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

Hi Skyler, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

My business has grown tremendously in the past few years. When the pandemic hit, I invested in digital content. I bought a new camera and microphone and began releasing consistent vocal tutorials on YouTube. I also shot and released 2 online courses. I made the best of the moment, and it has continued to pay off to this day. I just got a call earlier from an interested vocal student who found my video on YouTube. I have been able to connect to singers around the world, from Tokyo to Australia. It’s been a beautiful experience.

It was not a planned strategy. I honestly started doing videos on how to sing riffs and runs for my pure entertainment. It was something fun to do, and I soon got a lot of requests. At the least, I thought it might drive more ears to my released music as an artist. Those numbers have gone up as well, but what I couldn’t have predicted was the amount of views I’d get on YouTube. Once I hit nearly 30k views on a Jazmine Sullivan run tutorial, YouTube subscribers began to flood in! And I was able to create an awesome community of music lovers. I enjoy reading their comments, and I respond to nearly everyone.

I started treating YouTube content like a part-time job. I would upload videos weekly, and sometimes twice a week. I even created a content schedule to make sure I got to all the reasonable requests and touched on songs I knew my viewers would love to learn. At first, the shoots were long, but as the months went by I got more efficient and I even got better at singing runs. It was like practice for me, and now I can likely hear a run once and repeat it right back.

I believe that my students are drawn to me because I can sing well, and they can see my passion for it through my videos. I get a lot of compliments for my teaching style as well. Before the pandemic, I was not really doing lessons online, but now nearly half of my clientele are out-of-state students. I’m so grateful for every one of them.

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 am an artist and business owner based in Atlanta. I started my business, Skyler’s Music Studio, within 6 months of moving to the city from Los Angeles. Music has always been a driving force in my life. I studied vocal performance and immediately flew to LA after graduating college. I pursued music in many forms, as I performed in operas, did concerts, and established myself as an R&B/Soul artist. I decided around 2016 that I wanted to own a business. Atlanta was the perfect place to take root, as I felt the support for being a small minority business. I help my students with ear training, gaining confidence, breath control, and so much more. It’s truly rewarding to be able to help singers and musicians work through their challenges. I’m most proud of helping several students get admitted into performing arts programs.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Selling music lessons has a lot to do with my personality. I enjoy doing group workshops and events, so several years ago I teamed up with a business called Bass Parlour to provide vocal workshops. I had a blast sharing with adults about vocal technique, performing, and the like. Hosting events and attending events is how I market my business in person. From those opportunities, I was able to connect with other talented artists in the area and help them along their journey.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I have worked in music education for a while, so naturally, my first job in Atlanta was in that field at a school. I had no plans in starting my business so soon, but several parents requested private lessons for their children. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I should put all of my energy and focus into my business. I was already teaching private lessons for other studios. After about 6 months at the job I decided to bet on only myself, so I quit. Luckily, it worked out!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.skylersmusicstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skylersmusicstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skylersmusicstudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlUesSZIy5OawIOzyQ3uKA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/skylers-music-studio-atlanta-3?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Image Credits
So Soul Productions