Music Studio Startup: Helping music teachers thrive as entrepreneurs

A new cohort of our Business Building 101 course is starting this week! If you're launching a studio, rebuilding after a move, or just want to build a more intentional, financially sustainable business, this course is designed to help you do exactly that—with clarity, structure, and support. And today's guest is a perfect example of what can happen when you combine a fresh start with the right tools. Mimi Zhang is the 2024 grand prize winner of our Studio Launch Grant competition. As part of her prize package, Mimi received a $1,000 startup grant, gift cards to Alamo Music and Alfred Publishing, and enrollment in the Music Studio Startup Business Building 101 course, and more—all of which she put to great use as she launched her studio in a brand-new city. When Mimi won the grant competition, she had just finished grad school, moved across the country, and was starting from scratch. In less than a year, she grew her studio from just three in-person students to nearly 40, added group classes, implemented strong business systems, and started building the studio she really wanted. In our conversation, Mimi shares the strategies that helped her grow quickly and sustainably, the mindset shifts that made a big difference early on, and how she's continuing to evolve her studio now that the foundation is in place. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode167.   Music Studio Business Building 101: Summer 2025 cohort starting this week! MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today's episode is part two of a super interesting two-part conversation with Sam Reti, a music teacher and a visionary behind the popular online music lesson platform Muzie.Live. If you haven't listened to the first part, I highly encourage you to go back and listen to that one too. In this episode, Sam shares how a college class at Berkeley, countless Uber and Lyft rides and a whole lot of Chipotle burritos helped launch his first business. And why learning when to quit was just as important as knowing when to keep going. We talk about how the first app idea morphed into a second, and then a third, which is the music we know today. We talk about the decision to bootstrap instead of raising investor money, how Sam adapted when his original business idea didn't pan out, and what he's learned about growing a customer base organically in the music education world. Sam gives an honest behind the scenes look at startup life complete with all the messy, unglamorous realities you don't usually hear about. Here's my conversation with Sam.  A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode166.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today's episode is part one of a super interesting two-part conversation with Sam Reti, a music teacher and the visionary behind the popular online music lesson platform Muzie.Live. In this episode, Sam shares how a college class at Berkeley, countless Uber and Lyft rides, and a whole lot of Chipotle burritos helped launch his first business. And why learning when to quit was just as important as knowing when to keep going. We talk about how his first app idea morphed into a second and then a third, which is the Muzie we know today. We talk about the decision to bootstrap instead of raising investor money. How Sam adapted when his original business idea didn't pan out, and what he's learned about growing a customer base organically in the music education world. Sam gives an honest behind the scenes look at startup life complete with all the messy unglamorous realities you don't usually hear about.  Here's my conversation with Sam.  A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode165.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

This time of year I get a lot of financial questions from teachers. We've just gotten through the holiday spending spree, new year's might have inspired some financial goal-setting, and then there's the looming tax deadline in April, so there's a lot to think about. Sometimes the questions I get are really specific to an individual, but lately a bunch of clients and listeners have said “hey, you talk about reviewing financials on a regular basis as a way of getting more familiar with my financial picture, but what exactly should I be reviewing?” And they're totally right, I haven't been very specific here. So today I'm going to do that. I'm going to show you how to find some key numbers on your tax return that can give you powerful insights into your business and personal finances. A full transcript along, with printable + digital resources to supplement this episode, can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode164.  

If you've ever thought about expanding from being a solo, independent teacher to hiring teachers and assumed your first step would be to rent a commercial space, think again. Today's guest shares how the studio she started with a few students in her living room eventually grew to serve 200 students and took over her family's entire home. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode163. Tax Insights Workshop  Thur. April 24 @ 10am Central Sign up for that workshop at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/taxinsights/.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

With the MTNA conference right around the corner, we got Charles Harris, CPA back on the podcast to discuss tax deductions for business travel and attending conferences. We talk about common expenses associated with business travel, which ones are deductible and which ones aren't. We answer questions like: Are meals 100% deductible when I'm traveling? Can I deduct my plane ticket it I pay for it with points? If my family is traveling with me, can I deduct their travel expenses? If I book a local hotel for a staycation and teach a virtual lesson while I'm there, can I count it as a business trip? A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode162.   FREE Webinar: Self-Employment Tax Crash Course   Tax help for music teachers: MSS Tax + Accounting Services Join the Hub: MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind

