Madalyn's Music Biz Blog

or What I Don't Recommend Indie Artists Do!

by Madalyn Sklar



Okay I'm going to jump onto my high horse and preach. Ready?

I was reading a music business blog today. It was interesting and filled with a lot of "How-To" advice. Hey, I'm all for that. Let's help indie artists. Let's give out sound advice.

But then these words stopped me in my tracks...

"See How Others Do It - Then Copy Them!"

Hmm, I must say I do not agree with that. Indie artists already have so much stacked against them. Let's see, how about everyone and their brother having a rock band too, the difficulties in getting booked great paying gigs, the economy. You know I could go on and on on the negative side of the business. I like to focus on the positive.

What can YOU do to be different? Why copy what everyone else does?

I preach this a lot whether it's here on the blog, during a coaching call, a teleseminar, a mastermind session and at my workshops and panels. I say this over and over.

Be Different!
Step Outside The Box!
Don't Do What Everyone Else Is Doing!

But hey, we all know it's way easier to copy others. It happens to me more than I care to discuss. But I can tell you this. If you come up with your own creative ideas you will stand out. I do say it's okay to check out what others are doing. No need to re-invent the wheel, that is for sure. But why not come up with a new take on something. Why not spend time brainstorming new ideas. Try something. See if it works. If it does, great! If not, it's okay. Failure is okay!

Let me say that again...

Failure is okay. It really is. You just get back up and try something new. Poof. Done!

So my tip for today is don't do what everyone else is doing. Be different. Be unique. Be you.

Copyright © 2008 GoGirlsMusic.com

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 12 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/
http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/
http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com/

Labels: motivation

by Madalyn Sklar



As you probably know, I founded and run GoGirlsMusic.com. It is the oldest and largest online community of independent women in music. The only requirement is one female in a band.

Our mission is to "support, promote & empower our members". I think we do this well.

What makes GoGirls so great is the vast numbers of musicians looking to get empowered and feel part of something great. When people discover our community, they tell me how much they need it, how great to find a place where they can share and be involved, receive information, resources and not feel so alone.

Here's what some members of our community say about GoGirls:



click here for more GoGirls videos

Community is most beneficial when you take away the "me" attitude... the what's-in-it-for-me. In the music business there is so much of this. Where does it get you? Nowhere! But if you can step back from this attitude and step up you have so much more to gain. And what I mean by stepping up is getting involved, helping out, helping others, not expecting anything in return. You do it because you want to. Because you see the big picture. You see the success it can bring you. People like to help people they like. Are you likable?

Over the years I have set up GoGirls Chapters across the country and even in Europe. I can't run them so I over see them all. I can't make anyone step up. But what's great is we've had members of our community step up and volunteer. They see the bigger picture. They see how they can benefit from this, from their actions, from their kindness. By leading. By not being afraid, not being held back. They don't make excuses.

Side note: I hear excuses from musicians every day. I see petty actions. You have the power within you to succeed in the music business. But it takes a combination of things. One of them is stepping up to the plate and stop with the excuses.

Find communities that can benefit you, where you can step up and take part. Look at the bigger picture. Look beyond where you are at now. It's an amazing thing when you do this.

If you'd like to learn more about joining the GoGirls community, click here.

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She has spent over 12 years helping independent musicians and music business professionals achieve greater success. Her motto is: working smarter not harder. She also founded GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest + largest online community of indie women musicians.

Madalyn's Sites:
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/
http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/
http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com/

Labels: community, motivation

by Madalyn Sklar



We all have dreams of what we want. Some of us want to be rich and famous rock stars while others would be content just making a decent living doing music. Our desires come in all shapes and sizes. But what typically lacks is taking the action necessary to make your dreams and desires come true.

I found this quote a long time ago and it says a lot...

"Remember, success in anything is all about focus, and if you focus on what's critical, then you'll get the results that you need to get right now."

Focus. It's one of the hardest things for us to do. We get caught up in every day life. And our families. And our work life. You know I can go on and on. But I won't because you can focus, you just have to set your mind to it.

It's October and the end of the year is fast approaching. Now is the time to focus and take action. What are your three most important goals you would like to accomplish by year-end? Jot it down. Every day you should look at your list. Focus on it. Take action on it. Do something every day! It will bring you one step closer to achieving what you want.

Another way to hyper focus on what you want is to remove the things that interrupt you like email, surfing the web, tv, your phone. It's so easy to get distracted. If you can just remove all distractions for an hour and really focus I promise you will be amazed at your results.

So what are you waiting for? Your dreams and desires await you!

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

Labels: motivation

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." -- Marie Curie

I know life is not easy but you have to look past your issues and problems and look at yourself in a new light. Confidence is a MUST in the music business! Believe in yourself and others will believe in you. Yes, it's true! Tell yourself every day that you are incredibly awesome, incredibly gifted. If you feel you are not, ask yourself why. Write it down. Find ways to overcome it. Read motivational books, newsletters, blogs. Rise above because you my friend are amazing.

