Female Entrepreneur Musician with Bree Noble

As part of the Embracing the New Music Economy series I have been doing, my friend, Fiona Flyte, talks about diversifying income on this episode, as well as discuss insights on how she uses content marketing and Youtube as a musician.We have the new and updated income guide, 15 Streams of Income to Tap Right Now. This is centered on all the things you can incorporate especially during this time of the pandemic. Grab it at femusician.com on the front page.Fiona wanted to be a singer since she was a child. When she was 13, her glee club teacher told her that she had a voice that could sing opera. She sang opera and loved musical theater at the same time.She finished liberal arts then studied in the conservatory of music. She took up a young artist program and was also a music teacher. She previously had this notion that she is less of a performer and was not successful if she's not able to earn her full income as an opera singer and that she still has to work as a music teacher. She eventually came to realize that that was not true and she was actually successful during that time -- even popular celebrities are diversifying their incomes too. Back then, she ran a brick and mortar voice studio. She already had this idea that there were many more possibilities online for her career but she was scared of social media and the online world. After she attended the recent Profitable Musician Summit, it became an eye-opener for her. She never gave up her singing and love of musical theater but she now understands that diversifying her income will give her the lifestyle she wants for her family. So now, apart from being a performer, she's also a passionate business coach. She now has a Youtube channel where she creates videos of her as a performer and a business coach. Fiona considers herself a "singerpreneur". For her it means being creative, thinking outside the box, leveraging social media, and diversifying her income. It is considering singing as her business. She enjoys Content Marketing, especially on Youtube. It can also be done from different platforms for like Instagram live or podcasts, etc., depending on where you're comfortable as a musician and where your audience is. Another thing she uses for content is doing cover songs. Especially during this time of the pandemic, it's great to diversify and be able to tap into different aspects of yourself.Fiona has started a Facebook group called "The Profitable Performer" where she discusses growing and leveraging your Instagram bio and understanding how to use Instagram in a way that will help you monetize it. Fiona is passionate about teaching the three M's -- Mindset, Marketing, and Monetization. She believes that we need to uplevel our Mindset and Marketing to increase our Monetization.Link mentioned in this episode: femusician.com

In this episode, I am excited to feature some of my Academy students wherein they share their experiences on how they are becoming proactive in this situation and the results they are getting from it.Being Proactive is producing a result that you can control especially in an uncertain situation. It's important to be a proactive musician and proactive business owner anytime instead of being reactive to things. Being Reactive is going in a reverse direction. This pandemic has already impacted us and the last thing we want is going further in the reverse direction. Examples of Proactive Mentality During this Time:Getting out of our comfort zone and trying new thingsLearning a new skill or improve a skill they already haveExamples of Reactive Mentality During this Time:Completely shutting down when communicating with your fansNot trying to new thingsThinking fans will not come on board if they try a new platformI know that if you are listening to this podcast, you are not that negative kind of musician and I want to give you some inspiration from my students on what they have been doing during this time as well as the results they are getting so far.Cayla Brooke, a singer/songwriter from Vancouver BC Canada as well as a Keynote Concert SpeakerStarted doing online concerts and has created her very first online workshopGained new fans, connected with existing fans and made moneyAdrienne Cat, professional singer for many yearsStarted doing Facebook Live for Senior Care Facilities and FansGained new fans/followers and more senior care facilities got interestedGail Gallagher, a Chicago-based musician with a genre of musical-theater inspired folk-rockStarted performing live once a week and hosting open mic; Also attempting to produce her own album; Starting her singer/songwriter careerConnecting with her musician friends all over the world, Building excellent foundations for her singer/songwriter careerCharleessaGoing live on Facebook and Instagram; Having a virtual tip jar which she linked to her own websiteFans are loving it and she's getting donationsColleen KitchenGoing lives and tutorials not just about music but other things as well; Working on her guitar skills and encourages her husband to learn OBS so she can