Today I'm talking to the Christina Whitlock - an independent piano teacher whose studio has flexed and changed many times throughout her career to adapt to what she wants and needs out of life and business in different seasons. If you are familiar with Christina and her podcast, Beyond Measure, you know she is a huge encourager for music teachers and you'll get a huge dose of that in this episode. We also hear about some big changes she's made in her own studio over the the last several years, how she rolled out the changes, what worked and what didn't, what she's learned about evaluating change, and more.  A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode161.   Music Teacher Tax Prep and Accounting Services MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers Music Studio Startup Snapshot 009 – Christina Whitlock

We've had a lot of tax talk on the podcast lately and I know that's not everyone's cup of tea. I get it. I promise we'll keep it to a minimum today, but I do want to let you know about an upcoming webinar that I will be co-presenting with our CPA, Charles! Join us on Thur, February 6 for our Self-Employment Tax Crash Course. You can register for that at musicstudiostartup.com/tax. That's it! That's all I'm going to say about taxes. Let's hear a good ol', inspiring studio success story. I think a lot of listeners are going to relate to today's guest. Alison had been teaching for a number of years, had a nice-sized studio, and was beginning to feel the drag of teaching into the evening hours. So she decided to do something about it. She set out to shift her schedule to more daytime hours. She successfully made that shift (with some genius networking strategies!) and the result was… not what she expected! Listen in to hear how Alison made (and continues to make) effective shifts in her studio and what she has learned along the way. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode160.  

Charles and Andrea sit down to answer some of the questions we've been getting about our new tax prep services for music teachers! Can I self-file taxes? What are the tax deadlines I need to be aware of? What is the mileage deduction? How does the mileage deduction work? A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode159.   FREE Webinar: Self-Employment Tax Crash Course - Thur, Feb 6, 2025   MSS Tax + Accounting Services Join the Hub: MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Q1 Mastermind Groups start Jan 27  

Happy new year! For a lot of studio owners, January represents the beginning of tax season so I've got Charles Harris, a CPA, as our guest today to talk about all things self-employment taxes. We'll cover a bunch of things including the earning thresholds for when you need to earn to start filing taxes and what to do if you did not earn a profit in your business this year (spoiler: it can benefit you to file anyway!). We'll also talk about what's different for the 2024 tax year and what we know (and don't know) about expected changes for the 2025 tax year. Plus, we'll share an exciting announcement about new services coming to Music Studio Startup this year and a new perk for Hub members! A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode158.   MSS Tax Prep + Accounting Services for Music Teachers   Join the Hub: MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Q1 Mastermind Groups start Jan 27  

 If you've ever wished you could travel, but have told yourself that you can't take time off or it's too expensive or whatever, this interview will have you rethinking those assumptions.  Today, I'm talking to a returning guest about how he has designed his studios, plural, to be able to take extended backpacking trips every year. We talk about budgeting for the trips, how he preps his students and teachers, and how he keeps things on track while he's away. Here's my conversation with Noah. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode157.

A quick reminder that next Tuesday, Dec. 10 is our BOIR Filing Party. If you have an LLC and it's been on your To Do list to file this report, join us! If you missed Episode 156 where I talked about the new BOIR filing requirement for LLC owners, you'll definitely want to check it out.  

Today's episode is more of a public service announcement for studio owners who have businesses that are registered in the US. On January 1, a new reporting requirement from the US Treasury Department went into effect and it might impact you. I'm talking about the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting rule or BOI Reporting requirement from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), part of the Corporate Transparency Act. Today I'm going to share what I learned in my research of the ruling. I'm going to go through this in a Q&A format that traces the path I took and the questions that came up for me as I determined whether or not I would be eligible and then what the registration process entailed. Hopefully it'll help you jumpstart your own research. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode156. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and I'm not giving legal advice here. This is strictly for informational purposes and it's up to you to ensure your business is in compliance with all applicable laws.  

