Randell Beck from Beckshot and Aria Taboada from Aria Music Studios

Speaker1: [00:00:07] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Woodstock, Georgia, it’s time for Cherokee Business Radio. Now here’s your host.

Speaker2: [00:00:22] Welcome to Turkey, Business RadioX Stone Payton here with you this morning, and today’s episode is brought to you in part by Alma Coffee, sustainably grown, veteran owned and direct trade, which of course means from seed to cup, there are no middlemen. Please go check them out at my Alma Coffee Dotcom and go visit their grocery café over at thirty four forty eight Holly Springs Parkway in Canton. Ask for Harry or the brains of the outfit Letitia and please tell them that Stone sent you. You guys are in for a real treat this morning. A little bit later in the broadcast, we’re going to get a chance to visit with Aria and I’m going to try to pronounce her last name, but we’ll get a handle on that. And she runs a school where she teaches folks how to make beautiful music. But first up on Cherokee Business RadioX this morning, please join me in welcoming to the broadcast with best shot Mr. Randall Beck. Good morning, sir.

Speaker3: [00:01:23] Good morning, Stone.

Speaker2: [00:01:24] How are you? I am doing well. It’s a delight to have you here in the studio. You and I have talked about this idea of having you come in and visit and talk to us about your work. It’s finally happening. Thanks for coming down. Tell us a little bit about mission purpose. What are you out there trying to do for folks, man?

Speaker3: [00:01:45] In the corporate world, there’s this thing in the instilled it in us in business school back when I was getting my degree right, and you you ask somebody, what do I what do you do? And so it bigshot that they would ask me that. And I might say, you know, I subvert dominant paradigms by leveraging industry best practices through accentuated technology, what you know, and so, so big shot is about messaging. Right. And what we try to do, what we’re trying to do is transform business messaging and really grab people. We help the business tell their story about why they do what they do and what makes them different than their competitors in a way that has impact through video and high quality photography. And we put the impact on the story so that they can reach their clients and, you know, generate a better client experience.

Speaker2: [00:02:34] Well, I tell you, I can’t think of anything that is more important and would have a larger impact faster than getting that messaging crystal clear. And I think I suspect you tell me there’s probably a tremendous advantage in having third party perspective come in and help you think through articulating that message. Because I can tell you this, my business partner, Lee Kantor, I mean, he and I can talk we can tell each other what we do. And it all sounds great. But like if you have a third party, there’s some value just from that third party perspective, isn’t there?

Speaker3: [00:03:11] Clarity is everything. Yeah. And particularly in today’s marketing world, the Internet marketing and social media, explosive growth there has kind of transformed the marketing equation. Now, I’m a big Simon Sinek disciple, and so it’s all about why

Speaker2: [00:03:29] He’s the why guy. As I’ve seen a little YouTube, I got to confess, I didn’t read the book. I should probably read the book and read the book.

Speaker3: [00:03:35] It’s really good. Yeah, it’s called Start With Why? And I’m not going to try to recap the book, but the central message for him is, is that the research shows that nowadays people aren’t buying what you sell, they’re buying why you do it. Yeah. And so to communicate that why is the most important thing and the best way to do that is is through. High impact, direct communication. Forget the business, speak like I was joking about a minute ago. Right, right. Talk simply and directly to people in ways that engage them. And of course, with social media and the Internet, the best way to do that is video. The video revolution is is in full swing. If you if you’re not doing video. Five years ago, you’re already behind, so.

Speaker2: [00:04:24] Right. Right. Well, that’s where we come in. One of the things that I think I like about the idea of video, interesting in some respects, audio, but certainly you’ve got once you get it nailed and the pros like you, piece it all together properly and we’re all happy with what we’re going to place out there. I got this I got this stone out there. I think I don’t know. I don’t have one, but I’ve got this stone out there working for me 24/7 while I’m doing other things. That’s got to be a tremendous advantage. And he gets it right every time

Speaker3: [00:04:56] He gets it right every time. And it’s a consistent message if you if you. If you orient your narrative so that each piece that you put out is is really hitting on your core values, your core message, your HWI, right, then he is getting it right every time. And of course, nobody likes to be sold to. And so when you’re having a conversation with somebody, if you start coming across like a salesman, they start tuning you out. Right. But it’s a better approach to be able to say, yeah, you know, I do Business RadioX and hey, check out my website. There’s a bunch of stuff on there for you to look at and you can see what it is we do. And then you just have a conversation with them where they can get your they can get your pitch and your differentiation and your messaging from that website that’s getting it right every time. Right. So that’s the that’s the social media revolution.

Speaker2: [00:05:44] So these I think I heard you say this is is your council typically to do more like and rather than do a 15 minute ditty, you would do five, three minutes, you would do multiple pieces with little different angles on them.

Speaker3: [00:05:58] They call it the three second world that we live in, you know, three seconds to grab somebody’s attention. That’s spans are really short. So you start with a bang, right? Yes. And, you know, one minute, maybe two sometimes is is really as long as you want to go in that environment. And, you know, marketing in general tells you to always, always be putting your key message out. Right. Nike, Nike says just do it on everything. Yeah. They want you to understand what they’re about. We work with champions. We open doors for you to achieve your potential. Just do it. You get that on everything you see from Nike.

Speaker2: [00:06:32] Ok, so let’s walk it through a minute. So let’s say so. I understand that you probably have a wide variety of the kinds of people you could service for for the moment. Just purely hypothetically, let’s talk about me for a minute. I mean, it is my show, let’s say when it was my as soon as the check clears, Randall, as soon as the check clears. If we were doing this and I were the subject, like what? Walk us through the engagement, especially like the early steps. How do we how do we do a certain set of videos or a Cherokee Business RadioX? Yeah, Walkerston, we would start

Speaker3: [00:07:09] Off with the idea of what is Business RadioX? What is Cherokee Business RadioX? What’s what’s this about?

