Transcript: Snapshot 045 – Caelyn Meier
Transcript for Snapshot 045 – Caelyn Meier
Andrea 00:02
Hey, it’s Andrea with Music Studio Startup, the podcast about the business of teaching music. Learn from the startup stories of music teachers who are doing incredible things with their studios. Be inspired by creative musicians who are branching out and thriving as entrepreneurs. Be empowered by the insights of experts who will help you grow your own studio. Let’s get started. Welcome back. We’re running our summer podcast series called Studio Snapshots. Rather than the in-depth process-oriented interviews you’re used to hearing, these rapid-fire interviews give us a glimpse into a guest’s studio at a moment in time. They’re part reflection, part anticipation of the future, and fully a celebration of where these teachers are today. Today I’m talking to Caelyn Meier. Here’s Caelyn’s Snapshot.
Andrea 00:58
Hi, Caelyn. Welcome to the podcast. Today we’re doing a Studio Snapshot, which is kind of a rapid-fire interview, looking at your studio, looking back over the last year. So to kick us off, can you introduce yourself and tell us briefly about your studio?
Caelyn Meier 01:11
Well, my name is Caelyn. I’ve been in business about two years. I own The Piano Lab and we’ve spent the last two years in a smaller location inside of Conservatory in Heartland, Wisconsin. And then I’m in the middle of moving into my own space in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
Andrea 01:25
That is super exciting. So what is one thing you’re celebrating from the last school year?
Caelyn Meier 01:30
Uh, last year was a big transition. I went from mostly doing private lessons to transitioning to group lessons and just having a more community focus to just a fun focus on lessons. And I think that we really saw that in the end of the year recital last winter. It was just really fun and all the kids loved it and they keep asking when we’re going to do another one. And I was going to do one this end of school year, just with all the moves and stuff, I was like, I don’t have time. Looking forward to another recital.
Andrea 02:00
How were you challenged in the last year?
Caelyn Meier 02:03
It was really hard teaching in a small space, trying to expand and do group lessons, and the space just didn’t fit what I needed it to do. I couldn’t have the parents in there, so I was struggling with classroom management and just having four kids in a very small space, so.
Andrea 02:23
The uncomfortable in between when you’re scaling. Did you take any risks or go outside your comfort zone last year?
Caelyn Meier 02:31
I’d say I’m in that at the moment, just moving out into my own space. You know, while the conservatory didn’t give us students specifically, there is a comfort in having like that there. So kind of going out on your own, it feels like you’re kicking out all the legs and you have to stand on your own. That and, you know, all the financial risk is yours now.
Andrea 02:53
Is there anything that you are taking away from that right now or anything you did to prepare for that before you went into it?
Caelyn Meier 03:00
I probably could have prepared a slightly more. So I got the Mary Sue Harris Grant MTNA and I’d already been thinking about moving. So after that, things just started moving into place and it was just fast.
Andrea 03:13
Did some planning to get that grant, I’m sure, and now putting you into action. Yeah. What do summers look like in your studio for your students and also for you?
Caelyn Meier 03:22
In the past, they have been just the same as the school year, just with less people, because students will take the summer off. As we move into the new studio and get the new space, looking forward to next summer, I have lots of plans of workshops, a few camps, and if students need one-on-one interaction, breaking out from groups and doing that, just being more of a tailored summer.
Andrea 03:43
And how about you? This summer sounds like not a normal summer, but what’s on the agenda?
Caelyn Meier 03:48
The summer has been a lot of just work, putting in lots of marketing and networking on next summer. I intend to like take a few weeks off.
Andrea 03:58
What are you doing this summer to prep for the next school year.
Caelyn Meier 04:00
I’m doing a lot of just marketing. Um, I’ve been using a consultant that comes with homework and just marketing tasks, website prep. I’ve also been using what’s called Forte Music Curriculum with Paul Miatt. And so I’ve been doing the training videos for the early childhood to get that off launched and for just the little kids, cause I had done all the way down to like five, but needed to get the rest of the training done.
Andrea 04:27
What app or tool has made the biggest impact in your studio or life management this year?
Caelyn Meier 04:32
Hands down, it has to be Fons. I had tried a couple different billing softwares, and just for groups, Fons is optimized for that and works really well, and I don’t have to touch it. My admin was probably down to just answering emails and adding a new student or taking a student away if they left, and I really don’t have to touch it. It’s great.
Andrea 04:50
That’s awesome. What’s one area of your business where you tend to get carried away or go overboard just because it’s something you get really excited about?
Caelyn Meier 04:57
I tend to like the business side of things. I tend to nerd out on the marketing side and then the networking and trying to optimize the Facebook and the SEO. And yeah, that’s where I’ve been lately, Headspace.
Andrea 05:12
Helpful place for this moment in growing your studio. And where can listeners get in touch with you?
Caelyn Meier 05:17
I have an Instagram page. You can look at my personal one, which is Caelyn Meier, or I have the Piano Lab, which is my business page. And then I have an Instagram page too. That is Caelyn_ThePianoLab.
Andrea 05:32
All right, Caelyn, thank you for being here today. Thank you for taking the time to be with us, Caelyn. We’ll include a transcript and all the links mentioned in this episode at musicstudiostartup.com/snapshot045. The Music Studio Startup website is also filled with lots of other resources for music teachers just like you who want to set up their studios for success this summer, including our very popular self-paced Business Building 101 course, and our hub and mastermind for studio owners who want to be supported and challenged to grow as entrepreneurs. It’s not too late to join our live cohort of Business Building 101 this summer. Register at musicstudiostartup.com/businessbuilding101.
Andrea 06:12
That’s all for today. Thanks for listening. I’ll be back next week.