Sean Murphy is a saxophone teacher who managed to teach 112 students on a weekly basis by teaching in schools, during the school hours. In our interview, Sean shares his scheduling strategies, communication tips, and how he keeps his income up in leaner summer months. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode155.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today's podcast episode is part 2 of a two part conversation with a returning guest. Christopher Maloney was on the podcast last year to talk about founding Practice Warriors, an online practice program aimed at teen and adult students. You can hear that story in Episode 132. In that conversation, Christopher mentioned that he had formerly owned a multi-teacher music studio, which he sold. That was too big a topic to get into in our last conversation, but I knew I wanted to hear that story, so I'm grateful to Christopher for making the time for another interview. In the first part of the interview we hear the startup story and Christopher's take on the 5 things he credits for the success of his studio. Teaser: his wife, Christina, has a PR background and you can hear that influence in the out-of-the-box marketing strategies they used to launch the studio. In the second part, which you'll hear next week, we get into the numbers and money side: we talk about startup costs, how they priced lessons, how they financed the building, and how they eventually sold the studio. You'll hear us talk a lot about “equity” in this episode,  I'll unpack that a bit in my recap, as well. It's not something that gets talked about very much in the context of music studios, but I think it's an important concept for business owners to get familiar with, so we're going to talk about it.   A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode154.

Today's podcast episode is part 1 of a two part conversation with a returning guest. Christopher Maloney was on the podcast last year to talk about founding Practice Warriors, an online practice program aimed at teen and adult students. You can hear that story in Episode 132. In that conversation, Christopher mentioned that he had formerly owned a multi-teacher music studio, which he sold. That was too big a topic to get into in our last conversation, but I knew I wanted to hear that story, so I'm grateful to Christopher for making the time for another interview. In the first part of the interview we hear the startup story and Christopher's take on the 5 things he credits for the success of his studio. Teaser: his wife, Christina, has a PR background and you can hear that influence in the out-of-the-box marketing strategies they used to launch the studio. In the second part, which you'll hear next week, we get into the numbers and money side: we talk about startup costs, how they priced lessons, how they financed the building, and how they eventually sold the studio. You'll hear us talk a lot about “equity” in this episode,  I'll unpack that a bit in my recap, as well. It's not something that gets talked about very much in the context of music studios, but I think it's an important concept for business owners to get familiar with, so we're going to talk about it. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode153. MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today's conversation is one about being a lifelong learner, managing competing priorities and finite time, and aligning a team to work towards a shared vision.  Most of us can probably relate to at least some of these things from our roles as teachers and studio owners, but my guest today is neither a music teacher nor a studio owner. Today I'm talking to Bradley Kunda, a musician and Product Owner for the popular music notation app, MuseScore. Being on a software team, Bradley brings a really different perspective to these topics that I think you're going to enjoy and learn a lot from. Here's my conversation with Bradley:   A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode152.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

For the first time in two years, we're forming a cohort of teachers to go through Business Building 101 together! Join today at musicstudiostartup.com/BB101 You'll get weekly video lessons to complete whenever it's convenient and you can join the live office hours to get personalized help and hang out with other teachers in the cohort. Today's mini interview comes from Jenica Nevala, a music school owner who already had a few years of studio-building under her belt before she joined the Business Building 101 cohort. During the program, she made some significant changes in her policies that have made her business more sustainable and she later ran a bold promotion that brought in 10 new students in a week. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode151.   Cohort starting 9/23: Music Studio Business Building 101 Community: MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Course: Business Finance for Music Teachers

Today's episode is a rebroadcast of one of the earliest episodes of Music Studio Startup, but it has stood the test of time. It's worth noting that at the time of recording, my guest Shannah's podcast was called “Millennial Money”, but the name has since changed to “Everyone's Talkin' Money.” Here's the episode: If you're in the first few years of your career, money can be a complicated topic. You may be trying to balance bills and student loan payments while still investing in your business. On top of that, if you're self-employed, you have to figure it out all on your own! In today's show, you'll be introduced to Shannah Compton Game, a Certified Financial Planner and the host of the Millennial Money podcast.   A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode150.   Cohort starting 9/23: Music Studio Business Building 101 MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Quarter 2 wrapped up for us at the end of July so we're bringing you another quarterly recap. You'll get to hear what's going on behind the scenes with our team. Today I'm joined again by Cindy from the MSS team. If you listened to our Q1 recap in Episode146 you'll recognize her voice. Episode 146 – 2024 Q1 Recap with Cindy Hsu A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode149.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Ivan Kolar.     A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot032.

