6 Tips For Professional Growth

Building my professional music studio took time and effort. There were some risks involved and occasional setbacks. Some days are filled with discouraging phone calls, difficult parents, or obstinate students. But most of the time, I am graced with lots of smiles and thank you’s. I became my own boss, work the hours I determined are right for me, and teach students that want to learn, all in an environment that I created. It was definitely worth it!

"When you’re in business for yourself, you write your own history, you write your own success story, you write your own legacy and most important, you write your own paycheck. Being in business for yourself gives you the opportunity to work your heart out for something you love.”

Jeffrey Gitomer,
best-selling author of Little Red Book of Selling

​If you are getting ready to start your music teaching business or feel the need for a step up from where you are, here are some ideas to help you reach the next level.

1. Get to know yourself better.
One of the first things I had to do after quitting what I thought would be my dream job, was to recognize what my deepest desires for my career were and answer some important questions. So, grab a notebook, pen, and coffee and take a few minutes to get introspective. Check out the questions at this post.

2. Create a mission statement.
“You can find your mission any place, at any time,” states Laurie Beth Jones, author of The Path: Creating your mission statement for work and for life. In her book, Jones walks you through the steps to write one sentence that communicates your purpose in life.

3. Find a mentor.
Look around for someone who can guide you. They should possess the qualities and characteristics that are important to you as a person. Perhaps they are doing exactly what you hope to do one day, or maybe not. More importantly, do you respect them and can you build an open and honest relationship with them?

4. Ask questions.
And ask a lot of them! Ask your mentor, other business people, musicians, friends, peers, students, co-workers, teachers. What do you want to accomplish and how did other people get there? Find out the big picture and get the details. Your ideas are great, but they’ll need some legs to run on.

5. Get started.
Brainstorm practical ways to move forward with your idea/career. One tool that is indispensable for a business in today’s techie society is a website or blog. You will gain credibility if you have an online presence. Also, use business cards, social media and word-of-mouth to get yourself and your business known! (Entrepreneur.com has tons of ideas to get you going.)

6. Get connected.
​Get to know like-minded people through associations, meetup groups, networks, clubs or other organizations (both online and real world). The support, friendships, and opportunities will be invaluable. Here are some national and international possibilities: MTNA, ASBDA, NAfME, ISME, AOSA, AFM, ACDA. There are hundreds of local associations as well, so don’t hesitate to Google your area.


Do you need to improve something related to your studio? I'd love to hear your success story or your challenge in the comments below!