S’von - A Musician's Journey Through the Music Industry Performing with Legends on the World's Biggest Stages

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

S’von is currently the keyboard player for the legendary Smokey Robinson. Prior to that his journey began playing in clubs and small tours, until his journey one lead him to the inaugural American Idol Tour, where he met Kelly Clarkson. Since that tour, S’von has toured with many legends of the business such as Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, and Smokey Robinson. He has performed on some of the biggest TV Shows in the United States such as Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Ellen Degeneres, Jay Leno, and many more. In this episode, S’von shares his journey along with many lessons for musicians such as what gigs to take, how to not get taken advantage of, tour etiquette, and much more.

To learn more about S’von, visit http://www.svononline.com/.

Highlights From The Episode:
[3:10] Inspiration to speak with students
[5:19] Day to day schedule on Tour
[6:40] Early musical inspirations
[8:00] Local Community & Growing Up
[8:29] Practicing
[10:56] Current Listenings
[11:47] What it takes to learn keys
[13:37] Favorite Gear
[15:40] Doing music full-time
[20:20] Before first big tour
[21:33] Choosing Gigs
[26:08] Advice on What to Ask For (Money-wise) 
[30:41] Relationship Building/ Being A Good Hang
[35:54] Lessons/Advice
[39:26] Storytime
[50:58] Frist Concert Experience
[51:39] Favorite Venue
[52:10] Interests
[52:51] Cryptocurrency
[53:39] Spotify IPO
[56:34] Guilty Pleasures
[58:28] Hollywood Vampires 

Quotes from S'von:
“I love interactions.”
“I would be gone for 6/7 weeks at a time, every time is different, it depends on how you manage it (tour).”
“To be honest, I was inspired by local musicians, I was inspired by local players, local clubs, churches.”
“When I went to college, the music was more-so about the people I went to school with."
“I practice less now, because I don’t want to loose the love of it. I felt like if I did it all the time, it would become more like a job and more mundane. I have to step away and not touch the keyboard for a bit.”
“If I keep trying to be a virtuoso, then my way of communication would be so complex in order to keep me interested, that the average person might not relate. I keep it less to keep the love there.”
“I’ll listen to other things, I didn’t grow up listening to a lot of keyboard players, I listened to a lot of other musicians."
“I try to create my own colors I don’t try to copy musicians work word for word, note for note.”
“On the keys, you have to spend time on it, it doesn’t have to be super complex. Start off with the basics, learn your scales, chords in every keys, 1,3,4,5 in every key. Play things in every key.”
“When you start to become comfortable with the instrument, and you are fluid with it, anything is possible."
“Take 30 days to commit to it, it will do wonders for you.”
“Once you learn how the instrument speaks, then you can play anything. I can play anything.”
“Literally I had a cell phone and a credit card. That was it. I had absolutely nothing, but I was really determined to get in.”
“I was really just looking for any opportunity. I was just lucky that my opportunities were at a bigger scale.”
“Say yes to mostly everything.”
“New people are trying to overvalue themselves. They X themselves out of a lot of opportunities.” 
“I’ll take whatever makes sense in the beginning. You have to pay your dues. Thing don’t just come in a straight line like that.”
“Once you get in the game, you figure out OK what’s worth my time, and what’s not worth my time.”
“If you have no experience, take the gig offered. If you feel like you are being exploited, then leave.”
“You learn from your experiences.”
“Ask your friends and contacts in the industry about what to ask for for money.”
“That’s what counts at the end of the day in the music business. You can be as talented and crafty as you want, but it matters how you handle your business. And people see that.”
“People choose you because they like to hang around you.”
“If you’re not a person people don’t like to hang around, that’s how it’s going to be in the business too”
“If a production has a million dollar budget, they don’t want to deal with a keyboard player with an attitude.”
“Work on your personality, play friendly with others, and you will be good."
“I treat a regular gig like it’s a big gig.”
“Just keep doing it, if you keep doing it, and you stay consistent, you will make it.”
“Patience is key. I was broke on Monday, and then I’m rich on Friday. It’s all the stuff that happens in between. If you don’t, you will burn out, and you will compare yourself to everyone else. What you see is not what you get.”
“Sometimes you think that you are ready, and you’re not. If you’re not ready, you’ll lose it quick.”
“You have to learn other rigs really fast sometimes.”
“I’m really into investing, stock trades and commodities, to leverage myself to not have to take certain gigs when I don’t want to.”
“Do your homework.”
“If your interpretation is off, you will make bad and emotional decisions.”
“I try to stay as healthy as possible, but catering will get you, man. You can’t smell celery!"

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Smokey Robinson 
Clay Aiken 
Rihanna
Kelly Clarkson 
American Idol 
Roland Instruments
Korg Kronos 
Yamaha Motif 
Hammond B-3 
Randy Jackson 
CD Baby 
Chris Stapleton 
Saturday Night Live (SNL) 
Ellen DeGeneres 
Ryan Seacrest 
Chris Smith Podcast
Los Angeles Lakers
Spotify IPO
John Lennon

S'von's Definition of Making It:
"When you feel you happiest and your at peace." 

Get in touch with S'von:
http://www.svononline.com/
IG: @svon1
Twitter: @svon1

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Opportunities for DIY Musicians with Airbnb Concerts, the State of Social Media, Spotify Going Public, iHeart Media Bankruptcy and more. - Headlines and Q&A #001

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

This episode features a new format. It is our first ever news/headlines that musicians and students of the music business should pay attention to, along with a listener Q&A. In the listener Q&A we go in depth with specific questions that our listeners ask. If you’re interested in having your question heard and answered on the show, please visit www.makingitwithchrisg.com/ask.

Highlights From The Episode:
[5:25] Airbnb Concerts
[14:02] iHeart Media Debt & Radio
[23:38] Spotify IPO
[35:23] Social Media Use Declining
[39:00] Review of the Month
[42:16] Working with other Musicians
[46:45] Favorite Podcasts
[54:39] How do you choose your Podcasts
[59:48] How to reconnect with fans after shows
[63:31] Lineups

Quotes from Show:
"Airbnb is valued at 30 billion dollars, which would make them the second biggest promoter in the world, competing with Live Nation."
"Monetize your emotional connections.”
“Who knows where the limit it, it’s this really wide open idea that’s really refreshing.”
“Jump on this Airbnb opportunity right now.” 
“I don’t know if radio stations will ever disappear.”
“A Media company can be on many different platforms.”
“Podcasts are actually outpacing social media.”
“Video streaming is a very big thing in Sports Radio.”
“Spotify is about to go public. It’s a company valued at 23 billion dollars.”
“There’s interactive streaming and non-interactive streaming.”
“Social Media experienced a 79-67% drop.”
“Work with other musicians who are serious about their business and are excited to play in front of people, not just their 4-5 friends.”
“If I see an artist that blows me away the first thing I do is like their pages or sign up for their mailing list.”
"The average email open rate is 12-15%, if you’re sending a good one, it’s 40-60%.”
“Send them an email you would want to open. One of my favorite ones was from the Foo-Fighters, and it was a handwritten note to their fans.” 
"The first band 30 min, second band 40-45, the headlining band is playing an hour set. Last two bands should have a significant draw.”
“Most DIY bands want that middle slot. They get to mingle afterwards and beforehand as well.”
“If you can headline, and keep people there at the end, then you’re worth money, you’re worth people buying tickets.”
“We make sure our headliners are on no later than 9:30PM/10:00PM.”
"For hip hop shows it’s different. Keep it to max 5 artists, first 3, 10-15, co-headliner is 30 min, headliner 45- an hour.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
WrestleMania 34
Shannon Curtis 
Airbnb Concerts
Jack Antanoff 
Fran Snyder 
Concerts In Your Home 
GigSalad
Spotify 
Pandora 
Facebook 
Instagram
Snapchat 
iHeart Media 
WWOZ
Jordan Esker
Ross Golan 
Joe London 
And The Writer Is 
Promoter 101
Ari Herstand 
CD Baby 
Social Media Examiner 
Tim Ferriss 
Lewis Howes 
The GaryVee Audio Experience 
Big Questions with Cal Fussman 
Talk is Jericho
Greg Rollet

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Jovan Polanco - Founder of Swerve Presents, An Independent Promoter and Content Creator with a Focus on Creating a Brand with Culture

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

This episode was recorded live from Florida International University (FIU) 

When the average concert goer goes to a show, they don’t know the difference between Live Nation, AEG Presents, or whomever else is promoting the show. They are there to see their favorite artists, or go see a great show at one of their favorite venues. Jovan Polanco, is a independent promoter, talent buyer, and content creator that’s looking to change that. As the founder of Swerve Presents, he’s looking to create a concert promotions brand with a culture and personality that fans will remember. In this conversation, we discuss the process of booking a concert, competing in a very competitive environment, strategic partnerships, brand building, and much more. This episode is the first ever live podcast, recorded at Florida International University, in Music Business 101.

To learn more about Jovan Polanco, visit http://swerve.life/.  

