ReVoicing the Future

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 NFAKelly reflects on the shift from feeling like an entrepreneur to actually feeling like a business owner and CEOThe story behind hiring her first salesperson, and the outside validation that helped her trust the decisionA candid look at the Airbnb ad that sparked a viral video, and what actually holds Kelly back from posting her opinions onlineWhy Kelly keeps a "nice file" of screenshots and kind words, and how she uses it to build tolerance for criticismA breakdown of how Kelly filters feedback: considering the source and considering the motiveThe ongoing lack of diversity at the top levels of classical music, and why the data and anecdotes alone haven't been enough to shift itA call for men to be brought more directly into the allyship conversation, not just as spectatorsWhy music schools rarely prepare students for the business side of a music career, and the case for making entrepreneurship part of the curriculumKelly'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 notWhat contentment has come to mean for Kelly, two and a half years after episode oneLearn 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 ArmCAD Audio: Podmaster SuperD Microphone------------This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and On-Stage StandsFollow Us Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SubstackThis 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 companyThe moment a coworker recognized her father's company before she did, and what it revealed about the brand he'd built without her knowingComing 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 yearsBringing simple structure, like an org chart, to a business that had never needed one before herWhat it took to stop questioning every decision and start recognizing the business as hers to runServing on the NAMM Board of Directors, why she said yes without hesitation, and why she's committed to bringing more women into the roomWhat tariffs had to do with her decision to attend her first NAMM DC Fly-InHer all-time favorite concert, and the regret of not writing down every show before this oneLearn more about HOSA Technology.----This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and Powered by AKG.Follow Us Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SubstackThis 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 philanthropyThe 90-day rule that got her through a cross-country move to San Francisco, she almost talked herself out ofWhy CMA Foundation made the deliberate shift from "donation" to "investment" language, and what that means for how they show up for partnersThe origin story of the Music Teachers of Excellence Award, and how one dinner for 50 teachers became a national, industry-wide celebrationBuilding the Women's Leadership Academy from the ground up, and what she's learned about what women in the music industry actually needHer practice of journaling and voice memos as tools for reflection, and why she calls herself her own best colleagueAdvice for leaders on staying human with their teams in a fast-moving industry–––––––––––––This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and Powered by AKG.Follow Us Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack——————————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 capabilitiesThe moment at the 2005 NAMM Show that changed the trajectory of her careerHer 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 ManagerWhat 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 worldHer role as Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer for the Women's Empowerment Council, the Dubai-based organization doing meaningful work for women in businessThe move to Madrid: navigating a major life and cultural transition for herself and her family, and the lessons that came with it–––––––––––––This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and Powered by AKG.Follow Us Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack——————————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 musicFinding her voice through  opera and what her time at The Metropolitan Opera taught herWhy she chose teaching and then full-time motherhood  before stepping back into the family business What "not yet" really means and why timing mattersHow she leads the family business today and the lessons she's passing forward–––––––––––––This episode is presented by Women of NAMM and Powered by AKG.Follow Us Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack——————————This episode was co-produced and edited by Natalie Morrison, Stephanie Lamond, and Julia Olsen.  Music by: Lucky Lamond