I’m on summer break so this week I’m rebroadcasting a previously-aired episode of Music Studio Startup. Show notes from when this episode originally aired can be found at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode013/
I’m on summer break so this week I’m rebroadcasting a previously-aired episode of Music Studio Startup. Show notes from when this episode originally aired can be found at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode006/
You’ll recognize today’s guest from an episode a few weeks ago about the MusiCARES Volunteer Music Teachers Facebook group. Today Judy Naillon returns to talk about how she began offering recreational group ukulele classes to boost her studio income during the summer and expand her network for private lessons. Anyone who struggles with the summer slump or just wants to try something new will be sure to enjoy what Judy has to share. For a full transcript of this episode, visit musicstudiostartup....
I invited today’s guest to be on the podcast because her studio has a deep sense of focus and alignment that has made her really effective as a teacher and independent studio owner. Every aspect of how she runs her studio points to her core values. It’s a studio that exudes care, connection, and creativity. It didn’t start out that way, though. Today Natalie takes us through the journey she’s been on that has made her studio what it is today. For a full transcript of this episode, visit musicstu...
Earlier this spring I talked about how crises can breed creativity, and today’s episode is an example of that. Today’s interview highlights one teacher’s response to the hardships she was seeing as a result of COVID. Hear how Judy’s desire to help a friend who was sick, potentially with coronavirus, led her to start a group for teachers to support each other through times of medical and mental health need. For links and a full transcript, visit musicstudiostartup.com/episode046 Your ratings and ...
Today I’m talking to Kathy Rabago, a piano teacher and music school owner, about how she pivoted the in-person camps her teachers had planned into online camps in response to COVID. And in the process, she created passive income generators for her teachers. Kathy shares great insights for anyone thinking about running online camps and also about what it means to be a business owner. The winners of the $500 studio grant competition have been announced! Check out musicstudiostartup.com/grant2020 A...
Today I’m interviewing Tara Hall, a teacher whose studio has actually GROWN during the coronavirus lockdowns. Tara enrolled 30 new students (and counting!) in six weeks. And the best part? She didn’t spend a dime doing it. Tara’s story will be encouraging for any teacher whose enrollment has taken a hit in the transition to online lessons and she shares a simple strategy you can implement today that brought in 10-15 new students. A full transcript and list of resources for this episode can be fo...
Today I’m talking to a young teacher who’s only been in business for a year and a half, but that hasn’t kept her from having a long-term perspective for the way she positions and builds her business. She talks about the interesting niche she identified for her vocal coaching studio and she offers some great encouragement for teachers who may feel like their studios have taken a step backward in the current health and economic crisis. Thanks to everyone who submitted an application for the studio...
In today’s solo episode, I share a framework for thinking about when and how to reopen your studio for in-person lessons during the COVID pandemic. A full transcript and list of resources for this episode can be found at musicstudiostartup.com/Episode042 Don’t forget - applications for the $500 studio launch grant are due this Sunday, May 31. Details can be found at musicstudiostartup.com/grant2020 The summer Business Building program starts on June 15. More info can be found at musicstudiostart...
When we think of graphic design for a music studio, we might first think of logos. That’s definitely a start, but today I’m talking to graphic designer Gillian Miller about how developing a more holistic brand identity can help build a studio. If you’ve ever felt undervalued as a professional or just want to elevate your career, this is definitely a topic to think about. For a full transcript of this episode, visit musicstudiostartup.com/episode041 --- [$500 Music Studio Launch Grant] Don’t forg...
In this episode, I share some details about the Music Studio Startup summer Business Building program and the grant competition for new (and new-ish) music teachers! My guest today is Eric Branner, a guitar teacher, mentor, and a co-founder of Fons, an online scheduling and billing platform. If you’ve been listening to Music Studio Startup for a while, you may have heard this interview with Eric before, but I wanted to bring it back because 1) Eric is awesome and 2) because Fons is a sponsor for...
I’ve got two SUPER exciting announcements. Listen in to hear about two Music Studio Startup programs that will help you build your studio this summer. One involves an epic prize package, including a $500 cash grant! 2020 Summer Business Building Program 2020 Music Studio Startup Grant
In today’s conversation, we get to hear from the owner of a relatively new music school. We’re talking about the very earliest stages of building a music school and some of the practical steps Joseph has taken to finance his studio’s growth. We also talk about Facebook ads and conversion rates and all the fun stuff. For a full transcript of this episode, visit musicstudiostartup.com/episode039 To get updates on the finance course, check out musicstudiostartup.com/finance...
Today is part two of my conversation with David Barnard. Last week, in Episode 037 , David joined us to talk about the music cooperative as a business model that is helping teachers build sustainable studios by joining together. Today David’s talking about how to form a cooperative. Some of our discussion applies specifically to coops, but a lot of our discussion centers around how to write a business plan, which is a great exercise for any teacher no matter what business model you’re using. For...
Today’s guest comes to us from the UK to talk about another business model that is helping teachers make a sustainable living: the music-co-operative. David Barnard of the Musicians' Union describes the culture shock teachers felt when the jobs they expected to always be there, suddenly disappeared, forcing them to become more independent and entrepreneurial. Just a heads up, business culture and regulations are different around the world. The way the UK music co-ops handle lesson fees might not...
