CI to Eye with Monica Holt

Emily Simoness is the Founder and Executive Director of SPACE on Ryder Farm, a nonprofit artist residency program and organic farm located on a 225-year-old, 127-acre family homestead in Putnam County, New York. Artists from all over are invited to live and work on the farm, with the space and time they need to create their art. In this episode, Emily and Erik talk about how SPACE on Ryder Farm transformed from an idea into one of the premier centers for the development of new artistic work in the U.S. They also talk about the radical power of analog connection in our tech-obsessed world.

Since CI to Eye's launch in 2017, Erik has asked each guest, "If you could broadcast to executive directors, leadership teams, staff, and board of 1,000 arts organizations, what advice would you provide to help them improve their business?" This is their "CI to Eye moment," and we’ve compiled all of last year’s moments in this special episode.

At Digital Marketing Boot Camp for the Arts 2019, we hosted a panel called Fostering Change in Your Organization. You may work in an organization that fears change or does not evolve as quickly as you would like. This session asked, "How can you enact change and develop a culture that embraces innovation?" Jennifer Zaslow, Erik's executive coach and a two-time guest on CI to Eye moderated a panel that included: Terri Lee Freeman, President of the National Civil Rights Museum  Andrew Haines, Director of Marketing & Communications at Seattle Rep Lynette Shy, Director of Marketing, Sales, & Communications at BalletMet

At Digital Marketing Boot Camp for the Arts 2019,  we hosted a panel called “Should Your Arts Organization Produce a Podcast?” With podcast listenership on the rise, we wanted to hear from arts administrators about their efforts producing podcasts. Alison Goldberg, Consultant at Capacity Interactive, interviewed three arts administrators about their organizations podcasting efforts: Laura Diffenderfer, Associate Director, Content Strategy, The Joyce Theater Elke Dehner, Director of Marketing and Communications, The Rubin Museum of Art Meg Stoltz, Digital Marketing Manager, Seattle Opera

After more than a decade of serving in marketing leadership roles at arts organizations across the country, Sean Kelly is now the Founder of Vatic, a company that provides automated dynamic pricing software for the performing arts. In this episode, Sean and Erik discuss what Sean's tenure at Starbucks taught him about using data to understand patrons, why people who work in the arts should not be choosing ticket prices, and what your patrons are telling you through their ticket-buying behavior.

Peter Linett is the President of Slover Linett Audience Research, a firm of social researchers who work with performing arts organizations and museums to help them become more inclusive, innovative, and relevant. In this episode, Peter and Erik discuss some recent studies that examine how consumers decide which arts events to attend. They unpack why uncertainty is a more significant barrier for audiences than unfamiliarity and how marketing and positioning can help audiences overcome that uncertainty. They also discuss how arts organizations can adapt to meet the needs of 21st-century audiences.

Terri Lee Freeman is the President of the National Civil Rights Museum, where she works to emphasize the connection between the historic events of the mid-20th century Civil Rights Movement and the current issues affecting society today. In this episode, Terri and Erik dive into the history of the National Civil Rights Museum, how it aims to carry on the legacy of Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights movement, and the museum's role in helping people connect the past to the present. They also discuss the need to be "apologetically human" by owning up to our mistakes and adopting a growth mindset.

As Director of Customer Experience at The Cleveland Orchestra, Robert Phillips leads efforts in creating a new vision for the arts and culture customer experience. He previously led similar efforts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and The 5th Avenue Theatre. Robert has also worked in hospitality consulting for BARE International and FreemanGroup Solutions. In this episode, Robert and Erik discuss what the arts can learn from the hospitality industry and how The Cleveland Orchestra has made customer service part of its organizational culture.  Robert also explains why arts organizations can benefit from focusing less on service recovery, less on "surprise and delight" and more on the everyday interactions with patrons.

Mark Price is the Founder of Alchemy Collective. After 20 years as a musical theater performer, Mark discovered Vedic meditation and it turned his life around. He decided to dedicate his life to sharing this knowledge with others. In this episode, Mark and Erik talk about why successful people meditate and how Vedic meditation differs from other practices. Mark also shares a few techniques to help cultivate present-mind awareness from the comfort of your own desk.

Diane Ragsdale is a faculty director of the Cultural Leadership Program at Banff Center for Arts & Creativity; an assistant professor and program director for the Masters in Arts Management & Entrepreneurship program at the New School in NYC; and a frequent speaker, blogger, writer, and adviser on a range of arts and culture topics. She previously worked in philanthropy and ran two cultural institutions. She is a doctoral candidate at Erasmus University in the Netherlands, where she lectured from 2011-2015. In this episode, Diane and Erik explore the relationship between beauty and human development. They also question the distinctive purpose of the nonprofit professional arts, the conflation of mission and venue, and the problem of "permanently failing arts organizations."