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Making It with Chris G.

Chris G. has been in the Music Business since 2006 as a concert promoter, artist manager, and booking agent. “Making It” is not about being on top of the charts, winning mainstream awards, or having millions of social media followers. Though those things are nice, that’s a very small percentage of the industry. “Making It” is about having conversations with people that do what they love full time, instead of being stuck with a career they hate. Throughout his journey, Chris has met many inspiring individuals who have in his eyes “made it” and who have an abundant amount of stories and wisdom that should be shared with the world of aspiring creatives, musicians, actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs. The objective of this podcast is to educate and motivate individuals by sharing stories of people who are “making it” every day.
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Now displaying: 2016
Dec 29, 2016

Hello World – Welcome Back Making It Nation!

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It.

This weeks guest is DIY Musician, Actor, Blogger, Public Speaker, and now Author, Ari Herstand. 

Most musicians now know Ari Herstand (pronounced Ar*ee Her*stand) as the guy who has helped them fly with their instruments, book national tours, get songs placed on TV and make more money with their music career - without the help of a label. Herstand’s music business advice blog, Ari’s Take, was nominated by the LA Weekly as the best music blog in Los Angeles and has become a go-to resource for DIY musicians worldwide. 

He released the preeminent book on the new music industry entitled, How To Make it In The New Music Business (Norton/Liveright Publishing) on December 20th, 2016. It was the #1 best selling New Release in the Music Business, Performing Arts Industry and Entertainment Industry categories on Amazon. 

Ari Herstand is a DIY musician who has played over 600 shows around the country, has opened for or toured with Ben Folds, Cake, Matt Nathanson, The Milk Carton Kids and Ron Pope, has performed on Ellen, and has had his music featured in countless TV shows, commercials and films. He currently fronts the funk band Brassroots District and is a member of the acoustic trio Young Canyon. 

Herstand is a staff writer for Digital Music News and has also written for many of the top musician trade magazines and websites including Music Connection Magazine, American Songwriter, Playback Magazine, CD Baby, Tunecore, Reverbnation, Roland, Discmakers, ASCAP, Hypebot and others. He has been a featured speaker at SF MusicTech, SXSW, ASCAP Music Expo, CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference and in music business classrooms worldwide. 

As an actor, he has co-starred in TV shows including Transparent, Aquarius, Mad Men, 2 Broke Girls, The Fosters, Sam & Cat and Touch.

Keep in touch:
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://twitter.com/chrisgoyzueta
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg 

Support Ari Herstand & get the Book:
http://ariherstand.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ariherstand/
https://twitter.com/ariherstand

Dec 22, 2016

Hello World – Welcome Back Making It Nation!

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It. 

This week’s interview features part 2 of our conversation with Kevin Stone, the program Director of Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL. He started his journey in the entertainment business when he graduated college in 1999 from a college in Toronto Canada. After many years on the road, he landed at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL where he became the Director of Entertainment. While at Ruth Eckerd Hall he started a concert series with the Tampa Bay Rays where they promoted many amazing concert from which he will share some stories in this conversation. In 2013, he became the director of programming at Florida Theatre, a beautiful 1,900 capacity historic theatre, bringing all kinds of amazing concerts and events to Jacksonville, FL. Kevin is a man of service that gives back so much to the live music community. This was a really fun interview, and I’m excited to bring this to you the next two weeks. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kevin Stone.

Keep in touch:
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://twitter.com/chrisgoyzueta
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg 

Support the Florida Theatre
http://floridatheatre.com/
https://instagram.com/FloridaTheatre
https://www.facebook.com/FloridaTheatre
https://twitter.com/FloridaTheatre

 

Dec 15, 2016

Hello World – Welcome Back Making It Nation!

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It. 

This week’s interview features Kevin Stone, the program Director of Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL. He started his journey in the entertainment business when he graduated college in 1999 from a college in Toronto Canada. After many years on the road, he landed at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL where he became the Director of Entertainment. While at Ruth Eckerd Hall he started a concert series with the Tampa Bay Rays where they promoted many amazing concert from which he will share some stories in this conversation. In 2013, he became the director of programming at Florida Theatre, a beautiful 1,900 capacity historic theatre, bringing all kinds of amazing concerts and events to Jacksonville, FL. Kevin is a man of service that gives back so much to the live music community. This was a really fun interview, and I’m excited to bring this to you the next two weeks. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kevin Stone.

