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TEM45: Drew McManus of Adaptistration and Arts Hacker
Drew McManus is one of the premier orchestral consultants in the country and the man behind many projects including Adaptistration and Arts Hacker. He started and sold his first arts-related business when he was in his mid-20's and has since moved on to form many successful organizations.
This was a truly delightful conversation. I love the way Drew thinks about the world and the arts. He is an incredibly thoughtful person and that particularly showed through in a few of his answers in this interview. He answered a handful of questions in a way that wasn't exactly what I was expecting and each time made me think deeper about the subject I had just asked him about. I can't chat with people enough who challenge my thinking along those lines.
It's no wonder he has launched so many successful businesses within the arts world!
Topics Covered:
The specific moment he learned the first great lie of academia
How he built his first arts-related business in his mid-20's that ended up being so successful that he sold it and it is still in operation today
What drove him to form a 501(c)3 at such an early age
The factors that led him to become an orchestral consultant (including a lack of people in the field at the time)
The importance of a musician having the skills necessary to be able to look at the fiscal health of an organization before auditioning or accepting a position
How he networked (and increased his consulting business exponentially) through content marketing years before that's what it was called
How his Adaptistration blog not only solved problems for people but also created a community
How Arts Hacker was born through identifying a need in the arts world that Drew and his team could meet better than anyone else
The importance of creating a workspace environment you can thrive in and of investing in yourself
How having good communication skills helps you focus
The problem with reading too much advice-driven content
Links:
Books:
Favorite Quote:
"If a problem exists is it because of a system, is it because of a problem, is it because of people, or is it a combination of the three?"
Bonus Quote:
"Anyone who is afraid to talk about failure is probably someone you want to listen to less and less."
You can help offset the ongoing costs of producing the show by making a small donation at http://www.pedalnotemedia.com/support-the-entrepreneurial-musician. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Produced by Austin Boyer of FredBrass
