I'm a big fan of sharing. I truly believe that we're more successful when we share everything openly and honestly with those around us. It's part of the reason I started this blog. It's the entire reason I gave a free Ustream seminar on Touring. And it's the reason that I've been considering offering consulting services to my fellow musicians. I've been mulling this idea over for a while now, and while I feel I've been ready to do it I didn't want to force it. I figured when the time was right, the opportunity would present itself. And it did.
Yesterday, I signed my first consulting client! I'm thrilled to be working with my good friend Katy Bourne, a marvelous jazz singer. She will be releasing her first CD in September on the Seattle label Ponyboy Records and has asked for my assistance.
Enter Katy
While Katy is a professional writer with a PR degree, she tells me she feels a bit lost when it comes to using all the new tools we have at our disposal in the digital age. Like many artists, she's not that well-versed in the “new media" tactics that can be a huge benefit to any artist trying to expand her fanbase. I will help her retool her website, learn the ins-and-outs of Twitter and show her the things that have worked for me that will be applicable to her as well. But most of all, I will share what I have learned about relationship building.
Relationship Building
I've built my career using one concept: relationship building. It's something that comes naturally to me because I like people. I like talking and sharing and interacting. I like getting to know people and finding out what excites them, what makes them tick. This has allowed me to build real connections to people one at a time, and that has been the key to building a lasting and devoted audience for my music. I've done this using social media, blogging and old fashioned networking. I've found that the tools that are now available to us through the internet have given us the ability to communicate and build relationships with a much larger and more targeted audience than ever before. It's these tools and strategies that I'm excited about sharing with Katy.
Pay-What-You-Want
I've decided to try a new approach to the financial end of this new endeavor. Since I've been singing the praises of the “pay-what-you-want" model for my CDs and concerts, I thought I'd put my money where my mouth is and offer my consulting services in the same fashion. I'm going to leave it up to Katy to assign a value to the knowledge and information that I share. I'm confident that I have something to offer and that the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
So, look for progress reports here and in both of our Twitter streams soon. I'm excited!
Yesterday, I signed my first consulting client! I'm thrilled to be working with my good friend Katy Bourne, a marvelous jazz singer. She will be releasing her first CD in September on the Seattle label Ponyboy Records and has asked for my assistance.
Enter Katy
While Katy is a professional writer with a PR degree, she tells me she feels a bit lost when it comes to using all the new tools we have at our disposal in the digital age. Like many artists, she's not that well-versed in the “new media" tactics that can be a huge benefit to any artist trying to expand her fanbase. I will help her retool her website, learn the ins-and-outs of Twitter and show her the things that have worked for me that will be applicable to her as well. But most of all, I will share what I have learned about relationship building.
Relationship Building
I've built my career using one concept: relationship building. It's something that comes naturally to me because I like people. I like talking and sharing and interacting. I like getting to know people and finding out what excites them, what makes them tick. This has allowed me to build real connections to people one at a time, and that has been the key to building a lasting and devoted audience for my music. I've done this using social media, blogging and old fashioned networking. I've found that the tools that are now available to us through the internet have given us the ability to communicate and build relationships with a much larger and more targeted audience than ever before. It's these tools and strategies that I'm excited about sharing with Katy.
Pay-What-You-Want
I've decided to try a new approach to the financial end of this new endeavor. Since I've been singing the praises of the “pay-what-you-want" model for my CDs and concerts, I thought I'd put my money where my mouth is and offer my consulting services in the same fashion. I'm going to leave it up to Katy to assign a value to the knowledge and information that I share. I'm confident that I have something to offer and that the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
So, look for progress reports here and in both of our Twitter streams soon. I'm excited!
