Two and a half years ago, Kelly Riordan joined the podcast table in the early days of building Outside the Bachs. Now she’s back, in person, in Natalie’s apartment, catching us up on everything that’s changed. 

Kelly talks candidly about growing from entrepreneur to business owner, taking more risks at in-person events, hiring for the first time, and reflecting on how we can take ourselves too seriously. We get into content creation, some insecurities we didn’t know we were still carrying, and how to use feedback instead of absorbing all of it. This raw, vulnerable conversation moves through allyship, the gaps in music education and women in music, and what it takes to build a career that doesn’t follow a straight line. 

At its core, it’s a conversation about growth. New things are scary. Then, eventually, they’re not. 

In This Episode:

• Kelly and Natalie reunite in person for the first time, recording live from Natalie's apartment after Kelly's trip through NFA

• Kelly reflects on the shift from feeling like an entrepreneur to actually feeling like a business owner and CEO

• The story behind hiring her first salesperson, and the outside validation that helped her trust the decision

• A candid look at the Airbnb ad that sparked a viral video, and what actually holds Kelly back from posting her opinions online

• Why Kelly keeps a "nice file" of screenshots and kind words, and how she uses it to build tolerance for criticism

• A breakdown of how Kelly filters feedback: considering the source and considering the motive

• The ongoing lack of diversity at the top levels of classical music, and why the data and anecdotes alone haven't been enough to shift it

• A call for men to be brought more directly into the allyship conversation, not just as spectators

• Why music schools rarely prepare students for the business side of a music career, and the case for making entrepreneurship part of the curriculum

• Kelly's advice to a new student she mentored at NFA: take the gap year, take the risk, and know that new things are scary until they're not

• What contentment has come to mean for Kelly, two and a half years after episode one

Learn more about Outside the Bachs. Listen to her podcast and follow on social media. 

Gear Used in this Episode: 

• Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone 

• On-Stage Low-Profile Broadcast Boom Arm

• CAD Audio: Podmaster SuperD Microphone

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This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and On-Stage Stands

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

Mayumi Allison had no intention of joining the family business until her mother became the one pushing her to take the leap. As CEO of HOSA Technology, Mayumi joins Natalie to talk about what it took to build credibility on her own terms, from bringing basic structure to a company that had grown organically for forty years, to sitting with employees who knew the business better than she did. She shares what it was like to learn she was the daughter of a founder people actually recognized, why "Connecting What Moves You" is more than a company tagline to her, and why she believes the best thing women in this industry can do is find each other.

In this Episode:

• How thirteen years in mortgage banking became the unexpected foundation for running a musical instrument company

• The moment a coworker recognized her father's company before she did, and what it revealed about the brand he'd built without her knowing

• Coming in as "the owner's daughter," the fear of being seen as riding coattails, and how she earned trust from staff who'd been there for years

• Bringing simple structure, like an org chart, to a business that had never needed one before her

• What it took to stop questioning every decision and start recognizing the business as hers to run

• Serving on the NAMM Board of Directors, why she said yes without hesitation, and why she's committed to bringing more women into the room

• What tariffs had to do with her decision to attend her first NAMM DC Fly-In

• Her all-time favorite concert, and the regret of not writing down every show before this one

  
  

Learn more about HOSA Technology.

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

Tiffany Kerns has spent thirteen years building the CMA Foundation into what it is today, and along the way, helped shift the language from donation to investment. As Executive Director of the CMA Foundation and SVP of Industry Relations and Philanthropy at CMA, Tiffany joins Natalie to talk about what it means to invest in the whole person, not just the output. She shares the story behind the Music Teachers of Excellence Award, the Women's Leadership Academy, and why she believes the best colleague you'll ever have is yourself.

Learn more about the CMA Foundation.

In this Episode:

• How music found Tiffany by accident, and the throughline from political science to philanthropy

• The 90-day rule that got her through a cross-country move to San Francisco, she almost talked herself out of

• Why CMA Foundation made the deliberate shift from "donation" to "investment" language, and what that means for how they show up for partners

• The origin story of the Music Teachers of Excellence Award, and how one dinner for 50 teachers became a national, industry-wide celebration

• Building the Women's Leadership Academy from the ground up, and what she's learned about what women in the music industry actually need

• Her practice of journaling and voice memos as tools for reflection, and why she calls herself her own best colleague

• Advice for leaders on staying human with their teams in a fast-moving industry

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This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and Powered by AKG.

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Julia Rynkova has built her sales career across cultures, languages, and borders. Her philosophy through it all? Know your land. As the Sales Business Development Manager for D'Addario & Company, Inc., and based in Madrid, Julia joins Natalie to talk about adaptability, authentic connection, and what it really takes to build trust in sales. She shares the stories of two mentors who changed her trajectory, why relationships are at the center of everything she does, and how her work with the Women's Empowerment Council keeps her grounded in something bigger.

