S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Road Map to Success

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Artists MBA, Foundation ProgramSo you’ve set some goals…

Now, how do you take those juicy goals from inspiring concept to real world success?

Debra has laid out the 7-step “S.P.E.C.I.A.L.” Road Map to Success.

 

In this class you will discover:

  • The biggest mistake that most people make in pursuit of their goals
  • How to create a foundation for real success
  • How to create a plan organically and easily
  • How to stay in action, and tune your actions for best results
  • The important final step that fuels future successes

Debra worked with callers to create some specific actions to get them started on their own Road Map to their inspired goals.

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Your Tuition ($5 for first 14 days then $39 per month) includes all Foundation level classes PLUS the Time Management Mastery Course & App.

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The Shy Singer an Interview with Vikki Flawith

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artists-marketing-business-academy-interview-with-expertsDebra was thrilled to interview singer/songwriter Vikki Flawith, former student at the Artists Marketing & Business Academy, Champion of the Creatively Introverted & Socially Terrified, opera-howling Blogger, procrastinating Painter, housework-hating Vocalist, power-napping Composer and Aquarian Cyber-Geek.

Vikki is a well-respected vocal teacher.  And she has signed multi-track deals with several music publishers.

 

Vikki says:
“My definition of success used to be pleasing everyone else and living my life according to what I thought they wanted so that they’d be pleased with me. Now I live my own life and my own dream.  In order to do this, I had to look deep inside, figure out my goal, and work steadily at the process of achieving it, over time. I had to understand my own operating system.  Being introverted isn’t a crime.  You just have to be more creative in marketing yourself and your art.”

In this interview, we explored:

  • How to make your introversion work for you
  • How to find your unique voice both in your art and in your marketing
  • Criticism vs critique, and how we talk to ourselves

And much more!  It was an enlightening and enjoyable conversation.

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Debra Recommends ifanz

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Debra Russell, Artist's EDGE, Art and Entertainment Industry, music business, marketing, web 2.0, contact managementifanz is a very cool resource originally developed for musicians, but really applicable for creative professionals in all walks of life who are building their career by building their relationship with their fans.  More than just a database and newsletter management tool, it also offers one-stop shopping for many of the needs of the small business owner!

As I teach in Multiple Streams of Art Income, Step 7 is “Strengthen Relationship”, communicating to your fans is critical for this step and ifanz can help.  This one-stop-shop can also help with steps 4 and 6.

From the ifanz.com website:

Invented by Musicians – For Musicians

Ruth McCartney, our CEO, grew up in Liverpool, England in the 60’s. She heard her step-brother Paul and his partner John Lennon lamenting the business side of the Beatles and grew up knowing that “the suits” as John affectionately called them were basically accountants who cared little for the future of music.

When the awesome task of sorting literally tens of thousands of pieces of fan mail fell to her Mother Angie, she made her pocket money by helping to catalog and answer some of the mail. She soon learned that a relationship with the fans is the second most important thing a musician can have – apart from great song material that is!

With the advent of the internet in 1995, Ruth and husband / business partner Martin Nethercutt decided to build a system to collect names and send out newsletters. Today, nearly 10 years later, iFanz now allows thousands of folks just like you to:

Collect names >> develop a relationship and a dialog >> get guidance from your peers >> blast out gig calendars >> download your data to see where your Fanz are geographically >> send a personalized automated birthday greeting to each fan on their big day>> send newsletters by State or Zip >> and much much more.

In addition to communication and database management, iFanz also offers NetShop, a turnkey online store that comes complete with credit card processing and order fulfillment. We offer CD burns on demand and over 30 items of merchandise all available with your custom imagery. One fan, one order, one royalty check. Never again worry about creating huge inventories that might not sell. NetShop products (100% cotton t-shirts, mousepads, mugs, caps, totes and more) are made to order using your design (or we can create one for you) so there’s never any over-stock. And never any upfront costs to you.

The bottom line: if your Fanz have a relationship with you, they are much less likely to steal your music. Who knows, 3 years from know you might be selling them cookbooks, paintings, photography or guitars. iFanz. Because your fanz ARE your future.

 

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Debra Russell Recommends Indie Band Manager

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Debra Russell recommends, Artist's EDGE, Art and Entertainment Industry, music business, marketing, web 2.0, IndiebandmanagerMy friend, Charlie Cheney, designed this system based on filemaker Pro for his own career in music.  But when he saw how many musicians, agents and other professionals in the music industry needed this product, he made it available to the public.

This program is a comprehensive contact management, booking and tour management system.

And I have used it for my own Contact Management System – it’s great for both my Speaking Business and my Private Coaching!  I’m honored to be his first affiliate.

Here’s what his website says:

More and more musicians are proving they only need 1000 true fans to make a living playing music. Indie Band Manager is the complete and affordable database management system for musicians, freelancers, agents, labels, publicists and managers alike to cultivate those 1000+ (up to 5 million) true fans. Over 3000 people in 21 countries and all 50 states have purchased it (and raved about it btw) because it’s the most complete and affordable solution anywhere. Take your career, business, or hobby to the next level. Try it for free right now!

NoCover Magazine calls it “an incredible way to stay organized”; Performing Songwriter says it’s “fabulous and will have you up and running in no time”; and American Songwriter Magazine raves “it works because it was made by someone who knows what it’s like out here on the independent scene.”

