creakins Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Hi Everyone, Listening to the podcast from Sunday's call in show yesterday, the conversation with the last guest really inspired me to kick my agency up a notch. I've recently started a business, which is giving me the freedom to leave the public education world to go and actually teach. I've been writing a podcast journalling this journey into living by my morals, and using my skills to really make a difference. Freedomain has been one of the many inspirations along the way, so I thought I'd share this with you. I'd love to be able to inspire other people like yourself to use the power of your personal Agency to make a change in the world. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/03/100-day-challenge-day-2.html I hope you find some value. If you feel like having a discussion on the topic, feel free to leave a comment. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Here's the link to the day 3 blog of the 100 day Challenge. Leaving the public education field to pursue a more meaningful path as a private music instructor. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/03/day-3-of-100-day-challenge-give-rock-on.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelfcp Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Thanks for sharing! What is your business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 I michael... My business is private music education. I've been a public school music educator for the past 7 years. I left the world of being a professional private instructor for the security of the public system, only to discover that the security came at quite a large price. The biggest price I paid was in the success of the students I taught. When my students were voluntary they were successful, in the public system, the nature of the system has me teaching sub optimally. I've decided to leave that world, start a podcast to inspire people to support music education privately, build resources for other music instructors and start up my private practice again. My business site is www.musicitup.com Thank you for asking. I hope you get a moment to check out my site. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuelS Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 thanks for sharing. that must be a difficult choice to give up income security for principles, I applaud you on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Here's a brief day 4 blog if you are following. Thank You! http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/03/day-4-of-100-day-challenge-fridays-are.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelfcp Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I´d love to view your site, but it seems do be down. But I admire your courage to go on your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Thank you. My website had a moment today where it was down. All is well and you can check it out at www.musicitup.com Thank you for the encouragement. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cab21 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 interesting blog how does the calender stuff work i was looking at it, for the 30 minute starting consultation the times were 30 minutes apart, how does one meeting start as soon as the previous one ends? a online schedule looks like first come first serve? would there be monthly subscriptions as well? will you just be doing one on one or will group lessons be part of this as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hi.. Thanks for asking the question on the calendar. This is my favorite part of the site. In my private practice, I have a number of parents and students cancelling lessons in the last minute, which then has me scrambling to find a way to reschedule them. I use this calendar app so that everyone has complete control over their schedule. You can book as many lessons in advance as you like. It also allows you to pay for your lessons online after the confirmation has been sent and responded to. So people will be able to book any combination of lesson or go lesson to lesson. As for the timing, it has a built in 30-45 minute transition time but will factor that in after a lesson is booked. So if you booked an initial consultation at 6:00pm on a wednesday, the calendar program would book me out until 7:15pm. At that point the 6:30 and 7:00 time slots would be changed to start back up at 7:15. Its pretty intuitive. As for group lessons, I will be offering those as well, but as this is a start up, I am focusing on booking one on one lessons for now. When I see a demand for the additional services, I will add them. I also need to be able to find a physical place to host group lesson or workshops. This is an area for growth that I am hoping for within the next six months. Great Questions. Let me know if you have any more. Thanks. Here's the new Golden Cuff Shakedown Blog post for today if you are interested. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/03/day-5-of-100-day-challenge-saturday.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Here's a super short day 6 of the 100 day challenge blog. I created an infographic to understand the steps to success. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/03/5-gears-to-success-infographic.html Thanks for following along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Here's day 8 if you're following: http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/04/day-8-of-100-day-challenge-welcome-to.html Its about how, with a little effort, the slog is just as rewarding as the profits made from it. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 Hi Freedomainers! I have a question for fellow bloggers, podcasters, and entrepreneurs. How do you expand your audience to your ideal reader? http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/04/day-9-of-100-day-challenge-keeping-it.html I'd love to hear your input on what I can be doing differently and better to reach more people. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpahmad Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Hey Creakins, I did the same exact thing as you and have been running my own private music academy for the past five years. Through trial and error I figured out a pretty efficient way to handle the business end of it. But I probably could use some useful apps. Check out my website www.franklinmusicacademy.com I'd love to exchange ideas jp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cab21 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Hi.. Thanks for asking the question on the calendar. This is my favorite part of the site. In my private practice, I have a number of parents and students cancelling lessons in the last minute, which then has me scrambling to find a way to reschedule them. I use this calendar app so that everyone has complete control over their schedule. You can book as many lessons in advance as you like. It also allows you to pay for your lessons online after the confirmation has been sent and responded to. So people will be able to book any combination of lesson or go lesson to lesson. As for the timing, it has a built in 30-45 minute transition time but will factor that in after a lesson is booked. So if you booked an initial consultation at 6:00pm on a wednesday, the calendar program would book me out until 7:15pm. At that point the 6:30 and 7:00 time slots would be changed to start back up at 7:15. Its pretty intuitive. As for group lessons, I will be offering those as well, but as this is a start up, I am focusing on booking one on one lessons for now. When I see a demand for the additional services, I will add them. I also need to be able to find a physical place to host group lesson or workshops. This is an area for growth that I am hoping for within the next six months. Great Questions. Let me know if you have any more. Thanks. Here's the new Golden Cuff Shakedown Blog post for today if you are interested. thanks going through the blog part ill come up with some questions. What about monthly subscription with no reschedules? that way you don't scramble, and don't have people paying for less than 4 lessons a month, although the min of 4 per month can still be done at this scedule where people put their own dates in. Positing wise, one option is fewer, higher motivated , higher paying personal students that audition to be a student. the working some on ebooks a podcasts selling or donations and workshops. thats a cool calender system. what are your current time obligations? has 7 years of public school teaching not giving you enough of a safty net to simply do this full time or whatever time it takes for the next 100 days, ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 thanks going through the blog part ill come up with some questions. What about monthly subscription with no reschedules? that way you don't scramble, and don't have people paying for less than 4 lessons a month, although the min of 4 per month can still be done at this scedule where people put their own dates in. Positing wise, one option is fewer, higher motivated , higher paying personal students that audition to be a student. the working some on ebooks a podcasts selling or donations and workshops. thats a cool calender system. what are your current time obligations? has 7 years of public school teaching not giving you enough of a safty net to simply do this full time or whatever time it takes for the next 100 days, ? Hi, These are some great ideas. I like the audition to be one of my students idea a lot! I am going to think about how to make this a reality. Thank you soo much. As for the payment, I think that I am going to have to change the software package to create the availability to book and pay for four lessons up front, and make that the only option. I agree that I am going to be scrambling under the current model. I have been doing some research and it looks as though there is a software solution, but it costs a considerable amount more. As for setting up a safety net, the public school paychecks will set me up to go 100% at this for at least three months. What I have set up, as a just in case, is a catering gig that I can take shifts only when I need them. Say I am not able to get the ten students a month necessary to pay my rent, instead of going on borrowed money, I have that net in place to pay my own way. I might not ever have to take a shift, but I'd rather have it there as a just in case of emergency. Thank you soo much for your input. Its incredibly valuable... and I'm going to look at a way to properly execute both of your suggestions. Chris Here's a quicky for day 10 of the 100 day challenge. Things are starting to move forward at a noticeable rate! http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/04/day-10-of-100-day-challenge-one-tenth.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Here's the new content Friday blog. Its got a bunch of links to all the free content I publish on Fridays. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/04/day-11-of-100-day-challenge-new-content.html I hope you are finding value in these posts. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 I'm sure most of you have read Atlas Shrugged. I'm just getting through the last section right now, and I've attempted a little personal reflection on the Jim and Cheryl relationship in this Saturday Report. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/04/the-saturday-report-5th-edition.html Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakins Posted April 6, 2014 Author Share Posted April 6, 2014 I don't know if anyone is still following this thread anymore, but this will be the last daily post I make here. I am quitting the daily blogging, not the daily challenge though. This blog explains why no one should just keep an online journal like I have been doing. http://goldencuffshakedown.blogspot.ca/2014/04/why-i-am-quitting-daily-blog-world-but.html C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cynicist Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Haha good final blog post, I'm pretty sure you covered all the reasons I never attempted to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts