It's super important that we understand that the only one that we can control is ourselves. So first off I just want to say welcome to the podcast before we jump into the episode. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and what you can expect I have been in the business now for coming up on 30 years what we're going to talk about in this podcast or things that go on in my day-to-day life whether it be as a manager whether it be as a consultant whether it be as someone who is creating products that's helping musicians all over the world. If there's something going on in the industry, we're going to talk about it if there's a strategy that needs to be taught. Going to talk about it. And if there's some way that I can help get you closer to your goal that you are in the right place because that's what we are going to talk about here on the music industry blueprint podcast. Now, let's jump into the episode helping you navigate the music industry. Here's Rick Barker with the music industry blueprint podcast. So in this episode, we are going to continue with where I left off in my story my journey what has gotten me to To this point if you have not listened to the last episode this episode will make zero sense to you. So I highly encourage you to go back and listen in so where I left off is I had basically just given my notice to Taylor after being with her for almost 3 years. This was in 2008 and I was at this time. I was still living in California, but I knew that if I could get to Nashville that I could make a difference I My wife she decided that we would make the move and we did just that we made the move to Nashville with no job. I just knew that given the opportunity. I felt that I could make a difference. I felt that I could find my place here in Nashville was immediately contacted by Joe Kalani at Sony Music at the time. You know, Joe was the most powerful man in Nashville. Scott borchetta was was number two and and I was getting an opportunity to be mentored by both. One of the few people that have been in both worlds. They have two completely different styles of leadership and I was being blessed with being able to learn from both of them. So I accepted a job as a consultant with Sony spent some time there got to realize that this time it was at that point where the the things that were happening with the music. is that the labels were starting to take over a lot of the marketing and the social media accounts of the artist that they worked with and what I saw was artists were super excited to get rid of that chore not realizing that what they were doing was handing over the ability to build relationships with their fans to someone else to a marketing department whose job was to sell and that's when things got ugly that was the time when You know as an artist you weren't supposed to follow people back as an artist. You weren't really supposed to let people know anything about your private life. It was just a bunch of crap in my opinion and I started realizing that the artists were handing over the customer service portion of their business to someone else who had a completely different agenda. But no one knew there was no one that was teaching this, you know, I started seeing that man. jurors, who didn't understand the internet were making terrible mistakes at the cost of their clients because they were unwilling to ask for help because they were unwilling to let someone know that they didn't know something, you know something that I didn't mention in the last episode, but which is a big part of my story is that when I was first asked to manage Taylor I said no and I said, no because I didn't feel that I was qualified and one of the things that her father said to me was he says listen he Says you're not afraid to ask questions. You're not afraid to get help. He said that's a huge Trade A lot of people will look at not knowing as a weakness. Well what the weakness is is not knowing and not going and getting the right answers, you know, so what I started realizing that there was no one that was really out there teaching people these things all of a sudden every dad with a teenage daughter who had Talent was showing up in Nashville and sundresses and cowboy boots thinking that was the Magic formula at that time the record company started downsizing there was a lot of great people that were out of work and all they knew was record an expensive record shoot an expensive video hire a promotion team and go to Radio. That's what they knew. So that's what started happening a lot of independent promotion company started coming up a lot of independent labels. I had a family that came to me they had the most talented daughter was invited to move to Nashville. And they hired all the people that played on Taylor's record and hired the guy who shot the Carrie Underwood video and hire the promotion team that used to work at a major label and $300,000 later. They were no farther along than when they first started and that is very dangerous and that started happening over and over and over and over and over again. And what I realized was that there was no Chamber of Commerce for the music business. There was no location that you could Owen get your questions answered and one of the things that was special when I first sat and met with Joe Golani as he was the first person that ever really asked me what my goals were and what I told him as I said, Joe I said my goal is this that if someone comes to Nashville and they say there's five people that you need to meet that will steer you right I said, I just want to be one of those people I said, there's a lot of nonsense going on right now, and I want to be able to be a part of the solution we all know. The problem is but I want to be the solutions guy. I also felt that because of the success that I had with Taylor that I was part of the problem too is that I had created this false sense of just show up and everything will magically happen to you and Nashville, so I wanted to become a part of the solution and that's when I realized that I could go out. I read a book called The Millionaire Messenger and the concept of that book was make a difference and make a living sharing your knowledge and experience with others. And