Speaker2: [00:07:16] And this is me and you just talking casually, just trying to get out. Just I was trying to

Speaker3: [00:07:21] Find out what you’re about. Right. And then I want to explain what I’ve just explained to you about about proper marketing and the way way to get your messaging out. So now you decide, OK, this is this is really for me. I really want to do, you know, maximize my impact. Right. And do this. So then we sit down on camera and we do a structured interview where I’m going to elicit from you during the interview

Speaker2: [00:07:47] The you’re probably a lot better than I am. I don’t know about that. You’re going to give me a report card after. I don’t know about that. I interrupted you. Go ahead. All right. So so you’re a structured kind of interviewer structured interview. You’re pulling you’re pulling the best of me out of me.

Speaker3: [00:08:01] I guess you’re getting your why and you’re how wrong. What makes you different. Right. And that’s all on camera. So I can edit that video and audio together once we’re done to to craft the narrative that you’re wanting to put out there, you know, in a very concise and powerful way.

Speaker2: [00:08:18] And that’s encouraging that you can that you can just clean it up a little bit.

Speaker3: [00:08:23] You know, we’re talking business messaging here. We don’t need

Speaker2: [00:08:27] Nice, you know, is

Speaker3: [00:08:29] Like like like you

Speaker2: [00:08:30] Can I think you tell me. I think maybe you can get away with a little bit more that kind of thing, like in this format where you’re just sort of chewing the fat, as my dad would say, but not in a professional messaging piece. That’s a different animal. That’s right.

Speaker3: [00:08:44] Yeah. Because you only have that one minute to run before they’re turning you back out. And so then once we have their narrative crafted, right, we edit in what we call Berel, which is, you know, you’re cutting away from your smiling face and showing what you do, showing in this context, we’d be showing you doing some interviews, show your facility like, oh, you

Speaker2: [00:09:04] Were just some faces, get more big role than others. You why do I get the feeling that there would be a lot of money

Speaker3: [00:09:13] That’s up to you. We edit all that in there, too. So still getting your message, you know, you’re still hearing your voice. But this is almost like a documentary, right? You’re hearing your voice. You’re narrating your story. But we’re seeing aspects of what you do, too, in a very impactful way. And then that is that goes to color correction in the whole editing process we call post-production. Right. Just like you do. Right.

Speaker2: [00:09:34] And you make me six foot three with the blast and

Speaker3: [00:09:37] We make you look like Clark Gable. And then and then we distribute.

Speaker2: [00:09:41] Ok, well, OK, let’s talk about that, because that’s nothing to gloss over. When you say distribute, the last thing we want to do is based on my little tiny circle of knowledge. You don’t want me making major decisions about when to distribute what how to frame it. So I’m going to get some direction from you on that, too, right?

Speaker3: [00:09:58] Not for me personally, but. I’m no marketer, OK, but part of the package can be that we bring in a marketing person to help do that campaign. OK, or if you already have that marketing person we give you, we give them your deliverables. Right. You know, execute your marketing strategy. Right. Whether that’s Facebook or Instagram or both or, you know, website or blog or whatever it is. And so we work we work together with your team to come up with that.

Speaker2: [00:10:24] Well, I like that idea. I like the flexibility of it. If I’ve got someone who I really have gotten to know and trust and really respect their their professionalism and their expertize on on how to fully leverage that kind of content, you’re flexible. Find Stone. Here it is. Run with it. And if not, sounds like you have relationships with best in class folks that have that knowledge and expertize. And I can I can team up with them. Or do you just build it into my whole

Speaker3: [00:10:49] Package, build it into your package. That’s right. And the bigger we go, the bigger the company are. Sometimes they have their own agency. Right. And in that case, the agencies will be given us delivery specifications. So we’re just working to the specs then. Right. They already have the campaign defined and at that point we’re giving them the content.

Speaker2: [00:11:07] So talk about that a little bit, because I think, you know, a lot of our listeners are some of them are aspiring entrepreneurs, but a great many of them have a little something going, even if it’s a side hustle and they’re trying to figure out different aspects of their business. And a big piece of it is this whole sales and marketing piece. How does the whole sales and marketing thing work for for a guy like you? Like we were talking about, like an individual you and I met at a at Woodstock business club function on in stock in Woodstock thing. So I think I have a feel for how you might meet people like me or Oria. But how do you how does all sales and marketing thing work when you’re trying to build relationships with people that own, you know, large firms? That cannot be easy, I wouldn’t think.

Speaker3: [00:11:54] No mystery to networking. Right. The introduction is always the best. A good referral is the next best.

Speaker2: [00:12:01] So you get referred in a lot of time. Doing good work is a heck of a sales tool in that area. Yeah, you’re right. I mean, if you taught my kid how to play the violin and they couldn’t walk and chew gum before I brought them to you and then I tell my neighbor, did get your kid over there. Are you straight about right?

Speaker3: [00:12:16] Definitely not the drums or the trumpet.

Speaker2: [00:12:19] Right. Right. So so your business, I mean, you you have to have a tremendous amount of trust. It’s not just the money. I mean, OK, I mean, I’ve spent money on stuff that didn’t work. But to trust you, to put me in the best light, that’s the that’s

Speaker3: [00:12:38] The key factor in this business. And yeah. And so we make a real point that we are always loyal to the project and to our client, you know, whatever it takes to get it done, right. That’s right. And and, you know, there’s never a time that I want them to be surprised by anything that’s happening. Yeah, communication’s critical because once you lose the trust in this kind of business, it’s all relationship. When she loses the trust,

Speaker2: [00:13:05] That’s better and better, I suspect. I mean, I think better to overcommunicate and have them cry uncle on that and then not communicate and then over deliver.

