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From the mind of Michelle Markwart Deveaux…
Do you own a business that helps people use their voice? I do too. Here on the FcK blog, I do my best to provide actionable tips, words of wisdom, and high fives of encouragement so that running your voice related business will be easy and feed your soul.
Five Questions Better than “How are you?” to Start off a Voice Lesson
Learn the questions Voice Teachers can ask at the beginning of lessons instead of “How are you?” when you just don’t have the capacity to be a pseudo-therapist for your singer/client (you know those low-key energy vampires) and need some emotional regulation.
Do You Need an MBA to be a Successful Music Studio?
Here's a (very) shortlist of things today's studio owner needs to understand: How to develop an effective marketing strategyHow to choose and use payment gateways, scheduling software, and other online tech toolsHow to create a sustainable business model, and what...
How to Make Time for a New Program or Membership
You know you want to join a particular program or membership and you know that it will 100% meet your needs. That is, if you can actually take advantage of it. You’re already overwhelmed and these action items will help you overcome your frustrations.
Being Unproductive in a World that Glorifies Productivity
It's the time when we choose words for the year. It's an extremely valuable exercise - one that allows us to choose an intention and stick with it. There are no real...
Why a Year-Long Tuition Plan Isn’t as Impossible as it may Sound for Voice Teachers – Moving to a 12-Month Tuition Instead of Following the School Year
If you are a voice teacher that begins their tuition plans in September, follows the school year, and loves it, this blog isn't for you. If you are a voice teacher who...
How to Have (and implement) Boundaries During the Holidays
Every year, I read multiple comments and stories about what it's like to run a voice studio during the holidays. We are singers, after all, and even now in the semi...
Zero-Based Scheduling for Voice Teachers (and everyone else who needs help with time management)
Time management is the hardest part of running your nano-business. You wear all the hats – you’re the CEO, CFO, CMO, and chief service provider. Learning Zero-Based Scheduling can help you go from overwhelmed and under-fun to overjoyed and under control. Let me teach you Zero-Based Scheduling.
Three Ways to Start Building a Budget – Even if You’ve Never done Budgeting before
Budgeting can be SCARY. Especially when you've never done it before, or the only times you've ever heard the word "budget" was when it was connected to not getting that...
What to do when Things get Difficult to Manage
Content Warning: Grief/Death/Difficult Times I've been coaching myself on this question - "What to do when things get difficult to manage" - since November of 2019 when...
Get Rid of Uncomfortable Sales
Many sales "techniques" are based on using the fear centers of the brain to trigger you into survival mode. They are manipulative, pushy, and remove agency from the...
How to Write a Difficult Email to an Irritated Client
Learning to write professional emails is one of the most valuable skills you can have. Having the knowledge and wisdom to break down a hard conversation and solve a problem, via writing a difficult email, gives you a leg up in terms of customer service and transformational work with clients.
How to Transition to an Online Voice Business – Marketing Needs and Strategy
How to Transition to an Online Voice Business – Marketing Needs and Strategy
How to Transition to an Online Voice Business – Inquiry and First Lesson Process
It’s July (!!!!) 2021, and for some of the world, it seems as though we are “done” with COVID, and “ready to get back into the studio with real, live people. Problem...
How to Transition to an Online Voice Business – Reviewing Your Ideal Client
If you started out with a large in-person studio, then transitioned to online because of Covid 19, and had not used online options until then, your current client base may be anxiously assuming you’ll be back in person as soon as you have a chance. They are “holding out until it’s back to normal.”