Cover Charge Podcast

Matt Schoen was the first designer hired in-house by VICE, one of the most iconic media brands of the 21st century. He rose to become VICE's executive design director, and he joined host Nick Schenck to discuss his 13 years there and what that experience meant for his career. Matt lives in Austin now and led 3rd + Lamar's brand refresh, so we also discuss that project, his creative process, and where 3rd + Lamar is headed.

Cam Turney (aka Cam The Tastemaker) is an Austin entrepreneur who launched RentARecordLabel.com to help artists build thriving businesses around their music. It's a new model that is catching on with musicians who are tired of chasing record deals and selling the rights to their music. In this episode, he explains his business and how he cultivated his talent as a music tastemaker. He also names the Top 3 artists in Austin and how he feels about Austin as a home for musicians.

Adam Jones is the CEO of Austin-based Holodeck Records and a member of electronic bands S U R V I V E and Troller. We spoke to him late last year about managing a record label during COVID, how synthwave music has gained in popularity, and the best way to support your favorite musicians monetarily. He also described how life changed when Netflix's Stranger Things series used music from S U R V I V E and members of the group on its soundtrack.

Edward Floyd worked for the government and drove for Postmates until he launched his own delivery app in Austin in 2020. He talks about funding his business with credit cards and payday loans, what his customer acquisition costs are, how he used his library card to educate himself on business licensing, and what it's like to "part ways" with employees.

Shay Spaniola launched a home decor brand in Austin in her early 20s and quickly reached wholesale agreements with Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, and Anthropologie. She explains why she wants to sell her company, what to consider before accepting outside investors, why she likes drop-shipping, and more.

Former Vanity Fair producer Rachel Musquiz moved to Austin thanks to inspiration from a prickly pear cactus, and then she bought a $13k food truck on a whim. She's turned that into a multi-pronged, plant-based food brand with seven revenue streams. Hear from the Curcuma founder on her approach to business, her philosophy on food, and more.

Austin filmmaker David Blue Garcia joins the podcast to describe selling his film, Tejano, to HBO, why he thinks Austin is no longer a good city for artists, and how he grew his production business thanks to an opportune tweet from Lance Armstrong.

Intrepid Austin entrepreneur and food blogger Shayda Torabi is attempting to grow a CBD business with her family during a time when laws are muddy and open for interpretation. She shares that experience and her affinity for marijuana in our latest podcast.

Austin boutique hotel Inn Cahoots generates roughly 15% of its annual revenue during SXSW. Founder and CEO Kristen Carson shares details from the past 90 days as she's scrambled to conserve cash and pivot her business.

It doesn't get more real than this. Our guest is Ray Machuca, chief creative officer at Austin-based FloSports. A Louisiana native, Machuca talks content, avoiding land mines in Afghanistan, achieving sobriety, and his winding road to Austin.