You know those days when everything feels like it's falling into place? We were grateful to have one, especially in these continued wild times, so we went more off script than ever. This episode is all about what our pandemic pivot has been like for our company and we also reflect on previous pivots made. It's been unnerving to build a business during this time, but there have been lessons learned and experiences made that we wanted to share with you!

The better the brand, the better the business...right? While a beautiful brand isn't the only thing that makes a business, it is a very important piece. A well thought out brand gives your customers confidence that you can do what you say you can, and our brand...was not cutting it. In this episode we discuss what exercises helped us prepare for the rebrand, the creative journey itself, and tips and tricks we learned from a top notch branding agency.

Our roles have changed a lot while building our company. Sometimes it was forced due to our business’s evolution, and at other times it was decided as we found a better path forward. We wanted to be open and honest about all of it. On this episode, we talk about becoming Co-CEOs together this year, and why we insist that our team members act as leaders alongside us as well.

Season 3 is here! We had to get creative and record this without our typical production resources due to the pandemic. It definitely makes this episode that much more candid on what we are all experiencing in the world today. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to have a pandemic hit your business from all sides (aka ours), how we have grown our business since last season, and how we are now repositioning for the future of events. You know what they say, when the going gets tough...add COVID-19!

And that's a wrap, season 2! In this final episode we answered questions that were submitted throughout the season via [email protected]. As always, please reach out if you have any further thoughts/questions or want to talk through pain points when growing a business.

We have found that one of the most exciting yet difficult parts of growing a business is determining what kind of partnerships actually make sense for your company. And how do you know if they are strategic and will complement your company? This episode is part 1 of Partnerships with Gordon Droitcour and how he began to think through this process for his business, Cour Design.

More on Cour Design: "Put simply, we are dreamers and creatives with the technical and logistical backgrounds to pull off the impossible. We design for the big and small. We work with management teams to scale emerging artists to the big time and with in house infrastructure to handle design for the largest tours out there. Concert creative direction, lighting design, content, and music videos."

There is truly a method to the madness when it comes to executing sales goals and building a sales team. Not only are there metrics to base your goals off of, but also intrinsic motivators that are unique to each individual that's a part of your team. Chris Becker is an expert on these topics and we are excited for you to hear from him on this episode of Freshmen Founders.

Attention all creators: if you're wondering how to take the next steps in making your passion/creative outlet/hobby a full time business, this is the episode for you. Nathan Brown is an incredible artist that took all of his knowledge from previous career experiences and implemented these lessons into his full time business as a public artist. Nathan is commissioned and travels all over the world to share his mind opening murals and unique designs.

To learn more about Nathan Brown, check out: www.19ss.net

In this episode we discuss all things digital strategy (and what that actually even means) and how to effectively market your business as a brand.

Michael has an impressive background in digital strategy for all different types of businesses, especially in the music industry which we love. He started in project management, moved to interactive marketing, did a lot of cool stuff in between, and is now overseeing his own company, Streaming Promotions - a music placement and streaming company.

This is the third episode on fundraising for your startup (part 1 and part 2 are in season 1). We dive into traditional capital options like utilizing a line of credit or a loan to grow your business, and why this might be more beneficial than initially working with investors.

Brad Peterson is the Vice President of Music & Entertainment at Regions Bank and is a huge advocate for artists and entrepreneurs. Brad has changed the game for us in our business and we wanted you to hear directly from the source.