Mein Interview bei Melanie Martin

Melanie Martin stammt aus Deutschland, lebt und arbeitet aber als Fotografin in Birmingham/England. Auf ihrem Blog zeigt sie ihre Arbeiten und stellt jeden Freitag eine Unternehmerin vor. Am letzten Freitag hatte ich diese Ehre.

Interview with Sandra Hylla, Mad4Music
{Professional Women Series}

Friday, May 6, 2011 at 6:00PM

This interview below is pleasing me for many reasons. First of all Sandra is German. I am German. So that is already kind of cool. Also Sandra's business is so very different from many businesses you would think of when you contemplate going self-employed. As I said before, so many different paths people choose, so inspiring. I hope you enjoy this one. 

First picture: Sandra's business plan (I may just have to do this myself)

1. From Solicitor, to singing to concert booking agency... that is quite a path, can you tell me a little bit more about your journey into self-employment?

My father sang with us when we were little. My parents have always played their favorite music (Rolling Stones, David Bowie, ...) at home. I sang in school choirs and later started playing hand bells. During school time I also fell in love with The Rocky Horror Show so I started a fan club and published a fanzine about it.

After leaving school I started legal studies to become a solicitor. At the end I was to be a civil servant. Almost simultaneously a theater in my area played The Rocky Horror Show, and as crazy fans in costumes we made contact with the actors. We spent much time behind the scenes, and there awakened my desire to work for artists. But I already had started the “secure” career, so I went to concerts and made music myself only in my spare time. For 12 years I worked in courts as a judicial officer. But the pressure of budget constraints, illness from colleagues, too much work increased so much that at some point I could no longer fight. 3 years ago I had a burn-out and knew that I had to get off.

For a year I worked in venues and agencies to learn. And in July 2009 I just gave it a try with being self-employed. By attending concerts and having Social media profiles a lot I know many musicians, and they are only too eager to leave the tiresome booking work to an agency. It is much more difficult to establish contact with the venues.

2. I once read somewhere that all the things you learn are useful, even it may not seem to be so. Did you find that you had lots of transferrable skills when you started your business?

In my former job I had to solve legal cases, edit files, make decisions and deal with applicants who were not always easy to handle. So I definitely learned structured working, conflict resolution and dealing with human nature. And of course the application of laws and understanding of difficult texts and topics.

3. Now many may consider the leap from such a secure profession into an art-based business as quite a big leap. Did you have any early day fears and if so, how did you overcome them?

In my case the former occupation was not secure. Because of financial constraints making us civil servants was put off. I even had to lead a judicial process. Pressure was enormous, so until today I never regret my step to quit this career. I had no initial fears at all. I was just enthusiastic. To be able to manage my time myself. To have no boss. To be around musicians all the time. Only now it’s becoming clear to me that you have to earn money with your profession.

4. Did you have a support network around you? Did you write a business plan? Or any other way you planned to make your vision a reality?

I have a very good support network. I had savings I could live from. I was supported by unemployment allowance even as a young entrepreneur. My musicians and the other agency, whose bands I also represent, not only provide me with their knowledge but also with their contact lists and flyers, demo CDs etc. for the advertising. In general, the A Cappella scene is networking very well. You meet fans, bands, promoters and other agents on festivals and exchange ideas. I get many useful tips.

A business plan I had to write to get financial support at the beginning. It also helped me to explore my clients, my market and my goals, but then it was not touched anymore. Now in March 2011 I attended the Right-Brain Business Plan Video Summit by Jennifer Lee (http://www.rightbrainbusinessplan.com/), and this approach to project planning is so much more suitable for me. The Summit has triggered a real creative storm in my thoughts which still continues. And it opened my eyes considering money. My new Right-Brain Business Plan is a kind of a shower curtain with transparent pockets and motivational cards. It hangs on my wall right before my eyes, I see it every morning, it motivates me and I can revise it as often as I want to.

5. What do you think are your biggest qualities running your business? What makes you unique?

I'm definitely an enthusiastic fan of music and represent only artists of which I am convinced as a fan. I love to go to festivals to see new bands and get in contact with the artists and fellow a cappella organizers. Networking - in real life and on the Internet - gives me great pleasure. That also helps me with marketing. I am also interested in all organizational matters. How do I organize my work and my office? I like to learn and look behind the scenes, so I always attend workshops on (music-) business topics. I also sing with several choirs and have some performance experience, so I know the business from both sides - audience and artist.

6. If I had a magic wand, what kind of wish for yourself and your business would you like me to grant?

Can you give us a magic way of doing costumer acquiring that is fun and beneficial for both sides? I would love to see a lot more people, especially women, discover the joys of creative entrepreneurship and wish us all a lot of fun networking and much success with what we love.

About Sandra:

Born 1976   

keen of theatre, concerts and comedy from early childhood

Founding and music-making in many choirs and ensembles (for instance hand bell choir) and fan clubs
 

1996 legal studies in Berlin,

2000 - 2008 working as solicitor

  

2008 moving to Dresden, working in music agencies, venues and with musicians on websites

July 2009 establishment of concert agency Mad4Music in Dresden

You can find Sandra on the internet:

http://www.mad4music.de/Neues.htm

www.facebook.com/mad4musicDD

www.twitter.com/mad4musicDD

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