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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.
Ending relationships – No need to cover your bases
It’s all too common for people, especially women and other underrepresented communities of business owners, to be told to “exhaust every last solution before you throw in the towel” and have this be framed this as “being responsible.” Good advice or bad? Read on…
Learning to be an Unployee
When you are a self employed person, or you are an owner of a team-based business, NONE OF THE EMPLOYEE RULES APPLY. You are an Unployee.
It’s Time for a Talk About Your Working Conditions
As people who employ themselves, Labor Day can seem irrelevant to us. It is not. On the heels of this past Labor Day weekend – whether you are in the USA or somewhere else in the world – have two conversations: one with your boss and one with your worker.
What do you want? My SOP for the secret to success.
The “secret to success” isn’t knowing your ideal client, or the perfect pricing figured out, or having the most aggressive marketing plan. Read my SOP to help you determine what you want and get on your way to success.
What’s In Your Hour: Your Definitive Guide to Pricing Your Services
“What’s In Your Hour?” is about empowering you to price your lessons, services and products based on the value you offer, not just the going rate.
Why It’s Imperative For Voice Teachers To Increase Rates Now
If voice teachers kept up with inflation, the numbers show we should be pricing our sessions between $250-$750. Let’s explore the data and reduce the guilt.
“Independent Contractor or Employee” Matters More Than You Know
Learn the difference between an “Independent contractor” and “Employee” in your Multi Teacher Studio – so that you can be sure that your workers are classified properly. You need to think about it and it’s important.
Cultivating Your Colleagues’ Trust Through Attribution
We live in an on-demand culture. Through social media, we can access anyone we want any time we want. Because of this, it’s easy to forget that everything on the Internet isn’t ours for the taking. Learn from Christin’s story on cultivating trust through attribution in voice business.
Michelle’s Advice for Singers Looking for Voice Teachers
Michelle answers the question: If I wanted to get voice/singing lessons, how would you suggest I look for a good teacher for me? Or a class? Where do a start? Get the answer here, and if you are a teacher, see if you are prepared to answer this question yourself!
How to scale your business with ethical pricing strategies
Michelle delivered a presentation on pricing at NATS 2022 that brought up the question: “How to scale your business using ethical pricing strategies.” Find out the answer here
Aren’t You Worried About Sara Campbell?
Sara Campbell is a marketing coach, business coach, and online content creator. When asked this last week, I realized this person is seeped in the scarcity/competition narrative. Today, I explain how we can explore partnerships to improve our business instead of worrying.
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,...
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.