Wedged between the professional and artist worlds, Allison Zatarain sparks human connection and warmth through creative mediums and projects.

She is the author of nonfiction books Happy Gifting and She’s More Than a Dog (her third book, a coming of age novel, is coming soon!) She is also an entertaining, uplifting speaker and a freelancer for hire with over 25 years of experience in creative industries.

A New Orleans native, Allison’s love of music paved the way to adventure in eight cities across three countries. She started playing piano at the age of 3. In her twenties she worked in Advertising and performed across New York City in the 00’s indie rock band Action Painters. She then earned a Masters in Global Entertainment and Music Business at Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. That launched a decade-long music business chapter with the independent wings of Sony Music and Warner Music. During that time she managed bands such as Dum Dum Girls and Raveonettes, ran the small record label Instant Records, and supported global album releases for various artists and labels.

A common thread to Allison’s work is the desire to express warmth and positivity through artistic projects. Inspired by the birth of her niece, she produced a series of recordings called “Instant Love: Songs Between Women” in 2017-2018. Dubbed her “ultimate girl power moment,” Allison leveraged her access to global artists and recording studios to record women singing covers of classic love songs to other women. The first of its kind, the series had one mission: for women to feel love for each other on a new and unexplored level.

Allison self-published her debut nonfiction book Happy Gifting: A Pathway to Connection with Hundreds of Gift Ideas in 2023. It’s about the art of gift giving in four simple steps, plus hundreds of inspiring gift ideas for more meaningful connections. The book is equal parts inspirational read and reference guide and has led to numerous speaking engagements. The topic was inspired by Allison’s goal to creatively maintain relationships during decades of long-distance adventures.

In 2024 Allison released her second nonfiction book She’s More Than a Dog: How Unconditional Love Replaced Three Pills a Day. Her most personal work, the short book is about love and the healing power of dogs. Allison explains how her dog Ocho unexpectedly helped with a variety of struggles such as anxiety, insecurity, infertility, pandemic isolation, and more. As she puts it – “From lost in the world to lost in her fur.”

Throughout 2025 she worked as Marketing Director of the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. She now takes on a variety of freelancing projects in New York, Illinois, and Louisiana that tap her unique skill stack. She resides in Northfield, IL (just north of Chicago) with her husband and is the proud mom of Ocho the cockapoo, the inspiration for her independent publishing imprint Ocho Doberge.

She currently prepping for the release of book #3.