We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Fleshner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

My parents have always been incredibly supportive of whatever dream I have. From when I was a little girl and wanted to be an astronaut/ballerina, they had my back, and I knew that. They never miss an opportunity to tell me how proud they are of me, whether I was sweeping the floor or signing a massive deal. When they saw my true passion for music, they put their lives aside to help me pursue it. Even now, they own 362 Entertainment with me and are a crucial part of the company’s success. How they live their lives and handle difficult situations will always have the most significant impact on me. I have a great deal of respect for the class and the grace they show in difficult situations. They are tremendous mentors and role models for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My first experience in the studio was when I was thirteen years old. My sister was taking voice lessons, and I was taking piano lessons. We decided to record a small four-song project with my piano teacher for our family as a Christmas present. My grandmother was battling Alzheimer’s then, and listening to us play and sing would calm her down and make her smile.

My piano teacher, also producing the small project, invited me into the mixing room to help him. He knew I am 90% auditory and learn almost entirely by hearing. I sat behind the board and had a moment I will never forget. It was an AH-HA moment of knowing that was what I was created to do. Immediately I jumped into being in the studio as much as possible.

About a year after that, my grandmother passed away from her battle with Alzheimer’s. She and I used to sit and watch classic 1950’s films together and laugh for hours. After she passed, I was sitting watching Singing In The Rain, and the scene where Donald O’Connor sings “Make Them Laugh” came on. I laughed and smiled for the entire scene! I realized at that moment what the power of music could do! I was sad and grieving the loss of my grandmother, and that song transported me away from all of that and made me smile. That was the second AH-HA moment that drove me into the music industry. I wanted to be somehow part of making that moment happen for someone else!

Soon after that, my sister started playing a few local shows in our hometown. She let me try my hand at running sound for her, and I was hooked again! By the time I turned eighteen, we were playing between seventy and eighty shows per year. She then needed a manager to help keep the business side in line. Because of my experience with her on the road, I jumped at the opportunity to pursue that side of the business. From there, we were on the road playing around 120 shows per year until she got out of music in early 2019.

I wasn’t ready to leave the industry when she stopped touring. I freelanced for about a year, and then in April of 2020, we started 362 Entertainment. Since opening, we have signed two management clients and worked with countless studios and Indie artists from all levels of the industry, helping them navigate the business side of the music industry.

The biggest problem I see in the current industry is the artists not knowing how to navigate this new space in the industry while still trying to write songs and be creative. Maybe they aren’t ready for a manager, but they still need guidance. For this reason, 362 Entertainment offers various Indie artist services, from social media and graphic design to project and release management. What makes 362 Entertainment different is that we focus on building healthy businesses around these artists. We want the artist to understand the music industry and what it takes to create a thriving business.

I am most proud of the reputation the company has gained as being someone that artists can come to for career help and a friend with a listening ear. It is a difficult business full of no’s. We pride ourselves in helping artists stay mentally healthy to pursue their passions with nothing holding them back.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Many things have impacted me, but the top 3 resources are the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, “Dream Big” by Bob Goff, and an online education platform called SmartistU.

In high school, I took a business class from one of the owners of Chick-Fil-A, where we covered the book “Good to Great.” Our final year project was to create a business and pitch it to the class. Mine, of course, was a music venue/recording studio. That class taught me how to operate an effective and thriving work environment.

Bob Goff will forever be one of my favorite authors. His creative mind for business makes sense to me! “Dream Big” is one of those books I have read twice and just started back again. It refocuses my vision and ignites my creativity.

SmartistU is an online education platform that provides business tools, training, and mentorship from Grammy-level experts so that they can become high-demand music industry entrepreneurs. I was initially a student and, from there, began managing their membership program through my company. It will always be one of the things that significantly impacted my career from an education standpoint.

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

It was unexpected when my sister decided to get out of the music industry. I had to decide what to do moving forward, considering she was the only artist I had ever managed. I decided to take two weeks off of music completely. If I was happier and felt more like myself at the end of that two weeks, I would pursue other professional opportunities and get out of the music industry.

I walked away from that experience with a new love and appreciation for music than I ever had before. I knew it was what I was meant to do. I just had to find a way to rebuild and turn it into a business around my vision. That process will forever be the most challenging, rewarding process I have experienced. I truly believe God had a plan all along; he just needed me to trust that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.362entertainment.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/362entertainment/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/362entertainment
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-fleshner-45761a163/

Image Credits
Jackson Boyd – Action Media Company