Speaker3: [00:13:16] You know, if you’re in a real estate shoot for a brokerage and they contract for twenty photos, we might give them twenty five because, you know, it’s just better we don’t nickel and dime and we overdelivered.

Speaker2: [00:13:28] Ok, so I wanted to ask industry sectors, are you fine because you just mentioned real estate. I chose myself. I thought it might be fun to do something for someone like an already small business people that we know. But are you finding that your business over the years has sort of gravitated toward certain sectors, certain industries, certain types of businesses?

Speaker3: [00:13:47] Yes. You know, in the broad sense, it’s professionals, right? It’s businesses of any size, but in a professional environment, the need to differentiate themselves. But there are sweet spots that. Right. We’ve developed. Real estate’s obviously a big one in the photography.

Speaker2: [00:14:02] Well, it wasn’t obvious to me. Why is that? Why is that?

Speaker3: [00:14:05] Because my photographs all the time on their listings and they need videos about why you should work with me. And, you know, here’s what my process is, OK? And related businesses to them, to mortgages and people like that need to do the same

Speaker2: [00:14:16] Because those are crowded arenas, right? I mean, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a mortgage broker or a realtor, right?

Speaker3: [00:14:22] That’s right. And they need to differentiate themselves in a big way. Right. But then there are other industries related to that. Commercial real estate is one commercial buildings. The property managers that are leasing apartments and office space, you know, are starting to discover out there that that showing their operation in their properties in the best light is going to be very critical post covered with all the downsizing and shuffling going on. Right. Leasing is going to get very competitive

Speaker2: [00:14:50] And I’m going to look at it. Will you tell me, is this right? I’m going to look at that space, look at shots, videos of anything around this on a computer long before I ever try to set up any visit. I’m not going to drive all the way to wherever, right? That’s right.

Speaker3: [00:15:06] And in a real sense, you know, you want that buyer that’s seen those photos to come in prepared to make an offer. Right. The better, the better. The presentation online that’s your first showing in the better that presentation is, the more likely they are to to do that. Transaction and in a bigger sense than that, you know, in other related industries, architects, engineers, property developers, construction contractors that need to show a portfolio, our approach is really well for them. Now, that’s some high level involvement on those issues. They’re really looking to express a design concept and really show it in its best light. Some of those shoots are very involved and are our secret to this is we shoot everything we do as if it’s for publication for an architect. Right. So even even a real estate agent says, just shoot. My listing gets the same approach with some standardization and some things that we do to make that efficient for them. Right. We have we have standard pingle, standard shots, you know, some standard settings and things like that. And so they get that same approach as is the architectural shoot would be if they’re going to be featured in residential design. Right. Wow. So it’s a it’s a good way to make their business advertise their business.

Speaker2: [00:16:23] So then you get a chance. I would think you get a chance to build relationships and genuinely serve. I don’t know the the people who run the building. Right. Or run the the marketing of the can be. Do you enjoy. You must you must enjoy seeing all the different architecture and have a real appreciation for design,

Speaker3: [00:16:41] Something I thought about doing in my life and didn’t do. And maybe that was a good decision and maybe it was so, so I’m fascinated by it. But because I’ve been involved in it, you know, even back in the Navy, I built team buildings for the SEAL teams. And so,

Speaker2: [00:16:55] Ok, we got back involved with they just got sort of I built training for the SEAL teams. I got to hold my breath for an hour and a half. Well, let’s back let’s get the back story on this thing. Although as far back as you’re willing to go, how does one, you know, land where you have what’s the what’s the Randall big back story? Oh, no. We call it the back story. Oh, I like that. See?

Speaker3: [00:17:17] Ok, how do I get to where I am? A long series of miscalculation and error. So, no, I. I was a naval officer out of college for 14 out of school, 14 years total. And about 10 of that I spent in, you know, some various capacities in the SEAL teams or the special bone units. And my last job in the Navy was on the on the staff of the commander in chief Atlantic Fleet as the special warfare liaison. Oh, my. So I was in big involved in R&D and acquisition budgets. You know, new things. Right. Like my favorite project was we were developing a wave piercing speedboat, combat speedboat. Oh, my. So things like that that were very interesting. But one of one of the projects was building a team building with some very specialized electronics and security features and things like that was a fascinating process. And and post Navy, I got into the real estate world development and construction operations world. And so I’ve learned to speak, engineer, architect, city planner, all those languages. Right.

Speaker2: [00:18:24] Do you feel. I’m sure the answer is yes. So maybe I should say, why do you feel how do you feel that having that that background in the military and in this case even highly specialized, you know, elite pocket of the military, how do you feel like that has served you in the business world?

Speaker3: [00:18:44] Mission focus, true leadership, an orientation towards results.

Speaker2: [00:18:51] So do you get frustrated occasionally so you can you can tell me it’s just us girls here, just it’s just me and Ariah. Do you get frustrated sometimes when you see people that are less than driven or less than disciplined or a little bit lazy? Is that frustrating to a Navy SEAL?

Speaker3: [00:19:10] No, never.

Speaker2: [00:19:12] I don’t think I’m buying that. You have to find a way to work with those folks. But but I’m sure you do run into most people must seem a little less disciplined, a little less on point than you would prefer, I would think at times. OK, maybe at times. OK, so you also learn diplomacy and all that, as I say, less timely.

