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

Emma, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

My first client I met about 4 years prior to him becoming a client. I met him at an open mic night where he was a stand out performer, so I introduced myself. Shortly after that, we tried to find a way to work together, but nothing came of it at the time. Fast forward 4 years, we had lost contact with each other and I was looking for work straight out of college. During my job search, I visited a website that had a picture of him on the home page. I reached out to congratulate him on his homepage placement, and tell him was happy to hear he was still doing music. He asked if I was still involved in music, and the rest is history. He became my first client!

Emma, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I wanted to work in the music industry for as long as I can remember. I went to school for music business and had the pleasure of working in the music industry in Nashville as well. My experience combined with networking is how I wound up running this business. I currently provide booking services, artist management, and social media management. Most creative people do not enjoy typical business activities. Emails, phone calls, planning, strategizing, these tend to not be their favorite thing to do. It can also be time consuming. Most creative people I know want to focus on their craft, that is where I come in and solve that problem. I take care of what they don’t want to deal with. This also creates more time for them to be focusing on their craft. I think what sets my business apart is the personalization of the services I provide. I can provide the same service to multiple clients and that service will look different on a client to client basis, because individuality is important in creative spaces. I meet my clients where they are and I work to bring out the best in them, the best in one person is not going to look the same as the next person’s best. I am most proud of my ability to push clients beyond their comfort zone. Seeing the growth that happens when clients are willing to work outside of their comfort zone, and seeing the results that come from it is one of the greatest parts of what I do. The main thing I want any potential clients to know is that if we work together, I am working with you because I truly believe in your ability to reach your artistic or creative goals just as much, if not more than you believe in yourself!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I won’t say I unlearned working hard, but I did have to change my perspective to learn to work smarter, not harder. From a very young age, I was shown how to work hard. I was taught to work hard in any and everything I do. When I got to high school, I had a coach, Jeremy Amchwand, that reminded us every practice and every game, to work smarter not harder. While I still believe working hard is important, the new lesson taught me to think differently. Now when I work, my first approach is to always consider the smartest and most efficient way to complete the task or goal at hand, prior to beginning the work. This mantra has not only saved me copious amounts of time, but it has also become the way I approach life.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I keep in touch with all of my clients on a regular basis through email, texting, calling, virtual meetings, and in person meetings with clients I am located near. It depends on the service(s) I provide for the client, so some of my clients I keep in touch with on a daily basis, others are more weekly, but I tend not to go more than a week without keeping in touch with any one of my clients. I also regularly check in with all of my clients to stay up to date on their latest goals. I always want to make sure I am supporting my clients in a way that makes sense for them. For example, if a client wants to focus on creating new music, I need to focus on connecting them with producers, sound engineers, and potential feature artists rather than getting them more shows on the books. I think consistently staying up to date on their evolving goals and interests, combined with consistent communication, has fostered brand loyalty over time.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmakayo17?igsh=YzNiN2lvajZ2MmV3&utm_source=qr
• Other: Email: bpmmcorp@gmail.com

Image Credits

Monica Douglas