Keep in touch:
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://twitter.com/chrisgoyzueta
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg 

Support the Florida Theatre:
http://floridatheatre.com/
https://instagram.com/FloridaTheatre
https://www.facebook.com/FloridaTheatre
https://twitter.com/FloridaTheatre

 

Dec 8, 2016

Herb Gonzalez is a photographer and content creator. He’s also a Music Business student at Full Sail University. Still early in his career, he’s already taken photos for artists such as Flaming Lips, Sleeping with Sirens, LANY, Four Years Strong, Good Charlotte, and many more. In this episode we share his story as a photographer, musician, content creator, and student. You’ll learn some tips on taking better photos, and what kind of gear you’ll want to start off with, and much more.

http://www.lionthelion.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lionthelion/

Dec 1, 2016

Adam Taylor is the Production Manager and Tour Manager of Big Machine recording artist Delta Rae. In this episode we discuss his journey of working at and producing shows at DIY Theater in Orlando, FL to traveling and touring the world with Delta Rae to working the Democratic National Convention and meeting Michelle Obama and much more. 

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It.

SUBSCRIBE on iTunes: http://apple.co/2fzwTCK 

http://deltarae.com/
https://www.instagram.com/deltarae/ 
https://twitter.com/DeltaRae
https://www.facebook.com/deltarae

Nov 24, 2016

Welcome to our Thanksgiving Special. In this episode we feature 5 lessons from previous episodes from our guests Greg Rollett, Alex Knight, Christine Cameron, Katherine Forbes, and Erick Charles. These are 5 steps to help you build a foundation of reaching mastery in the entertainment business. 

Nov 17, 2016

Emily Kopp is a singer-songwriter that combines catchy vocals with in your face rock and roll. She’s a touring musician, songwriter, and backpacker. Emily has opened with artists such as Matchbox 20, Brandi Carlile, Michelle Branch, Parachute, Boyce Avenue, The Gin Blossoms, Marc Cohn, Phillip Phillips, and many more. As a songwriter she has had songs placed in commercials for brands such as Jet Blue, Mini Cooper, Urban Outfitters, Mary Kay, LG Mobile, Amazon, Honey Bunches of Oats, and many more. In 2016, she backpacked the world on a sabbatical having visited many wonderful places. In this interview we discuss her adventures of booking your own tours, hitting the road, backpacking the world, success in licensing songs, and her philosophies on life.

You can learn more about Emily at the following places.
http://emilykoppmusic.com/
https://www.instagram.com/emilykoppmusic/
http://www.facebook.com/EMILYKOPPMUSIC
https://www.facebook.com/midnightriot/

 

Nov 10, 2016

Emily Kopp is a singer-songwriter that combines catchy vocals with in your face rock and roll. She’s a touring musician, songwriter, and backpacker. Emily has opened with artists such as Matchbox 20, Brandi Carlile, Michelle Branch, Parachute, Boyce Avenue, The Gin Blossoms, Marc Cohn, Phillip Phillips, and many more. As a songwriter she has had songs placed in commercials for brands such as Jet Blue, Mini Cooper, Urban Outfitters, Mary Kay, LG Mobile, Amazon, Honey Bunches of Oats, and many more. In 2016, she backpacked the world on a sabbatical having visited many wonderful places. In this interview we discuss her adventures of booking your own tours, hitting the road, backpacking the world, success in licensing songs, and her philosophies on life.

 

You can learn more about Emily at the following places.

http://emilykoppmusic.com/
https://www.instagram.com/emilykoppmusic/
http://www.facebook.com/EMILYKOPPMUSIC
https://www.facebook.com/midnightriot/

 

 

Nov 3, 2016

Hello World – Welcome Back Making It Nation!

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It.

Matt Cottingham is an entertainment attorney based out of Nashville, TN. He joined the firm Ritholz Levy in 2014 as an associate in the firm’s Entertainment Group in Nashville, specializing in entertainment, intellectual property and business law. Matt represents individuals and companies in the entertainment industry and provides experienced guidance to songwriters, recording artists, record producers, independent music publishers, new media companies and independent record labels. Before joining Ritholz Levy, Matt practiced with Chip Petree at Petree Law after starting his career practicing at a boutique corporate firm in Franklin, TN.

Matt serves on the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization, Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP), a networking group whose members cover all facets of the entertainment industry.

Matt received a B.S. in Recording Industry Management from Middle Tennessee State University and received his law degree from the University of Memphis. He is a member of the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations and volunteers with Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA). I met Matt through a mutual friend in Nashville, and from day one, he has been one of the kindest and most helpful people I’ve met in my career in the music business so far. Matt has been one of my  guest speakers at Full Sail University, trying to inspire and inform the next generation. He always makes time for his clients, he’s very passionate about his work and giving back to others. Without further ado, here is Matt Cottingham. 

Oct 27, 2016

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It.

 Today’s guest. Alec Vidmar is a true hustler! He’s someone that’s patient, and always gives more to his relationships than he asks from them. From day one when he was a student at UCF he dived in head first into the music business. He started working with the UCF Concert Committee which lead to him being able to work with AEG Live as a runner and promoter rep, and also interning with Fly South Music Group, a management company based in Orlando, FL. Then he worked as a Talent Buyer for Club Firestone which is now Venue 578 in Orlando, FL. He worked in Artist Relations with me at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL, while also managing artist for Average Joe’s Entertainment. He learned every aspect of the business as a promoter and manager, and then became a booking agent which lead him to move to Nashville. As a booking agent he continued to hustle and work hard for his artist’s which landed him a job with The Agency Group which later on got bought by United Talent Agency. One of the biggest booking agencies in the world. Alec lives by example by making the music industry not a career, but a lifestyle. And he gives so much to that career and his artist, that he recently got recognized nominated by IEBA – the International Entertainment Buyers Association for Young Professional of the Year. Alec’s work ethic is going to continue to bring him great experiences, and he’s someone that’s going to be very successful in this business. I’m very happy to share his journey up to this point with you in this interview with Alec Vidmar.

As promised in the intro of this episode. Here is my graphic on elements that make up one's story. 

Oct 20, 2016

Hello World – Welcome Back Making It Nation!

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It.

About Katherine Forbes:

http://www.katherineforbes.com/ 

Before I tell you about myself I want to thank you for visiting my site! Without you all and music I’d be just another girl in Nashville trying to chase a dream. My family, friends, and clients define my purpose and I absolutely enjoy you all! 

Since coming to Nashville I've had several "it was meant to be moments." When I first got to Nashville I didn't know a single person or much at all about the music industry. Thanks to my uncle for setting me up with friends of friends of friends I started to meet people and learn a little about the various aspects of the industry and Music City. One day (just a few weeks after being in Nashville) three of my new friends of friends of friends of my uncle's all forwarded me the same email. Shelley at DS Management was on the search for an intern. What was artist management? Who did DS Management manage? What did DS stand for? I had no idea, but if three people sent it my way, I figured reaching out to Shelley was a good idea.

A few days later I found myself sitting in front of Denise Stiff. (Google had told me maybe she managed Alison Krauss and Christina Aguilera!?! I still didn't know what artist management was, but I liked the sounds of it)! I remember sitting there in my new LBD and blazer dressed to impress. I quietly told her about how I play piano, love Sara Bareilles, and had interned at The Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg. I knew some terms like "rider" and "stage plot" - so I was feeling good!

I walked out with three new CDs (Alison Krauss, Sarah Jarosz, and Alyssa Bonagura) and an internship that started the next day! Real life was treating me pretty well so far... new friends, new music, and a new internship. Oh, and I was house-sitting my uncle's friends' house in Belle Meade. This Nashville place was proving to be a good decision!

Fast forward to today and I've turned that DS Management internship into a full time position and have been able to work with and design for some of the most talented artists out there. Make sure to check out my free resources, blog, and website designs!