Speaker3: [00:19:36] Maybe sometimes you just you just want people to hurry up, you know.

Speaker2: [00:19:40] So but you’re just like the people, some of the constituencies you serve your go.

Speaker3: [00:19:46] Before we go on talk about constituency, we kind of talked a lot about real estate and architecture, which are lovely, sweet spots. I enjoy that tremendously. But we’re also in the art world where we’re currently working on a five part documentary for Cousins Properties. Speaking of developers, I’ve heard

Speaker2: [00:20:01] Them nice little cute little cottage

Speaker3: [00:20:03] Industry. But they are they are doing a four sculpture installation in their renovation of Buckhead Plaza, OK. And so we are filming. We’re videoing the creation and the installation of these sculptures, which represent intersections around the Atlanta area. And of course, by that, you’re automatically drawing in some historic and cultural context. Right. Cousins is a company that’s made a real commitment towards art in public spaces and impacting the culture in ways other than just don’t we have a pretty building lease in it right now, a very unique company among developers out there. So we’re doing a five part documentary series on that, which puts us we’re working with an art consultant and the sculptor himself. We’re in his studio doing the creation, as well as in the Plaza for the installation in the finished product. So that’s an interesting one. We’ve done health care and, you know, health allied health services.

Speaker2: [00:20:57] Now, why that would not have thought. I wouldn’t I’m not getting a good visual on health care.

Speaker3: [00:21:02] Remember that our thing is differentiation, right? Writing anybody, any professional that needs to differentiate themselves from the others is is a good client and they have need of what we do.

Speaker2: [00:21:14] Well, and I guess there’s a pocket there’s a there’s a a sandbox in the health care world that is that has medical devices and stuff. And I bet design and that kind of things like visual is important in that regard. I bet.

Speaker3: [00:21:27] I don’t know. But design always reveals intent. Right.

Speaker2: [00:21:30] And if somebody write that down and

Speaker3: [00:21:32] Design is design, it’s fascinating to me, no matter what form it takes, one of my friends from up in New York City is works for a company that does packaging design. They package products for their clients, while a strange. You wouldn’t believe how technical that that is. You know, there’s a science to product design and packaging and

Speaker2: [00:21:58] The packaging, I mean, it’s the kind of thing I don’t even think about the

Speaker3: [00:22:02] Shape of the grip on the skill. So it’s not an accident

Speaker2: [00:22:06] And neither is the box that it comes in. Maybe that’s it.

Speaker3: [00:22:11] So design is fascinating. Right. So in any aspect and I personally really like design.

Speaker2: [00:22:17] Yeah. And it’s and you get the joy of capturing it and putting it in its best light and then helping them think through how to get that message out there. We touched on it a little bit, but is there anything else that comes to your mind when maybe we’ll get it? We’ll ask in the form of getting some counsel for for some of the the folks in our tribe. What advice, if any, do you have with regard to to those of us who might be in an arena that that is kind of noisy, kind of crowded? What advice do you have for us to try to achieve a little bit of differentiation, to just separate ourselves a little bit from the from the crowd?

Speaker3: [00:22:52] I would say inspiration is the key, and so you need to find a way to inspire people to do business with people that inspire them. Right. And that’s that’s the challenge when I talk about impact, when I talk about differentiation, that’s really what we’re trying to do, is give them your your big why in a way that inspires them to participate with you.

Speaker2: [00:23:14] Know this whole Y thing for you, it’s not a parlor trick. I mean, I think you take this very seriously. This is the core of what you do, isn’t it?

Speaker3: [00:23:22] How many businesses say you’ve got the best price? Right. How many of them say we’ve got the best product? Right.

Speaker2: [00:23:30] Do they? I don’t know. All right.

Speaker3: [00:23:34] On any given day, that can change. Right, right, right. And if your customer is coming to you because you’re. Your convenience store and you’ve got the cheapest price on gasoline today, they’re going to buy their gas from you, but tomorrow when the other guy undercuts you by a nickel where they’re going to buy their gasoline. Right, right, well, that’s a simplistic example, but you want to inspire loyalty and continued. Continued commitment from your client. All right, so now you’re in the white world. Yeah. Why are we doing this?

Speaker2: [00:24:04] I must start asking why more like that. Yeah, that’s it. I enjoyed the video when I watched it. This Simon guy, Simon. Yeah, but I don’t know. I don’t feel like I’ve applied enough. I should just I should be I should ask you more like if people think they might want to sponsor a show or a host of serial, maybe I should say. Well why. Well, I mean, maybe there are other maybe I have come up with some other phrases besides why or, you know, what makes you feel that way or something, but kind of just keep poking. Right.

Speaker3: [00:24:32] Said you hadn’t read the book, but in the book he tells you how to do that.

Speaker2: [00:24:35] Oh, he does.

Speaker3: [00:24:35] It’s a process, not a destination.

Speaker2: [00:24:37] And so since I’m on an invoice, we’re giving him quite a little poker. He doesn’t believe

Speaker3: [00:24:43] The world is talking about him. It’s just, you know, it’s a good framework.

Speaker2: [00:24:49] So, yeah, before we before we wrap, I want to make sure that our listeners know how to get in touch with you. So whatever you think is appropriate in terms of contact info, whether it’s a phone number or email address, maybe a website, maybe there’s a cool place to go. Look at some of your work or whatever you think is appropriate. Let’s make sure we let them.