As many of you know, this year marks our third Studio Launch Grant Competition. We received a record number of inspiring applications this year and last week I announced our seven finalists. After much angst and deliberation, our judges have finally chosen a winner. Thank you to the sponsors that made this year's competition possible: Alfred Music, Fons, MakeMusic Cloud, Muzie.Live, Alamo Music. We couldn't have done it without them! Learn about future grant opportunities: MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/2024-grant-winner.   2024 Music Studio Launch Grant Competition Sponsors Music Studio Startup Alfred Fons makemusic cloud Muzie.Live Alamo Music   Previous Winners Scarlette Kerr Anna Showalter   Other Resources for Music Teachers MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Ali Hoffman.     A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot031.

A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot030.

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Jeremy Eikenberry.    A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot029.  

This is the third time Music Studio Startup has hosted our grant competition for new and new-ish music teachers and this year's competition is going to be epic, thanks to the generous support of our amazing sponsors! Listen in to hear about the incredible grand prize package up for grabs that includes a $1,000 cash grant, plus tools and resources to help launch your studio. P.S. We know money can be tight for EVERY new studio owner and our sponsors get this, too, Spoiler alert: we've also got APPLICANT PRIZES to help every new teacher get their studio off the ground! Apply today: MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/2024-grant-announcement.   2024 Music Studio Launch Grant Competition Sponsors Music Studio Startup Alfred Fons makemusic cloud Muzie.Live Alamo Music   Previous Winners Scarlette Kerr Anna Showalter   Other Resources for Music Teachers MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Shannon Saravia.    A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot028.  

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Megan Schraer.    A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot027.  

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Cheyenne Olson.    A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot026.  

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Dorla Aparicio.    A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot025. $1,000 MSS Music Studio Launch Grant Competition  

Welcome back! We're doing a special series on the podcast this summer called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth, process-oriented interviews you're used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse in a guest's studio at a moment in time.  They're part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I'm talking to Ann Lemke.  A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/snapshot024.  

Today's episode was prompted by questions I get from newly-graduated or soon-to-be graduated music majors who are just getting ready to launch their studios and want to know how to get started from nothing. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode148. Applications for the 2024 Studio Launch Grant Competition open in June! $1,000 Studio Launch Grant competition  

My conversation today is the second in a set of two interviews from first-time parents talking about how they planned for parental leave. In both, the episode with Renee Shaw Nutwell and today's episode with Jeremy Eikenberry, we talk about the goals these teachers had for their students and studios during their leave, how they attempted to plan for something that they didn't have full control over, how their plans played out in real life, how they transitioned back into teaching, and what they learned from the experience. Our discussion centers around taking parental leave after the birth of a child, but the insights and takeaways translate to taking extended leave from a studio for any reason: vacation, sabbatical, health reasons, whatever. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode147.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Summary It's time for another quarterly check-in! Today I'm joined by Cindy Hsu, Director of Partnerships and Business Development at Music Studio Startup and we're talking about our (very full!) Q1 and what we're looking forward to in Q2. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode146. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode146.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today we're talking about all things non-profit management. My guest, Erin Parkes, founder of the Lotus Centre shares so many insights from her experiences working with a board of directors, crafting effective messaging for different stakeholders, managing a budget, and even dealing with burnout. All while keeping the mission of her organization front and center.  A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode145. MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Business Finance for Music Teachers  

With the MTNA conference in March, I guess you could say I've been on a conference kick. We talked about Networking with Stephanie Bonte-Lebair in Episode 141, I shared my takeaways from MTNA in Episode 142, and then last week I did a live Networking Debrief workshop with a group of teachers and, together, we went through our own lists of people we want to build deeper relationships with and figured out next steps. (Teachers on the call identified some really neat opportunities that have the potential to seriously impact their businesses.) Today we're covering another conference-related topic: how to get started speaking at conferences. My guest is one you've heard from before on the podcast - and maybe even heard present in person. Amy Chaplin has given over 35 presentations for state and national events and local teacher groups. Today she's sharing with us some tips for writing proposals and getting accepted to speak at conferences. Here's my conversation with Amy.   A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode144.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today I'm joined by Jennifer Foxx, a teacher who has been blogging and creating curriculum and resources for music teachers for over a decade. In our conversation, we talk about how she took the simplest route at first and started her business on Teachers Pay Teachers and has since strengthened her business by investing in platforms she owns, like her own website and email list. We also talk about the seasonality she experiences, how she thinks about pricing, and trends she has observed pre- and post-covid. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode143.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers Studio Launch Grant Competition  

