The Business Challenge is a 4-week program for musicians who want to learn and explore the business and career skills you need as the CEO of your life! Jump into grant writing, marketing, starting a business, audience development and more.
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED - CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON FUTURE CHALLENGES!
Hey Musician!
We've got a news flash for you:
you're the CEO of your music career!
And, you probably know there are a whole bunch of skills you need that are on the business side of music–the ones you KNOW you need, but, don’t really know where to learn – cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, building an audience, budgeting, grant writing, and how to start a chamber group, studio or business. And more!
We designed the Business Challenge to help you develop these skills through a structured curriculum AND hear from top industry leaders! BUT - it's not just about the knowledge. It's about the SPACE to get feedback, accountability and support. You don't have to do this work alone!
During the challenge you will:
► Delve into key areas including developing an entrepreneurial mindset like branding, marketing, copywriting and more (Week #1)
► Hone networking strategies and audience building (Week #2)
► Navigate the money side of things like business entities, budgeting techniques, fundraising and grants (Week #3)
► Learn what steps to take if you want to start a business, studio, platform or chamber series (Week #4)
► Reflect on your experience and make a plan for moving forward (Week #5)
The Business Challenge will give you a structured and joyful exploration of the business essentials that will empower your journey in the music industry! Ready to get started?
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
► First, you get access to our online platform where you get videos and PDF downloads
► From Nov 13 - Dec 15, a new lesson is delivered every Monday, Wednesday, Friday during the challenge
► You get links to all of the live events, which are recorded to watch later if you can’t make it live
► If you get behind, no need to worry. You can access replays and all the materials until the end of December
HOW TO JOIN:
- Checkout with the button below
- Check your inbox for a welcome email
- Get excited for November 13 when we begin and when you'll start getting access to the lessons!
EVENTS & GUESTS
▷ Introduction: Run YOU Like a Business - Building a Better Career
Nov 13, 7pm ET
Aubrey Bergauer, hailed as “the Steve Jobs of classical music” (Observer) speaks with Thrive host Ted Nelson about the reality of being a modern musician and why business skills are essential.
▷ Congrats, You're a Brand with Ixi Chen & Andrew Savitz
Nov 14, 7pm ET
As an artist, you communicate with unique, special voice, and as such - you're automatically a brand. Thrive host Ixi Chen unpacks what this means, and good news, it doesn't have to be scary!
▷The Art of Copywriting with Tiffany Valvo
Nov 29, 7pm ET
Communication is KEY. And we learn in school to write stilted stuff that doesn't CONNECT to our audience! Get rid of unnecessary words and learn how to truly connect with your readers! Your Thrive host Tiffany Valvo gives you the top tips on how to write more effectively.
▷ Developing an Audience with Ben Mitchell
Dec 7, 12pm ET
This workshop with Kaleidoscope founder and president Ben Mitchell will leave you with the basics of building a base of true fans, who have connected with and believe in your mission and product!
▷ Starting a Chamber Group with Nick Photinos
Dec 11, 12pm ET
If you've been wrestling with whether you *should* start a chamber music group or series, here's your chance to get some solid practical tips from someone who did just that. And not only did it, but went on to win Grammy Awards with said group!
▷ Musical Storefronts: A Case Study in Partnerships, Programming & Fundraising with Kate Sheeran
Dec 13, 7pm ET
How do we form partnerships, program and fundraise for success? Kate Sheeran, the Executive Director of the Kaufmann Center in NYC and former dean of the San Francisco Conservatory helps you understand how all the pieces of an organization fit together and how to make your projects more viable.
▷ Q&A
Mon, Dec 17, 7pm ET
THE PLAN 👇
Week 1: You're the CEO of YOU!
As a musician, you're the CEO, the brand, the product. We're looking at you from the perspective of how you tell your story, who's your audience and how to cultivate genuine relationship in your network.
Week 2: All About Marketing
It's the "M" word - it's how you communicate and connect to people through who you are. How can you write more effectively? Give people insight to your world with a 21st century press kit?
Week 3: Money Talks?
Okay, you can't ignore this forever! Money - the earning of it, the managing of it, the budgeting of it for your projects, the fundraising of it, and the understanding of how it flows is a critical piece of your life! You'll learn about business entities, sponsorships, fundraising, grants and how to make heads and tails of that P&L! Don't know what a P&L is...?! Sign up right now for this Challenge!
Week 4: So You Wanna Start a...?
One thing we know for sure? All musicians are multi-faceted and bring more than just performance to the table. Do you dream of starting a chamber series? Studio? Educational business? Music store? Project or collaboration? This Challenge is for you!
Week 5: Moving Forward
Q&A with Thrive hosts to help you put all these new tools into action!
ENROLL NOW!You're in the right place if you want to:
🙋♀️ Explore the impact of your business and career skills on your achievements, goals and growth
📖 Understand how you think about yourself as a brand, and how to use this understanding to foster success in your endeavors
🌱 Develop tools to move your career forward with the foundation of networking, branding, financial prowess, and marketing know-how
🌎 Learn from thought leaders and musicians that are doing incredible things from all around the world. Who you surround yourself with impacts your mood and trajectory!
Have more questions?
How does the Challenge work?
Are there replays of the live events?
I'm already in school - do I have time for this?
What if I don't complete during the time allotted for the Challenge? How long do I have access?
How long are the lessons/what's the time committment?
What's the refund policy?
Is this right for me if I'm a beginner? Who is it for?
You mention a Facebook group. Do I need it to participate?
Meet your hosts and coaches,
Ixi, Tiffany, Ted & Nick!
Hi! We are Ixi, Tiffany, Ted and Nick! We've got a diverse set of experiences under our belts and want to share them with you. As your Thrive hosts, we curate your content and find incredible guests and topics that we know will offer you important learning. We look out for trends and things we think you need to know and then bring them to you!
Ixi Chen (top left) plays clarinet in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, teaches at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and is Managing Artistic Director of concert:nova. Dr. Tiffany Valvo (top right) is the former clarinet professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, is a freelancer and teacher and the Social Media/Digital Content Specialist at Cal Performances at UC Berkeley. Ted Nelson (bottom left) is a cellist in the Cincinnati Symphony and VP of Artistic Planning & Operations at the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. Nick Photinos is a multi-Grammy Award-winning cellist, a founding member of Eighth Blackbird, Professor of Chamber Music at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and has collaborated and toured with an astounding array of artists.