Highlights from this Episode
[4:45] About Jovan Polanco
[5:56] Learning how the Music Business works
[7:00] Using content to build a concert promotions brand
[8:36] The Swerve Presents Team
[9:58] Having first priority at venues
[10:14] Dealing with venues and creating partnerships
[11:55] The history and business model of Swerve Presents
[16:25] The booking process
[19:34] Biggest challenges as an independent protomer
[21:33] Dealing with agents
[25:36] Plans for Swerve Presents
[27:22] What gets Jovan’s attention as a Talent Buyer
[30:55] Drawing attention from a market for you events
[33:25] Booking Artist’s that don’t fit the company culture
[38:38] Growing contacts from volunteering at festivals
[41:21] Philosophy on how to learn the ins and outs of the music business
[47:50] Getting to know Jovan Polanco

Quotes from Jovan Polanco
“I was doing other things in school to prepare me for what I‘m doing now.”
“Learning how to market parties, translates into marketing shows.”
“As a independent promoter that doesn’t own venues, your venue deal will make or break your shows.”
“When you’re working with other promoters, definitely have a contract.”
“A lot of times people don’t want to jump on, until they see something is moving and happening.”
“To gain leverage in Talent Buying, I need to book multiple markets.”
“In the beginning it’s all about creating a connection, and get the agent to know who (you) are.”
“Our mission is to change the face of the industry.”
“Most of my first bookings came from meeting the agents at conferences.”
“If it’s good music, and we can get behind it, we should support it.”
“Going to the conferences is super pivotal if you want to do this.”
“When you go to a conference, you should have something you’re working.”
“If I approach a person at a conference, think about how you can add value to them.”
“College creates the environment to learn things on a micro level.”
“If you want to survive in the next 20 years, you need to be putting out content.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Swerve Presents
Florida International University (FIU)
Live Nation
AEG Presents
TSA-Showcase
WRLD Entertainment
Revolt Music Conference
SXSW
Billboard Booking & Touring Conference
Dan Larson
Okeechobee Music Festival
Lil Uzi Vert
21 Savage
Meg White (Agent at ICM)
J.I.D
Moneybagg Yo
Trippie Redd
Maggie Rogers
Billie Eilish
Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
William Morris Endeavour (WME)
Promoter 101
Gary Vaynerchuck
Short Story Long (Podcast)
The Come Up Show (Podcast)  
Martin Luther King
Jay-Z
J. Cole
[BOOKS]
All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman

Jovan Polanco’s Definition of Making It:
“Being able to do what I love full time, and being able to support myself of it.”

Get in touch with Jovan Polanco
http://swerve.life/
IG: @swervepresents
Twitter: @swervepresents

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Ron Richard - Talent Buyer at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans - Episode #071
2. Life of a Talent Buyer - Lessons to Becoming a Concert Promoter - Episode #036
3. Dan Larson - The Spectrum of Talent Buying - Episode #023

Kevin Calabro - Co-Founder of Indie Record Label Royal Potato Family, and Founder of Calabro Music Media on Running an Independent Label, Artist Development and More.

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

The music industry is not a career, it’s a lifestyle. Kevin Calabro is a veteran of the business, whose passion for music connects everything he touches from the way he treats and works with his artists, to how fans experience listening to records. Along with Marco Benevento, he’s the co-founder of Independent Record Label, Royal Potato Family, and also runs the Artist Management and PR company, Calabro Music Media. He works with many amazing artists such as Living Colour, Marco Benevento, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, and many more. In this episode, we talk about the day to day of running an independent label, songwriting, advice for DIY musicians, his philosophy on touring, and much more.

To learn more about Kevin Calabro, visit https://calabromusicmedia.com/ and http://royalpotatofamily.com/.  

Highlights from this Episode
[3:38] Early Record Collections
[6:02] The energy behind the music versus the math
[8:15] Current Projects and Background
[10:32] Standing out in a niche market
[15:48] Songwriting for artists in other genres
[20:51] Writing better songs
[23:35] Best practices for social media
[27:22] Creating consistent content
[29:25] Philosophy on releasing more singles
[30:24] Touring strategies for artists
[35:28] Creating a culture and a vibe for a label
[38:23] Choosing to work with artists as a label versus management or publicist
[39:37] The album release process
[43:16] Kevin Calabro’s team
[48:48] Process of filtering through emails
[52:40] Sending emails and getting more responses
[54:45] Getting to know Kevin Calabro
[59:32] Artist Stories

Quotes from Kevin Calabro
“It comes down to being able to stick around and staying in the game.”
“Real artists rise to the top over time.”
“Bob Marley was Jamin’!”
“A good solo in the middle of a generic song, is not going to do a whole lot for anyone.”
“It’s important to keep singles coming out, and dropping little things without having huge gaps in between projects.”
“Content is really important right now, more so than ever.”
“Every artist has their own trajectory of how it’s going to happen, and you just have to be tuned into it.”
“I’m envisioning everybody who buys our records, listening to records the same way I do.”
“Be freaking smart about what you send.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Journey
Styx
Joan Jett
Neil Young
The Allman Brothers
Grateful Dead
Muddy Waters
Howlin’ Wolf
Royal Potato Family
Calabro Music Media
Oliver Wood
Tinsley Ellis
Marco Benevento
Chris Robinson
Grayson Capps
Larry Coryell
Willis Alan Ramsey
The New Yorker
The Office (TV Show)
Corey Glover from Living Colour
Leslie Mendelson
Eric Krasno
Phil Lesh
Marcus King
Aaron Neville
Soulive
Stanton Moore
Galactic
Tipitina’s
New Orleans Jazz Fest

Kevin Calabro’s Definition of Making It:
“Being able to do what you love, with the people you love, is everything.”

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Neal Casal of Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Episode #043
2. Corey Glover of Living Colour - Episode #047
3. Leslie Mendelson - Episode #057
4. Oliver Wood of the Wood Brothers - Episode #070
5. Mark Samuels of Basin Street Records - Episode #069

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Rodney Hazard - Creating Beautiful Artistic Content and Building Powerful Relationships with Fellow Collaborators Through Social Media

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rodney Hazard is an Art Director, Producer, and DJ based in Brooklyn, NY. On February 23, 2018, he released his second album, Sain or Savage, which premiered on Noisey.com. Rodney was first introduced on the podcast by Mark Schaefer on Episode #073, where Mark spoke of Rodney as an example of creating very creative and exciting content with his videos and music on Instagram. Rodney has created many amazing projects to which he has contributed as a director, music producer, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, or a combo of them all. He’s someone that’s a great example of a musician expanding his creative talents, and applying them to create beautiful and powerful content, with very talented collaborators. In this episode, we discuss the value of collaborating with others, how Rodney reaches out to complete strangers via Instagram or Twitter DM for collaboration projects, and much more.

To learn more about Rodney, visit http://rodneyhazard.com/ and make sure to follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rodneyhazard/.  

Highlights from this Episode
[3:24] Collaboration with Chasing Rooftops
[5:05] Where Rodney’s collaborations come from
[5:39] Meeting Mark Schaefer
[6:52] About Rodney Hazard
[8:05] What he looks for in potential collaborators
[9:12] Reaching out to people on social media
[11:45] What to say when reaching out to people on social media
[13:58] Overcoming being a perfectionist and start putting out content
[16:08] Putting out content
[18:10] Rodney’s process of creating content
[19:30] Getting someone’s attention on Instagram
[20:55] Rodney’s Team and workflow process
[22:51] Finding management and what to look for in a manager
[24:28] Approaching a manger
[25:20] Best practices for Soundcloud and Spotify
[26:52] The journey of Rodney Hazard
[31:52] Nvr Sleep - A Party for the Creative Class
[34:11] Lessons learned from collaborations and Heavy D.
[38:22] Booking and opening for other artists
[40:08] Equalizing Music Project
[43:27] Getting started in Film Scoring
[47:57] Expectations when reaching out to potential collaborators
[48:26] New Album - Saint or Savage
[52:47] Preview of 2018 for Rodney Hazard
[53:47] Philosophy on Touring for Hip-Hop and Producers
[56:12] A live performance that stands out and turning an audience into fans
[58:52] Getting to know Rodney Hazard

Quotes from Rodney Hazard
“Don’t be afraid to break rules and make noise.”
“How can we help each other push forward?”
“Always thank people for their time.”
“Art is never finished.”
“You’re always going to look at your old self, and cringe.”
“You have to see how people react to what you’re doing.”
“Let the world see it, let the world hear it.”
“You should always be creating.”
“If you’re practicing all the time, and doing things all the time, you’re going to get as great as you want to be.”
“All of things get flipped on its head. Why not be the first one to start that wave?”
“You should choose your manager, it shouldn’t be the other way around.”
“Sitting around and waiting for somebody isn’t the right way to go about it.”
“It’s all about creating a new conversation.”
“There is always something to learn, as long as you look at the craft as, I’m forever a student.”
“You can’t expect everyone to do what you want to do.”
“You should constantly be doing shows.”
“You have to be able to perform whether it’s a small crowd or big crowd.”
“You have to get on stage and bring something a little different.”
“Be willing to create a conversation with the crowd.”
“Making the music is the fun part.”
“I want people to feel something when the hear it.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Chasing Rooftops
Mark Schaefer
AZ
Heavy D.
Halley Hiatt
Saint or Savage Premiere on Noisey
Sundance Film Festival
Questlove
The Roots
Method Man
Joe Budden
Nvr Sleep
GioDee
Bipolar Sunshine
TED Talk with Matt Goldman of Blue Man Group
Snoop Dogg
The Game
Jesse Draxler
Altered Carbon
Marvin Gaye
Prince
Tupac
[BOOKS]
Theory by Kenneth Goldsmith

Rodney Hazard’s Definition of Making It:
http://rodneyhazard.com/  
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud

Get in touch with Rodney Hazard
“Traveling the world, sustaining a good life, and doing what you love to do.”

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Jason Davis - A Lifetime of Songwriting and Entrepreneurship at the Highest Level

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Jason Davis is a serial entrepreneur, A&R, and expert in artist development. He’s a co-founder and president of multiple companies including One One 7, Radar Label Group, and Awaken Records. He has worked with artists such as P. Diddy, Boyz II Men, Jay-Z, Dolly Parton, Lonestar, and many more. He wrote his first Billboard #1 single at 23 years old, which was a song called “Captured,” performed by Aaron Benward. In this episode, we talk about Jason’s journey in the music business and what it takes to be a songwriter at the highest level. From this journey, someone can learn many valuable lessons on how to get started as an artist, to have an amazing work ethic, how much you should be writing, and much more.
 