Oct 13, 2016

Welcome to another episode of Making It with Chris G where we have Conversations with people in the world of entertainment who are making it, from behind the scenes to the spotlight. Sharing their stories and insight to help you get one step closer to Making It. 

Today’s guest is Erick Charles. Erick Charles is the Senior Director of Field Operations for Fueled By Ramen & Roadrunner Records. He got his start in the music industry while studying marketing at the University of Florida. While living in Gainesville and playing in bands himself, he became friends with employees at Fueled By Ramen which was only a few years old at that point. Helping fulfill mail-order turned into growing the street team. FBR moved to Tampa for a couple years and quickly exploded with bands like Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco, Gym Class Heroes and many more taking off. FBR entered into a partnership with Atlantic Records which would take him to New York City for seven years and now Nashville, TN for the last couple. Erick continues to oversee Field and Festival marketing for FBR and also Roadrunner Records. He develops creative marketing ideas for every artist on both labels that are executed onsite at festivals, concert tours, and special events throughout the entire year.

Oct 6, 2016

Glenn Robinson from the Blackzilians MMA Gym. Glenn started his journey as an entrepreneur in the early 2000’s as a Tool Manufacturer with a company called Iron Bridge Tools. Where he personally created the designs of all the products they sell. He even has some experience in the music industry, which we didn’t really get into, Maybe next time for a round two. He was friends with people in the world of MMA that would ask him for help and advice from time to time. When one of the guys and a group of fellow fighters wanted to leave the gym they were with, Glenn helped find them a home with no intention of getting into the business. Well, that changed. Glenn relocated these fighters to their new home the JACO Hybrid Training Center which is a beautiful facility in Boca Raton, that offers everything from classes for MMA Fighters to the average person who is interested in MMA, Crossfit, Nutritional Counseling, and much more. The Blackzilians includes fighters such as Rashad Evans who is fighting on the MASSIVE UFC 205 card at Madison Square Garden on November 12th, they also have Thigo Silva, the UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez, Vitor Belfort, and Anthony Rumble Johson who had a fight coming up when we did this interview against Glover Teixera, which he won and earned a fight with the Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier down the road. Glenn is very passionate about what he does, a big family man, and really looks out for the people around him. 

Sep 29, 2016

Alex Knight is a singer/songwriter/guitarist with over a decade of experience in

various aspects of the music industry. He began booking shows at the age of 16 and

went on to work with and play in multiple bands, having the most success with the

pop/rock act The Arrival. The Arrival was named one of the top independent acts in

the U.S. by PureVolume, after which they landed booking representation from The

Agency Group and management representation with The Artery Foundation. The

Arrival toured nationally for multiple years and count showcasing at South By

Southwest and recording an EP with Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount of ZK

Productions (Cartel, Mayday Parade) among their favorite accomplishments.

Knight has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and also has years of

experience coordinating and participating in numerous arts and music events. He

was the Associate Course Director for the Event Management course in the

Entertainment Business Bachelor’s Program at Full Sail University before accepting

his current position as Course Director for the Artist Management class in the Music

Business Bachelor’s Programs at Full Sail. The Artist Management course was

recently utilized as part of the new 3300 + Climbing artist development initiative in

this program, and Alex helped coordinate students from other Full Sail programs

such as Film and Show Production as they worked with Music and Entertainment

Business students to create content for the initiative’s first auditions and

subsequent artist selections.

Knight is also currently acting as writer, producer, and co-star of a comedic web

series called The Lost Weekend, which is based on his band’s experiences as

independent musicians and features some former members of The Arrival.

Sep 22, 2016

Christine Cameron joined Full Sail's EBMS program as the Course Director for Product and Artist Management ("PAM") in Summer 2015. Along with prior teaching experience, she brought years of industry experience with her: for many years, she was a TV personality, host (or co-host) of her own TV shows, and she was also a network executive. She started out as a Show Host on TV shopping networks and worked her way up behind-the-scenes to eventually become the Executive Vice President of Shows & Sales. She was also appointed as the interim President of a national teleshopping network. 