better live videos of herBeth MatthewFacebook Live Concerts, Creating and Scheduling Facebook Live Events, Sending Emails to her Email ListsEarned income, concerts have received a lot of engagement, getting new fansCarlene ThissenWorking on a New Book, Belong to a Singer/Songwriting Performing Group where they recorded and posted covers of each other songs. She's gotten rave reviews about the 2 songs she covered and got included in a Set List. Signed up for Guitar WorkshopCarol Nicodemi, long time Academy Member living in the heart of the pandemic in New YorkRising up to the challenges of the current situation. Creating and sharing videos and songs from her apartment in Queens, New YorkBringing more engagement and more fans, more honest and self-searching and made herself a better songwriter and singerSteffani Timmerman, an art teacher by trade and preparing to have music as her career after retirementStarted doing more Songwriting classes and Guitar lessonsI hope you have been inspired to be proactive during this time. Go to my free class to know more about the Musician's Profit Path Method that I teach in the Academy. Get more information at musiciansprofitpath.comLink mentioned in this episode: musiciansprofitpath.com

Are you feeling out of control right now? Do you feel that you had your goals and plans and you know everything you have been doing and that suddenly, it's all been turned upside down? A lot of us feel that there is so much in our lives right now that we can't control, especially during the ongoing pandemic where we all have to stay at home. I want to discuss with you tools that will let you know that those situations do not need to dictate how you think, feel, or act in your life.We have recently updated our Income Guide to the new 15 Streams of Income You Can Tap Right Now To Create Sustainable Revenue from Music. Go to femusician.com right on the front page to get the free guide.Brooke Castillo developed the CTFAR coaching model that I will discuss with you. You can listen to her podcast at The Life Coach School Podcast.The CTFAR Model stands for: Circumstances, Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, and Results. Circumstances create Thoughts. Thoughts create Feelings. Feeling creates an Action on your part. That Action, in turn, leads to a certain Result. This model teaches that no matter what the C (Circumstance) is, you have the ability to change things along the way so you can control your Actions and Results.1. Control the way you think.You can train your mind to think differently so you can expect different results.2. Control the way you show up. If you are strong in what your values are, it should not be shaken by the circumstances.3. Control your attention.Focus on matters that are inspiring and uplifting. Take in what you need to but protect your mind and heart.Send us your feedback at bree@femusician.com.Links mentioned in this episode: www.femusician.com

I have a new income guide that fits perfectly into the current situation of the music industry which is called 15 Streams of Income to Tap Right Now to Create Sustainable Revenue for Music. Be sure to go to femusician.com to get it. One of the multiple streams of income I talk about is related to session work that you can get online by having a home studio. My friends Angie and David, the owners of AirGigs, join me in this podcast. Whether you are a vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, or if you specialize in other skills such as arranging or mixing, etc., the AirGigs platform is a user-friendly tool for diversification of income for musicians where you can offer your services remotely. Tips On Maximizing AirGigs to Land Online Session Work1. You can choose to offer various types of services like album artwork, audio editing, creating backing tracks, etc.2. Take into consideration that you need to give more time to communication as compared to in-person bookings.3. Be aware of other expenses (like electricity bill, equipment, maintenance of your gear, taxes) and wrap that into your price. 4. Provide detailed terms for your listing such as, how many revisions are included, how long is the turn-around time for the project, and instructions to the buyer when they order. You can also indicate if pre-communication is important for you before the buyer places their order. It's also good to mention your gear, your equipment, recording interface, etc. 5. You can look at the components of a listing that is doing well and you can determine your own rate/price. Some include video introductions for a more personalized feel. Mention your skills in the video to highlight what you can offer.6. It is important to specify what you specialize in. It could be a particular genre or an equipment you use. Including a sample of what you offer also helps.7. The current biggest sellers on the platform include Vocals, Song Production, Mixing, Base, and Guitar.8. You can also respond and send proposals to individuals posting opportunities with the forum page.Links mentioned in this episode: Grab my new income guide at http://www.femusician.com.