To learn more about Jason Davis check out https://oneone7.com/, https://www.awakenrecordings.com/, https://www.radarlabelgroup.com/, and http://fcmgt.com/.

Highlights from this Episode
[3:08] Time in Delray Beach, FL
[4:25] Advantages and Disadvantages of living in a major music market
[7:29] Current Projects Jason Davis is involved in
[13:20] Narrowing your focus when first starting out
[20:25] Where Jason’s journey began as a musician
[27:27] Process for Booking Shows
[30:28] Writing the #1 Song “Captured” with Aaron Benward
[41:33] The journey after writing a #1 song
[45:50] Pitching a song to an A&R
[49:30] Time management and working on your craft for Songwriters
[54:37] Sharing a story from your perspective
[55:52] Getting to writing with artists on a bigger scale
[1:03:44] Defining your WHY and purpose to your music
[1:10:18] Finding the right people that don’t give up on you
[1:19:15] Working and getting involved with Care for Kids
[1:22:04] Getting to know Jason Davis

Quotes from Jason Davis
“We have a habit of looking at someone that’s become very successful and not processing it’s taken them 20 to 30 years to get to where they are.”
“It’s about having a very concentrated laser beam focus on one thing at a time.”
“Focus on one thing to become great at.”  
“When music is done at the highest level, and only the highest level...it’s a glimpse of how good the music in heaven is.”
“It was more about growing and the journey, than getting people’s approval.”
“The door just cracked open, and I’m not going backwards.”
“The only thing I can do is work to have a relationship with you, and then I have permission to play you a song.”
“(You) should be writing a little bit every single day.”
“Challenge yourself to write and finish at least one song a week.”
“Dare to be crazy creative.”
“You should be studying the Top 20 to 50 songs.”
“You should be studying the song titles and song content.”
“Anyone on the other side of a 10 to 11 year journey to success, will tell you the 10 to 11 years didn’t really take that long.”
“If you play your cards right, and work hard, you can sustain that success for a lifetime.”
“How do we make the best possible music here on earth?”
“Usually once an artist meets the right people, it’s still a 2, 3, 4 year journey.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Awaken Records
Austin French
Rising Star (TV Show)
First Company Management
Newsboys
Ryan Stevenson
7eventh Time Down
Radar Label Group
Jimmy Eat World
Neon Trees
Plain White T’s
Unlikely Candidates
Ariana Grande
Justin Bieber
Michael Jackson
CTK Management
Dolly Parton
Will Smith
Paradigm Agency
Aaron Benward
Mandy Moore
And the Writers Is… (Podcast)
[BOOK]
Your Love Pursues by Jason Davis  
The Bible 
All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman
The Operator by David Geffen
To Be Loved by Berry Gordy
Virgin King by Richard Branson
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Piero Melograni

Jason Davis’ Definition of Making It:
“Making music at the highest level it can be made.”

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Emily Kopp - Touring, Licensing, and Backpacking the World
2. Jeffrey James - An Adventure in the Nashville Songwriter Scene
3. Mark Samuels - A 20 Year Journey & Counting as an Independent Record Label
4. Oliver Wood - An Adventure with Musical Greats, Independence, and Creative Freedom

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Mark Schaefer - Strategies to Building Your Personal Brand and Becoming KNOWN

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

One of my favorite topics in marketing since starting the podcast is the concept of content marketing and building media companies. It’s something that’s been happening for decades. As Joe Pulizzi mentioned, he modeled the Content Marketing Institute on Disney’s business model as a media company. Over the last 10 years or so, there have been some brilliant marketers that have studied content marketing or building a business around being a media company. They’ve done endless amounts of research, built media companies themselves, and have many amazing success stories. Musicians should be the best set-up at building media companies because they’re building a business around media. Yet unfortunately, many musicians struggle with building an audience, including their labels. However, there is a ton of amazing information out there and marketing strategists that have identified simple steps on how someone can build a media company, and become KNOWN. One of these marketing strategists is Mark Schaefer, the guest for this episode on the show.

Mark Schaefer is a marketing and social media strategist. He’s a six-time author, which includes the book KNOWN - “The handbook for Unleashing Your Personal Brand in a Digital Age.” Mark is one of the Top-10 Most retweeted marketing authorities, a public speaker, a professor at Rutgers University, well-known blogger for the blog {grow}, and even has his own podcast, The Marketing Companion. In this conversation, we discuss the book KNOWN, and how musicians can use these strategies to find their sustainable interest, build a powerful brand, and creating an effective social media strategy to grow your business, and become KNOWN.

Grab a copy of KNOWN by Mark Schaefer on Amazon

Highlights from this Episode
[2:31] Mark’s first memorable live music experiences
[6:15] Mark’s Story
[7:45] Why KNOWN is a good start for Musicians
[13:10] Finding your sustainable interest
[15:34] How to find your sustainable interest
[19:57] How to find the right space that’s not already oversaturated
[23:34] Four types of “rich” content to consider
[27:32] The importance of focusing on one type of content on one platform
[31:58] How consistent and patient do we need to be?
[37:52] Using Twitter advanced search
[42:10] Where is the trend of content consumption going in 2018
[46:25] How Mark Schaefer would design a Music Business program
[48:40] Mark’s Hollywood Vampires
[50:01] Getting to know Mark Schaefer

Quotes from Mark Schaefer
“There is only one thing that matters today. Either you’re known, or you’re not.”
“Being known is really the only sustainable competitive advantage a person can have today.”
“Every single person, in every field, everywhere in the world, did the same four things to be known.”
“I didn’t follow my passion. My passion followed me.”
“To be known, you have to identify your sustainable interest.”
“All of the great musicians have combined genres, they’ve combined cultures.”
“Many of the musicians we look up to today, when they started, they didn’t have it right. But they started.”
“If you want to stand out in some way, you have to find a way to do it that really hasn’t been done before.”
“There are so many new and exciting opportunities out there.”
“The whole idea is to be discovered and to create something new in a new space, where you can be discovered and loved.”
“A social media audience is different from an actionable audience.”
“On average it took people [from the book] two and a half years to tilt.”
“The key is focus.”
“Twitter is the most powerful way to find a targetable audience.”
“The number one consideration has to be; what brings you joy?”
“If you’re not having fun, not having joy, the audience will find that.”
“When you put content into the world, it’s a daily performance review.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Bruce Springsteen
Pat Metheny
Hologram Electronics
NAMM Conference
Isadora et Marisa (Food YouTuber)
Rodney Hazard
Slide Share
“Got Twitter? You’ve been Scored” (NY Times Article)
Advanced Twitter Search
Rutgers University
Walter Isaacson
Elon Musk
Ernie Watts
“Blogging and Your Moment of Truth” (Article inspired by Ernie Watts)
[BOOKS]
KNOWN
The Tao of Twitter
The Content Code

Mark Schaefer’s Definition of Making It:
“Peace in your heart. When you get to a place when you get peace in your heart, you feel satisfied, you feel rewarded for giving back to the world in whatever way. That’s the ultimate definition of success for me.”

Get in touch with Mark Schaefer
https://www.businessesgrow.com/
Twitter: @markwschaefer

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Joe Pulizzi - Killing Old Marketing Practices and Building Media Companies
2. Jasmine Star - Building a Successful Business with the RIGHT Fans
3. Greg Rollett - Taking Your Marketing Game to the Next Level with Content Creation
4. Kyle Lemaire - Disrupting the Traditional Music Business

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

8 Keys to Continue Thriving in 2018

According to Business Insider, 80% of Americans give up on their New Year’s resolutions and goals by February 1st. We can’t afford for you to give up on your goals. On January 1st, did you say that this year will be your best year ever? What were those goals that you set to achieve this year? What did you try to put behind you from 2017? The world needs you to continue to pursue your goals and passion. So does your friends, your family, and especially you. Creativity and entrepreneurship can change one person, which means your music, your art, your ideas, can change one person. If you can positively impact and change one person at a time, you can change the world. In this episode, I want to share 8 keys with you to hopefully inspire you to stay on track or get back on track with your goals for 2018, and to continue to THRIVE!!  

Highlights from this Episode
[6:04] First - Get Back up
[10:32] Two - Focus on Health
[13:06 ] Three - Spiritual and Gratitude
[16:46] Four - Work on Your Craft
[20:55] Five - Give to Your Relationships
[25:39] Six - Have a Gameplan
[28:20] Seven - Learn & Grow Always
[33:34] Eight - Create Your Community

Quotes from this Episode
“It’s time to get back on track.”
“We need to be inspired.”
“If you give up on  your goals, not only you lose, but we all lose.”
“If we have more people doing things they love and make them thrive, the more positivity we’ll have in world.”
“Get daily time with something that brings you joy and makes you thrive.”
“If your music or craft connects with just one person, you can change the world.”  
“We need you to stay inspired and share your gift with the world.”
“Taking care of you will help you be more creative, productive, and happier.”
“Thank one person every day with no expectations.”  
“If you want to be a songwriter, you should be writing 10 to 20 songs a month.”
“Always work on your craft and try to get a little bit better every day.”
“Don’t make someone have to think how you can bring value to them. You find the way!”
“If everyone wins, that’s the best type of relationship to start.”
“Reverse engineer your goals, and create smaller goals.”   
“When you’re interviewing and having conversations, it’s important to listen.”
“Build positive, encouraging, and motivating tribes.”
“Surround yourself with people that inspire you, motivate you, and want you to succeed.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Brad Mason
Tim Ferriss
Tony Robbins
Gary Vaynerchuck
Christian Gratitude Journal by Ben Greenfield
Headspace
Oak Meditation
Malcolm Gladwell
Greg Rollett
Chris Stapleton
Toastmasters
Plaza Live Orlando
Live Nation
House of Blues New Orleans
Joe Pulizzi
Jacko Willink
Lewis Howes
Herb Gonzalez
Brandon T. Adams
Game of Thrones
City Park in New Orleans
Full Sail University
Blue Zones
[BOOKS]
Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuck
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Brad Mason - Finding Motivation by Being Fully Engaged

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Ron Richard - Owner of SimplePlay Presents and Talent Buyer at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans - Artist Development Strategies from Years of Booking and Promoting Live Music

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Ron Richard is the owner of New Orleans based Artist Development and Promotions company, SimplePlay Presents, and the Talent Buyer for One Eyed Jacks. In this episode, we cover how to become an artist manager, artist development, booking shows, the advance process, opening for national acts, and much more. Ron has been a concert promoter in New Orleans for over 10 years, and has worked with all the major venues in the market. SimplePlay presents has become a major artist management company in the market that has worked with artists such as Big Freedia, Naughty Professor, Sweet Crude, and many more.