Speaker3: [00:25:09] So a part of why is is a contact, contact, communication and commitment. So at best shot when you need to get hold of us, you’re getting hold of me. And whatever needs to happen, I will take care of with our crew or our suppliers or whatever you can get. You can reach me through the website. It’s bigshot shot dotcom. Beck shot singular dotcom. There is a big shots that’s plural and that’s not us. My email and phone number are on the website. Phone numbers five one six five oh nine six nine four three. Email is Rendel L.L. at Bigshot Dotcom and we’re on Instagram and Facebook as well. Just type in best shot and up will come.

Speaker2: [00:25:59] Well, and I do. I think maybe that’s even a point of differentiation. If I pick up the phone or even if I sent you an email, the next contact, probably I’m going to look you in the eye or talk to you on the phone. Yes. I mean, not to me, that seems like a real point of differentiation right there. No, it is. Well, thank you so much for coming to visit. And I hope you’ll come back. I’ll tell you an idea that might be worth pursuing. I think it be fun. Might be fun if if you have a local client to maybe have them come in. We’ll spotlight their business, too, because I love learning about other other businesses. But maybe it would be fun to talk about this a little bit about the relationship, how you guys work together and or if that’s do that, or maybe one of these trusted market partners, these best in class, somebody that handles the other part of the engagement. If someone needs like to have someone that does, you know, the the distribution work. So if you’re up for that, we’ll do that sometime.

Speaker3: [00:26:56] Yeah, that would be fun. I can think of several good local clients that might really enjoy that.

Speaker2: [00:27:01] Yeah, I’d love it. Hey, listen, how about hanging out with us while we visit with our next guest?

Speaker3: [00:27:06] Sure. It’s a great studio. I’d love to hang out with you guys for a little bit.

Speaker2: [00:27:10] All right. Next up on Cherokee Business RadioX, we have with us from us Aria. Armelle, take a swing. I should have asked before we went on air, would have been the last sort of professional interviewer would have done right to both of you.

Speaker1: [00:27:23] Got it. That’s exactly right.

Speaker2: [00:27:24] Are you all that built up or not? She just took a swing. Right. So, Aria, the the name of your outfit. Am I saying that right? Aria, Aria, Aria, Music Studios, Music studio. Clever. All right. Music Studios, you’re teaching folks how to play music. What are you doing?

Speaker1: [00:27:43] So I personally teach violin. That’s my main instrument that I teach. And also piano, ukulele and viola. We also have a bunch of other or a few other instructors that teach other instruments, such as saxophone, recorder, bass guitar, guitar, drums, beginning voice. I hope I’m not leaving any out there. There have been several that have been added recently, which is a great thing.

Speaker2: [00:28:09] So I’m going to tell them myself and my my supreme lack of musical knowledge or talent. When my oldest was in the third grade, I had I wasn’t very long in this business of running studios for the Business RadioX network. And one of the things on the list was you had to have a recorder and Holly was going to the store to get a recorder. I said, Holly, I got more recording equipment and you can take a look at what do they need? It’s a little flute, etc.. So that was my education that they have. What a recorder that I

Speaker3: [00:28:42] Think Stone should come to your school.

Speaker2: [00:28:45] Maybe, you know, maybe you should have just a class for parents to just like just basic terms. And I want to say and not to say, because I don’t know in third grade, though, and actually in third grade, you’re still kind of a smart guy. You’re like Daddy, the hero. I was at seventh, eighth grade where you got to be really stupid. I don’t know, somewhere. I don’t

Speaker1: [00:29:03] Remember. I was a big nerd the whole way, so who knows?

Speaker2: [00:29:07] All right. So you’ve got a you’ve got a physical location that people come to. We do, yeah.

Speaker1: [00:29:13] So we recently opened our brick and mortar location in the beginning of March. We have been around for a long time, though, probably about ten years. We were previously located in Kennesaw actually at my home studio. So I just moved it now to a brick and mortar because we wanted to have some more instructors and also to be able to do a little bit more in the community, in the Woodstock community. So I was really lucky to land that new that new office that we can actually be in Woodstock and kind of, you know, do some outreach and stuff like that.

Speaker2: [00:29:48] Well, congratulations on that. I think that’s fantastic. So the the the end user profile, probably not the person writing the check, but the ah, most of the students, young people,

Speaker1: [00:29:59] We have a wide range of students. The ages range from anywhere from four years old to eighty, just however old. We have some adult students that actually take with their kids, which I think is really good.

Speaker2: [00:30:13] That’s cool. That’s the way we do it. Right.

Speaker1: [00:30:16] And I have several adult students. They tend to not be as they’re a little bit more shy about performing. But I’m trying to get some more performance opportunities that they would be comfortable with so that they can kind of get their music out there.

Speaker2: [00:30:30] So we should just bring them to the studio and be like, OK, it’s time for the. The area, our show us what you heard last week, Bill,

Speaker1: [00:30:38] So I have a few for you.

Speaker2: [00:30:39] Yes, but like the four year olds, a six year old, I bet they’re probably less inhibited. Right. And they don’t have it right or willing to stand and strong string or blow the thing or whatever, Netley.

Speaker1: [00:30:50] Well, I do have some shy ones. I will say I have some kids that I, I haven’t really heard a peep from, you know, for the duration of their lesson. And sometimes they’ll open up. But, you know, after a year of teaching and they’ll just start talking, I’m like, wow, I’ve never heard you talk before. But for the most part, yeah, the kids are a little bit more free and bold.

Speaker2: [00:31:11] So the hats that you must have to wear, the all the the disciplines that you must be able to exercise because you have this highly specialized knowledge from in the music world and talent in the music world. But you’re also running a business, a big piece of which I suspect is, you know, getting the business, the sales and marketing and all that kind of stuff. And you got to sort of know how to how to run a class, even though there’s a lot of your work, one on one or some group.