Musicians do not focus much on their physical and mental wellness but this is so important especially during this quarantine situation to avoid feeling burnt out.Mental and physical wellness plus building habits go hand in hand with you creating goals for your music career. Grab my free Smart Goals Workbook at femusician.com/goals so you can build your list of 5 tools you can focus on for the next 90 days.My guest, Katie Zaccardi, was an indie artist/songwriter who struggled with anxiety disorder during college, until she discovered how to cope, figure out her triggers and do yoga to help her.Eventually, she took up Yoga teacher training and this developed her interest in the spiritual and personal development world. While working in music publishing after college, she experienced stress, anxiety and constant headache. She eventually quit her job, went into freelancing and started her business. Now, she offers music career coaching in a very holistic way - - working on wellness, mindset and strategies to build a sustainable career and not to burn out. She shares the following important information about mental and physical wellness and building habits in this podcast episode.How to Deal With Fear (Particularly During This Current Situation)1. Establish your regular wellness routine. Make it a goal to lower your stress level baseline.2. Make sure you are not keeping the fear inside and acknowledge the fact that uncertainty is going on. The key is choosing how you react to the things that come up in a way that serves you instead of one that doesn't. Work through the emotions by not keeping it all inside. Share it with others or do some activity that will serve as your outlet.Tips On How To Establish A Wellness Routine Habit● Have tools or activities in your daily schedule that you can do whenever you need to de-stress to help you feel joyful and calm.● Have a routine that is pretty set to eliminate decision fatigue. Attach the routine to a usual thing that you do like brushing your teeth or drinking your morning coffee.● Be intentional in finding time to create wellness and get things done. You can check your family's routines and find ways where you can make it work with your current schedule.● You do not need to stop once you feel good. This is your goal and this means you actually need to continue what you are doing.● Remind yourself everyday about your routine.Basic Things to Start With for Your Routine (One thing at a Time)1. Sleep - Audit your sleep.2. Water - Notice how much water you are taking in each day.3. Breathing - Learn to control your breathing, especially when you're stressed.You can find Katie Zaccardi on The Out to Be Podcast: Wellness, Mindset and Mental Health in the Music Industry.DM us on Instagram at @women_in_music or @katiezaccardiLinks mentioned in this episode: Grab my SMART Goals Workbook @ http://www.femusician.com/goals

To embrace the New Music Economy, this needs not to be a time of pause but of transition. The way that people consume and buy things will change and one of these is giving private lessons online.In this episode, my friend, Tiffany Van Boxtel from the StarSinger.co Podcast, shares how she seamlessly transitioned all her students online.  When social distancing was implemented, Tiffany sent an email and told her students that due to the situation, they need to change to online lessons. She emphasized the benefits of the online classes to her students and that it was not going to be worth any less than the private in-person lessons. It's fun, it's engaging and it's a great opportunity. She also included instructions on her first email about how her students can join her online teaching on Zoom. Those who were apprehensive just followed the step-by-step directions. She talks about important points to transition to online lessons:Have a positive mindset about teaching onlineCommunicate well with your students and tell them why you need to transition online and highlight the benefitsSet clear directions on how to get them started. Set expectations and give resources to your students. Another option she shares is recording your classes. Benefits you can highlight to your students are:You can learn at your own time. Bring your lessons with you on the go.You will still have regular Coaching CallsYou will have Masterclasses to get feedbacksTiffany offers vocal coaching and she will teach you her system for giving captivating performances. Access Tiffany's free training at starsinger.co/breefreetraining. The link mentioned in this episode: www.starsinger.co/breefreetraining

In this Episode I talk about the new music economy that will be created in the wake of COVID-19 and how we can embrace the changes now by "planting trees".The idea of planting a tree comes from the quote, "The best time to plant a tree was 100 years ago. The second best time to plant a tress is today."Here are the areas you can focus on to "plant a tree" right now:Email listSocial MediaLIvestreamingHome StudioTeaching OnlineThe links mentioned in this Episode.http://www.bandzoogle.com Promo Code WOS15http://femusician.com/ConvertKit