Last week I was at the MTNA National conference in Atlanta. Georgia. It was a whirlwind - as conferences usually are - and I think I'm still absorbing everything. I wanted to go over three things today: first - some personal reflections from MTNA, second - I want to share some of my business takeaways, and third - I want to invite you to a workshop next week. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode142.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

In my original interview with Stephanie, she talked about the role business networking played in the marketing of her business and she talked about it with such intentionality that I knew I wanted to learn more. So today we're talking about everything, from how to choose events to network at, how to prepare, how Stephanie makes the most of her time at an event, her follow-up routines, examples of weak and strong calls to action and more. Get your notepad ready because you'll want to take notes. If this topic of networking makes you uneasy, at least listen until you hear Stephanie's definition of business networking. A lot of us have probably had an experience with someone who was “networking” that was so obnoxious that we found the very concept repulsive. I think Stephanie's approach will be refreshingly different and one that most teachers can get excited about. People who are doing networking well are not obnoxious and you don't have to become obnoxious - in fact, please don't - to build your business through networking. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode141.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today's conversation with Stephanie Bonte-Lebair is a rebroadcast of an early episode of Music Studio Startup that has always been a fan favorite. Stephanie is a classically-trained opera singer turned voice/presentation/sales coach. This interview blurs the line between an entrepreneurial music teacher sharing the evolution of her voice studio and a communication expert sharing a mini sales workshop. It's one you'll want to listen to more than once! A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode140.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today's episode is more of a public service announcement for studio owners who have businesses that are registered in the US. On January 1, a new reporting requirement from the US Treasury Department went into effect and it might impact you. I'm talking about the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting rule or BOI Reporting requirement from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), part of the Corporate Transparency Act. Today I'm going to share what I learned in my research of the ruling. I'm going to go through this in a Q&A format that traces the path I took and the questions that came up for me as I determined whether or not I would be eligible and then what the registration process entailed. Hopefully it'll help you jumpstart your own research. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode139. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and I'm not giving legal advice here. This is strictly for informational purposes and it's up to you to ensure your business is in compliance with all applicable laws.   MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

With the turn of the calendar, many of us are closing the fiscal years for our businesses and wrapping up our bookkeeping for the year in anticipation of the tax season ahead. I am a HUGE fan of a low-stress tax season and the way to accomplish that is to get started early and tackle one step at a time. Which is why I invited back to the podcast, Andrea Yahr, a certified tax preparer, to get us going. Andrea's first appearance on the Music Studio Startup podcast was back in Episode 012 when she talked about Business Structures and Their Tax Implications. Today Andrea is back to talk about some tax basics for self-employed teachers, how to get a smooth start to the filing season (even if you feel behind already), and we also talk about some short and long-term strategies to consider to lower your overall tax bill. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode138.   MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

I mentioned before that we will, again, be holding our studio launch grant competition this year! This grant is to help new or new-ish independent teachers launch their studios. It's one of my favorite things that we do and it's been so neat to see the impact the grant has on getting these studios off to a strong start. Today I'm talking to our last MSS Studio Launch Grant competition winner, Anna Showalter. We talk about Anna's studio, how she made use of the grant competition prize package, and also how she introduced some significant changes to her studio, including a 13% tuition increase and bi-weekly group lessons. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode137. MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

It's time for another quarterly check-in! Today I'm joined by Amy Chaplin, a fellow piano teacher and productivity nerd. Since it's January, this review takes more of an annual review perspective as we look back on 2023 and look forward to 2024.  I was looking forward to this conversation with Amy because I wanted an excuse to talk about apps and tools for organizing all the things life throws at us and I knew Amy would have things to say about this. The conversation did not disappoint. We gush over all our tools for project management, task management, lesson notes, and writing. And we talk about some of the tools we discarded in 2023. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode136.   In case you didn't catch our other quarterly check-ins from earlier in the year, you can listen to them here:  2023.Q1 Winter: MSS Episode 112 – Amy Elmore on 3 Mindset Questions to Ask Before Setting Your New Year's Resolutions 2023.Q2 Spring New Harmony Podcast Episode 001B – Goal Setting Tips for Music Teachers: Part B 2023.Q3 Summer: MSS Episode 129 – Podcast – Andrea Miller – 2023 Q3 Recap   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind is open! Learn more.