To learn more about Ron Richard, keep in touch with him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/roncheadle/, and check out the shows he’s booking at One Eyed Jacks at https://www.oneeyedjacks.net/.   

Highlights from this Episode
[2:45] Ron’s first concert experience
[3:45] Ron’s story of getting started in the Music Business
[4:48] What is SimplePlay
[6:08] Skills an Artist Manager Needs
[7:25] Dealing with stressful situations  
[8:30] When artists should pursue managers
[10:15] Things artists should keep track of
[10:40] Managing and working with new artists
[14:18] Lessons from Promoting Shows for Artist Managers
[15:10] Advancing Shows
[16:28] Getting started as an Artist Manager
[18:30] What artists should look for in a manager
[20:05] Favorite New Orleans Jazz Fest moments
[21:32] Starting out as a promoter and reducing risks
[22:55] Making good deals and growing your business
[24:49] Getting started in competitive markets like New Orleans
[26:25] Not burning bridges with competing promoters
[28:00] Types of deal when promoting shows
[29:35] Emailing promoters - etiquette and pet peeves
[32:40] Putting together local shows with other locals
[33:45] Going out to shows
[35:32] Opening for National Acts
[36:52] Common mistakes artists make
[37:40] Lesson that took Ron the longest to learn
[39:31] Dealing with booking contracts
[41:45] Past and current mentors
[42:05] What Ron wants people to know about New Orleans
[43:40] Getting to know Ron Richard

Quotes from Ron Richard
“We sold 2 shirts, but made money on tickets. So, we canned the T-Shirt idea, and got into promoting.”
“You have to know your artist.”
“Go settle up as soon as you can, and make sure you get deposits”
“Go see shows, and talk to artists”
“Be smart with what you choose, and know your market.”
“Sometimes it works out, and sometimes you lose. That’s just how it goes.”
“The worst they can tell you is no, or they’ll just over quote you really high.”
“Work well with everyone, and eventually stuff will come back.”
“Make a point to go to other venues and show face, and talk to other buyers and people.”
“Make your hometown beckon for a show.”
“You don’t want to come off amateur to an agent.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Pearl Jam
Sage Francis
One Eyed Jacks
SimplePlay
Big Freedia
Tank & The Bangas
Sweet Crude
Motel Radio
Coyotes  
Shep Gordon
AEG Presents
Live Nation
Maison
Joy Theater
Orpheum Theater
Sync Up Music Conference
New Orleans Jazz Fest
SXSW  
My Morning Jacket
EOTO
PollstarPro
Genius Sign App
Reptar
Port of Call - New Orleans
Green Day
Office Hours with Tim Heideker  
Tuesdays with Stories with Mark Norman
Hunter S. Thompson
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon [Documentary]
History of The Eagles [Documentary]  

Ron’s Definition of Making It:
“Doing something you feel really happy doing, and fulfills you. To me, I have the most fun job in the world.”

Get in touch with Ron Richard
IG: @roncheadle

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Promoter and Artist Deals & Settlements
2. Booking More Shows by Writing Better Emails to Talent Buyers, Promoters, and Venue Owners
3. Opening for National Acts
4. Wayne Lee - Journey of Legendary New Orleans Talent Buyer

Oliver Wood of the Wood Brothers - An Adventure with Musical Greats, Independence, and Creative Freedom

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Get ready to embark on a beautiful creative adventure. One of the things I preach the most is the Malcolm Gladwell theory of 10,000 hours. If you’re fully present, and dedicate 10,000 hours of your time into something, you’ll reach a level of greatness. When I first started the podcast, it was a 90 day experiment that turned into a passion, and maybe one could say I finally found my lane. Now, I’m trying to hit my 10,000 hours as quickly as possible as a podcaster, teacher, mentor, and public speaker. When it comes to songwriting and music, I always teach my students that they should be investing as many hours as they can on improving their craft, and to collaborate with others that will help elevate their skill as a musician and songwriter. This week, I launched a new group project where students get chosen at random to spend a week with a group of 4 to 5 people as writing partners and come up with an original song. This was a project inspired by Oliver Wood. When I think of Oliver, I think of someone that has been on a creative adventure of music as musician and songwriter. His journey and stories are a tale of greatness.

Oliver Wood is one of the founders of The Wood Brothers, along with his brother, Chris Wood. After several years on their own path, they discovered their musical bond and have been on a wonderful journey ever since their first release in 2006. On February 2nd, 2018, The Wood Brothers are releasing their sixth album ‘One Drop of Truth,’ which dives headfirst into a deep wellspring of sounds, styles, and influences. Whereas their previous outings have often followed a conceptual and sonic through-line, here the long-standing trio featuring brothers Oliver and Chris Wood along with Jano Rix treat each song as if it were its own short film. The plaintive, country-folk of the album’s opening track “River Takes The Town” gives way to The Band-esque Americana soul of “Happiness Jones.” The stream of consciousness ballad “Strange As It Seems” floats on a cloud of ethereal beauty, standing in stark contrast to “Sky High”—a Saturday night barnburner built upon stinging slide guitar funk. “Seasick Emotions” is rife with emotional turmoil, yet “Sparkling Wine” is jaunty and carefree. The end result is undeniably The Wood Brothers’ most dynamic recording to date.

In this conversation, Oliver Wood discusses the new album, along with some stories of his mentor Tinsley Ellis, his father, and advice for aspiring musicians and songwriters. Oliver Wood has had such a wonderful career, and in this episode, he shares some of his stories and lessons from those adventures.  

Get the new album "One Drop of Truth"

Highlights from this Episode
[3:06] Musical Influences and New Orleans Music
[4:32] Making of the New Album “One Drop of Truth”
[7:40] What Oliver is most excited about with the new album
[8:37] Self Producing Albums
[11:40] If he were creating a Music Business program for Songwriters
[17:38] Being mentored and learning the business with Tinsley Ellis
[19:26] The moments that inspired The Wood Brothers
[23:38] Lesson that took Oliver the longest to learn

Quotes from Oliver Wood
“Put yourself in it 100%, and don’t compromise things.”
“Get your pure idea recorded.”
“Half of it is just a motivation thing and a confidence thing, or lack thereof. And you just have to overcome that.”
“You learn things by doing them.”
“Write songs, and write a lot of them. And listen to songs, listen to a lot of them.”
“There has to be something that promotes individuality.”
“Students need to be encouraged to find their own voice.”
“Group projects are great, because we learn from each other.”
“Just stay in the moment and don’t worry about things. Especially when it comes to music.”
“The best part is made when you’re not thinking about anything.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
The Wood Brothers
Stevie Wonder
Prince
Tinsley Ellis
Freddie King
Derek Trucks
Chris Wood
Medeski, Martin, and Wood
Blue Note Records
Norah Jones
Zac Brown
Thirty Tigers

Oliver Wood’s Definition of Making It:
“If you’re doing what you love, you’ve made it.”

Get in touch with The Wood Brothers
http://thewoodbros.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thewoodbrothers
https://www.instagram.com/thewoodbros/
https://twitter.com/thewoodbrothers

Go See The Wood Brothers Live
Upcoming 2018 Tour Dates:
Jan. 25 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre
Jan. 26 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre
Jan. 27 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre
Jan. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
Jan. 30 - Albany, NY - The Egg
Jan. 31 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Feb. 1 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Feb. 2 - Portland, ME - State Theatre
Feb. 3 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
Feb. 9 - Miami Beach, FL - Groundup Music Festival
Feb. 21 - Phoenix, AZ - MIM Music Theater
Feb. 22 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
Feb. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
Feb. 24 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Feb. 25 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Feb. 27 - Arcata, CA - Kate Buchanan Room
Feb. 28 - Ashland, OR - Southern Oregon University
Mar. 1 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
Mar. 2 - Seattle, WA - Neptune
Mar. 3 - Seattle, WA - Neptune
Mar. 15 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
Mar. 16 - Chattanooga, TN - Robert Kirk Walker Theatre
Mar. 17 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
Apr. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
Apr. 12 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
Apr. 13 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
Apr. 14 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
Apr. 15 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
Apr. 17 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Ballroom
Apr. 18 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
Apr. 19 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
Apr. 20 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theater
Apr. 21 - Brevard, NC - Songsmith Gathering
Apr. 22 - Charlotte, NC - Tuck Fest
May 25 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 27 - Cumberland, MD - DelFest

Get all the info and tickets here. 

Related Episodes:
1. Neal Casal of Chris Robinson Brotherhood Shares Stories of His 30+ Year Career
2. Ivan Neville of Dumpstaphunk - Growing up ina Family of Musicians & Greatness
3. Leslie Mendelson - Expanding Musical Horizons & Meeting Friends in Unexpected Places

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Mark Samuels - Owner & Founder of Basin Street Records - A 20 Year Journey and Counting as an Independent Record Label Featuring the Beautiful Sounds of New Orleans

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Longevity is the word that resonates the most with me when it comes to building a successful career or being an entrepreneur. Creators - musicians, songwriters, filmmakers, artists, producers, etc. are all entrepreneurs and therefore business owners. I find a lot of entrepreneurs that get really impatient three to four years into their journey. Often times even sooner. We want things to happen right now. I’ve been there myself. One of the lessons that took me the longest to learn, but resonates the most with me today, is to look at a career in terms of the long-term picture. Yes, it’s important to seize the day and live every day to be as fulfilled as possible. However, in reality, we spent most of our time on the journey to our goals, then actually at the final destination itself. Most of us are going to live to be over 80 years old. If you have “success” in your 20’s, what happens for the next 50-60 years? What happens when you run out of money?