During this unprecedented time, it’s understandable to feel powerless. With gigs being cancelled and social distancing eliminating key sources of income, you may feel like your career is paralyzed. But there are plenty of things you can be doing right now to be productive and take actions that will fortify your career against the inevitable financial downturn ahead.  I’ve heard it said that in a crisis, out of every 12 people, 5 will retreat and bury their head in the sand, 5 will freeze like a deer in the headlights, and 2 will pivot and start taking steps forward. Those 2 will be the ones who emerge with a solid career and a stable income after the dust settles. Here are some ways you can start moving forward and be one of those 2 who recession-proof their career and thrive in the “new normal”.Diversify Your IncomeEmbrace TechnologyBuild Relationships With FansBuild Relationships with Fellow MusiciansBuild Relationships with VenuesExpand Your Skill SetThe artists who thrive in the post-pandemic economy will be the ones who don’t retreat or freeze during this shutdown. It is crucial right now to be proactive not reactive. This season offers unique opportunities, and the artists who aren’t afraid to pivot and move forward, taking even one step each day, will build a solid career and stable income on the other side. Bree Noble is a music marketing & business coach, best-selling author of "The Musician's Profit Path", recognized speaker, and award-winning podcaster. As founder of both Women of Substance Radio and The Female Entrepreneur Musician, Bree is a champion and go-to resource for Indie artists in all genres. Her most popular offerings are her Female Musician Academy and her Rock Your Next Release program.DM Bree on Instagram: @women_in_music

Do you feel like you've been working really hard, putting in a ton of effort and time on your music career, and not really having anything to show for it, especially in the income department. Maybe you feel like you're totally limited by the ability to make income in the music industry, streaming isn't paying you enough. The gigs that you're offered are just not high enough dollar value. And you just don't know where you're going to get the money from music to do what you want to do in your music career and how you're ever going to increase that when you feel like it's a struggle already.Trust me, I get it. I felt that way in the beginning. And almost every musician that comes to me to work with me in my Academy is going through something like this feeling like there's just not a lot of hope in the income department. But that's why I created this video for you. Because sometimes, what is blocking money from music to coming to you and flowing to you is not what you expect. It's not in the physical world. It's something that's happening within you that you may not even realize. So if you're open to this, I want to talk about your money mindset.How Money Mindset Afftects Your Money From MusicIf you're like I used to be, you're pretty skeptical, because I used to think that everything that really matters exists in the tangible physical world. And all I needed to do was to figure out some strategy or tactic that was going to be able to help me get more money from music, and that was going to fix the problem. But over the years, I've realized that there's so much going on in the background, there's so much stuff happening in my head, in my emotions, in just the ways that I think about things or beliefs that I have, that I don't even realize I have, that are influencing how things actually play out in the physical world.So we might get a little woowoo today and it's not really what I am usually known for. But to me when it comes to money mindset, this is what we need to talk about. It's not about nickels and dimes and figuring out the next tactic to make more money. It's about figuring out why what you're doing already, is not bringing in the money that you desire.Oftentimes, if we're not getting the money that we want, it's usually because we are repelling it. We are pushing it away. We are not inviting it in. And this is something that happens so subconsciously.So I want you to think about the way you feel about money. The things that you might think about money that you don't realize the stories that you've told yourself over the years or that other people have told you about money that you've just accepted as truth without ever Kind of investigating them to see if they really are true or not. Things like you know, money is limited. Money doesn't grow on trees. Money is hard to come by. Money is the root of all evil.And those things all play into the way that you actually receive money on the other end. Because if you're thinking about money in a very scarce way, it's much harder to actually receive the money with an open heart and an open mind. Because you've already got these stories around the money that are not allowing it to come your direction, you're kind of repelling it, you're pushing it away, you're blocking it. So if you do have some of these stories, working in the background, you might actually feel guilty when you receive money.Because if you believe that money is limited, and if you believe that if someone gives you money for something that means that you're taking something away from them. And then they won't have that to do something else with the money, then you're going to feel guilty. And that is going to affect the way that you ask for money, the way that you accept money, and the way that you even approach money related things.Start Attracting More Money From MusicSo I want you to think of a few things that happen in your music business and think about how you act in relation to these.So for example, if you are at a show, and you want to encourage people to buy your CD or consider buying some of your merch, come back to the merch table, all of that. Do you even say that during your show? Do you feel very sheepish about saying it? Do you feel like you really can't ask them for this because they've already paid to come see your show and you'd be asking too much and you have this guilt happening in the back Ground?Or do you just think of money as an exchange, an exchange of value, which is what it is. If they find value in what you're doing, then they want to give you money in exchange for the value that you're giving them, whether it's to come pay for your show, it's to buy something at your merch table, just to even thank you for the experience that