Today I'm sharing part two of a two-part episode with my guest, Tony Parlapiano. Teaching piano has taken many forms over the years for Tony. From being a travel piano teacher and teaching students homes, to teaching online during the pandemic and then sticking with it afterward, to the studio we're going to hear about today, that more closely resembles a college program than your standard 1:1 or group lessons.  Over the summer, Tony was featured in our studio snapshot series. In that episode he alluded to his new online instruction model and I was very curious, but I knew it needed more time than we had then to really understand it, so that's what we're talking about in these episodes. In Part 1, we talked more about the pedagogical and practical structure of Tony's program and today we're getting into the marketing and business side of things.  A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode135.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers

Today I'm sharing part one of a two-part episode with a guest you've heard from before. Teaching piano has taken many forms over the years for today's guest, Tony Parlapiano. From being a travel piano teacher and teaching students homes, to teaching online during the pandemic and then sticking with it afterward, to the studio we're going to hear about today, that more closely resembles a college program than your standard 1:1 or group lessons.  Over the summer, Tony was featured in our studio snapshot series. In that episode he alluded to his new online instruction model and I was very curious, but I knew it needed more time than we had then to really understand it, so that's what we're talking about today. The first part of our interview, which you'll hear today, is more about the pedagogical and practical structure of the program and then we'll get into the marketing and business side of things in the second half, next week. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode134.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

The first quarter of the MSS Hub Mastermind program starts in just a few weeks. So if you've been curious about joining, now is a great time to get plugged in and start your year off strong! Today I'm talking with my guest about her journey from book idea to selling the first 1000 copies. We talk about how she tried to publish through a traditional book publisher and ended up self-publishing, how she bootstrapped the first print runs, why she doesn't expect to make a profit by selling on Amazon, and even how she made people angry with her marketing. And if you're the kind of person who likes to hear the numbers, you're going to love this discussion because Crystal lays it all out there. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode133.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Happy new year! Today I've got a quick announcement about a live event we're holding TOMORROW morning (Thursday, January 4) as a kickoff to 2024. A bunch of you have already responded to the email about this event and registered, so I know it's going to be a fantastic group. In tomorrow's kickoff we'll talk through some of the questions I use to review the last year and guide my own annual planning. Whether you've been doing annual reflections forever or you're trying to figure out how to get started, I think this will be a good time of encouragement and motivation as we get in gear for the new year. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/000-january-2024-announcement.   >> Register for the 2024 Kickoff Event

Most teachers agree that one of the greatest indicators of whether or not a student will progress in music is not their innate talent. It all comes down to practicing. Today's musician entrepreneur, Christopher Maloney, realized that there was a gap in where his adults were and where they wanted to be in their musical skills and that gap could only be traversed by practicing and, ideally, practicing more effectively. So he decided to tackle this challenge. Not in the form of a practice app, but by creating an online program, specifically for adult students, to teach them how to practice. Today we'll hear the startup story of that program, Practice Warriors. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode132.   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today I have a return guest on the podcast! I did a two-part interview with Thomas Grayston, the developer behind the NoteRush note-reading app in episodes 021 and 022. In those episodes, we talked about how he turned NoteRush from a side project to a full-time gig and then we talked about the first steps a teacher might take if they have an app idea of their own that they want to bring to market. In today's conversation we get to hear all about the v. 2 release of NoteRush and we get to revisit some of the same topics we talked about 4+ years ago and hear how Thomas's perspective has changed - or not - on these topics. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode131.   Schedule a complimentary mini-session with Andrea   Previous episodes with Thomas Grayston Episode 021 – Thomas Grayston of Note Rush on Developing and Launching an App (Part 1) Episode 022 – Thomas Grayston of Note Rush on Developing and Launching an App (Part 2)   MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind Music Studio Business Building 101 Business Finance for Music Teachers  

Today, I'm deviating from our usual interview format to discuss a challenge that I'm sure all of us have experienced at one point or another and is especially common this time of year—managing life when it becomes overwhelmingly full. In this episode I break down the process and strategies I follow in my own life to get through these times and calm the chaos. A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode130.