“I am so grateful to have been selected for coaching with the A&R Foundation. When we started our work together, my business had three years under its belt but I felt lost in where to go next. Through the coaching process, I was able to develop a business plan, address various outstanding growing pains, and exit the program on an entirely different level of business leadership. Working with Austin at A&R was a fantastic experience, and I would highly recommend this program to any creative seeking guidance and mentorship in how to expand their business and make it successful.”
“The A&R Foundation has been incredibly helpful to my business. During my mentorship with them, I was able to transition from splitting my time between my day job and my songwriting career to writing and performing full-time as the frontwoman of my band, Cast Iron Shoes. With their guidance, I successfully applied for a city grant to fund, promote, and tour my next record.
I also incorporated my band as an LLC, released and toured a self-funded full album of original music, and received invaluable support with bookkeeping, which has helped me stay organized with everything from gas receipts to merchandise purchases. Additionally, I successfully applied for a business line of credit, opened new bank accounts, and started a profit account. This has allowed me not only to pay my operating expenses and taxes but also to turn a profit and pay myself my owner’s share correctly.
Thanks to these achievements, I am now in the position of choosing collaborators based on creative alignment instead of taking any gig just to pay the bills. Next year, I will be touring internationally and using my grant funds, along with venue payouts, to pay my band members above the market rate for live shows promoting my new album.
I am not reliant on record label funds and plan to work with the A&R Foundation in the future to apply for business loans, if needed, so I can retain full creative control of my music without signing recording contracts. I am also learning from the A&R Foundation how to use social media more effectively to market my next album release and reach new fans who haven’t yet discovered my music.
For an independent roots/Americana band, these milestones are incredibly difficult to achieve. None of this would have been possible without the help and guidance I’ve received from Austin and the A&R Foundation.”
“Thank you to Austin, Robert, and Jeremy at the A&R Foundation! It was a blessing to be a part of their coaching pilot program.
We met every two weeks, and they provided lots of solid advice and resources to help me with my business. Austin put together a detailed business plan template for me, which really helped me to see and consider all aspects of my business. They taught me how to create SMART goals, and now I know what’s most important to focus on within my business. With their valuable feedback on my website, I was able to make my service descriptions much more clear for customers. Filling out the financial plan helped me to realize what I needed to change. I changed my prices and now I’m more focused on projects that bring in reliable revenue. Focusing on the right target market has helped my monthly income become more stable. I talked with them about a customer who had not paid their full invoice. They suggested the idea of a payment plan and provided me with resources to research more. The next week, I set up a payment plan for the customer and they happily paid the rest of their invoice!
Jeremy provided lots of valuable insight on marketing. Now it no longer feels daunting to post on social media. He changed my mindset and now it feels exciting to post, rather than something I dread. He worked with me to create a content calendar and come up with content pillars. Now I know exactly when and what I will post, and best practices to get traction on those posts. With his feedback on my website, I turned my “contact” button into a calendar scheduling link. This streamlines the whole contact process, and makes it easier for me and my customers to start a project!
I enjoyed talking with them about my business plan, since they are very passionate about the business side of music. Now I am much more educated on the business side of being a freelancer, and can see a sustainable future for my business in the music and entertainment industry! I would recommend their services to any freelancer or business owner in the industry who needs business and marketing mentorship!”
“I have nothing but positive things to say in regards to the A&R Foundation and my communications with Austin, Jeremy, and Robert. They are an intelligent, multifaceted, and selfless team; and I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from them!
I met Robert while selling my work at a pop-up. He approached me to inquire about my prints as well as inform me about the A&R Foundation. He was cheerful and passionate about his work with the foundation and other artists. As a visual artist who loves making art and aspires to make a living off of it, but doesn’t know the first thing about running a business or where to begin, this was an exciting resource to encounter. Shortly after meeting Robert, I applied to be a part of their Free 1-1 Coaching Program, was eventually accepted, and couldn’t be more grateful.
During our meetings, Austin advised me on separating my personal and business finances. He provided thorough answers to numerous questions about taxes, types of businesses, types of banks, and pricing artwork. He provides information in a very unbiased manner, and comes off as a profound resource rather than a persuasive influence.
Jeremy provided me with countless insights on developing content for my instagram, i.e. thinking critically about how my posts are directed to my audience. He was forthcoming about providing me with resources when applicable, and helped me think about things I had never considered.
It is difficult to stay concise when talking about this program and the people who run it. They are relatable artists who are extremely accommodating and seem to have extraordinary time management skills.
On top of all of this, the program was free… it still seems too good to be true. I would definitely pay for their wisdom moving forward, and can’t recommend their wisdom enough!”
“Austin and Jeremy have helped me get a foothold on the business aspects of being a successful artist. They took stock of the systems I had in place, what worked and what didn’t, and then tailored their advice to meet my business’s exact needs. In addition to sound advice, encouragement, and a demonstrated commitment to accommodating my disability, they are enthusiastic cheerleaders who celebrate wins with me. Their assistance has been essential to my career and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with them.”
“I absolutely LOVE the A&R Foundation!!! At first it felt too good to be true since all of this guidance and planning together was free! Now understand how their non profit system works haha!
Austin has been so helpful with music business planning and marketing explanations that guide me to better decisions with my music career. It’s given me the confidence in breaking down the steps from professionals in this field to get to my music goals. I have a music production live theatrical performance show planned for 2025 and I plan on nourishing our meets together throughout the entire process and beyond, I am so grateful for this group!”