Speaker1: [00:31:43] So it’s actually all one on one up until this point. But we are opening a mommy and me type class that taught its toddler music, baby music, and we’re calling it baby rock stars. And it’s going to be opening in September. So we’re hoping to get a couple people for that, for the group class. That will be kind of a new avenue for us.

Speaker2: [00:32:04] But having a child that you don’t know initially come in. I mean, to me, it was I mean, I my kids were wonderful, but still they were I mean, that was a handful. And then try to get them focused on learning something. Do you have did you just learn that by trial and error or you just have a knack for that? Or is there like formal education? And here’s how you handle a kid for an hour and a half. Right.

Speaker1: [00:32:28] I mean, really what we focus on is the individual. So everybody’s different in their learning style. I’ll have some parents that will bring their children in like we want them to do competitions. We want them to, you know, be a little Mozart. And then I have other parents that come in. There’s just like, you know, just let them have fun, just explore what they want to do with music. So it really depends on the individual. And I just try to make that individual comfortable when they come in for lessons by trying to figure out what their individual goals are, what they want to do. And if it’s a kid or an adult, I’ll ask them, what is the song that you really want to play? Like something that you’ve heard on the radio, just your favorite song. And even if it’s something that they can’t do for a year or more, will work towards that so that they have a goal to work towards.

Speaker2: [00:33:19] Now, are there some instruments that are easier in general to pick up and do a pretty good job over other? I mean, because I have zero musical talent, there’s no one no one in my family on my side, no one sings, dances, plays any music. My wife says that I’m tone deaf. I maintain that I am tone mute. I can hear you just fine. I just can’t I just can’t produce it. But are some instruments you have little if you’re going to get if you’re going to have a stone style studio, let’s get him on. I don’t know. Maybe it’s that recorder thing.

Speaker1: [00:33:53] I would say recorder is a really good instrument to start with. That’s the reason that a lot of schools use that instrument to kind of get kids acclimated to learning music. Also, I do have some students that want to learn stringed instruments right off the bat, and I wouldn’t recommend that if they’re below a certain age, I would recommend starting with piano. It’s a little bit more instant gratification to play piano because you don’t have to, though. There is technique involved. There’s no screeching sounds or anything like that. When you play piano as opposed to violin. There’s just so much to think about when you’re playing a stringed instrument. And that can frustrate a lot of the younger musicians.

Speaker2: [00:34:34] Ok, is the violin and the fiddle the same thing? Is it the same instrument?

Speaker1: [00:34:39] It is the same instrument. It’s just the style that it’s played. There is an argument, though, that there were old time fiddles that were shaped a little bit differently, the bridge that holds the strings up so that fiddle players could play more strings at the same time. But I think in general, it’s just a violin. Yeah.

Speaker2: [00:34:59] Randall, you I remember now, if it was during during our conversation or before we went on air, but you play something in your room.

Speaker3: [00:35:08] I’ve played a number of instruments in my life, but. But guitar is the one that stuck.

Speaker2: [00:35:12] Yeah. And did you learn from a really early age like like she’s talking about her? I started about

Speaker3: [00:35:18] Six years old or so I said, oh wow,

Speaker2: [00:35:21] That’s awesome.

Speaker3: [00:35:21] It got a little songbook with a bunch of old, you know, bluegrass songs and Johnny Cash songs and John Denver songs in it. Right.

Speaker2: [00:35:28] Learn them. Oh what fun. So it out in the community. You obviously find yourself working with parents to provide them and their child a great experience, you get to the 80 year old who says, I always wanted to play guitar or whatever. Do you find yourself collaborating with community organizations, associations, other businesses in some way to either on the business side of things or just to try to be a visible, vibrant part of the local community?

Speaker1: [00:36:04] Yes, of course, when we open the studio and of course, I know covid is still kind of a thing. It’s still kind of going on now. But, you know, covid has really kind of inhibited us from doing community stuff. So we are looking forward to doing a little bit more out in the community. I really would like to get the kids especially and the adults out, you know, playing at different locations, maybe for children’s hospitals or retirement homes or anything like that. We are going to be doing or I say we I mean, me and some of the other teachers are going to be doing a benefit concert, a charity event for Circle of Friends. You might have heard of them.

Speaker2: [00:36:44] Oh, yeah. I get my coffee there on Thursday morning.

Speaker1: [00:36:48] Thursday morning. I see you there every Thursday, too. So, yeah, we are planning on doing a Valentine’s Day concert. I know that super far away, but I’ve already started practicing for it. So I will be playing the Vivaldi Four Seasons, All Four Seasons. And one of my coworkers are employees, Lanard. He’s going to be doing piano and I’m not sure what he’s going to do yet, but I’m hoping that something kind of jazz related, I think that would really balance it out well. So unfortunately, I don’t have the venue get the information, but it is going to happen. It’s in sometime in February. So if you follow the social media links, we will definitely announce that.

Speaker2: [00:37:27] Well, that is fun. You can call it the Business RadioX folks there. But I have

Speaker3: [00:37:32] A question for you is if that’s OK. Absolutely. You know, listening to this and with my perspective on the world, I’m interested in what you do that’s different and all the music stores that give lessons, right? Yes. Why would there’s that question? Why would somebody

Speaker2: [00:37:49] And you’re getting all those for free, are or are you going to send us a bill?

Speaker3: [00:37:56] Size matters. You get a big bill. You know, why would somebody come to your school instead of those lessons or, you know, what is it that you do different?