Learn about the Women’s Empowerment Council. 

In this Episode: 

• How music found Julia entirely by accident 

• Leading an international drum festival at 26, and what that experience taught her about her own capabilities

• The moment at the 2005 NAMM Show that changed the trajectory of her career

• Her journey with D'Addario & Company, Inc.: the role she almost turned down, the mentor who changed her mind, and how she grew into her work as Sales Business Development Manager

• What it means to be a woman in sales leadership across international markets, what stays the same and what looks very different depending on where you are in the world

• Her role as Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer for the Women's Empowerment Council, the Dubai-based organization doing meaningful work for women in business

• The move to Madrid: navigating a major life and cultural transition for herself and her family, and the lessons that came with it

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

Growing up surrounded by music, Kim Koch had an inkling the family business would be part of her story,  just not yet. Before stepping into her role as President of Saied Music, she took the long way: studying opera, working at The Metropolitan Opera, teaching, and spending a decade as a full-time mom.

In this episode, Kim shares what she learned from each chapter, why saying "not yet" was one of the best decisions she ever made, and how her journey of finding her voice is now shaping the next generation, including her children and everyone around her. 

In This Episode:

• How growing up in a family music business shaped Kim's relationship with music

• Finding her voice through  opera and what her time at The Metropolitan Opera taught her

• Why she chose teaching and then full-time motherhood  before stepping back into the family business 

• What "not yet" really means and why timing matters

• How she leads the family business today and the lessons she's passing forward

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

Sarah Yule noticed that the world would inevitably turn her into a statistic and decided to channel it for good. 

Sarah didn’t take the expected route to the top of one of the music industry’s most iconic brands. Her path wound through recording studios, unexpected pivots, and a series of moments that had less to do with a five-year plan and everything to do with momentum. As Managing Director of Orange Amps, she’s now reshaping what leadership looks like from the inside out, and she’s got a lot ot say about how we get there. 

In this conversation with Natalie and Stephanie, it’s less about fixed endpoints and more about the energy of progression, the power of staying in motion. She offers a refreshingly grounded take on ambition, one built on self-awareness and interconnection rather than rigid milestones. 

Join us for an episode rich with metaphors that make the music industry’s complex ecosystem feel navigable, with some fun surprises along the way.  

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

For this Women’s History Month, Melinda Colaizzi, Founder of Women Who Rock, joins the table to draw the curtain back on the organization's mission of championing women in music and women’s health. Melinda shares her journey in music and how her own personal health journey inspired the beginning of Women Who Rock and their partnership with Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, which is working to help eliminate the women’s health gap. 

Learn more about Women Who Rock.

Learn more about Magee-Womens Research Institute. 

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Donate to Women of NAMM. AmplifyHER March. Throughout March, supporters across our community will come together to raise critical funds for the Women of NAMM Leadership Fund. Every gift fuels leadership development, professional growth, and access to opportunity for women at every stage of their journey. Because when women are supported, the entire industry grows stronger.

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

Live from the Idea Center at The NAMM Show, join Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen for a special conversation around their insights on the future of leadership.

Great leaders know that real influence starts with connection. In this session, you’ll discover how to level up your leadership style through the art of meaningful conversation.

The ReVoicing the Future team has spent the past five years interviewing top industry leaders on this Women of NAMM podcast. Now, they’ll share the most powerful lessons they’ve learned to help you develop as a leader. Find out how listening, preparation, and authentic storytelling can build trust, spark collaboration, and strengthen relationships in every aspect of your career journey.

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

Theresa Hoffman got her start in the industry on the factory floor at Martin Guitar, and worked her way through every facet of the business to her latest achievement, building the Martin Guitar Custom Shop. She shares how following her curiosity led her each step of the way, why a supportive company culture is key to a career like hers, and stories from the custom shop, reflecting on the power of helping someone create their own unique instrument. 

Women of NAMM at The NAMM Show!

• Thursday, January 22 at 10 AM | First Attendee Meet-Up
• Thursday, January 22 at 3 PM | ReVoicing the Future Live!
• * CORRECTION* Friday, January 23 at 9:30 AM | Deep Dive Live!
• Friday, January 23 at 5 PM | Women of NAMM Reception

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond

The topic of AI is polarizing. Some embrace it, some fear it. As a creative herself, Michelle Rose decided to embrace it. Michelle sits down with Natalie and Stephanie to talk through her career as a creative; how it’s okay to start your true passion later in life, and how embracing AI helped her, and in turn, teaches other creatives how it can help them. This jam-packed episode covers a lot of ground, and Michelle leaves no stone unturned. 

Subscribe to Struktur Society on Substack. 

Learn more about Strukstur Society.

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This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  

Music by: Lucky Lamond