Last week the U.S. Congress passed the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history and it has a lot to offer individuals and small businesses. In today’s podcast, Scott Stratton, a financial advisor and a musician himself, breaks down the components of the CARES Act that impact music teachers and studio owners and tells us our next steps. Check out the show notes at musicstudiostartup.com/episode036 to get links to the applications and articles Scott mentioned. For a full transcript of this epi...
Today I’m joined by TWO very special guests who are experts in pretty much every aspect of running a studio. We’re doing a rapid fire interview where I ask them to share their advice on some of the questions I get asked most frequently. For full show notes, visit musicstudiostartup.com/episode035 To register for the Vision & Values course, visit musicstudiostartup.com/vision Happy April Fool's Day!...
Today I’m joined again by Steve Hughes. Last week, in Episode 033, Steve shared the story of how he transitioned his studio from in-person lessons to a completely virtual studio. Today he’s back to talk about the nuts and bolts of teaching online. Steve describes the technology requirements for a “basic” online studio, an “enhanced” studio, and an “optimal” studio, depending on the level of investment that makes sense for your business. Steve also addresses the “limitations” some teachers feel w...
Today’s interview is with a teacher who decided to move his entire piano studio from live, in-person lessons to online lessons. Thanks to the current pandemic, this probably describes most of our studios right now, but Steve Hughes made this transition in 2018, when it was relatively uncommon to teach online and his motivation to do so was to create a better life for himself and his family. Steve’s story is a great example of how a personal vision can lead to creativity in how we set up our stud...
Coronavirus is impacting music teachers and music lesson studios in cities around the world. In this very brief message, I share some suggestions for how to lessen the impact on your studio. More resources are available at musicstudiostartup.com . Instagram: @musicstudiostartup Facebook: @musicstudiostartup
Today’s interview digs into the group lesson studio model. My guest, Jake Estner, shares the logistics of how he runs his guitar studio, how he schedules groups, how he thought about pricing, and more. He also answers an important question I hear all the time: “How do you switch a studio from private lessons to group classes?” Jake talks about how he thought through what was important, pedagogically, before suggesting group lessons and did some beta tests with a few students before making group ...
Ken is on a mission to save classical music. His story is a testament to how long-term focus on one mission can have incredible results. About 20 years ago he opened the Musical Arts Center of San Antonio, a music school which, at the time of this recording, had 1,125 students and 39 teachers. In this episode, Ken talks about how his school came to be so large and how figuring out a viable financial model for his business was critical to being able to provide sustainable careers for his teachers...
Do you have a vision or vision statement for your studio? In this episode I share some questions I think about to get a more vivid picture of what I'm trying to accomplish with my music studio and business. I also talk about Vision's nemesis: FOMO. It's real and it's constantly trying to sabotage our focus. To get a printable version of the questions from this episode, go to musicstudiostartup.com/episode030 Don't forget to follow Music Studio Startup on Instagram or Facebook at Music Studio Sta...
I’m going to be taking the summer off of podcasting. I don’t like taking breaks, but I think welcoming a new little human into the world warrants some time away. I’ve already got some really fascinating podcast episodes lined up for the fall and I’m working on some cool business planning resources that have grown out of the conversations I’ve had with many listeners and clients over the last year, so I’ll be getting those ready to share with you in the fall, so stay tuned on social media for tho...
Today’s guest, Lee Stockner, started out as a traditional, classical piano teacher, but when he had the opportunity to teach a student with Autism, he found some of his personal experiences with ADD made him able to relate, and teaching students with special needs became Lee’s niche. On Lee’s journey to find ways to be a better teacher to his students, he developed creative solutions to the challenges they were facing and OTHER businesses ended up growing out of these solutions. It’s been an int...
With spring officially here, that means recital season for so many music teachers. Today we’re taking the branding conversation we been having over the last few episodes, and applying it to our studio events, like recitals! Joining me is Allison McDonald, an event planner from St. Louis. Now, I know most of us aren’t hiring event planners to coordinate our recitals and the majority of our prep time is probably spent choosing rep and rehearsing students. But while we’re on the topic of focusing o...
When Tim Topham was trying to make a living as a music producer and it wasn’t going well, he started taking on piano students as an additional source of income. In our interview, he talked about how little he knew about teaching at that stage. Over time, Tim discovered his unique teaching style lent itself particularly well to teaching teens and students who were feeling dejected by their current music lesson experience. His studio has now become known for his creative teaching techniques and at...
Nicole Riccardo is a flute teacher and branding consultant. Today we talk about how music teachers can identify a niche and then how to use that focus to strengthen our marketing. Nicole outlines some great questions music teachers can ask themselves to start developing their brand and also questions to ask periodically down the road to maintain focus and growth. Full show notes available at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode026/...
Stephanie is a classically-trained opera singer turned voice/presentation/sales coach. This interview blurs the line between an entrepreneurial music teacher sharing the evolution of her voice studio and a communication expert sharing a mini sales workshop. It’s one you’ll want to listen to more than once! Full show notes available at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode025/
Today’s show follows a slightly different format because we’re talking about how to prep for taxes. I’ve got five tax prep tips to share and details about an upcoming Self-Employment Tax Crash Course webinar that I’ll be offering on Friday, March 1, 2019. Register for the webinar here! Full show notes available here https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode024/...
