpenter has been a fan of Swift from a young age and has emulated her consistent branding even before officially collaborating with, and being mentored by, Swift. Often overlooked in Swift’s twelve-album discography is The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (2007) — another set of six songs ending in “White Christmas.” What’s striking isn’t the structural similarity, but the standout original songs from each EP. Swift’s “Christmases When You Were Mine” fits right into her penchant for beautiful heartbreak songs. Carpenter’s “buy me presents” has her now-signature tongue-in-cheek humour.

As female leaders, our actions aren’t just for ourselves, they become for the generation that follow us. After establishing my course, I’ve noticed a higher recognition of Swift’s strategic enterprise both among casual listeners and culture scholars. As the only young female to have published an in-depth book on Swift’s career, I hope to become a role model for women to unorthodoxly fuse their passions, just as I did with economics and Taylor Swift. While everyone’s path is different, I strongly believe that the same underlying principles apply wherever you are and no matter how big or small the scale. Influence doesn’t come from authority but from clarity, something that we can all practice in our workplaces.

In turn, visibility isn’t about how widespread public perception is but about demonstrating intention for the people around you. The initiative you take for your own projects might just motivate the aspiring pupil, the eager intern, or the new team member to produce ripple effects of their own.