Chapman worked her way up in the music industry from being Promotions Assistant at MCA records at the age of 21. She later worked at RCA as Head of Promotions where she first met Simon Cowell. Up until the end of 2000 she was a joint partner in the Brilliant! PR company with Nick Godwyn they managed Billie Piper and Amy Winehouse as well as representing, among others, the Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue, Charlotte Church, Take That, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Phil Collins as well as the PR for the BRIT Awards and the Big Breakfast. Having met and worked with Simon Fuller in the nineties she joined his management company 19 Entertainment in January 2001 as Creative Director, working with acts including Annie Lennox,Will Young, S Club 7, and Spice Girls.