Speaker1: [00:38:05] I think one thing that differentiates us is our focus more on the individual during the lesson, as I said, just figuring out what their goals are and trying to focus on them instead of just having a core curriculum that we do. So whereas some people might do better with a curriculum, other people do better with just learning individual songs, just kind of, you know, piddling around a little bit. Playing by ear is a big one, too, like some people read music better, some people play by ear better and just, ah, you know, just being able to perform as well. We have to recital’s a year currently that we do. So the students really get to show off what they’ve learned during the year. And also we have other you know, we help we help students out with competitions that they want to do, all state orchestra, stuff like that, to to just inspire them. You know, I think that’s our main our main thing is to inspire musicians.

Speaker2: [00:39:04] There’s that word again where you were on to something, you

Speaker3: [00:39:07] Know, that resonates with me, though, because when I was a kid and taking piano lessons, the thing that frustrated me about it was the structure of it. You know, it was all exercises and these little songs you wanted me to learn. And they weren’t at all what I was wanting to play. And ultimately I stopped doing that and moved over in the guitar direction. So I didn’t play the things that I was interested in. Yes. Like she was saying,

Speaker1: [00:39:27] I think it’s important for us as teachers to communicate well with our students because sometimes you can tell if they’re not having a good time, you know, after a while and I’ll just stop and ask, like, hey, sweetie, you know, or buddy can are you enjoying this? Like, are you do you like the song? Is there something else that you want to do? And that’s more effective because more often than not, students will not communicate with you and then they’ll just end up quitting. So it’s better to communicate them from the get go to see what they want to do, what their goals are.

Speaker2: [00:40:00] So how about what about recruiting other team members? Because you want them to have that same love for the craft. You want them to have that same presence with the kids? Have you have you kind of got it dialed in and crack the code on how to recruit good people and keep them on board?

Speaker1: [00:40:21] Well, so far I’ve been very lucky with the staff that I have. I know I don’t I don’t think I’ve cracked the code yet because we just really started. And so this is my. First time having employees or having, you know, people, there’s

Speaker2: [00:40:37] Another hand, I mean, when you run into you, can you wear all these hats?

Speaker1: [00:40:40] Yeah, well, you know what one thing? My husband was a marketing major, so he helps me a lot. And I definitely wouldn’t be able to do that kind of stuff is not my cup of tea, but I’m learning a lot more through him and also through the Woodstock Business Club where I met you guys as well.

Speaker2: [00:40:58] So your husband’s name, if you don’t mind, Taylor.

Speaker1: [00:41:01] Taylor.

Speaker2: [00:41:02] All right. Shout out for Taylor. Make it happen. Behind us is Taylor’s musical at all.

Speaker1: [00:41:07] He’s not. No, but he supports music, though.

Speaker2: [00:41:13] That’s fantastic.

Speaker1: [00:41:14] It’s the radio

Speaker2: [00:41:15] You give me, too. So talk a little bit about Woodstock Business Club specifically, but also just the the the the I don’t even know what to call it. The collegial, supportive environment. At least I have found it that way since I’ve come here. That’s been your experience to apparently, yes.

Speaker1: [00:41:34] I was pleasantly surprised because I’m definitely an introvert. I don’t really put myself out there very much as far as talking to people. Playing music is fine. That’s that’s kind of odd, I’m sure. But but I just I’ve made so many great contacts and great friends, and it’s amazing how one thing will kind of lead to another. You know, you meet someone that you don’t really think is going to to help Persay, you know. But I think just putting yourself out there and just being getting to know everybody and kind of helping collaborating with them, I really enjoy that a lot more than just trying to recruit people to help my business, you know, so so I found a lot of it’s been great to kind of get to know people and also just to drive around Woodstock and be like, oh, wow, I know the owner of that business is kind of cool where, you know, I would have never met all of these people otherwise.

Speaker2: [00:42:28] So I’m that experiences that. That’s what I’m finding as well. The other thing that I did not anticipate, although I have run another studio and my day job is trying to find other people across the country to run studios, I’ve run another studio in Sandy Springs for years, but it wasn’t as intimate because they might be from, you know, the east side of Atlanta or whatever. Now, on the client side of our work, I mean, it’s they’re going to be a client of mine. I might see them at church. I might see them at Reformation. I might run into him at the piebald. I kind of I got to live with he’s going to look them in the eye. So I feel like there’s this I don’t know, I’m feeling even a higher obligation of making sure that I can I can give them whatever type of result they’re seeking if they’re going to write me a check to be part of this team.

Speaker1: [00:43:17] Right. Right.

Speaker2: [00:43:18] Do you feel like this higher sense of obligation? I certainly

Speaker1: [00:43:21] Do. I do. Yeah. I definitely want to help out anybody that I can if I if I can, you know, and give them give them some business and just kind of collaborate with them. That’s that’s that’s my favorite word. I guess lately it’s just collaborating.

Speaker2: [00:43:36] I can’t even spell it, but I walk away from the and I get energized when I go over here. My new routine is just to walk across the street to the circuit and I really enjoy the Ypersele. I don’t know. We may need an opower crusty

Speaker3: [00:43:50] Old

Speaker2: [00:43:51] Curmudgeon’s what

Speaker1: [00:43:52] I’m getting there too,

Speaker2: [00:43:53] But I’m really I’m enjoying that. And it’s a little different flavor and it’s a it’s a it’s some of the same folks but other folks. And then I try to time it so I can get over to the Reformation and enjoy the Woodstock business. So that’s that’s kind of my get to know people day. And there are a lot of people for whom I might not be a good client for, and they are probably not a good client for me. But I swear to you, I really am. After I got a chance to sit down, this was my intellect is kind of up, you know, if there’s a way for me to help someone. So I’m going to, you know, I keep it. So I feel like I’ve got all these I call market mates. Yes. Like, I get all these, you know, market mates. And I’m going to try to help. And I feel like they are the same. Yes. That they’re going to try to help me. So I don’t maybe that happens in other communities, but it’s all new to me.