This motivational moment was brought to you by Madalyn Sklar. ;-)

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

Labels: motivation

This article is so good that I'm reposting it again! It originally ran on 8-17-07. Enjoy!

Last night I was watching The Big Idea on CNBC. They had a segment on not letting people tell you what you can/can't do. It was fascinating listening to stories of triumph because "no" was not an option.

It reminded me of one of my consulting clients, 3 Kisses out of Texas. They received a great opportunity to appear on ABC's Wife Swap last year. But they ran into a few hurdles. Now most people would have given up. What was so awesome is that they did not let "no" become an option. They stayed in touch with the producers. When something cool happened with their band such as a new endorsement deal, they would email it to the show's producer.

They did what I call "being persistent without being a pest." And let me tell you what, it paid off! Last November they got the call and before long a film crew was at their house taping. The show aired in February of this year and the episode had one of the highest ratings.

I love telling their story because it shows that when you change your mindset to "no is not an option" you will see things happen in your favor.

What are you doing to rise above the "no's" you hear? I would love to hear your comments.

Copyright © 2007 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

Labels: motivation

by Madalyn Sklar

The indie music box... are you in it or outside of it?

Most of us are in it because it's a comfortable place to be. It's easy to do what everyone else is doing. And yes, we let ourselves be in this box. Seems most musicians get trapped inside rather than thinking outside of it. There are so many indie artists out there doing exactly what you are doing. If you don't want to stand out, just follow alongside everyone else. It's so simple and unimaginative! Get my drift?

What can you do to stand out?
What can you do to make that impression and "wow" people?

Here's one example:

I was just reading a really great blog post by Mark Nissley called The Story of a Rock Star. In it he talks about his work with a rising star back in the 90s. It's obvious that he's referring to Jewel.

I was fortunate to work with one of the best star stories of the last decade. I first met this star before her 20th birthday. She lived in her van, and sang nights at a coffeehouses and bars. She was fortunate enough to get a spot in a San Diego club and was surrounded by some leading talent of the early nineties. She studied them and learned from them. There were more talented people around her, but she was the one to receive a big contract. She had one of the biggest debut albums of all time, with a number of subsequent albums.

There are many aspects to her story that can illustrate the points that I am getting to, but I'll just share one. I attribute a single reason this songwriter became a star. While all the very talented musicians around her spent their time between and after sets, hanging out back stage and drinking (among other things), the teenage girl did something different. She met her fans and really talked to them. She told her story at every show. She positioned herself at the exit and shook every patron's hand. She asked people if they liked her music. She asked people to come back and see her. One of those hands she shook was an executive from Atlantic Records. They came back to see her, and brought a contract.

Okay is the light bulb going off in your head now? Good!

See in my coaching practice I tell musicians this all the time... talk to people! Greet people at the door. NO ONE DOES THIS!! Well I take that back. I've seen very few people do it, and boy do they get results.

Be different. Be outside the indie music box.

I welcome your feedback on this. Comment and tell me what works for you.

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Labels: motivation

Your destiny isn't a matter of chance, it's a matter of the choices you'll make in the coming year.
Success isn't something you wait for, it's something you must pursue in the months ahead.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities to be successful.
Seize common occasions and turn them into great ones.
Opportunities sometimes come disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.

Start where you are.
You're at this moment, standing right in the middle of opportunity.

If you act on your dreams you can live them in the New Year.
You have a lot to look forward to.

Happy New Year -

THE DAILY GURU
***************************
©2008 by Max Steingart

[Madalyn’s Note: What better way to start 2008 than with a great quote like this to motivate us. We can be successful and have it all. But don't wait. Don't sit back. Act! Opportunity is right here. Go get it!]

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com~
providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

Labels: motivation

I know it's easier said than done... be your best each and every day. The problem is life gets in the way. Opportunities are missed. No matter how hard we try someone else wins. Well I firmly believe in doing your best and keep on trying. If you didn't get the dream gig, it's okay. Keep trying. Keep working it. Keep doing your best!

Bottom line: don't give up!

I challenge you to doing something great every day, starting with a positive attitude. Then go make one more phone call, spend one more hour researching online, focus on making one more friend on Myspace. Do something great. Do something every day.

Be your best every day and soon enough you will see great results!

Copyright © 2007 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 11 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Labels: motivation

Experiencing failure is inevitable on the highway to success.
Every defeat is merely an installment to victory.

People who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.

You won't be judged by the number of times you fail, but by the number of times you succeed.
And the number of times you succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times you fail and keep trying.

Failure is nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better.