When I think of success and longevity, I think of people like Make Samuels, owner, and founder of Basin Street Records. Not only is he focused on the longevity of his label, but also the artists he represents. He takes personal responsibility to wake up early every day, knowing he’s responsible for their livelihood, and their families livelihood. In 2017, Basin Street Records celebrated it’s 20 Year Anniversary as an Independent Record Label. The label features the wonderful sounds of New Orleans with artists such as Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Rebirth Brass Band, Jon Cleary, Los Hombres Calientes, Jeremy Davenport, Bonerama, and so many more. Mark Samuels, started the label in 1997 with the release of Kermit Ruffins - the Barbecue Swingers Live, which was recorded at the historic music venue, Tipitina’s. The labels second album, Los Hombres Calientes won a Latin Billboard Award, and the 2012 Rebirth Brass Band album “Rebirth of New Orleans,” brought the label it’s first Grammy win. In this conversation, Mark Samuels shares these and many more stories. You’ll learn how the label started, New Orleans culture, and many lessons on running an independent record label.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Also, I hope you open yourself up to exploring different styles of music, and listen to the sounds of New Orleans. The sounds of Basin Street Records.

Get the 20 YEAR Anniversary Album featuring Kermit Ruffins & Irvin Mayfield.

Highlights from this Episode
[3:02] Mark Samuels first concert experience
[4:00] The first time he picked up an instrument
[5:15] Moving from New Orleans to New York City
[6:52] First experience with the music industry
[10:42] Past and current mentors
[12:30] Getting started on the business side of the music industry
[25:35] Lessons learned from promoting concerts
[30:33] Deals and contracts
[36:22] Creating your labels vision and brand
[40:48] Running a label being based in New Orleans
[55:04] Advice for getting a label started
[59:31] Things artists should look for in working with a label
[1:05:16] The Grammy Winning Rebirth Brass Band Album
[1:08:40] Getting to know Mark Samuels

Quotes from Mark Samuels
“Figure out what things are important, and what things you can do better.”
“Speech, Debate, Creative Writing - no matter what you’re doing. Those are the things you should spend time on.”
“When you’re dealing with intellectual property, you can’t do things on a handshake.”
“When you have partners, you need to have an agreement about how you’re going to part ways.”
“You have to be prepared for disasters.”
“Get the accounting systems started from day one.”
“If you’re not going to run your business properly, don’t start a business.”
“If you have people that are going to count on you, outside of yourself, you better be prepared to wake up early and work, every day.”
“Learn as many different things that you can.”
“You’re going to need aspects of your career managed. Figure out what those are.”
“Ask to speak to the other bands that are signed to that label.”
“If you bring enough to the table, you’ll find someone willing to work with you.”
“It’s too easy to take a good picture on an iPhone, to have a lousy press photo.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Wynton Marsalis
New Orleans Jazz Fest
University of Texas (Austin)
Delfeayo Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
The Police
Cutting Edge Music Business Conference
Generations Hall
Jeremy Davenport
Kermit Ruffins
Tom Thompson
Basin Street Records
Tipitina’s
The Barbecue Swingers Live
OffBeat Music Magazine
Justice Records
Rebirth Brass Band
Irvin Mayfield
Los Hombres Calientes
Jason Marsalis
Snug Harbor  
House of Blues New Orleans
Orpheum Theater - New Orleans
Jon Cleary
Henry Butler
Saràyah
Dr. Michael White
Louis Armstrong
Earl Palmer
Neville Brothers
The Meters
Dr. John
The Subdudes
Treme (TV Show)
NCIS New Orleans (TV Show)
Grammy Winning Rebirth Brass Band Album - Rebirth of New Orleans
“A Beautiful World” - 20 Year Anniversary Album
Haley Reinhart
Spinal Tap
[BOOKS]
22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al and Laura Ries

Mark Samuels’ Definition of Making It:
“I think I’ve made it! I have 4 amazing kids. With them, I think I’m leaving the world in a better spot, and I hope our music lives on forever.”

Get in touch with Mark Samuels
https://www.basinstreetrecords.com/

A Small Sample of the Sounds of Basin Street Records

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Related Articles & Episodes: 
Davey Jay - Copyright & Publishing Masterclass
Erick Charles - Field Marketing Director at Fueled by Ramen/Roadrunner Records

Lennon Cihak - Building a Massive Network Through Writing for Blogs and How Musicians can Get Featured on Music Blogs

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

A common thing we always hear in the music industry, “it’s all about relationships.” I’ve always said that promoting shows is the ultimate gateway drug into the music business and building relationships because you get to work with venues, agents, managers, publicists, labels, and artists. However, promoting shows comes with huge risk. You could fall on your face, and lose a ton of money. Lennon Cihak is an example of being genuine, organized, and putting in really hard work can build a massive network. As of the release of this episode, he is a recent college grad from Full Sail University and is already build a powerful network through writing for blogs.

Lennon Cihak is a writer for EDM.com, Noiseporn, Magnetic Magazine, and Digital Music News. He’s also started his own blog EDMinaSoda, where he explores his writing covering other interests in the world of EDM. In this episode, you’ll learn about Lennon’s journey, how he organized his homework schedule so he could take on more projects, how to build genuine relationships, how to get write-ups on music blogs, and much more. Lennon is already doing some amazing things, and he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential. He’s approaching the music business with a positive attitude, hustle, and with kindness, and therefore, has built a great network.

Highlights from this Episode
[3:02] Time at Full Sail University
[4:28] Students, Classes, and Professors that inspired Lennon
[6:52] Getting involved and decision making process of what to get involved with
[11:13] The journey of Lennon Cihak
[17:28] How students can get started getting experience
[19:48] Journey in writing
[21:10] Opportunities from Blogging
[24:50] Building long lasting relationships
[29:08] Lennon’s writing schedule
[33:25] Research and energy management for writing
[36:16] Decision process on which artists to feature and write about
[38:33] Email format when reaching out to a writer for a feature
[51:44] Working with Phil Pallen and tactics for Twitter
[57:36] Getting to know Lennon Cihak

Quotes from Lennon Cihak
“I would start some of my projects even before class so I could ask questions.”
“It’s this maze you can follow, and pinpoint other opportunities you can follow.”
“In marketing, you’re going to meet a lot of people.”
“Step out of your comfort zone and try something new.”
“I’m silently taking note of who’s where.”
“Know your worth. You’re worth something and your time is worth something. Regardless to how much experience you have.”
“Work with people who show you respect back.”
“A relationship is working with somebody, and getting to know them beyond their work life.”  
“Trying to reach everybody is a big marketing NO NO.”
“The fewer messages we have to get back and forward on, the better.”
“There is a reason you wrote that song, tell us why you wrote that song.”
“If someone can relate to it, it’s going to be more powerful.”
“Be personable.”
“When I meet you, I want that persona [from email impression] to flow.”
“Give them a reason to follow you.”

An article by Lennon Cihak (mentioned in this conversation). 

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Full Sail University
Pro Tools
Logic
SPARK
WWE
EDM.com
Noiseporn
EDM Tunes
Dancing Astronaut
Magnetic Magazine
Phil Pallen
Jamvana
EDM in a Soda
Steve Aoki  
Greg Rollett
Tim Ferriss
Davey Jay (Music Attorney)
Ari Herstand
Lewis Howes
Rachel Platten
Jonny Lang
Crazy Frog
Fanburst
Article on Fanburst by Lennon Cihak
Elon Musk
Michael Jackson
Prince
Adam Lambert
John Lennon
Lady Gaga
Deadmau5
[BOOKS]
Shut Up and Tweet by Phil Pallen

Lennon Cihak’s Definition of Making It:
“Working hard, staying persistent, never give up, find your niche, love what you do, and you’ll never work a day of your life.”

Get in touch with Lennon Cihak
Lennon@lennoncihak.com
Lennoncihak.com
Twitter: @lennoncihak
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennoncihak/

Related Articles & Episodes:
1. Davey Jay - A Copyright & Publishing Foundation Masterclass - Episode #056
2. Angela Mastrogiacomo - Building Your Story Through Written Form - Episode #062

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Brad Mason - Finding Motivation by Being Fully Engaged Through Movement, Nutrition, Sleep, and Giving Back to the Community

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

I started off 2018 with a new approach to setting New Year's Resolutions and goals. I took a note from the Tim Ferriss email newsletter, and went through my 2017 calendar. In addition to that, I went through my 2017 Facebook and Instagram timeline since I don’t put everything on my calendar. Then I made a list of all the things that I really enjoyed and people I enjoyed spending time with, and a list for the negative or sad moments, and people that I didn’t enjoy spending time with. After making the list, I went through the positives and highlighted the 20-30% of things that brought me the most joy. Normally I would’ve done the same with the negative list, but those were mostly situational things - hurricanes, death, and losses. On the list of positives, I even highlighted the things that brought me joy that I wish I  did more of, such as meditation, giving back, and exercise. My goal for 2018, is to schedule the things that bring me the most joy as much as possible. If possible, daily!

This conversation with Brad Mason, not only challenged me to stick to this, but to also challenge myself more mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I believe I scratched the surface of that in 2017, this year I want to get uncomfortable challenging myself in those areas. What motivates and inspires you? What are your challenges? In this conversation with Brad Mason, we talk about motivation, giving back, time management, setting goals, getting out of a rut, dealing with anxiety, and much more. One of the main drivers to motivation that Brad talks about is optimizing your nutrition, movement, and sleep. These are the things that will help make motivation easier. However, that has to come from within ourselves. Someone can create the perfect job with the right amount of money, in the most beautiful city for you, but that doesn’t guarantee motivation and happiness. It all begins with you, and if you’re struggling, it’s time to move more, eat healthier, and get enough daily sleep.

Brad Mason is an attorney that graduated from Drake University School of Law and Vice President at a bank technology company. At his core, it has always been important for him to do something positive to impact the community. Regardless of working 60 to 80 hour weeks, he uses strategies to allow him to be more engaged, effective, happy in life and make time to give back. From running obstacle courses to marathons, Brad tries to make sure he’s always fully engaged and present in the moment. This has allowed him to be able to do more in life, and unplugging gives him the energy to be fully engaged in other areas. Brad has always been one of my mentors, and someone who inspires me. It’s really exciting to kick off 2018 with an episode that will hopefully motivate you to be more fully engaged.

Also, I want to challenge you to give more in 2018. This can be in time, money, energy, and effort. As Brad Mason mentions in this episode, even if it’s something as little as a smile and holding the door for someone to get you going to giver more. The world needs you to be fully engaged, and share your love with others. Below are a list of places to where you can start to learn about volunteer opportunities.

The Give Team 

Highlights from this Episode
[3:50] What is the Give Team?
[6:38] The story of Brad Mason
[8:38] What motivates Brad Mason
[11:50] Why do people struggle with motivation?
[13:22] How to figure out your WHY
[17:15] Most common bad advice with motivation
[19:08] Being fully engaged
[24:03] Getting out of a rut or bad days
[25:22] Working on self-awareness
[26:45] Motivating and working with unmotivated or negative people
[29:17] Lesson learned from a moment that didn’t go your way
[32:20] Dealing with Anxiety
[34:02] Goal Setting
[43:27] The average of the 5 people you hang out with the most
[45:40] Time Management and Setting Realistic Expectations
[48:40] Finding the time, money, and/or effort to give more
[50:42] Finding opportunities to find a cause that speaks to you
[52:00] Joining the Give Team from afar
[53:38] Getting businesses and organizations more involved
[54:31] One of Brad’s favorite stories of giving back
[1:00:35] Getting to Know Brad Mason

Quotes from Brad Mason
“Life is a team sport, so draft your team accordingly.”
“Seek out those who can help you get to where you want to go.”
“By unplugging from one part of your life, and plugging into another, you give yourself energy in those other areas.”
“Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep - if you can nail those things, you’ll get the most out of your time here.”
“Write down, what are the words that define you and who you are.”
“Motivation is magic! You know when you got it.”
“We have the mental capacity to be at an optimum state for 90 minutes.”
“You got to go see pain because on the other side of pain is joy and greatness.”  
“When you see something that’s really firing you up, go engage and learn more about it.”
“Our brain naturally wants to go to the easy thing...go seek those things that might be difficult and challenging.”
“Events and engagements aren’t what defines you, it’s how you respond to those things that define you.”
“What are the characters that make you who you are, and make sure that your goal aligns with that.”
“The goal is where you’re going, but it’s how you’re getting there that defines who you are.”
“You don’t have to enjoy every part of the process.”
“If you go in knowing you’re going to learn along the way, and you enjoy learning, then there is minimal risk.”
“Is it going to cause you to hit the snooze button, or is it going to cause you to put your feet on the floor.”
“The stronger we are, the more we are going to accomplish.”
“Never beat yourself up. Ever! There is nothing to be gained from that.”
“Worry is the worst emotion. It has no positive effect at all.”
“Life is nothing but a series of habits and experiences. So make those habits intentional and those experiences amazing.”
“If you fell down, then get back up. Keep moving, because moment is magic”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
The Give Team
Parramore Neighborhood
New Image Youth Center
Rock for Hunger
Human Performance Institute
Inky Johnson
Jacko Willink
Boys and Girls Club
Musicians on Call
Zach Deputy
Bee Gees
Pat Benatar
Bruce Springsteen
750words.com
Tim Ferriss Podcast
James Altucher Podcast
Jim Loehr
David Goggins
Eric Thomas
[BOOKS]
The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
The Big Potential by Shawn Achor

Brad Mason’s Definition of Making It:
Getting in touch with Brad Mason
E-Mail: brad.mason@justkeeppouring.com
Website: http://www.giveteam.net
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/giveteam
Instagram: @thegiveteam

Volunteer Opportunities:
New Image Youth Center - http://newimageyouth.org/ 
The Give Team - http://www.giveteam.net/
Volunteer Match - https://www.volunteermatch.org/ 
Musicians on Call - https://www.musiciansoncall.org/
Create the Good - http://createthegood.org/ 
ONE Campaign - https://www.one.org/international/
Suicide Prevention Lifeline - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
Your local Church
Your local Animal Shelter
And many many more

Related Episodes: 
1. Faraaz Merchant - Dealing with Anxiety, Depression, Suicide, and Addiction
2. Greg Rollett - Taking Risks & Trying New Things

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/makingitwithchrisg/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Greg Rollett - Taking Your Marketing Game to the Next Level with Content Creation, Newsletters, and Sales Funnels

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Greg Rollett returns to the show for his third time. In this episode we get into tips on creating content, the importance of content, how to apply the marketing sales funnel to build your brand and business, and much more. Since last time Greg was on the show, episode #017, he has successfully launched his TV Show Ambitious Adventures where he travels around the United States to meet with successful entrepreneurs. The show is distributed on Entrepreneur.com where Greg is also a consistent guest teaching lessons on entrepreneurship, and sharing many of his articles. For those that don’t know Greg, he’s a serial entrepreneur, Emmy Award Winning Producer, Multi-Time Amazon Best Selling Author, and much more. In this episode, we discuss content creation strategies, putting together effective newsletters to communicate with your fans, the sales funnel process, and much more.

This is from the first episode of Ambitious Adventures. Check out more at ambitious.com/adventures. 

Highlights from this Episode
[4:40] 2017 Successes for Greg Rollett
[7:35] How many platforms should you be creating content on
[10:48] What type of content should musicians be creating?
[12:57] How consistent should you be?
[14:51] Repurposing Content
[16:40] Getting your audience from content to email subscriber
[19:48] What is a good opt-in?
[22:26] Hypothesizing who your ideal fan would be
[25:27] Creating the fan newsletter  
[28:32] Review and example of a sales funnel
[31:38] How to get people to become promoters of your brand
[34:10] Lesson learned in 2017
[37:02] Getting to know Greg Rollett

Quotes from Greg Rollett
“Online TV is everything right now.”
“You have to be putting yourself out there constantly and consistently.”
“If you’re not there in the news feed, somebody else is.”
“Email is not dead!”
“You need to play to your strengths.”
“I’m very bullish on video, but I don’t think it’s for everybody.”
“Get awesome at doing it once a week.”  
“It’s more important to be consistent in the beginning.”
“Start with what you actually can commit to and will deliver.”
“What’s going to make someone stop and pay attention to you?”
“The opt-in, there has to be an incentive for someone to join.”
“You really need to think about, what does the fan want.”
“What does the marketing want? What is the big idea?”
“If you really want to build a fanbase, fans really need to be able to identify with you.”
“Write the newsletter like you’re writing your friends.”
“People want to be part of something bigger.”
“We all want to believe in our stars.”
“If you have fans who actually really like your stuff, they want to be involved.”
“Go back and do more of what worked.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Tim Ferriss
Kevin Rose
Ambitious Adventures   
Ambitious Life on Entrepreneur
Full Sail University
Entrepreneur.com
Ambitious Media Group
Gary Vaynerchuk  
Joe Pulizzi
Medium
Atticus (Poet)
Black Thought Freestyle
Kiss Army
Lewis Howes
Hootie and the Blowfish
Lord of the Underground
Dr. Dre
Shaquille O’Neal  

Greg Rollett’s Definition of Making It
“Being able to do what you what, when you want, with who you want, for the price that you want.”

Getting in touch with Greg Rollett
Greg@ambitous.com
https://www.facebook.com/ambitiousadventuresshow
https://www.instagram.com/gregrollett/
https://www.facebook.com/gregrollett   

Related Podcasts:
1. Greg Rollett Episode #001 - Taking Risks & Trying New Things
2. Greg Rollett Episode #017 - Creating Your 1,000 True Fans
3. Kyle Lemaire, Episode #054 - Disrupting the Traditional Music Business
4. Joe Pulizzi, Episode #055 - Killing Old Marketing Practices with Content Marketing
5. Jasmine Star, Episode #051 - Building the Right Fans on Social Media

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/makingitwithchrisg/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Touring with a Plan and Strategy - Where to Play, When to Play, and How to Sell Tickets

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

This episode is all about Touring Strategy! How often to play, which cities or markets to play, what types of venues to play, what are promoters, talent buyers, and venue owners looking for, and how do you get a booking agent. This is my first solo, lecture style episode. One of my student's favorite classes is when I cover tour strategy, and it’s a lecture they always ask me to record. Now it’s available not just for my students in the class, but all of the Making It students and listeners around the world. In this episode, you’ll learn some simple easy to use strategies, that will help you simplify the topic of touring, and answer a lot of the common questions I receive.

I’ve seen a lot of artists make many mistakes when it comes to touring. Yes, it’s fun and exciting to hit the road, but it can also be very costly and expensive. Touring up and down the coast or around the country over and over again to play in empty rooms, is just not a good way to do business. Now if you’re just looking for adventure, have at it. I’d love to just circle the country over and over again. However, when it comes to building a career and longevity, it’s better to do things with a strategy. Look at it as a roadmap. You don’t want your driver on the road blind without a game plan or a map to follow. You’ll never get to where you want to go that way, or at least it’ll take much longer. This episode is here to lay out a strategy for you when it comes to touring. It’s not the only way to do things, but it’s something to think about and something anyone could build off of and make it their own.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this solo/lecture style episode. The holidays are a great time to experiment with new formats for the podcast to learn what gives our listeners the most value going, so we can deliver the best content for you in 2018.

Additional Resources to Book Your Next Show/Tour:
1. Booking More Shows by Writing Better Emails to Talent Buyers, Promoters, and Venue Owners
- Use this article to help you book more shows, and write better emails as you’re mapping out your tours, or selecting which markets you’re going to play.

2. 40 Strategies to Promote Your Next Show
- Use this article to help you promote the shows you book, and make sure to grab the free marketing plan below.

3. How to Open for National Acts
- Use this article to help you get opening slots for national acts.

Make sure to read all these articles to really benefit from the strategies mentioned here.

Highlights from this episode:
[5:31] Playing with Purpose
[6:25] Determining your Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)
[10:12] Who Books the Shows
[13:50] What are Promoters Looking For?  
[30:13] The types of Venues to Play
[35:34] How Often to Play
[39:40] Which Cities/Markets to Play
[42:52] How Many Cities to Develop at a Time

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Delta Rae
Foo Fighters
House of Blues New Orleans
Live Nation
Earthday Birthday
WJRR 101.1
Dickerman from WJRR
SunFest - West Palm Beach
AEG Present
Jason Hunnicutt of 1904 Music Hall
Ari Herstand
Creative Artist Agency (CAA)
William Morris Endeavor (WME)
Paradigm  
Kessler Theater in Dallas, TX
Ari Nisman (College Booking Agent with Degy Entertainment)
Andy Grammer
Steve Aoki
Shannon Curtis
Dawn Beyer
Kyle Lemaire
Vulfpeck  
Chris Stapleton on Joe Rogan Podcast
Hydrogen Child
Joe Pulizzi
[BOOKS]
How to Make It in the New Music Business by Ari Herstand

Booking Agent Interviews
Kevin Stone - Florida Theater - Jacksonville, FL
Wayne Lee - New Orleans, LA
Dan Larson - Okeechobee Music Fest / Venue 578 - Orlando, FL
Allen Anders - AEG Presents - Dallas, TX
Michael Yerke - Live Nation - Los Angeles, CA

Talent Buyer Interviews
Alec Vidmar - United Talent Agency (UTA)
Ari Nisman - Degy Entertainment
Jeff Howard - Agency for the Performing Arts (APA)
Pete Anderson - Agency for the Performing Arts (APA)
Jeremy Holgersen - United Talent Agency (UTA)
Joshua Knight - Paradigm Agency
Meg White - ICM Partners

Tommy Darker - Creating Unique Business Models And Strategies for DIY Musicians

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

It’s important for us to remember that everyone is a human being. Behind all the usernames and social media handles, there is a real person behind there just like you and I. Think about how would you try to connect with a real person at a networking event, at church, a party, a concert, or at a restaurant, before you reach out to someone. I’d like to believe that everyone wants to be heard, and is trying to figure out a way to can live a better life and be able to “live the life they love.” Not only is this something I truly believe in, but it’s also one of the biggest messages by this episodes guest, Tommy Darker.

Tommy Darker is a DIY Musician and Entrepreneur. He has mastered the Alexander Osterwalder concept of creating unique Business Models and has applied it to the music business for musicians. Tommy is also the founder of Whiise, a platform where any musician can go and ask their questions about the music business to industry leaders from around the world. He’s a regular guest lecturer at the University of Westminster in London, England and the Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. In this conversation, we talk about Tommy’s story being from Greece and now is based in London, England to how musicians can use the business model canvas, some unique and creative strategies to get your music on more Spotify playlists, and much more.

To learn more about Tommy Darker, visit http://www.tommydarker.com/ and ask your question at https://www.whiise.me/.

Grab the Music Business Models eBook or one of the many ebooks from Tommy Darker's Library. 

Highlights from this Episode
[3:48] What Tommy likes to teach about at Universities
[5:18] Tommy’s ideal music business program
[6:57] Where should someone visit in Greece
[7:55] The message Tommy wants people to learn from his Kickstarter Campaign
[13:34] Musicprenuer Hub (now Whiise)
[16:00] Topics people have the most questions about
[17:21] Where he finds experts and how someone can become an expert for Whiise
[18:44] Tommy’s Philosophies on Touring being located in Europe
[25:48] What is the business model canvas and how can musicians use it
[29:20] Where Tommy likes to start with the business model canvas
[38:12] What is value proposition
[44:02] Tommy’s Philosophies on Key Partners
[48:12] Where does an Artist Manager fall into all of this
[50:48] What are channels of distribution musicians should focus on and Spotify Playlists
[57:46] How can Musicians use Facebook Bots
[1:02:01] Strategies on building relationships with Spotify Playlist curators
[1:07:22] Setting Goals
[1:10:25] Getting to know Tommy Darker

Quotes from Tommy Darker
“If you just put this mp3 on stream or Spotify, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities.”
“When you talk with your community, you learn so many things.”
“There is tons of knowledge, and if you don’t share it, it doesn’t exist.”
“I want people to be immersed in what I do.”
“When you can control the experience...you can actually create something that’s way more valuable than what Spotify or other services dictate what you can do.”
“I usually prefer to go the hard way and find venues or platforms that can help me curate an experience.”
“Go out and do stuff, and learn, and create your own playbook.”
“Try to start realizing what kind of audience do you have.”
“Failing is part of the process.”
“Try to create something that will get an emotional response out of people.”
“People like connecting.”
“Usually people will pay much much more when what they buy makes them feel something.”
“Partnerships is all about relationships.”
“Facebook is a place where friends hang out, you need to create an experience that’s not salesy.”
“People like asking questions.”
“Remember, everybody that you’re talking with is a human being.”
“If you start with thinking with how can I get on the playlist, you already lost the battle.”
“The quickest way you can add value to somebody is to connect two people to each other.”
“The more people you know, the more you can get to know more people.”
“You can’t really lie to yourself if you have written down what you need to do.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
University of Westminster
Berklee College of Music - Valencia, Spain
Full Sail University
Tommy Darker Kickstarter Campaign
Whiise
YOUNow Live Streaming
Sofar Sounds
Patreon
Next Big Sound
Indepreneur Indies (Facebook Group)
Killing Joke
Andrew Dubber
NoiseTrade
Pledge Music
ManyChat (Facebook Bot)
Facebook Workplace
Depeche Mode
[BOOKS]
Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People by Ken Watanabe
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal  
How Music Works by David Byrne
The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall
Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead by David Meerman  

Tommy’s Definition of Making It
“To become better than myself yesterday.”

Getting in touch with Tommy Darker
tommy@tommydarker.com
http://www.tommydarker.com/
http://www.musicpreneurhub.com/ 
https://www.kenophania.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tommydarker

Related Podcast Episodes:
1. Ari Herstand - Creative Ways to Build a Following, Generate Revenue, And Promote Your Music
2. Kyle Lemaire - Disrupting the Traditional Music Business
3. Dawn Beyer - Earning $74k with Facbeook Live 
4. Cathy Heller - Building a Career with Sync Licensing 
5. Shannon Curtis - How to Earn Over $50k in 4 Months with House Concerts

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/makingitwithchrisg/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Cathy Heller - Building a Career with Sync Licensing And Teaching Musicians How They Can Too

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Stitcher |

One of the most frequent types of questions I get from musicians and music business students are related to sync licensing, and when receiving these questions, I had the perfect person in mind to answer them. It’s been a few years since I’ve talked to Cathy Heller, but I knew she was the one I absolutely had to get on the show to speak about sync licensing. From when we first met, she has always been very passionate about coaching songwriters about the types of songs that get placed, and always had amazing resources and information available to help guide them. It was so wonderful reconnecting with Cathy and having her as a guest on the show to help answer some of those common questions. However, it is also an amazing gift to our listeners to have such an incredibly passionate, positive, and motivational mentor and teacher sharing an inspirational message that a successful and fulfilling career in music is possible, even without a record deal.

Cathy Heller has built a career in the Sync Licensing world after building a career with placements in TV Shows, Movies, and Commercials. After her success, she started her own company, Catch The Moon Music, where she represents and helps other musicians with sync licensing success. She’s an incredible teacher and mentor, offering consultations, and courses for musicians. One of her newest passions as a teacher includes being the host of her own podcast, Don’t Keep Your Day Job. In this conversation, you’ll learn what types of songs have the most success in sync licensing, common themes and genres that have the most success, how to get a sync licensing agent, and much more. In this episode, she also shares her meticulous researching and note-taking skills, that have helped develop her wisdom and understanding of what works best in the world of sync licensing.

