We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful LeAnn Phelan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with LeAnn below.
LeAnn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I have been a Music Exec for 25 years in various seats – pubishing, A&R, Songwriter/Producer Management, Talent Scout, Co-head of ASCAP Nashville & Artist Management, but the thread that connects all of those jobs is helping develop songwriters. In March of 2020, I was managing an artist named Jake Rose who had a wonderful team of champions around him, Grammy award winning producers, CAA, Sony Music Publishing and we had just released a single that we were pumped about! Every knows what happened next. The world shut down. As I was home watching the news and social media, I saw amazing humans doing what they loved … for free. A musician on a balcony in Italy, a chef going live on insta teaching cooking classes, etc. I started thinking about all the developing songwriters out there WITHOUT teams. If we felt this bad what must they feel? So my instinct was to put together a flier that said “Let’s Keep Your Momentum Going – I’ll meet with you for free”. I sent it to every songwriter in my database and to a few select people in the business that I thought would know someone. I do want to share that the minute I hit send, I cringed. I immediately had imposter syndrome. How crazy is that? This is something I’ve been doing my whole career at a high level. But within a minute I started getting responses. And then April filled up with zoom meetings. Then I went in to May just meeting with songwriters for free.
When I was at ASCAP I had success putting groups of songwriters together that I could help. I started something called the GPS Project that is still going strong today. And I also had a female mentor group that helped artists like Carly Pearce and Kelsea Ballerini form connections and get support. Because of my experience with groups and an online class I took myself from my mentor Cathy Heller, I knew I could offer an online workshop and help songwriters continue to develop, meet the right people, feel momentum in their career.
Many of the writers that I met with on zoom said it felt like therapy, so I called my new business LP Creative Therapy. I made my first offer and got 20 artists signed up. I also had major support from people in the industry. Leslie Fram of CMT is just a wonderful person and she was one of my biggest supporters. She sent me clients and continues to wave the flag. I had industry guests come on like Legendary Bobby Braddock (“He Stopped loving Her Today”) and Rusty Gaston (President of Song Music Nashville). It was a great start!
LeAnn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a Music Executive who has held many seats in the industry from publishing to A&R to Co-head of ASCAP Nashville that loves working with songwriters. They are the constant for me. However, I started on the music side. I grew up in Trenton, TN and I started taking voice lessons around 9 years old, not because I was a good singer, but because I was shy. About two years in, I received encouragement from my teacher during a dress rehearsal, I was called out bascially in front of the other kids as doing a good job. That was the FIRST time I’d been encouraged and it changed everything. I started focusing on music and believing I could do it and by the time I was 21 years old I was on the biggest pop world tour of the summer with Legendary artist Steve Winwood singing the Chaka Kahn parts to “Higher Love”. Being a background singer was a little to unstable for me so I got off the road in my late 20’s and started as a receptionist at Windswept Pacific, a publishing company. That is where I found my second passion, working with songwriters.
I believe that because I was a musician/singer, that allowed me to relate in a way that works well with songwriters. I am also a very compassionate person and I don’t count anyone out. I had a mentor that changed everything for me, and I feel like I can be that for others.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I believe in the group experience whether it’s therapy or learning, so I take classes myself that help me continue to learn and be inspired. There are so many amazing offerings out there now. Find a mentor that speaks to you. The first one that I latched on to was Cathy Heller, and of course, Cathy started as a songwriter! She has amazing courses and podcasts and she is someone that resonates with me. Patrice Washington is another great mentor that I learned a great deal from. I find that spending time in this high vibe classes helps me become a better leader in LP Creative Therapy Workshops.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
I answered the inception of this idea earlier. I would add:
LP Creative Therapy Workshops dovetails with my main business, LP Creative Therapy Management quite nicely. I actually signed a client through my workshop activity. Leading the workshops keeps me to connected to up and coming songwriters and artists and it keeps me connected to leaders in the community that I learn from along with my songwriter students. If you can find a supplemental area that you have a great passion for that also relates to what you’re already doing, I think you’ll be maximizing your time and effort.
My workshop clients have mostly been word of mouth. So, serve your clients well. Engage with them. Help them. And your business will grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lpcreativetherapy.com/
- Instagram: @Leannphelan_mlp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lpcreativetherapy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leann-phelan-3086411a4/
- Twitter: @LeAnnPhelan_LP
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY8DtNFdWl3QlpArqp8y47w
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leannphelan/
Image Credits
Image one: Annie Lauren Productions Image two: Rachael Deeb