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

THE DAILY GURU

********************************************
©2006 by Max Steingart

Madalyn's Note: I think one of the most important keys to success is not being afraid to try, knowing that you may fail. Failure is okay. In business I have failed many times. Each time I get back up on the horse. I keep on trying. That is the most important thing. Never give up on yourself or your dreams.

Labels: motivation

Within you at this moment is the power to do things you never dreamed possible.

In fact, if you did all the things you are capable of doing, you would literally astound yourself.
This power will come available to you
the moment you change your beliefs.

You know what you are today,
but not what you may be tomorrow.
Always look at things as they can be.

You can do anything you wish to do,
have anything you wish to have,
be anything you wish to be.

Never say never.
You don't know what you can do until you try.

THE DAILY GURU

**********************************************
©2006 by Max Steingart

Madalyn’s Note: I just love the quote, "you don't know what you can do until you try". Too many times we get the power to DO but don't. We are afraid. We are held back. Why? Are we afraid of success? Are we afraid to see what will happen? We all have the ability to do anything we want. We can soar. We can create incredible music. We can rise above the competition. But too many times we don't. Stop being held back. Never say never! Like I said a few days ago in the blog... Plan It. Pursue It. Visualize It. Success will follow. Give yourself that chance!

Copyright © 2007 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Labels: motivation

Thanksgiving is upon us so now is a perfect time to think back to what you have accomplished this year. What did you achieve in 2007? What worked, what didn't. What mistakes did you make that you can avoid in the new year?

What are you thankful for? Health. Wealth. CD sales?

The best time to start making a plan for 2008 is now. Set your sights on the new year. List your goals. Make to-do lists. Start now because before you know it January will be here and you will be without a plan. Don't let this happen!

Plan it. Pursue it. Visualize it. Success will follow.

Copyright © 2007 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 11 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Labels: motivation

by Madalyn Sklar

This line, What You Believe Is What You Receive, comes from a CD I have in my possession. The band is Manifest Frequency. They have these words on the backside of their latest CD and it got me thinking because I'm currently re-reading Joe Vitale's The Attractor Factor. You might remember him from The Secret.

So what do you believe? What are you putting out there?

In The Attractor Factor Vitale talks about how no matter what is happening in your life it can be another way. You can change your direction because nothing is set in stone. Think about that.

Manifest Frequency says, "focus on what you want, not what stands in your way. Believe that if you feel it, you can have it!"

If you feel stuck with your music this thinking will help you. Focus is definitely one of the keys to success in life. Focus on what you want. Don't let things like you're too old or not hip enough stand in your way of success in this business. If you believe in what you do, good things will follow. Believe in your music. Believe in yourself.

If you have self doubts you must overcome them. Everything starts with you. Make great music. Promote it constantly. Put yourself out there. Nothing happens unless you are out there making connections and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

Copyright © 2007 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 11 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Madalyn Recommends:
	Teleseminar: Radio Tips for the Indie Artist Get the MP3 download! available in the GoGirls Music Store

Labels: motivation

Wealth without enjoyment is little consolation.
Your real prosperity lies in being thankful.
Your real riches are riches of the head and heart.
Satisfaction comes from appreciating what you have.

Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is wanting what you get.

It's not how much you have,
it's how much you enjoy.

THE DAILY GURU
*************************************
©2006 by Max Steingart

Madalyn's Note: I just love these Daily Guru messages. You can sign up for them at http://www.thedailyguru.com/. Today's message is a great one because we need a reminder that success is getting what we want. What do you want? You only get one chance in this life so make the best of it and don't be afraid to go for what you want. Happiness will surely follow. Rock on.

Labels: motivation

Thanks for visiting the blog today. I wanted to let you know about the special I'm running at IndieMusicCoach. You can take advantage of my "intro consult" call for only $35. It's normally $50 so this is a nice savings!



You can arrange a 30 minute phone call with me to discuss your current needs, help set goals and an action plan to achieve your goals, or just pick my brain. I have over 11 years of experience working with indie artists. What can I do for you?

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

Labels: business, indie, indie music coach, madalyn sklar, motivation, music, success

by Madalyn Sklar

Labels: indie, madalyn, motivation, music, sklar, success

by Madalyn Sklar

Labels: advice, artist, business, development, eugene foley, indie, motivation, music

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Madalyn Recommends:
	Teleseminar: Radio Tips for the Indie Artist Get the MP3 download! available in the GoGirls Music Store

Labels: bands, indie, motivation, musicians

You have to make your own opportunities.
Your future is not a matter of chance.
It's a matter of the choices you make.
It's not something you wait for.
It's something you must actively pursue.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities.
Seize common occasions and make them great.
Opportunity can come disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.

Start today, right where you are.
Distant fields will always appear greener.
Yet, golden opportunities are all around you.

THE DAILY GURU

**********************************************
©2006 by Max Steingart

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

Labels: indie, motivation, music