15. Why "100% Authenticity" May Be Stopping You From Success, with Ari Herstand

10/29/19 • 48 min

Los Angeles based Ari Herstand, is the author of the best-selling book How To Make It in the New Music Business. It remains at the top of the Amazon charts and has been widely adopted by music business schools worldwide.

His music business advice blog, Ari's Take, has become the go-to resource for independent musicians on how to run a successful music career in the NEW music business. Herstand's well-researched, relatable, no BS approach is why so many musicians continue to trust him for advice--and why we got along so well.

Not only is he an entrepreneur, but Ari is also an independent musician who has played over 700 shows around the country, has opened for or toured with Ben Folds and Cake, and has performed on Ellen, and has had his music featured in countless TV shows, commercials and films. He currently leads the 1973 funk project Brassroots District.

Ari and I talked about an excerpt from his book, Creating the Artist’s World, Vision, Aesthetic, and Story. He and I share the same philosophy that as an artist, having a brand--you know, your THING--is absolutely crucial to finding success. And as artists, I think a lot of us are so focused on being authentic. I hear it all the time: I don’t want to be phony, I want to be honest. But we’re going to talk about why focusing on pure authenticity can be detrimental to your success. Why? Because sharing everything about you all of the time--posting whatever you want in the name of being authentic and true to yourself--ends up dulling your message. You need to be more focused than that.

Show notes can be found here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/ari-herstand

Show notes can be found here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/ari-herstand

Previous Episode

14. The 4 things you HAVE to do for a better visual brand

Understanding your messaging and identity is the #1 step to building your brand, but it doesn’t stop there—you gotta have a consistent visual brand, too.

In this episode, I talk about 4 things you HAVE to do for a better visual brand. They are:

#1: PERSONALIZE templates, but don't ALTER them completely

#2: Have 1-3 fonts chosen for your brand (use http://fontsquirrel.com, http://pixelsurplus.com to find some new ones)

#3: Have 1-3 colors chosen for your brand (use the color palette on http://coolors.co)

#4: Make a name logo and save it as a transparent background image

Join my "How to Build a Brand Without Feeling Like a Phony" masterclass waitlist at http://megan-kuhar.com/masterclass

Thanks to Jessica Dutton at Music Teacher Business Launchpad Facebook group for hosting me for this topic in a live video. *

Next Episode

16. Getting Creative with Social Media, with Jenna Fournier (Niights, Kid Tigrrr)

Jenna Fournier is an artist in so many ways: a guitarist, songwriter, painter, animator, model, dress-up-player... She’s seemingly not afraid to try anything. As a musician in the shoegaze Cleveland-based band Niights, as well as through her solo work Kid Tigrrr, Jenna’s creativity doesn’t stop with making the music. Her approach to social media marketing is just as creative as her creative expression through painting and guitar.

She’s painted herself as a Dali masterpiece, created living show fliers, animated little videos with butterflies and stars, and posed with wolves. Following her on social media is like peeking into her mind, and it’s a fantastical place to be.

Jenna and I had a conversation about being an artist and embracing social media marketing—how you don’t have to give up one for the other. We’re friends in person, so we sat down together in Jenna’s whimsical apartment, got a couple ciders, and talked it out. There’s a lot to say.

Show notes are available here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/jenna-fournier