Check out Indie Band Manager

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Debra Russell Recommends ReverbNation

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Debra Russell recommends, music business, marketing, web 2.0, reverbnationI’ve been hearing nothing but great buzz about ReverbNation as a one stop shop for contact management and social networking for your music business. Here’s what they say on their website:

ReverbNation.com is a Music 2.0 company that is responding to the changing music business paradigm.

We provide innovative marketing solutions that musicians need to compete, cooperate, and differentiate in an increasingly noisy online environment. Unlike typical “closed” communities, artists use ReverbNation as their home base for approaching marketing and promotion across the Internet as a whole — be it via social networks, blogs, or the artist’s homepage. Tools like TunePaks, FanReach, and Widgets give the artist the power to spread their music and information virtually anywhere. Real-time stats then provide a 360-degree view of how the music is spreading, who is listening, and which fans are actually passing it on to their friends and posting it on their pages. For more information on what ReverbNation can do for artists, click here.

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Debra Recommends Audition

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Debra Russell recommends, Artist's EDGE, Art and Entertainment Industry, acting, film business, audition, michael shurtleffI was lucky enough to study with Michael Shurtleff for 2 years when I was acting in NYC, in the 80’s. In my opinion, this book solidifies in very simple terms the choices an actor must make in order to create a believable character. What’s so beautiful about this, is it enables you to make those choices in the few minutes you have before you step into an audition.

This review is from Amazon.com:

Whether one is an actor, director, writer or teacher, Shurtleff’s book is simply a critical must read. Shurtleff who spent many years as a top casting director possessed an absolute love for the brave souls who dare to place themselves on the stage. His ultimate legacy to his beloved craft is this indispensable “How To” bible.

Much has been written already about his twelve guideposts, and I have nothing new to add to those already glowing (and well deserved) comments. What I did find most illuminative and refreshing is his comments on how to behave at the job interview. It is in this chapter that this book becomes helpful to even the non actor. In this chapter/section, Shurtleff urges all people to realize that ultimately the pressure in the job interview is on the employer and that a good prospect will immediately put the interview board at ease. All too often actors become so self centered and fail to realize that their performance is really about their audience, not them. The same is true therefore of the job interview. It is about the employer, not the employee.

As a teacher, Audition has been most helpful to me as it has provided objective certainty to an area filled with far too many subjective judgements. In other words, Shurtleff has helped define the skills and tasks necessary to train actors in a manner that will help them transition successfully from the educational venue to the professional market. He has given us clear, active objectives to teach toward.

In Audition, Shurtleff articulates what constitutes good, effective acting. Once that becomes defined clearly, then success becomes not a nebulous ideal, but rather a concrete proposition.

If this is not in your theatre library, it is time you add it now.

Buy Audition from Amazon.com

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Debra Recommends Turning Passions Into Profits

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Debra Russell recommends, Christopher Howard, NLP, Hypnosis, success

Turning Passions Into Profits

– 3 Steps to Wealth & Power
by Christopher Howard

This is a book by my NLP and Hypnosis teacher.  What surprised me about this book was what it wasn’t.  It wasn’t another “follow your bliss” woo-woo book.  And it wasn’t a “Business” book.  It is a concrete instruction manual to use other people’s success as your model to create your own success.

Here’s what Amazon has to say:

Product Description

Turning Passions Into Profits provides specific techniques for rapidly closing the gap between where you are today and where you’d like to be tomorrow. In this book, Christopher Howard teaches powerful, innovative tools for modeling and replicating the ultimate success of some of the world’s greatest leaders and billionaires. With the ability to select and incorporate some of the traits, strategies, thought patterns, and behaviors of those already achieving results, individuals can plot a course and arrive at a chosen destination quicker than they ever thought possible. It provides concrete tools and strategies to fully understand the governing principles outstanding achievers use to realize their vision.
In addition, Turning Passions Into Profits supplies exercises to apply these communication and leadership tools to master these skills-ultimately gaining career, financial, and personal success.

From the Inside Flap

What invisible boundaries come between people and their dreams?

Isn’t the playing field the same for everyone?

How can ordinary people break away from the pack?

Why do some people enjoy phenomenal success in everything they do?

In Turning Passions into Profits, Chris Howard, a leading authority on personal influence and effectiveness, helps readers break through boundaries to achieve wealth and power. He gives eye-opening insight into the playing field and the rules of the game of life, and provides innovative techniques and concrete tools for expanding the playing field, rewriting the rules, and winning the game.

Each individual’s personal rule book is based on learned behavior and personal experiences that shape his or her perspectives. Turning Passions into Profits helps readers recognize and overcome their stifling, self-imposed rules and limitations and move toward a more fulfilling and rewarding future.

“Change your focus and take charge of your life” is Howard’s mantra. He provides actionable techniques to get readers on the fast track from today’s frustrating status quo to tomorrow’s infinite possibilities. This inspiring, empowering book includes thought-provoking exercises to complete and strategies to incorporate into every facet of life, including Creation Technologies, modeling, Strategic Visioning, building teams and rapport, and communicating with power. Readers learn about six hallmarks of powerful communications that influence people and special techniques to inspire confidence.

For years, Howard has studied the lives and characteristics of a diverse group of people, some from quite ordinary backgrounds, who became extraordinarily successful, including Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch, Oprah Winfrey, and Nelson Mandela. He zeroes in on common characteristics and shares his insight to help readers learn from and emulate the strategies of the masters.

Turning Passions into Profits is part practical, part philosophical, and all-powerful. It’s not a one-time read; it’s a lifetime reference for those who want to quickly close the gap between where they are and where they want to be.

Buy Turning Passions into Profits now

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