As nuanced and niched as her career has been, it lends itself strategically to Product and Artist Management. Having established herself in the teleshopping genre as an On-Air Personality, a Talent Trainer, a Vendor Negotiator/Product Buyer, and a Sales Manager, Christine is intimately familiar with how this part of the industry is tasked with driving revenues through successful product, vendor, program selection, and of course, sales.

Although a wide variety of products are offered via teleshopping, Christine's specialty is high-jewelry. She's sold pieces (at wholesale prices) that range from $1500 to $150,000 per item live on-air. She's adept at ad-lib banter, impromptu selling, negotiations, and in engaging audiences. She has been on four national TV networks as a Show Host and luxury goods expert.

In addition to her broadcast career, she has also been the Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for an international company based out of the US Virgin Islands. With P&L oversight and accountabilities in the tens of millions of dollars, with direct sales revenues also in the multi-millions, she navigates pricing, profits, and projects with strategic vision. In this role, she used her media background to influence the Marketing and PR strategies of this company to reach new customers and re-engage current clients. With the assistance of her leadership, this company grew rapidly, doubling in size within two years, establishing a broader customer base, and growing internationally. This company went from the smallest in the islands to the second largest during her tenure.

In 2007, she relocated from the USVI to Las Vegas, and that's when she stepped into Academia and became an Adjunct Instructor at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. There, as an adjunct shared between the Retail Management and Media departments, she taught courses in Marketing, Advertising, and PR. While in Vegas, Christine was also a management consultant, and she worked with clients across multiple industries. As a content media specialist with an emphasis on business development, she contracted with a luxury jeweler in Maui, Hawaii; a nascent sports league in Europe; the GIA (the Gemological Association of America), whose international headquarters is in Carlsbad, California; a few other small businesses; and an Arizona state college. Her work with this college won an award as the “Best Branding Idea of the Year” from University Business magazine.

Oh yeah, and during her “down time,” Christine completed her Masters degree from Full Sail’s EBMS online program. She graduated with honors from Full Sail in early 2011.

In 2015, Christine and her husband relocated to Florida; and Christine was privileged to join the EBMS team as the Course Director for PAM. Now Christine incorporates traditional and TV business experience (both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes) along with award-winning credentials and deep-rooted entrepreneurialism into her lectures. Additionally, with the entertainment world being a tight-knit community, Christine has reach and exposure to other areas of Show Business. Both through her time in television, and having family members rooted in the music scene, Christine has relationships and friendships with a wide variety of entertainment professionals – from Grammy winning musicians and their managers to hit song writers, jingle composers, radio talent, producers, film producers, and others. She aspires to bring their industry experiences into her class lectures so as to expose her students to multiple industry segments.

Adept at blending creative concepts with business practicality, Christine truly knows what it takes to be successful in Show Business...and this is what she aspires to impart to her students. Just ask any of them!

Sep 13, 2016

Greg Rollett started his first business when he was 17. His high school let him out of class at noon everyday his senior year to start a business and he thought it would be really smart for a white kid from the burbs to create a hip-hop record label.

Since then he's gone on to start and partner with multiple 6&7 figure businesses in media, marketing and PR. Greg has written Best-Selling books, helped produce Emmy Nominated Documentaries, given a talk at the United Nations, filmed a pilot for a travel show and founded Ambitious.com. He has also created information products with Dan Kennedy, Michael Gerber, Brian Tracy and other ambitious experts.

All while marrying his high school sweetheart and having 2 pretty awesome little boys that love going to baseball games. 

Chris G. has been in the Music Business since 2006 as a concert promoter, artist manager, and booking agent. “Making It” is not about being on top of the charts, winning mainstream awards, and having millions of social media followers. Though those things are nice, that’s a very small percentage of the industry. “Making It” is about conversations with people doing what they love for a full time living, instead of being stuck at a career they hate. Throughout his journey, Chris has met many inspiring individuals who have “made it” in his eyes, who have an abundant amount of stories and wisdom that should be shared with the world of aspiring creatives, musicians, actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs. The objective with this podcast is to educate and motivate individuals and sharing stories of people who are “making it” every day.

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