they just had. So think about the fact that if you're not offering them an opportunity to do this, then you're actually taking away something from them a value. They really want to be able to show you how much they appreciate you.And if you're not giving them that opportunity to have that monetary exchange, then that's actually taking something away from them, taking away their joy, of being able to thank you and express gratitude.through money. And that's actually kind of a selfish thing for you to do. So even though you feel like you're protecting them by not asking them for more money, what you're actually doing is taking away an opportunity for them to express thanks, and gratitude to you through money.What about raising your prices? How do you feel about doing that? I realized none of us love to have to ask for more money. But if you approach it confidently knowing that the price that you're asking for absolutely reflects the value that you're giving, and not just the value today, but the value that you've accumulated, of all of your years of hard work as a musician, any schooling, any training, practicing, you have to do before the gig. You've got to make sure that you have all of that in your head when you approach somebody about a new price. Then you will feel so differently about charging more.And just know that some people will say no, but that's okay. Because there's plenty of musicians out there that will do it for free. And that's not you, that is not your people. You need to find the people that will value what you do as a musician and everything that you've put into what you present and your program as an entertainer.So when you think about it in that context, do you still feel uncomfortable or guilty for raising your prices? I hope not.What about accepting donations? Does that feel really uncomfortable to you? There's many times in our music business where it totally makes sense to accept donations, whether it's at a house concert, or for our crowdfunding campaign or for me when I performed at churches, a lot of times people would give a goodwill offering and These were situations where people were able to give whatever they wanted. And I think that's such a gift to people. Because money means different things to different people. Some people $100 bill means about, like, what a $1 bill means to us. And so allowing them the opportunity to give in a way that that makes them feel good, and makes themfeel comfortable supporting you is such a gift to them. And you never know what's going to come out of it.I remember a time where I was meeting up with somebody after a concert, and they handed me $100 bill, because they said, you know, they really believed in my music here and they wanted me to get my songs out to more people and that was their way of being able to support me. And I could have been Oh, no, no, no, it's fine. I'm fine, but great. graciously accepting that money was so wonderful for the person on the other end. Because I didn't make them feel comfortable uncomfortable about it at all. I made it such that she could really enjoy that. And I could be appreciative of it. And we could have a great exchange. And I didn't have to be anything weird about it. Because if you notice, sometimes, the exchange of money can get really weird, right? And it doesn't need to be that way.It's all about an exchange of value.Changing Your Money Mindset Is A ProcessSo when I asked you in the beginning of this video, if you had any money, stories that you thought might be influencing your beliefs about money or the way that you act around money, what did you come up with? Did you realize that there might be some things lurking in the background that are making it hard for you to receive money to raise your prices, to ask for donations and feel good about it?If that's true, that's such good news. Actually. Because that means that that's probably what is holding you back from making more money in your music business. It's not your talent or your work ethic. So you can keep doing the same thing. And actually start increasing your income just by making some mindset shifts. Now, these don't happen overnight. And you know, you really need to work on this you need to be conscious of when you start feeling and seeing these like little insidious money blocks creeping in, that are limiting you that are creating this bottleneck between you and the money that you want to receive for your talent and your passion.So I want to encourage you to really do a little bit of an analysis and see where it is that you might be getting stuck and blocked when it comes to money. And maybe write some of those things down and see if there are ways that you can reframe those beliefs into a positive, more abundant mindset instead of this scarcity, guilt ridden mindset that might be keeping you from increasing your income.So if you located some of these beliefs that are holding you back, I'd love to know what those are in the comments. I can guarantee you're not alone. I've worked through a lot of these myself and I know many musicians I work with are also working through them. We are a work in progress when it comes to how we approach money, especially in an industry where there's a lot of talk about how we're not getting paid enough, and there's not enough opportunities.I truly believe that if you find your perfect people, your crowd, your potential is limitless, for how much income you can make. And once you find these true fans and start interacting with them, you'll see that the money will flow so much easier to you especially if you've done the work like we talked about in this video to clear out a lot of these money blocks that are keeping you from receiving the money that you deserve for the hard work and talent that you are giving to the world.

If you’re an Indie musician trying to build a following and make some money from your music, you probably think you need to say “yes” to every gig that comes your way. It’s easy to say “yes” to music gigs, just to get something on your calendar and feel like you’re making progress, even when you’re not excited about it, you don’t think it’s a good fit or the pay feels insulting. I get it. It’s so much easier to say “yes” than “no, especially in the early stages of your career. You don’t want to disappoint people or act like you’re too good for what they’re offering. Logically it makes sense to say “yes” to someone when they’re offering you an opportunity. Right? But have you ever thought about what that “opportunity’ is costing you? The Exposure As Currency Effect As independent musicians, we’re told that getting exposure is key, especially when we’re starting out. In fact, we’re taught to consider exposure as a kind of currency. And we’re competing with other artists who are conditioned to think the same way which drives down the fees that venues are willing to pay musicians, sometimes even to zero. This “exposure as currency effect” floods the market with a ton of undesirable gigs. When you say “yes” to gigs that aren’t a good fit or don’t pay you what you’re worth, you have less time to focus on finding gigs that are a good fit and will pay you well. If you take every gig that comes your way, you’ll be so busy that you won’t have time to prospect for new gigs, network, and up-level your contacts so you can get better music gigs.  It becomes a vicious cycle. How Saying “Yes” To The Wrong Music Gigs Is Repelling The Right Ones And the gigs you do have will be exhausting and unfulfilling. You’ll probably start to resent having to do them. Do you think that might have a negative effect on your whole career outlook? The negative energy created by resentment and burnout will definitely not help you attract higher-level gigs. It will repel them.  For example, have you ever noticed that people who are interviewing for a job that already have a job are more likely to get hired? That’s because they present themselves with confidence and poise and give off a vibe that they are worthy of the job. The fact that they know and you know that another reputable employer has hired them helps them give the impression that, while they’d like the job, they don’t NEED the job. That’s attractive. On the other hand, a job applicant who has been out of work or works a low paying job or multiple jobs will most likely come across as resentful, negative and desperate When they give off this vibe, they become less desirable, even if they are just as talented as the other applicant. It’s not right or wrong. It’s just human nature. In the same way, once you’ve been paid a certain fee for a gig, it’s much easier to confidently ask for it again. The first time I was paid $1,000 for a gig, I started thinking of myself in a whole different league. I began to think of myself as an artist who lands better gigs and says “no” to gigs that are free or low-paying. I suddenly had the backbone to say “no” to gigs that didn’t serve me.  Being Strategic With Your Music Gigs Now I’m not saying you can’t take some free or low-paying gigs in the beginning. We’ve all been there. The key is to be strategic about them and not say yes to all of them. Know your “why” for taking each gig and consider the opportunity cost of time and energy with each “yes”. Every time you say “no” to gigs that are wrong for you, think of it as an invitation for a better gig to come along.  How To Attract Better Music Gigs The next step is to start approaching venues as an artist who is already being paid what she’s worth. And no, I’m not telling you to be deceptive. If you truly believe in your talent, you know you’ll make it to that level. So start showing up as your future self. If you present yourself now with the confidence of your future self, you’ll naturally attract better music gigs. If you’re wondering what skills you need to start commanding higher fees for your music gigs and what types of venues you should be approaching based on the stage of music career growth you are at now, I cover all that and a lot more in my free masterclass at www.musiciansprofitpath.com. It’s free, so head on over there and register now.