Facebook Live — Podcast — Making It with Chris G.

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

The Podcast is BACK with Season 2!! This season, we’re coming back with a deeper focus on education and lessons for independent musicians and music business students across the country. The podcast will range from inspiring independent musicians living a career on their terms, to influential marketers and entrepreneurs, and highlighting many of the different careers within the music business.

The first guest of the new season is the return of Dawn Beyer! Dawn Beyer is a true pioneer and living proof of how you can build a career as an independent artist in today’s music industry. In the last episode, we learned about her journey as a struggling musician in Nashville making the rounds on Broadway, where she was playing for tips. After getting sick and worried about how to make ends meet by not being able to play on Broadway, she discovered Facebook Live. This discovery was a career changer for Dawn. In her first year, she made over $74k from tips with Facebook Live and a PayPal tip button. This new journey has led to true fans of Dawn’s music, who went from watching on Facebook Live to paying her to play in their living rooms, parties, and so much more. Today, Dawn offers some amazing coaching to teach other musicians on how she did, and how they can do it too.

After my first conversation with Dawn, I was really inspired by her amazing spirit and positive attitude to take on the music industry and find her way to push through and live her dream. Dawn didn’t wait around for a manager, label, or agent to give her permission to make a living doing music. She gave herself permission, and she went out and did it. In the first episode, she shared her amazing journey on how she made a living and built the foundation of her career after discovering Facebook Live. Today, she is touring the country playing for fans she made from her Facebook Live videos, but is also giving back and teaching other musicians how they can make a full time living playing music, and do it on their terms.

To learn more about Dawn Byer, please visit https://www.therealnashville.com/ and http://www.therealmakingit.com/

Highlights from this Episode
[4:12] What’s new in the life of Dawn Beyer
[7:28] Dawn’s 30-Day Tour
[8:55] Structure of Living Room Concerts
[10:58] Finding people to host you for a house concert
[15:26] Dawn’s content strategy
[17:03] What types of emails do people want to read?
[18:18] The programs Dawn is offering for musicians
[25:32] Songwriting process
[28:53] How often Dawn writes
[34:00] Details about Dawn’s courses and what people can expect
[36:48] Success stories from the program
[40:10] Creating a virtual tip jar
[46:35] Common mistakes musicians make
[50:34] Philosophy on Touring
[58:00] The lesson that took Dawn the longest to learn
[1:00:11] Rapid Fire Questions

Quotes from Dawn Beyer
“You have all the opportunity, and all the platforms available today.”
“I didn’t even have a laptop when I first started this.”
“Gather your core group, figure out who they actually are, and send them to where you can connect with them.”
“Figure out what making it really is for you.”
“There might be some other way, there might be some other making it.”
“It’s about not caring what other people think you should do, and making it for you.”
“The best way to play your own music is to get off Broadway.”
“The platform is what puts us out there and lets us connect with someone.”
“You have to have the ability to come through someone’s phone and be in their living room.”
“Once they are connected, they will be there for every album, every show, and everything you do.”
“If you’re writing about something you don’t care about, people will feel that.”
“Being real and raw, and just putting it out there, is the thing that anyone can do.”
“I don’t see any reason why you would start out playing bars first, when I can play in front of 50 people on Facebook right now.”
“If you’re going to go on the road driving from place to place, make as much out of that online as you can.”

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
Dawn Beyer - First Episode on the Podcast
The Real Making It
Rick Barker
Mailchimp
Garth Brooks
Cosmic Contract
Pearl Mae Foundation
Jim Palmer

Connect with Dawn Beyer
dawn@therealnashville.com
https://www.facebook.com/dawnbeyermusic/
https://www.instagram.com/dawnbeyermusic/
https://www.therealnashville.com/
http://www.therealmakingit.com/

Keep in touch:
chris.goyzueta@gmail.com
www.makingitwithchrisg.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrisgoyzueta/
https://www.facebook.com/makingitwithchrisg

Credits:
Host: Chris Goyzueta (Chris G.)
Producer: Jason Trosclair
Executive Producer: ONElive Creative Agency
Music: Emily Kopp

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Stitcher |

One of the most inspirational things to me is seeing people pave the path to their journey in their own very unique and authentic way. It’s been such a blessing to have shared some of those stories on the podcast already, and encountering many more everyday. Pursuing your dreams comes with so many challenges regardless of what field one goes into. When it comes to being an entrepreneur trying to make a living from their own art and creative works, it almost feels like a million additional layers of difficulty are in the way. However, I’ve also learned that those who are extremely patient, consistent, genuine, and truly authentic to who they are, and are comfortable to share that with the world along with being vulnerable, that’s usually when the magic happens. Dawn Beyer is an artist whose story and journey has inspired me, and it was a true honor to have her on the show and share that with the world.

The journey of Dawn Beyer began like so many musicians in Nashville, trying to find their niche, and playing endless hours for little money on Broadway. Everything changed for Dawn the first time she went live on Facebook, and had 10 strangers listening to her play while in her living room. These 10 viewers turned into earning $74,000 in one year using Facebook Live, to flying around the country to play private shows for her Facebook Live community. In this conversation, Dawn shares her story, how to be authentic, and how to create real connections with real people. She also offers coaching where she teaches musicians how they can do the same utilizing Facebook Live, and build their careers on their own terms, without having to sacrifice who they are.

Highlights from this Episode
[3:02] How her musical journey began
[5:08] Dawn’s experience playing on Broadway
[16:05] Losing her voice, and discovering Facebook Live
[29:40] What type of artists is Facebook Live for?
[30:32] How to promote a live session before going live
[32:42] What’s the plan before going live, and how to start the live video
[34:44] Suggestions on description for live video
[38:20] Building a direct connection with your audience that’s watching
[40:32] Gear to use for a better broadcast
[42:25] Opportunities that have come from live broadcasts
[45:27] Dawn’s Team
[47:14] Advice for Musicians being Authentic
[52:18] Projects that Dawn Beyer is working on
[56:18] Getting to know Dawn Beyer

Quotes from Dawn Beyer
“On Broadway musicians probably make $40 to $60 per gig”
“Every artist should be on Broadway for a certain amount of time; it teaches you so much”
“It’s humbling, because everybody there [In Nashville] is so talented”
“In the morning when you wake up and go to your living room, are there 10 people there?”
“Keep going live, consistently”
“Anytime I was playing music, I would go live for whoever wanted to watch, and that turned into selling more and more albums.”
“It got to the point where so many people wanted albums, and I started selling something else.”
“I eventually made $1,200 in one weekend, and that’s when I let go of playing on Broadway.”
“I have gratefulness because when I started I camped for a month and did not sleep in a house.”
“I’ve spent three weeks at home this year and have been traveling all year playing for people that have seen me go live.”
“It’s about perspective and having an answer for people.”
“I look at them as people, not views.”
“You have to really connect through the camera and with those people [watching].”
“Whatever fonts you use, or with anything you do, stay consistent.”
“Get a little bit of your stuff together before going live.”
“Use something that gets people’s attention.”
“Tell your story, be honest, and be open. People like real things.”
“Be yourself, and be real. Be real with that camera.”
“I can actually connect with people, which so cool.”
“The only thing we can be is authentic, and be ourselves.”
“Stop and take the time to find your own connection with your inner peace.”
“One of the most attractive traits you see in someone else is vulnerability.”