Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brian Godeaux. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brian, appreciate you joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

I believe anyone who aspires to start a business or pursue music full-time must be a bit crazy and somewhat delusional. I embody a bit of both. Fifteen years ago, after performing a sell-out show with Paul Wall, I met another performer that night, King Tef. We were both independent artists in a city where choosing such a path wasn’t popular. At that time, we hadn’t committed to music full-time, but after a month or so of grinding and with our determined mindset, we decided to take the plunge. I was fired from my day job, and King Tef had to allocate his funds to his mother’s hospital bills. We were at a crossroads, teetering between giving up to take care of our families or going all in on our music dream.

Fifteen years later, we’ve never looked back, but the one thing that propelled our success was the DIY mindset. We booked our own shows, found our own sponsors, and created our own content. These efforts gradually turned into mini-businesses that contributed significantly to our income.

Of course, this journey sounds much easier than it was. I have countless stories of nearly losing everything, family illnesses, and various setbacks, but our delusion fueled our perseverance.

During COVID, when the world came to a halt, we were doing well but recognized the need to pivot and think bigger. We never reached fame but managed to live comfortably off music. We decided to create an app, Qoncert, that encapsulates our process and how we turned music into a sustainable job. The app enables artists to book their own shows, headline, and tour. Techstars, an accelerator program, took notice of us, and we joined them for three months to further develop our educational platform and idea.

Post-Techstars, and after a lifetime of bootstrapping, we decided to continue with the DIY approach but with a deeper understanding of scaling. Now three partners strong, we still make music, but our primary focus is aiding independent artists. We’ve produced and curated over 160 shows since our inception a couple of years ago and have over 3,000 artists using our app across more than 16 markets. We are on our way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I began my career as an artist named Hypnautic, who later became one half of the music group Top Flite Empire. The app we developed, Qoncert app (qoncertapp.com), addresses a significant challenge in the music industry: providing artists with a straightforward path to getting booked for shows, and subsequently advancing to headline and tour. Imagine if Spotify organized shows—our app operates on a similar principle. Anyone, regardless of their level, can join our app for FREE and begin the process. There are no upfront costs, and the entire process is trusted and transparent.

Since we’ve introduced a service that previously didn’t exist, we’ve released a plethora of educational videos on making music a full-time job. Additionally, we host our Q2 music conference and workshops in all the cities we visit. Music has been a lifesaver for me, providing me with purpose and a sense of community. What fills me with the most pride is the tangible results and pathways we’re creating for artists. Every day, I receive messages from artists expressing their gratitude for not only helping them find their community but also for providing a safe space where they can pursue their dreams.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for us has been fostering our culture and being authentic. We are our own customers, so we fully understand their needs. Staying connected to those you serve is crucial. I’ve been in boardrooms where people discuss what they believe is best without truly understanding the situation. It’s important never to lose touch with reality.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

As I mentioned in my initial ramble, we were both hip-hop artists from different areas and backgrounds. We performed at a sold-out Paul Wall show with over 1,000 people, around 15 or maybe 16+ years ago. We had seen each other’s promotions around town and heard of one another but had never spoken. After the show, his manager approached me, and we attempted to collaborate. Our first business endeavor resulted in a loss, but we handled it with grace and tried again. We wanted to perform with an artist named Rick Ross and were unable to secure a spot on the show. In response, we pooled our money together and booked the same venue a couple of weeks later. We had to disguise ourselves as a rock band because the venue was not receptive to local hip-hop artists at the time. Long story short, we outsold the Rick Ross show, and the rest is history.

Contact Info:

• Website: qoncertapp.com
• Instagram: @hypnauticlife
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/topflite.empire
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypnautic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/qoncertapp
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsTFE

Image Credits
Yes I have permission @Topfliteempire One by Nathan James