TEM185: Becoming a published composer while still in middle school and resisting the expectations of others in order to blaze your own path - A conversation with composer Tyler S. Grant

Tyler S. Grant is a composer, conductor and music educator based in Alabama.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The business reason behind adding a middle initial to his name
• How he ended up meeting and working with his mentor, Brian Balmages
• The many things Brian has taught him including how to balance your career with the rest of your life
• There is something we can learn from absolutely anyone in the music business
• The meaningful connections Tyler made with guest artists as a college student by volunteering to drive them to and from the airport
• His first composition for band which was only 90 seconds long and took him months to write (which got performed at the Midwest Clinic!)
• Why he felt like he had arrived when he got that first piece published and as a result didn't release anything in the following year
• Being that driven from an early age and the lessons he learned along the way
• Learning to resist the expectations of the industry and others so you can find your own artistic path
• Why having a degree in something, while valuable, is not a requirement to creating art
• His decision to self-publish his music and to form an LLC
• The crazy schedule he kept as a college student to be an in-demand self-published composer (including enlisting the help of his fellow students to get orders out)
• Hiring a "ghost printer" to keep up with demand and how that kept his sanity

Links:

• tylersgrant.com
• FJH Music
• Murphy Music Press

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM184: If she could do it, you can too

You might not be too busy. It might just be an issue of priorities. An episode inspired by the incredible Toni Morrison.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The incredible story of how Toni Morrison didn't get published until she was a 39-year-old single mother
• The story we frequently tell ourselves (we're too "busy") when it's actually just an issue of priorities
• Being okay with admitting to yourself that something isn't a top priority

Links:

• Tweet of the Week: Rachel Syme (@rachsyme)

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM183: Embracing the business elements of music and common mistakes that will tank your career: A conversation with Umphrey's McGee's Joel Cummins

Joel Cummins is the keyboardist for Umphrey's McGee and the author of The Realist's Guide to a Successful Music Career.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• Joel's brand new book, The Realist's Guide to a Successful Music Career (trust me - it's awesome!)
• Why we have to embrace the career and business elements of music if we want to have successful and fulfilling careers
• The Passion Test
• The importance of finding like-minded artists to collaborate with (one of the secrets to the enormous success of Umphrey's McGee)
• Common mistakes that will tank your career as a musician

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM182: Aligning your priorities and actions for a new year (TEM Short)

For many in the music business, September 1st serves as a reset which is a great time to align our goals and actions.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• September 1st marks the start of a new academic year as well as a reset for much of the music business, which serves as an opportunity to make sure our priorities and current actions are in alignment
• An exercise to bring these into alignment
• A trick to figure out what your priorities really are
• Why perfect alignment should not be your immediate goal

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM181: Owning your own network and turning an idea into a product- A conversation with Truelinked CEO Sune Hjerrild

Sune Hjerrild is a former professional tenor and the CEO of Truelinked.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The story behind Sune losing all of his opera contacts in France that led him to realize how vital it is for musicians to own their own network
• The importance of not having all of your career eggs in one basket
• The original idea behind TrueLinked and how it has pivoted over time
• The decision to purchase OperaBase and why that brought so much value to the platform
• The importance of reaching customers where they are already hanging out
• The conversation Sune had with an entrepreneur on a short flight that inspired him to get to work on his idea which eventually became Truelinked
• The "Four Big A's" that Truelinked serves: Arts organizations, artists, agencies and audience
• Why good agents are still the heart of connectivity in the opera world
• The "zero error culture" many musicians are raised in and why we have to battle that if we want to be successful entrepreneurs

Links:

• Truelinked
• Operabase

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM180: The rule of thirds (TEM Short)

The best advice I've ever received about speaking to an audience.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The unintended side effects of catering to the people who are only kind of digging your presentation (spoiler: it waters down the message that is resonating with your true fans)

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM179: Discovering your own space and finding collaborators who are deeply commited - A conversation with Eunbi Kim

