We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Kovar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s go back in time a bit – can you share a story of a time when you learned an important lesson during your education?

I started my first business probably around fourth or fifth grade.

I wanted money to buy candy from the vending machines. I started drawing custom “cards,” inspired by Pokémon, but with horses. Each one was personalized with names, colors, and little details on the back, and I sold them for 25 cents.

I still remember the feeling of someone handing me a quarter for something I created. It clicked for me that I didn’t have to wait for money. I could create it by offering something valuable.

That small moment gave me a sense of independence and changed how I saw what was possible. It paved a way to unlocking business and understanding the psychology of sales.

Nicole, 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 started as a solo piano teacher on the side, and over time built a waiting list of families. That’s when parents began asking me to train other teachers in my approach, which is centered around making music fun, engaging, and personal.

As we grew into Piano & More, I realized that if the business depended on me, it wasn’t truly a business. That led me to shift into building systems, hiring great teachers, and learning how to delegate so the company could run without me.

Today, we provide in-home music lessons that make life easier for families while helping kids build confidence and consistency through music.

What I’m most proud of is the team and the experience we’ve created, where students feel supported, teachers feel valued, and families see real growth beyond just music.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One moment that really tested me was during COVID.

I remember the day quarantine was announced. We had to quickly tell our teachers and families that we were staying open, but moving everything online. There was a lot of uncertainty as our whole model was built around in-home lessons.

The biggest challenge was keeping lessons fun through a screen. We couldn’t rely on the little things we normally used, like stickers or in-person interaction. So we had to get creative, using whiteboards, games, and anything we could to keep students engaged.

It wasn’t easy, but we adapted. And surprisingly, 2020 became our biggest year of growth at the time.

That experience showed me that resilience isn’t about avoiding challenges, it’s about being willing to adjust quickly and still deliver on what matters most.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the hardest pivots we made was around protecting our teachers’ time.

As we grew, we started to see that long travel distances were taking a toll. Some teachers were driving too far between lessons, and it wasn’t sustainable if we wanted them to have a healthy work-life balance.

So we made the decision to tighten our service areas. That meant letting go of some zip codes and, in turn, saying goodbye to a few families who had been with us for years.

It was not an easy decision. Those relationships meant a lot to us. But we knew that if we didn’t take care of our teachers, we wouldn’t be able to take care of anyone long term.

That pivot helped us build a stronger, more sustainable foundation for the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pianoandmore.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pianoandmore/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morepiano
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/piano-&-more
• Twitter: @more_piano
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Nn9_xOjCd2TQXOy_DTkug

Image Credits

Property of Piano & More