Lessons Learned in 2009
Posted on January 2, 2010 with 0 comments
2009 is finally over. What a year of learning all those little things that helped to re-define the mission, goals and purpose of Glass Ceiling Music. It was a year of sad realizations in many aspects. Sure the economy was in a downward spiral, but when times get tough, well... when times are tough you get to see the real people for who they really are. I will share just two stories with you to support this. They are as follows;
GCM started 2009 with a six month signed venue contract to provided entertainment services at a struggling bar in a distant town. We transformed that venue from a run down 70's Chineese Disco into the premier Rock Venue in the area (a very remote area). The company brought in more than $30,000 in equipment and spent another thousand on stage modifications and a sound booth. Every week GCM spent close to a grand on promotions for the venue. Sadly, the venue breached the contract just four weeks into the entertainment schedule. Adding to the breach was legal threats including the initial refusal to allow GCM to remove thier equipment from the venue (claiming it now belonged to them) and threats to have us arrested by someone who had nothing to do with anything (but she sure thought she did). In the end, GCM did remove all thier equipment and restored the venue to its original condition prior to our arrival. What did we learn?
For starters, we learned that you can not trust anyone in this business, contract or not. We also learned that thinking otherwise was our error. In this business you really have to learn to accept things as they are and move on. Though this specific venue owner graduated with me from the UW with a B.A. degree in Accounting, she still managed to play every card from race to gender to a lack of education to everyone that would listen and take pitty on her as if she were the victim. I would nominate her for an Academy Award if they had a category for "Best Venue Screwing of a Service Provider". Lesson learned. No more bars (unless we own it).
Learing lesson number two. I call this one, "the Greatest Show that never happened". After 11 months of emails, phone calls and meetings an event was to take place to benefit someone besides GCM and the artists on the bill. This un-named party claimed that the 1300 person location would sell out in advance. They set the price and they handled the promotions. All GCM had to do was make sure every detail of the event was handled. This included arranging "meet & greet's" where and when possible, making promotional CDs to give away and paying for all the staffing needed to ensure the safety of the patrons as well as the quality of the event. Again, GCM shelled out a couple thousand to make everything solid as a rock. However, the event was cancelled by the party that would benefit most just 32 hours before the actual event was to take place. What did we learn?
Never let anyone do your promotional work. We got screwed once before (in Bellingham) on this sort of deal and we take full responsibility for being stupid enough to fall for it again. Second we learned that everybody likes to think they know how to put together an event of this nature, but very few of them actually have any clue at all. Despite all of thier excuses and attempts to avoid responsibility for thier lack of action, the facts are the facts, they dropped the ball and GCM got screwed once again.
Those two stories alone more than support the new GCM in 2010. I did not write this blog to bitch and moan like a baby (though some may think that is the case). I wrote this to explain to all of you that it is not the screwing, but what you can take away from these bad experiences that allows good companies to adjust and adapt. These experiences allow GCM to build an even stronger base to stand on and provides even more incentive to continue doing what we do best. In the end, we all get screwed by someone sometime. Learn from it, as we did. Make the most of what you learned from the experience.
Take care and we will see you at the show!
-GCM Mangagement
GCM started 2009 with a six month signed venue contract to provided entertainment services at a struggling bar in a distant town. We transformed that venue from a run down 70's Chineese Disco into the premier Rock Venue in the area (a very remote area). The company brought in more than $30,000 in equipment and spent another thousand on stage modifications and a sound booth. Every week GCM spent close to a grand on promotions for the venue. Sadly, the venue breached the contract just four weeks into the entertainment schedule. Adding to the breach was legal threats including the initial refusal to allow GCM to remove thier equipment from the venue (claiming it now belonged to them) and threats to have us arrested by someone who had nothing to do with anything (but she sure thought she did). In the end, GCM did remove all thier equipment and restored the venue to its original condition prior to our arrival. What did we learn?
For starters, we learned that you can not trust anyone in this business, contract or not. We also learned that thinking otherwise was our error. In this business you really have to learn to accept things as they are and move on. Though this specific venue owner graduated with me from the UW with a B.A. degree in Accounting, she still managed to play every card from race to gender to a lack of education to everyone that would listen and take pitty on her as if she were the victim. I would nominate her for an Academy Award if they had a category for "Best Venue Screwing of a Service Provider". Lesson learned. No more bars (unless we own it).
Learing lesson number two. I call this one, "the Greatest Show that never happened". After 11 months of emails, phone calls and meetings an event was to take place to benefit someone besides GCM and the artists on the bill. This un-named party claimed that the 1300 person location would sell out in advance. They set the price and they handled the promotions. All GCM had to do was make sure every detail of the event was handled. This included arranging "meet & greet's" where and when possible, making promotional CDs to give away and paying for all the staffing needed to ensure the safety of the patrons as well as the quality of the event. Again, GCM shelled out a couple thousand to make everything solid as a rock. However, the event was cancelled by the party that would benefit most just 32 hours before the actual event was to take place. What did we learn?
Never let anyone do your promotional work. We got screwed once before (in Bellingham) on this sort of deal and we take full responsibility for being stupid enough to fall for it again. Second we learned that everybody likes to think they know how to put together an event of this nature, but very few of them actually have any clue at all. Despite all of thier excuses and attempts to avoid responsibility for thier lack of action, the facts are the facts, they dropped the ball and GCM got screwed once again.
Those two stories alone more than support the new GCM in 2010. I did not write this blog to bitch and moan like a baby (though some may think that is the case). I wrote this to explain to all of you that it is not the screwing, but what you can take away from these bad experiences that allows good companies to adjust and adapt. These experiences allow GCM to build an even stronger base to stand on and provides even more incentive to continue doing what we do best. In the end, we all get screwed by someone sometime. Learn from it, as we did. Make the most of what you learned from the experience.
Take care and we will see you at the show!
-GCM Mangagement