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

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