Eunbi Kim is a pianist, teacher and entrepreneur based in New York City.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• How Angela Beeching changed her life by teaching her how to find her own space within the music business and the world
• Eunbi's project Murakami Music and all that went into making it a reality
• The importance of communication and contracts with people you collaborate with (and why the best time to discuss things like exit strategies is when everyone is getting along)
• Her textbook email asking me about appearing on TEM
• Bespoken, a music mentoring organization founded by Eunbi and Gina Izzo
• The dangers of comparing your real self to someone else's social media self
• The teacher she had in college who was so abusive that she became overcome with crippling self-doubt and how she came through the performance even stronger
• Why ego-based fear is so damaging to artists
• The power of affirming your own good intentions

Links:

• eunbikimmusic.com
• Murakami Music
• Bespoken
• Eunbi's Ted X Talk
• Eunbi's Facebook
• Eunbi's Twitter
• Eunbi's YouTube
• Eunbi's Instagram

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM178: Purple Cow by Seth Godin (TEM Book Report)

A Book Report on an all-time classic, Purple Cow by Seth Godin. 

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• What is a Purple Cow and how do you make one
• The best marketing possible is making your product more remarkable
• In today's over-saturated world, only things that are truly remarkable are not invisible
• The importance of measuring things (and why anything you measure can be improved)
• The single most impactful thing I've ever read in a Seth Godin book (no, really!)

Links:

• Purple Cow by Seth Godin

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM177 The only morning routine you will ever need (TEM Short)

A TEM Short inspired by a new feature on the TEM Blog, the Tweet of the Week.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• Author James Clear's take on morning routines
• The byproduct of his simple, two-step routine

Links:

• TEM Blog
• This week's Tweet of the Week

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM176: Managing burnout, not waiting to live your best life and streamlining tasks - A conversation with Elisa Janson Jones

Elisa Janson Jones is an entrepreneur, author, educator and the founder of the International Music Educator Summit.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The crazy number of projects she has going in addition to her full-time teaching job
• How she successfully pitched SmartMusic about doing a podcast for them
• The thought process behind getting an MBA and the work that has led to
• The key to improving anything
• The inspiration for her two books (which were both written for very specific business reasons)
• Why writing a grant is just like writing a business plan (and why you have to help the organization you're pitching to fulfill their mission)
• Why Elisa doesn't believe in work/life balance
• The inspiration for the International Music Education Summit and how she decided to price it
• The importance of streamlining processes to save time down the road
• How she used research and testing to build the summit
• The changes that the summit has undergone in just two years
• The ownership everyone feels when they are a part of a community
• Elisa's incredible life story that has included becoming a mother during college and surviving a very difficult marriage and how those experiences helped to change her mindset about business and life
• Living the life you want to live because none of us are promised a tomorrow

Links:

• https://www.elisajanson.com/
• International Music Education Summit
• Sovereign Strategic
• The Music Ed Mentor Podcast
• Best Practices for Music Educators
• The Music Educators Guide to Thrive
• The Music Booster's Manual
• TEM175: No one has seven ideas

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM175: No one has seven ideas (TEM Short)

A TEM Short inspired by a quote about ideas from Dr. David Cutler.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• "You never meet anyone with with seven ideas. They either have a couple of ideas or they have a thousand."
• How I transformed myself from a couple of ideas guy to a thousand ideas guy
• An exercise to help you generate more and better ideas

Links:

• TEM40: David Cutler of The Savvy Musician on Being a Creative Problem Solver, Living in a Golden Era for Artists and the Link Between Impact and Income
• TEM77: The Savvy Musician’s 10 Tips for 2017 with David Cutler (Part I)
• TEM78: The Savvy Musician’s 10 Tips for 2017 with David Cutler (Part II)

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM174: Sam Pilafian on producing

Sam Pilafian was a legendary producer, entrepreneur, performer and pedagogue.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The app Sam recommended to get my ears totally ready for the session
• The number one job of any producer (it's not what you might think)
• Why a producer has to be "the continuity expert"
• How to organize a take sheet to make things easier when the edits are done
• The many entrepreneurial lessons I learned from Sam's approach to producing

Links:

• TEM32: Sam Pilafian
• TEM52: Sam Pilafian
• TBJ100: Sam Pilafian
• Sam's New York Times Obituary
• Some words I wrote for Sam right before he passed
• Better Ears app (iOS and Android)

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM173: Spotted Online featuring Brodie Welch, Seth Godin and Sam Pilafian

Spotted Online features thought-provoking articles, podcast episodes and YouTube clips pertaining to all aspects of being a successful musical entrepreneur.

