We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deborah Stewart. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deborah below.
Deborah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
Businesses rarely look like a straight diagonal line upward. In my case, business slows down during the summer, but the worst summer we have ever had was the summer of 2020. We had to mitigate all of our classes to an online platform the moment they shut down the rodeo in Houston. It was truly one of those times where I felt like I would’ve been better off still working in an office. I’m glad I did not do that, however, because Business did eventually recover.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I started teaching in 2004. I had one electric keyboard, and advertised by putting laminated flyers on stop signs, etc. For a while, I tried to be the traditional teacher. Unfortunately, that did not pan out well for me, as I am a person that loves neons, paints, glitter, and everything bright and shiny. So, around 2011, I changed my brand. I put black lights in my classroom, started decorating the walls with the students neon hand prints, and hung fun, glittery decorations and lights in the classroom. I have tried to create a space that feels like a second home, where my younger students and my adult students all feel safe. It is an environment of encouragement and compassion, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
I chose to make this a full-time career when I was laid off in October 2008. For anyone who thinks that it’s easy to start a business from scratch, without funding, should probably think again. It’s not easy. It’s hard. I finished my undergraduate degree in 2013. However, I was called back to my old company that had laid me off in 2008 in early October 2012. So, I went back to work full-time, still teaching music in the evenings. It would be another three years before I could actually go out on my own 100%. Finally, in 2015, after having a particularly cruel boss, I finally pulled on working for somebody else. While I know that there are some nice bosses out there, I had yet to meet one. I started small, working out of a garage, to moving into a storefront when the HOA told me I had to go. That was another difficult summer. The day of our grand opening, it was pouring down rain, and I was running through the parking lot, trying to reposition my signs. That was in 2018, and now, in 2026, we have just expanded. However, the road to get here was not an easy one.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I thought that, in order to succeed, I had to act like the bosses that I used to work for. That could not be farther from the truth. It’s actually my willingness to unlearn everything that I had learned until that point that helped make us successful. I treat my employees with compassion and kindness. I do believe in following the golden rule.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Theartofmusiclearningcenter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deb.stewart.music.teacher?igsh=MXA2ZGFqcXhjZnk5eg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1E7xE9iCkT/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
I actually do photography as another side gig. All of these pictures belong to me.