Music Retail Podcast

Jim Hirschberg explains what MI SalesTrak does, how it works, what benefits you get from participating in the program, and how to get started.

Have a retail question? Want a free coaching session? Go to http://www.musicretailconsulting.com/

Voice Messages Hey Friends! I want to hear from you! If you have thoughts on today’s episodes, have a suggestion for a future guest, or just have something you want to ask or share, look in the show notes of your podcasting app and click the link to send in a voice message. I’d love to hear from YOU!

Whitney gives us a quick history of Ted Brown Music and how she came to be President, and then we have some fascinating conversations about adaption, adoption, and more!

Cris shares not only his best marketing promotion, but also talks about what it’s like working in a family business when the patriarch and CEO passes, plus some GREAT ideas on staff development that you can put in to place today!

How did one of my favorite strap companies get started? What bit of happenstance changed Jen’s life and the life of her employees? Why did she go work for Gator cases, and is she glad to be back at the helm of Souldier? Listen to find out!

Learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about me (and then some) in this very special episode.

In addition to Believe in Music Week, we also talk the highs and lows of our industry, life lessons learned thus far, and more!

A second generation business is always a challenge - even more so when the first generation was a local LEGEND that ran the entire business from his head!

Today’s conversation was really interesting. Laura purchased Nick Rail Music in the fall of 2019, right before the global pandemic. We discuss how things are going, her background, and we had a really interesting and honest conversation about sexism in MI - you’ll definitely want to tune in!

Maureen Doron, from women’s fashion retailer Skirt, shares with us what is clienteling and how it can dramatically grow your revenues. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE INTERVIEWS - IT’S A MUST LISTEN!

Bertrand’s Music - an eight-location school music dealer based in San Diego, has grown their business despite a lot of tough competion. In this episode, Jeff shares lessons learned, leadership advice, and so much more.

Joel found himself in a difficult position - how do you continue to grow your regional music business when there is lots of competition? Joel also shares his thoughts on whether it’s better to buy our build, his thoughts on the best Point of Sale & E-commerce for School Music Dealers, thoughts about this fall, and so much more!

When the music store that Greg was working for decided to get out of combo, he and his wife, Angela, decided to go their own way and open their own guitar shop! Since that fateful day, Third Rock Music Center has been a NAMM Top 100 Dealer, a nominee for Best Merchandising and Store Design, and much more!

Leslie and I talk about how IMC came to be, the difficulties she has with dealing with all of the COVID stuff, the difficulties of starting a store from scratch, and so much more!  Also, now available with video on YouTube!  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

So, what’s it like for someone with only a high school education (and a guitar player, no less) to take over one of the top music retail businesses in Nebraska? What lessons did he learn along the way to pay off millions in debt and keep growing? Take a listen to find out! Now also available on Youtube! Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Sweetwater is on track to soon be a billion dollar business - one with almost no debt, a terrific reputation in the industry and with customers. How did Chuck do it? And how is he managing his business during the COVID pandemic of 2020? Plus, like a good box of Raisin Bran, there are TWO SCOOPS of new parts of the Sweetwater story unveiled in this episode! Listen and be the first to know what’s coming next for this super giant! Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Candyman Strings & Things was one of the first business in our industry forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How did this NAMM Dealer of the Year award winner handle this crisis? Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

I’m publishing this episode early due to the conversation about the Corona virus. While we share our thoughts about the hysteria behind the virus, this is not intended to downplay it’s importance, rather we are sharing our desire for people to remain calm and take reasonable precautions. I wanted to air this episode right after the previous one as kind of a book end - the end of one business and the beginning of another... We also discuss how he tripled his lesson program over the last two years, his thoughts on hiring, and why and when you should look at hiring a consultant.

This episode is one of the most insightful and thought provoking episodes yet! Listen up! Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Want to hear of a crazy way to do group lessons? How about how to recruit for new employees? Want to hear embarrassing stories about me? Then stay tuned! Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Why would you put an $8,000 guitar in a beginner's hands? What's the advantage of group lessons over private? When's the right time to close a lesson sale? Listen and learn! Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

From humble beginnings to a major player in the school music scene in Chicago, Frank Pampenella has guided PM Music Center to annual growth year after year.  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

This episode we discuss leadership, what to do when you've hit the ceiling, how to get the most out of your video content, and so much more. If you'd like video or marketing help, reach out to gabe at Gabriel@upperhandstudios.com or visit his website Upperhandstudios.com.  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Topics include:Family business succession, college education for retail store owners, rental growth through aquisition and how to keep those new customers, finding road reps, the RTO changes in the 90s, the value of value brands, long range planning, and how to make the most of your NAMM show. Whew!  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

What a treat it was to get to talk with Sammy Ash about Sam Ash Music, his thoughts on the other national competitor, how he feels about vendors selling direct (here’s looking at you, Fender), and much more!  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

In this conversation with Michael we discuss how to build a thriving lesson program that surpasses the competition.  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Do you ever feel as if there’s a bottleneck at your store? Your staff is constantly coming to you with questions, complaints and concerns, and you start to develop “decision fatigue.” (It’s a real thing—look it up.) This is one of the biggest reasons businesses fail to grow. Don’t be the lid on your organization! In this presentation, Will Mason of Mason Music will cover four basic but incredibly effective techniques that will help you better train and empower your team to run the business for you. Mason leads a team of 60 people at four different locations, and he attributes his company’s growth to developing this team to lead. Discover how to step out of the daily grind and focus on the big picture, creating opportunity for long-term planning, goal setting and business growth.  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Yet ANOTHER interview from a NAMM Top 100 Dealer of the Year! Cindy and Rand Cook share their thoughts, insights, and the challenges they see in our industry and in running their business as it celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary.  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Lauren has a great story - she’s a busy wife and mom, NAMM board member, and, of course, music store owner. Her full line music store is beautiful, and she has built a terrific business.  Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business.  Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com

Today's conversation with Menzie covers authenticity, competing against big-box stores and franchises, and being involved with the NAMM fly-in for music advocacy. Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business. Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/musicretail

In this episode, Tristann Rieck, owner of Brass Bell Music in Milwaukee, WI talks about dealing with ownership transitions in a generational business, coming back from bankruptcy, and why you should be doing more with music advocacy. Hosted by Donovan Bankhead, President at Springfield Music, Inc - a NAMM Top 100 Full-Line Instrumental Music Retail Business. Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/musicretail

Do you want to know what metrics matter most in your business? Then you will definitely want to listen to this! Randy is one of the smartest people in our industry, and I was delighted to get to speak with him for this interview. Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/musicretail

Know your numbers and know your business. Do you want know what someone with an actual accounting background focus on when they own a music store? Do you wonder what key financials and metrics you should know in your business? Then you will definitely want to listen to this! Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/musicretail

We always hear how service makes a difference, but most retailers just give this lip service without really creating services that set you apart from a crowd. Today you can hear how Robert Christie has done just that. Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/musicretail

Do you want to learn how to get your team more involved with your business? Want to learn how to pull of an event so huge it earns a Guiness Record? Then you will definitely want to listen to this! Want help with your business? Find Articles, Resources, and Coaching/Consulting services at http://www.musicretailconsulting.com Podcast Website: https://anchor.fm/musicretail