On today's episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician I talk about:

• Episode 120 of Brodie Welch's A Healthy Curiosity podcast which features an interview with James Clear
• The Minimum Viable Audience blog post by Seth Godin
• The New York Times obituary of my mentor, Sam Pilafian, and his legacy as a community builder

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM172: Don't wait until it is too late (TEM Short)

After losing my mentor, Sam Pilafian, last week, a plea to all of us to not put things off until a tomorrow that may never come.

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM171: Delivering the right message to the right audience and using technology to empower musicians - A conversation with NoteFlight's John Mlynczak

John Mlynczak is the Managing Director of NoteFlight.

What You'll Learn:

• The most spectacular mispronunciation of his last name (which then became his nickname in college)
• How an experience in college showed John the powerful role that technology can play in helping musicians
• The challenge of getting technology into the hands of teachers
• How NoteFlight started with the assumption that people are going to arrange music no matter what so how can publishers make that easier for people
• Why you can't resist innovation
• Whether NoteFlight mainly targets teachers who have already embraced technology, the ones who have not or somewhere in between
• How NoteFlight found a niche that needed filling in the music notation software world
• The complete technical remake NoteFlight had to do just a few years ago
• The importance of getting the right message to the right audience in as clean and concise manner as possible
• Why all pitches must have a CTA

Links:

• http://johnmlynczak.com/
• https://www.noteflight.com/

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM170: Should a project speed up or slow down (TEM Short)

The danger is getting caught in the middle.

What You'll Learn:

• How to avoid getting caught in the middle on projects
• The benefits of speeding up a project
• The benefits of slowing down a project
• A reminder that time is a zero sum game and any time you are saying yes to anything you are by definition saying no to other things
• Why we should apply the Pareto Principle to any given project or our portfolio careers in general
• A great idea from Seth Godin on how to handle a project that's stalled

Links:

• Akimbo by Seth Godin

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM169: Thinking of hiring a PR firm? Listen to this first!

Why so many PR firms are a complete waste of money for musicians.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why you should never subscribe someone to an email list without their permission
• How many PR firms boast about how many people will receive your pitch when those numbers frequently include people who literally have no use for your product and never possibly could
• While cold emailing LinkedIn contacts is technically allowed it still isn’t a good idea that will get you any real results
• How doing literally five minutes of research can be the difference between a great pitch email and a terrible one (and how few PR firms even bother to do it!)

Links:

• Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
• TEM126: Cathy Heller

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM168: Founding a youth orchestra when you're still young enough to play in one: A conversation with Marquise Bradley

Marquise Bradley is the co-founder of the Center City Chamber Orchestra and Principal Clarinetist of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra.

What You'll Learn:

• Where Marquise and his friends got the idea to start the Center City Chamber Orchestra
• What gave them the follow-through to execute such a big idea
• The biggest challenge moving forward for the organization
• His thoughts on how we can make the classical music concert going experience more inclusive
• What his reaction was when it was pointed out to him at a young man that most people in a symphony orchestra don't look like him

Links:

• Instagram: @marq.bradley
• His Facebook
• Instagram: @cccorch
• CCCO's Facebook

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM167: It's all about frequency (TEM Short)

"Habits form based on frequency, not time."

—James Clear from his new book, Atomic Habits

What You'll Learn:

• The power of identity
• The benefits of easily attainable goals like doing one push-up a day
• Why frequency of a habit is much more important than total time spent
• A lesson we've all learned in the practice room that applies to everything in life

Links:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM166: Booking a $25K tour and building lifelong connections with fans through house concerts: A conversation with Shannon Curtis

Shannon Curtis is an artist and the author of No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Shannon booked her first ever house concert
• How she initially used house concerts to fill in dates on her tours which were usually heavier on weekends and lighter during the week
• Why house concerts lead to meaningful and long-lasting connections with your fans
• The success of her pop-up stores at house concerts
• The importance of having an email list and why newsletters are so important
• Why she decided to self-publish her book

Links:

• No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour by Shannon Curtis
• shannoncurtis.net
• Misfit Stars
• Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM165: A tale of two jewelers

A recent retail experience reminded me of what being on the receiving end of a selfish sales pitch feels like. Here are some thoughts on how we can avoid making people feel that way when we pitch them as musical entrepreneurs.

What You'll Learn:

• A reminder of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a self-serving sales pitch
• How a bad sales pitch feels like being on a bad date
• A great example of a salesperson playing the long game: trying to not just make a sale but forging a mutually beneficial long-term relationship with a customer
• The importance of a point of differentiation when pitching something successfully so the customer doesn't only fall back to price point as the deciding factor
• The difference between contacting customers with their technical permission (a former customer) versus contacting customers who truly want to hear from you because your communications provide value to them
• Why we can't use bad sales experiences to justify hiding from selling ourselves (because we don't have to do it that way!)
• The value of always prioritizing long-term relationships with fans rather than short-term transactions

Links:

• Influence by Dr. Robert Cialdini
• Yas & Co. Jewelers
• TEM19: Ron Davis

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM164: You are not the customer

It is so easy to forget that we are not the person we are trying to serve!

What You'll Learn:

• Why we sometimes unintentionally end up creating products and marketing to ourselves rather than to our customers
• Why it is vital to learn the "rules" and customs of various social channels before you start plugging yourself there
• You will never meet a customer who thinks your product is as important or vital as you do
• Don't assume everyone knows something about you that you think is obvious
• Some thoughts on optimizing your website and your bio

Links:

• Alarm Will Sound
• TEM3: Alarm Will Sound's Gavin Chuck & Michael Clayville
• TEM Consulting
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM163: The many passive income options for musicians and how to figure out which ones are right for you - A conversation with Brent Vaartstra

Brent Vaartstra is an entrepreneur, musician and host of the Passive Income Musician Podcast.

What You'll Learn:

• Brent's path through the music business and how he has transitioned to making a full-time living through passive income
• Why you need a lot more than great credentials to succeed in today's music business
• How he started his first website and the questions you need to ask yourself before you begin your own
• Why it's important to simply start a new thing because you can't ever know everything before you begin
• The pitfalls of marketing to yourself or creating content for yourself rather than for the audience you can best serve
• How Brent relies on data to inform his business decisions
• The process he undertook to initially monetize his online content
• How the key to success is finding a group of people with a problem that you are the best person in the world to solve
• The importance of having a newsletter even when you are just starting out as an entrepreneur
• Brent's advice on "niching down"

Links:

• learnjazzstandards.com
• passiveincomemusician.com
• TEM73: Jessica Meyer
• The Sleigh Ride/Slayer Mashup

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM162: Spotted Online featuring Seth Godin, Dale Trumbore and Bree Noble

Spotted Online features thought-provoking articles, podcast episodes and YouTube clips pertaining to all aspects of being a successful musical entrepreneur.

Links:

• Godin: The Race
• Trumbone: 15 Ways to Be Productive When You're Not Composing
• Noble: How Musician's Can Avoid Burnout & Still Be Productive
• TEM144: Evolving career goals and finding your personal creative rhythm - A conversation with composer Dale Trumbore

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

TEM161: Brazilian Blowout Certified Salon

But what if everyone is certified?

***Today's featured Patreon patron is Keith Bjorklund of Bjorklund Reedworks. Check out that link for an example of an effective website, a really good logo and also a great landing page to announce his 2019 Reed Camp.***

What You'll Learn:

• When you solve problems for people they will always give you money
• How Sola Salons solves many problems for hair stylists, the fascinating selling points they use to pitch them and how we as musical entrepreneurs can learn from them
• Why the sheer number of salons that are "Brazilian Blowout Certified" means it is not a very effective differentiator (and how us musicians fall into that same trap)
• Make sure you are going against the grain with your marketing and not with the 99%

Links:

• Bjorklund Reedworks
• Sola Salon Studios
• Patreon
• Parker Mouthpieces

Want to help the show? Here's a couple of ways you can do that!

1. Help me get to my next goal of $100 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. My next iTunes goal is 150 ratings and 75 reviews. Take just a minute to leave a rating and review on iTunes to help me get there. Thank you!

And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM.

Produced by Drake Domingue

Executive Producer is Andrew Hitz

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes