TEM107: Seth Hanes on how to get guest appearances on podcasts and blogs, getting a self-published book to number one on three different Amazon lists and why strategy should always dictate tactics

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TEM107: Seth Hanes on how to get guest appearances on podcasts and blogs, getting a self-published book to number one on three different Amazon lists and why strategy should always dictate tactics (and not the other way around)

Seth Hanes returns to TEM to tell us all about how he got his book, Break Into the Scene, to #1 on three different Amazon lists.

What You'll Learn:

  • The importance of having specific goals when marketing and of having a feedback loop to verify whether what you were doing was productive

  • Why strategy should always dictate tactics and not the other way around

  • Why the first step should always be identifying a specific problem your product or service will solve for people

  • How Seth built an email list (including the hard part - getting the first 100 subscribers!) and how he used it to help launch the book

  • The importance of validating an idea or product early in the process to make sure anyone will buy it

  • How he was able to get booked as a guest on 10 podcasts and write 10 guest blog posts in conjunction with the book launch

  • Gary Vaynerchuk's advice on how to launch a book (which is really easy for anyone to do for no money at all and applies to anything, not just a book)

  • Why he writes in his own voice in spite of the occasional critic

  • Why the key to marketing yourself as a musician is pushing past the discomfort

Links:

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

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

Don't miss the debut of the TEM Newsletter! Sign up to receive a free copy of 7 Lessons I Learned from the First 100 Episodes of TEM.

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes (I'm really close!) by leaving a rating and review.

Follow TEM on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook

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

Produced by Andrew Hitz

Beware schools that only make you better at following a path

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“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

99% of all college music degrees in the world today have curriculums which are designed to help you follow a path better than the next woman or man. And there's a reason for this.

They were all designed many, many decades ago when it was close to impossible for anyone to blaze a trail for themselves.

There were gatekeepers everywhere you looked deciding who was allowed to make an album, who got to write a book and who got to do just about any other artistic endeavor you can think of.

But those people are all gone.

To make matters worse, there are thousands upon thousands of students graduating every single year with music degrees in the United States and all over the world who are being taught these same "just follow the path better than the next person" skills. And they're all competing for the exact same jobs. (A number that is getting smaller with every year that goes by.)

What you have there is a math issue.

What are the odds that you are going to one of the incredibly lucky few who will find a path that's already been cleared and will make a great living, both financially and artistically, as a result? They are not good.

Of course it happens. But you have a shockingly better chance of finding success in the music business (whatever success means to you) by taking Emerson's advice above and leaving your own trail.

Look around at all of the people who are making their own go of it. They are everywhere.

And you certainly have the best chance of success by getting an education that provides you skills for both the "path" and the "trail" approaches to a career.

Once you get out into The Real World™, literally no one gives a crap that you went to Northwestern or that you studied with (insert famous teacher here.) No one.

So if you're looking for a school to attend to be a music major, consider what skills they are offering you as a major factor rather than just going to the famous place or to study with the famous person.

You'll be happy you did.

© 2017 Andrew HitzSunrise in The Berkshires which has nothing to do with anything in this post but it's pretty so I threw it in!

© 2017 Andrew Hitz

Sunrise in The Berkshires which has nothing to do with anything in this post but it's pretty so I threw it in!

TEM106: Corey Brown Quotes (TEM Short)

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Corey Brown is the founder of the online bass magazine, No Treble, and worked with Seth Godin to build Squidoo, one of the most visited websites in the history of the internet.

This TEM Short features thoughts on my favorite Corey Brown quotes from TEM 105.

Quotes:

  • "We spent the summer (and) Seth's goal was to prototype (the website.) I don't know why but the team couldn't really pull together a prototype. So I said 'Well this is really too complicated of an idea to just jump into protyping. This thing has to be architected. That's a skillset he didn't bring me in for but it's a skillset I had."

  • "I'm inherently lazy. People don't think of me that way but I look for efficiencies in everything. If we're doing the same thing twice, I'm like 'Okay how do make this so we don't do this twice?'"

  • "I didn't see an online magazine for bass players, and there weren't that many of them anyway, but I didn't see one where I thought 'This is what I would want to build'. This was the opportunity to say 'This is the online magazine I think needs to exist and we'll see what happens and we'll see if people agree with me or not."

  • "In my mind, if you see an opportunity to connect with someone, you should just go for it."

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

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes by leaving a rating and review.

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

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM105: Corey Brown of No Treble on working with Seth Godin, having the courage to reach out to people you want to meet and launching the world's top online bass magazine

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Corey Brown 1.jpeg

TEM105: Corey Brown of No Treble on working with Seth Godin, having the courage to reach out to people you want to meet and launching the world's top online bass magazine

Corey Brown is the founder of the online bass magazine, No Treble, and worked with Seth Godin to build Squidoo, one of the most visited websites in the history of the internet.

What You'll Learn:

  • How Corey fell in love with music and ended up majoring in music at North Texas

  • How not thriving within the formal structure of college pushed him towards one of his other loves, graphic design

  • How he ended up working with Seth Godin to run Squidoo, one of the most frequently visited websites in the world, when they didn't know each other beforehand

  • The importance of architecting a website when building it so you have a clear idea of how it is all going to function together

  • How he launched No Treble so he would have something waiting for him whenever his run at Squidoo ended

  • Why he worried entirely about content and traffic and not about monetization (and the parallels there with launching a podcast)

  • How he's monetized No Treble after the fact

  • How every time they hit a traffic benchmark at Squidoo Seth Godin challenged them to add a zero as their next goal

  • How he came to be in charge of the official Jaco Pastorius website (and why when given the chance to connect with someone you should just reach out)

Links:

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

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

Don't miss the debut of the TEM Newsletter! Sign up to receive a free copy of 7 Things I Learned from the First 100 Episodes of TEM.

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes (I'm two away!) by leaving a rating and review.

Follow TEM on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook

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

Produced by Joey Santillo for Pedal Note Media

TEM104: Dr. John Parks Quotes (TEM Short)

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TEM104: Dr. John Parks Quotes (TEM Short)

This TEM Short features thoughts on my favorite Dr. John Parks quotes from TEM103.

Quotes:

  • "I wasn't good at this thing, and I wasn't good at this thing, and I was kind of good at this thing and then realized it was really hard. So instead of quitting, I just decided, 'I'm gonna practice my butt off'. And so I did and I started getting a lot better and then I started getting addicted to being better."

  • "I think the goal for every teacher is to teach your students to be their own teacher and there's no better way to do that than by listening to recordings of yourself. It's always humbling. No matter how well you are playing, it's always humbling because it never lies to you.”

  • "We've recorded several CD's of the percussion ensemble and it's amazing. We get in there to record and the red light goes on and they don't even flinch. You can take really good guys and put them in a recording situation and say you're rolling and all of sudden they (are freaking out.)"

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

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes by leaving a rating and review.

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

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM103: Dr. John W. Parks IV on building a professional recording studio from scratch, being addicted to getting better and pushing boundaries within a traditional job

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John Parks 5.JPG

TEM103: Dr. John W. Parks IV on building a professional recording studio from scratch, being addicted to getting better and pushing boundaries within a traditional job

Percussionist John Parks talks about the innovative recording studio he has built for the use of his studio at Florida State University.

What You'll Learn:

  • How John went from being a piano major in college to being one of the world's best known percussion professor

  • How he got "addicted" to getting better and how that fueled his rise in the business

  • John talks about the incredible recording studio he has built at Florida State and how he learned just about everything about building it and setting it up through asking questions in forums

  • How this recording studio has enabled a number of his students to start businesses offering pre-screening audition recordings for other students

  • Why and how John formed an LLC

  • What you need to start a recording studio (and it's probably less than you think)

  • How they have progressed to making video

  • The entrepreneurial skills his students have learned through experiencing this recording project

  • A resource John would recommend for young musical entrepreneurs

Links:

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

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

Don't miss the debut of the TEM Newsletter! Sign up to receive a free copy of 7 Things I Learned from the First 100 Episodes of TEM.

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes (I'm really close!) by leaving a rating and review.

Follow TEM on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook

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

Produced by Joey Santillo for Pedal Note Media

TEM102: Embrace the process (TEM Short)

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TEM102: Embrace the Process (TEM Short)

This TEM Short is in response to my conversation with The Bulletproof Musician's Noa Kageyama in TEM 101 where he spoke about the power of embracing the process.

"(Music) was a craft that I needed to work on every day to get better at and even now in other things I do, I'm always really kind of geeked out most about the process of getting better at something, sometimes even more than the activity or the craft itself. I think engaging in this continual improvement process is what really intrigues me."

—Noa Kageyama of The Bulletproof Musician

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

http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes

1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast.

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes by leaving a rating and review.

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

Produced by Joey Santillo

Must Hear: SPI 256 "Productivity and Frameworks with Mike Vardy from Productivityist" (Smart Passive Income Podcast)

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Hi all!

I am going to start occasionally posting links to episodes of various podcasts that really speak to me as an entrepreneur. I always welcome any suggestions for either podcasts to listen to or specific episodes. I love getting email from you all!

The Smart Passive Income Podcast with Pat Flynn is a goldmine of resources. This episode in particular is really great. He speaks with Mike Vardy from Productivityist about a number of things.

I am particularly interested in his discussion of "themed days" which I am going to give a try. What do you think? Give it a listen:

SPI 256: Productivity and Frameworks with Mike Vardy from Productivityist (Smart Passive Income Podcast)

TEM101: Noa Kageyama of The Bulletproof Musician on the rule of thirds, building a huge email list and what entrepreneurs can learn from performance psychology

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Noa Kageyama of The Juilliard School and The Bulletproof Musician talks about being a musical entrepreneur and what we can learn from performance psychology.

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TEM99: Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister (Book Report with Dr. Joanna Hersey)

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TEM99: Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister (Book Report with Dr. Joanna Hersey)

Dr. Joanna Hersey joins me for this Book Report. We discuss Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister.

Topics Covered:

5:31 - Introduction to my co-host for this episode, Joanna Hersey

9:30 - Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister

10:52 - Online review that I felt summed up this book nicely: "This is a self-help book without all the hooey"

12:12 - “The clear implication was that the best advice for young writers and aspiring professors is: Write every day. Use your self-control to form a daily habit, and you’ll produce more with less effort in the long run.”

21:07 - “For most of us, though, the problem is not a lack of goals but rather too many of them.”

26:48 - “First I make a list of priorities: one, two, three, and so on. Then I cross out everything from three on down.”

32:31 - “Dieters have a fixed target in mind for their maximum daily calories, and when they exceed it for some unexpected reason, such as being given a pair of large milkshakes in an experiment, they regard their diet as blown for the day. That day is therefore mentally classified as a failure, regardless of what else happens. Virtue cannot resume until tomorrow.”

38:02 - “When you pick your battles, look beyond the immediate challenges and put your life in perspective. Are you where you want to be? What could be better?”

Links:

Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
TEM 94: The Only True Key to Success (And Yes There is One)
JAM - Joanna and Michael
Parker Mouthpieces

You can help me reach two specific goals I've set for TEM:

1. Help me get to $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show:  https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes (I'm really close!) by leaving a rating and review.

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

Produced by Joey Santillo for Pedal Note Media

TEM98: The world you'd like to live in (TEM Short)

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TEM98: The world you'd like to live in (TEM Short)

This TEM Short is in response to my interview with Mark Rabideau of 21CM in Episode 97.

Links:

TEM 97: Mark Rabideau of 21CM on Being Authentic, Remaining Curious and Straying from Traditional Career Paths
TEM 95: Tim Topham on Building a Community of True Fans in an Already Crowded Space, Launching a Successful Membership Site and Minimum Viable Products

You can help me reach two specific goals I've set for TEM:

1. Help me get to $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show:  https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast

2. Help me get to my goal of 50 ratings at iTunes (I'm really close!) by leaving a rating and review.

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

Produced by Joey Santillo

TEM Bonus Episode: Get a copy of "Seth Godin: Live at Carnegie Hall" completely FREE

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TEM Bonus Episode: Get a copy of "Seth Godin: Live at Carnegie Hall" completely FREE

Seth Godin spoke to Juilliard students about the state of today's music business and what it takes to succeed and he has graciously allowed me to transcribe it and offer it to the TEM audience as a free ebook.

Click here to get your free copy of Seth Godin: Live at Carnegie Hall from TEM Books

Seth gave a predictably mind-blowing talk and every single musician in the world needs to hear what he had to say.

Follow TEM on Instagram and Twitter

TEM is produced by Joey Santillo for Pedal Note Media

TEM97: Mark Rabideau of 21CM on being authentic, remaining curious and straying from traditional career paths

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TEM97: Mark Rabideau of 21CM on being authentic, remaining curious and straying from traditional career paths

Mark Rabideau, Director of DePauw University's 21CM, joined me for Episode 97 to discuss being authentic, remaining curious and straying from traditional career paths.

Topics Covered:

  • 5:18 - Mark's incredibly interesting and diverse path through the music business and what eventually led him to stray from the traditional path he began on (including leaving a tenured position more than once)

  • 19:53 - How giving close access to great artists through house parties led to him starting a nonprofit with a very narrow focus

  • 23:21 - How doing post-doctoral work at Rutgers University's Center for Creativity completely changed his way of thinking about the arts

  • 24:30 - Mark's trombone quartet, CTQ, which he traveled the world with for 10 years

  • 30:45 - The beginning of 21CM at DePauw University and the many different faces it has today including a monthly online magazine, a semi-annual symposium, an upcoming institute and community outreach

  • 38:25 - How Mark is able to take so many ideas to fruition and ship them rather than have them die just as an idea

  • 46:55 - The book he is finishing right now which is a curriculum for musical entrepreneurship aimed at teaching both the students and the professors

  • 56:00 - The upcoming 21CM Institute which prepares people to teach music entrepreneurship

  • 59:55 - The advice Mark would give to a musician looking to become more entrepreneurial

  • 1:08:12 - Resources he would recommend for a music entrepreneur

Links:

Favorite Quotes:

"I think one of the mistakes we make is we spend a lot of time teaching slide positions and alternate saxophone fingers and we don't really teach them to be creative. We don't really teach them to be collaborative. We don't focus them on chasing down their own curiosities through an education in the arts. So when they leave it they're not hungry for artistic experience."

"If you care about classical music, you don't care about the institutions of the past, you care about the art of the past and making them relevant institutionally today."

"For me there's nothing more frustrating but even more so, dull and boring, than sitting around and talking about wildly creative things and not do anything about it."

"In the real life game of musical chairs, there is a seat for everyone. But you have to actually build that chair."

If you are a fan of the show you can help me reach some specific goals I've set for TEM:

Help me get to 50 ratings and 50 reviews on iTunes. It takes just a minute and really helps people to find the podcast. Thanks to everyone who has already left a rating!

You can also help me get to 20 patrons on Patreons (and I'm really close!) 

Thanks for all the help spreading and supporting TEM. It means the world to me.

Produced by Joey Santillo