the author Brendon burchard had some programs. I ended up investing with Brendan and learned how to take my 25 years of experience at the time and put it online and I could start helping as many people around the world as I possibly could, you know, not everyone needed a manager what they needed was a coach they needed advice. They needed guidance. I saw that they would pay for vocal lessons. I saw that, you know, you guys would pay for guitar lessons that you would pay to have meetings with attorneys. So why wouldn't you pay for my Knowledge and my experience why wouldn't you pay to sit down and let me keep you from wasting time and energy and money. So I went and started putting all this stuff online and that's when the music industry blueprint was created ended up continuing to manage artist while building programs. But what I didn't ever want to do again was I never wanted to put the responsibility of an artist that they were that my family's you know, okay and well-being was Ended up on somebody else's work. I always tell people the only person that I'm going to invest in is me that's the only one that I could control what it is that I do. I can't control what anyone else does and it's the same for you is that I am I Sweat Equity. I'm putting Sweat Equity and me. No one else. I've done that before. I'd had artist signed to major labels and Publishing deals who decided to quit and give up after I'd invested years and you know tens of thousands of dollars into them for them to all of a sudden just decide that they I wanted to quit so it's super important that we understand that the only one that we can control is ourselves. So that's a little bit of my story. There's a whole bunch more that goes along with it. But I think that's just kind of will give you an understanding of why I am the way that I am today why I like finding Solutions why I'm not afraid to share my story why I'm okay with you not necessarily always agreeing with me or understanding what it is that I do. Do I have a saying that if I can go to bed every night knowing that I don't owe anyone an apology for trying to wrong them to better myself. It was a good day. Because in this business, we're not going to make everyone happy every day. It's just something that's unrealistic. It can't happen. But what I can control is one the way that I treat people one the my work ethic, you know, my morals my values is those are all things that are in my control and today my goal is like I said to help as many many people as possible because you have the ability with your music to change people's lives and I want to be a part of that. I want to help effect change without ever having to ride a single song or play a single note. I can help change the world by helping you get your music in front of as many people as possible. So this is the first time you have found me. I'm excited that you listen to this. You're probably confused as hell so go back and listen to the previous episode. It'll help straighten that out and A copy of the book at the website take the assessment. If you're interested in finding out more about me being involved in your career and being your coach after you take the assessment you'll be given a training video and at the end of that training video, you'll be given information on how we can work together. There are no links that you can just go to to try to hire me and I do that for a reason if you can't take 14 minutes to get trained by me, then you definitely don't have what it takes to be coached by me. And you'll just be wasting your time and wasting your money. So take the few minutes. Go check out what it is that I've got to offer if it makes sense fantastic. If it doesn't I hope you take whatever it is that that you've learned from the book and the free resources that I have that are out there and go make a difference. All right. We'll talk to you guys on the next episode chop. I hope you enjoyed this episode to the music industry blueprint podcast. Be sure to subscribe and tell a friend remember there is no One size fits all model when it comes to the music industry. So check out my website Rick Barker.com take the quiz and I will send you information specific to you to help make sure that you are on the right track. You've been listening to the music industry blueprint podcast with Greg Barker. You can follow Rick on Twitter a trick Barker music and remember you don't drown by falling into the water you drowned by staying there.
What happened after Rick quits as Taylor Swift’s manager? How did he come to do the things that he’s doing now to help musicians succeed in their career? Find out on today’s episode as Rick continue his story. Rick shared the problems he observed in the music industry and how he made it his goal to be the solutions guy and help change peoples lives and the world along the way. “If I can go to bed every night knowing that I don’t owe anyone an apology for trying to wrong them to better myself, then it was a good day.”-Rick Barker What do you want to hear from the Music Industry Blueprint Podcast? Tell us here! ***Want to be a guest on the Music Industry Blueprint Podcast? *** Send an email to podcast@musicindustryblueprint.com With the following information: Name, website, social handles, questions you would like to ask Rick and contact information Time Stamps: 1:21 - What Rick did after resigning as Taylor Swift’s manager 2:39 - The ugly scenario that he saw in the music industry when he came to Nashville 5:44 - How he made it his goal to be the solutions guy in the music business 7:00 - When he starts being a coach, put everything he knew online and launched the Music Industry Blueprint 7:40 - The importance of understanding what you can control 9:08 - Changing people’s lives and the world by helping musicians get their music out and reach as many people as possible 9:43 - Do you have what it takes to be coached by Rick? Resources:  Taylor Swift Joe Galante Scott Borchetta Brendon Burchard  The Millionaire Messenger: Make a Difference and a Fortune Sharing Your Advice by Brendon Burchard MIB Episode 90 - My Story Part 1  Connect with Rick:  Facebook Instagram Youtube  ---   Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/music-industry-blueprint/message 