Grab this Amazing Free Download from Cathy for our Podcast Listeners

Highlights from this Episode
[4:08] Meeting Michael Jordan
[9:30] Journey of starting her own podcast - Don’t Keep Your Day Job
[13:49] Cathy Heller’s story
[29:30] Common misconceptions and mistakes musicians make with sync licensing
[38:04] The process of a song being chosen for sync placement by a Music Supervisor
[44:45] Common themes that get placed for commercials
[47:47] Resources where people can learn about what type of music is getting licensed
[50:12] Process of clearing songs
[54:38] Types of producer arrangements
[1:00:02] How to find a licensing agent
[1:01:44] Getting to know Cathy Heller
[1:05:33] Cathy Heller’s Hollywood Vampires

Quotes from Cathy Heller
“If you have the persistence if you have the grit, and you have the passion for something, it doesn’t matter if you’re the first draft pick, or you’re the 150th draft pick, you’ll become the one that everyone is talking about.”
“All you can do in life is know what your effort is. You don’t really know what’s going to be on the other side of that.”
“To find out that something that you do can change the life for someone else, that’s the ultimate sweetness.”
“How do you be an artist if you don’t get a record deal? That’s the question.”
“There are so many ways to make a living doing what you love.”
“The intersection of you doing something you love, to create, that somebody else goes I find that’s beautiful or I need that, and then they are going to pay you for that. That’s actually not just a way to make money, but maybe even finding your bigger purpose in life.”
“My goal here is to do something authentic, that also tells the stories of other people’s souls.”  
“We lost the respect for discipline.”
“You have to make music that they need.”
“In life, being uncomfortable doesn’t always mean don’t do it.”
“Be resourceful! Your number one resource is not your time, money or connections. It’s you!”
“I purposely make it my choice and my priority to be inspired and happy.”
“It is our responsibility to make sure we have a good day.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Michael Jordan
Don’t Keep Your Day Job [Podcast]
Ron Fair
Jimmy Iovine
Interscope Records
Craig Kallman
Atlantic Records
Ingrid Michaelson
Regina Spektor
Snow Patrol
Grey’s Anatomy  
Ed Sheeran “Castle On The Hill”
This American Life [Podcast]
Ira Glass  
The Access Course
TuneFind  
splendAd  
Huck Ingram (Entertainment Attorney)
David Sacks
Billy Joel
Wayne's World Soundtrack  
Amy Porterfield  
Jasmine Star  

Cathy’s Definition of Making It
“Realizing what you have inside of you that really contributes to the world.”

Getting in touch with Cathy Heller
Submissions@catchthemoonmusic.com
hello@catchthemoonmusic.com  
http://www.cathyheller.com/
https://www.dontkeepyourdayjob.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cathy.heller/
https://www.facebook.com/CatchTheMoonMusic/
https://twitter.com/cathyheller

Related Podcasts:
1. Copyright & Publishing Foundation Masterclass with Davey Jay

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Angela Mastrogiacomo - Building Your Story Through Written Form, From Artists Bios To Social Media Management, Publicity And Much More

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Stitcher |

Angela Mastrogiacomo is an entrepreneur, publicist, blogger, and founder of Muddy Paw PR and Infectious Magazine. What inspires me about Angela, is all the amazing content she puts out there for artists to learn more about email etiquette, social media management and marketing, mental health issues in the music business, motivation, and so much more. The amount of information she contributes to the industry is too much for one podcast episode, and we’ll definitely need to get her back for a round two. This episode is packed with information on social media management and marketing, writing your own bio, how to get a publicist and what she looks for in artists, and much more.

Article by Angela Mastrogiacomo on ReverbNation

Highlights from this Episode
[4:25] Differences between Music Industry in Canada and United States
[7:35] Muddy Paw PR
[8:53] Angela’s Journey in the Music Business
[12:52] Things she looks for in potential clients
[15:18] Tips on telling the Artist Story
[18:15] How to find a bio writer
[19:10] Things to not put into a bio, and format musicians should follow
[21:43] Band having its own persona
[23:30] How can artists use their persona on social media and the 70/20/10 Rule
[29:01] How would an artist reach out to fans of similar artist
[33:48] What should artists include on their website
[38:02] What makes a good newsletter and what’s the best way to collect emails
[42:08] Utilizing a Blog to build your brand and following
[44:47] How to make the most out of interviews and things to avoid
[47:57] When to reach out to publicists, and things to look for
[50:26] How long an artist should work with a publicist and having realistic expectations
[55:42] Topics Angela wants artists to know more about
[1:00:12] Angela Mastrogiacomo

Quotes from Angela Mastrogiacomo
“Looking back now, I really wish I started with an internship first.”
“A lot of artists suffer by trying to cut costs and write their bio themselves.”
“Someone that reaches out with well enough lead time shows that they are a serious artist.”
“Authenticity will always translate better.”
“There is nothing worse [in a bio] than a band's entire history.”
“Use your bio as a place to let people in on your personality.”
“It’s such an essential component that you’re promoting other bands to build that community and build that network.”
“Social Media should be treated as you would any friendship.”
“What matters is the connection your audience feels with you, and they can’t feel connected to you, if all you’re doing is selling to them.”
“Your website is your hub.”
“One you’re super clear on your brand, everything else will fall into place.”
“There is nothing really that replaces in person [meeting fans].”
“The actual value comes from getting to those vulnerable spots...those are the things that connect us as humans.”
“Even if it’s a small blog, you have to treat it like it’s the biggest blog in the world.”
“You should be grateful if your publicist tells you up front something is not going to happen.”
“A big part of PR is getting in front of the industry.”  
“PR is all about building buzz and getting your name out there.”
“It’s important to hire people to help you. You can’t do everything.”
“There is nothing more important than your own mental health and sanity.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Factor Music Grant [Canada]
Muddy Paw PR
Anberlin
Infectious Magazine
Pitchfork
Michael Franti
Shadow of Whales
1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly [Blog Article]
Electric Kiwi
Alternative Press
Stereogum
Green Day

[BOOKS]
The Defining Decade by Meg Jay
The Firestarter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Angela’s Definition of Making It
“That feeling of fulfillment when you’re working towards something that matters.”

Getting in touch with Angela
https://muddypawpr.com/
https://twitter.com/Angela_Mastro
https://www.instagram.com/Angela_Mastro/

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

5 Creative DIY Approaches for Musicians in Today’s Music Business

This is our second annual Thanksgiving special. In this episode, show producer, Jason Trosclair, joins the show to discuss creative DIY approaches for musicians from past guests. I've gathered some of the best advice about how an independent musician can approach their career on their terms, with their own unique voice. These conversations are extremely valuable because they show you there is more than one way to achieve your goals. Along with some insight from Jason and I, on the topic, this episode includes conversations with:

Joe Pulizzi
Ari Herstand
Shannon Curtis
Dawn Beyer
Kyle Lemaire

Happy Thanksgiving from the Making It crew!

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp

Dawn Beyer - Earning $74k with Facebook Live, Being Authentic, and Building Genuine Connections

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Stitcher |

One of the most inspirational things to me is seeing people pave the path to their journey in their own very unique and authentic way. It’s been such a blessing to have shared some of those stories on the podcast already, and encountering many more everyday. Pursuing your dreams comes with so many challenges regardless of what field one goes into. When it comes to being an entrepreneur trying to make a living from their own art and creative works, it almost feels like a million additional layers of difficulty are in the way. However, I’ve also learned that those who are extremely patient, consistent, genuine, and truly authentic to who they are, and are comfortable to share that with the world along with being vulnerable, that’s usually when the magic happens. Dawn Beyer is an artist whose story and journey has inspired me, and it was a true honor to have her on the show and share that with the world.

The journey of Dawn Beyer began like so many musicians in Nashville, trying to find their niche, and playing endless hours for little money on Broadway. Everything changed for Dawn the first time she went live on Facebook, and had 10 strangers listening to her play while in her living room. These 10 viewers turned into earning $74,000 in one year using Facebook Live, to flying around the country to play private shows for her Facebook Live community. In this conversation, Dawn shares her story, how to be authentic, and how to create real connections with real people. She also offers coaching where she teaches musicians how they can do the same utilizing Facebook Live, and build their careers on their own terms, without having to sacrifice who they are.

Highlights from this Episode
[3:02] How her musical journey began
[5:08] Dawn’s experience playing on Broadway
[16:05] Losing her voice, and discovering Facebook Live
[29:40] What type of artists is Facebook Live for?
[30:32] How to promote a live session before going live
[32:42] What’s the plan before going live, and how to start the live video
[34:44] Suggestions on description for live video
[38:20] Building a direct connection with your audience that’s watching
[40:32] Gear to use for a better broadcast
[42:25] Opportunities that have come from live broadcasts
[45:27] Dawn’s Team
[47:14] Advice for Musicians being Authentic
[52:18] Projects that Dawn Beyer is working on
[56:18] Getting to know Dawn Beyer

Quotes from Dawn Beyer
“On Broadway musicians probably make $40 to $60 per gig”
“Every artist should be on Broadway for a certain amount of time; it teaches you so much”
“It’s humbling, because everybody there [In Nashville] is so talented”
“In the morning when you wake up and go to your living room, are there 10 people there?”
“Keep going live, consistently”
“Anytime I was playing music, I would go live for whoever wanted to watch, and that turned into selling more and more albums.”
“It got to the point where so many people wanted albums, and I started selling something else.”
“I eventually made $1,200 in one weekend, and that’s when I let go of playing on Broadway.”
“I have gratefulness because when I started I camped for a month and did not sleep in a house.”
“I’ve spent three weeks at home this year and have been traveling all year playing for people that have seen me go live.”
“It’s about perspective and having an answer for people.”
“I look at them as people, not views.”
“You have to really connect through the camera and with those people [watching].”
“Whatever fonts you use, or with anything you do, stay consistent.”
“Get a little bit of your stuff together before going live.”
“Use something that gets people’s attention.”  
“Tell your story, be honest, and be open. People like real things.”
“Be yourself, and be real. Be real with that camera.”
“I can actually connect with people, which so cool.”
“The only thing we can be is authentic, and be ourselves.”
“Stop and take the time to find your own connection with your inner peace.”
“One of the most attractive traits you see in someone else is vulnerability.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Broadway in Nashville
WannaB’s Karaoke Bar
The Real Nashville
Claw Phone Tripod  
Shannon Curtis
Rick Barker
Rick Barker talk on CD Baby
Garth Brooks
Dixie Chicks
[BOOKS]
The $150,000 Music Degree by Rick Barker
Notes from (over) the Edge: Unmasking the Truth to End Your Suffering by Jim Palmer

Dawn’s Definition of Making It
“Doing what I love without having to compromise who I am.”

Connect with Dawn Beyer
dawn@therealnashville.com

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency  
Music: Emily Kopp