Speaker1: [00:44:40] Yes. Yeah. And I never go in there with the intention of I’m going to get some business today. I’m going to drum up some business. Yeah.

Speaker2: [00:44:45] That’s not the right frame. Right.

Speaker1: [00:44:47] I think that people can sense that too, if you feel that way, you know. So I think it’s it’s great just to just to make new friends, you know,

Speaker2: [00:44:55] That’s probably what maybe turned me away from years ago, investing much time or energy in that kind of activity, because I can remember going to a to a thing. And I swear to you, the some of the people to have a conversation with me. And as soon as they put me in whatever box they wanted to put me in, I probably wasn’t answering the question properly. Randall thought I had some training from you. I probably answered, you know, what do you do? I probably got. But I swear to you, I could I could tell they were looking right over my shoulder like, who’s my next victim? Who’s my name? This is I’m not. Yeah, but that is not been my experience at all for this.

Speaker3: [00:45:32] That’s tell them that you subvert leveraging industry best

Speaker2: [00:45:37] Practices and then they’ll just move right along. So what’s next for for for you and mastermind Taylor? What do you guys got some world domination plans for this thing?

Speaker1: [00:45:47] Well, I don’t know about that. I mean, you know, I haven’t thought about that, though. So maybe that’s a that’s a good idea, but not for right now. I mean, we’re we’re just focusing on filling up our studio with awesome students and awesome teachers. We currently have five studios open, but we’re really only utilizing two of them.

Speaker2: [00:46:05] So we got some capacity.

Speaker1: [00:46:07] Yes. Yes. So we we definitely want some of our students. And I think for us, we we definitely want to get out in the community more. That’s our main focus right now, is to have more performance opportunities for the students, which creates, you know, just inspiration in them to learn music as well as retention.

Speaker2: [00:46:28] So, yeah. So how can we help the most? I mean, obviously, you know, maybe this will help you get a little something. You can get out there to the to the masses and share and that kind of thing. But yeah. How how can people like Randall and me and our listeners, what can we do to support what you’re what you’re trying to accomplish?

Speaker1: [00:46:47] I mean, you know, if you can make it out to the performances, that’s great. Just support us. And and then if you know anybody that needs lessons, you know, you might want to come by and check us out first. I don’t know if you’ll feel like us or not. I’m sure we will. But but yeah, that’s pretty much it.

Speaker2: [00:47:07] Fantastic. Do you have any great pictures of you anyway? Didn’t you want me to ask her that? Really great

Speaker1: [00:47:12] Pictures. Actually, I was I was thinking about that during this whole thing. Like, I need some headshots. And and then I also learned from Randall about I need to be making more videos and maybe I need someone to make them for me.

Speaker2: [00:47:24] But no, I would think that, gee, I wonder who could do that. We’ll find somebody for you. We’ll we’ll go on for you. But no, I could see if I were looking for lessons for Katie or Kelly, my too. And if I went to your website and I saw a beautiful picture of you on a cello or I mean, to me the instruments are so gorgeous, the cello and the fiddle, the two instruments that you should be in every song. No, I could see that, you know, really making an impact. So. All right. Well, we’ll keep our our eyes open and our our ears open for for some opportunities. It’s been a lot of fun having, you know,

Speaker1: [00:48:03] Thank you for having me.

Speaker2: [00:48:04] Yeah, well, I hope you do. And I’m quite sincere with this. I hope you’ll think about coming back and letting us know how things proceed. Definitely. For sure. And maybe when you’re getting the next event that your thing is February,

Speaker1: [00:48:19] February, it’s going to be around Valentine’s Day. And we’re hoping to have kind of like a romantic setting, like some y, you know, whether you’re single or in a couple, you can enjoy some wine. Yeah. Enjoy some music.

Speaker2: [00:48:32] All right. So, I mean, I’ll I’ll definitely participate by the ticket or whatever. And me and my roommate of thirty plus years, Holly, will come on down. So but what I was going to say is, if you like, as we get closer to that event, anything you’ve got going or if you’re doing something kind of connected to one of these causes, because I know you’re great about trying to support these causes. Let me know even if you can just swing by the studio for a quick segment just to get people caught up. I mean, the platforms at your disposal, I’m happy to help and we’re happy to help in any way we can. Thank you. Yeah. All right. So before we wrap, let’s make sure folks know where you are, OK? So let’s make sure we tell them that again and then how to how to get to you and have a conversation with you or someone else on the team or have a kid, have them in their kid, come see whatever whatever works for you.

Speaker1: [00:49:17] All right. So we are located basically in downtown Woodstock. It is off of Highway Ninety two in the Creekstone office, Creekstone Ridge sorry, office complex. And it’s right behind that Dairy Queen on off of Highway 92. And if you want to look at our website, it’s our music studios dot com, and you can also reach us on pretty much any form of social media. So if you look us up on Instagram at our music studios and also on Facebook at the same address, and we are also on LinkedIn and I’m missing something, but we’re we’re we’re definitely on those news websites. So you can check us out just type in area music studios on any of those platforms.

Speaker2: [00:50:04] Sounds to me like you’re incredibly accessible. Yes, I know. Randle would support. Well, thank you, Aria. Thank you, Randall. This has been an absolute delight. What a fantastic way to to invest a Tuesday morning. Thanks so much. Thanks for having me. You all right. Until next time. This is Stone Payton for our guest this morning and everyone here at the Business RadioX family saying we’ll see you next time on Cherokee Business RadioX.