We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Claire Mulvaney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Claire, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
Burnout has been chasing me most of my life, and every so often, it catches up. I’ve gotten sick and been in and out of doctors’ offices and hospitals. Having autoimmune issues while being naturally ambitious has always felt like two parts of me pulling in opposite directions.
I’ve had to work hard on building a routine, which I secretly despise but desperately need. Starting my day without my phone or a screen, grabbing some caffeine, meditating, reading, maybe working out, and eating a nourishing meal all reduces my anxiety. Somehow, it also helps me power through the minimum 10–12 hour days that are required of me at this point in my life.
I also believe therapy is crucial. Learning coping techniques and getting emotions off my chest helps keep me level-headed and present.
It’s a constant battle, and I’m far from perfect, but I’m learning.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hi, I’m Claire Mulvaney, and I’m the founder of OpenMic, a music networking app that helps musicians, songwriters, producers, instrumentalists, and more find collaborators.
I’ve been in music pretty much my whole life: performing, writing, producing, and teaching. One thing I’ve learned is how hard it can be to find the right people to create with, no matter where you are in your music journey. Maybe you’re in a small town without the right people around, you’ve just moved to a new city and feel overwhelmed by the options, or you’re already working in the industry but too busy to search for new collaborators or clients. I wanted to build something that takes the pressure off networking and makes it feel natural, like finding a creative friend, not just posting a highlight reel on social media.
Right now, we’re focused on growing our community in Los Angeles and New York. The app is live on iOS, and we’re coming to Android soon. You can also catch us co-hosting events and planning our next OpenHike, an outdoor meet-up for musicians to make new friends and get inspired.
For more information and updates, follow us on Instagram @getopenmic and subscribe to our newsletter, The Lineup, through the link in our bio. We share music networking opportunities across LA and NY and interview the leaders of those spaces.
If you’re a musician looking for someone who gets your taste and makes you feel seen, download the app and let us know what you think!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I’ve talked about this before, but I firmly believe that the mindset of a musician or creative is closely tied to entrepreneurship. Being able to handle rejection, ride the waves of ups and downs, and have the patience to master a craft are all crucial.
You will constantly get rejected or told “no,” and what you need to understand is that “no” is not the end. It simply means there’s a new path forward waiting for you.
Nothing is predictable in these careers. Bad times are not permanent state of being, and you’re capable of surviving far more than you think. Be smart and plan for the lows while you’re in the highs.
When it comes to skillset mastery, my areas of usable knowledge were very specific to my business idea. Music is a lifelong pursuit, and it took me at least 15 years to understand the journey of a musician across different skillsets. There are so many angles: hobbyist, student, instrumentalist, vocalist, performer, teacher, songwriter, producer, arranger, and engineer. I wouldn’t call myself an “expert” in any of these areas, but developing average competence in each gave me a strong understanding of my potential user demographic.
What I’m trying to say is this: start a business in an area you already know well, and try to experience it from every angle. Then hold on tight for the ride.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
A book I love to recommend to founders or soon-to-be founders is The Mom Test. It’s a quick read with a clear, defined concept: “Don’t ask your mom if your business idea is good.” The point is that your mom (or anyone who cares about you) won’t tell you if your idea is practical or useful. They’ll say, “You should try it!” because they love you and want to cheer you on.
Instead, in the early workshopping phase of your idea, you should ask specific, targeted questions that can prove or disprove your business concept.
For example, with OpenMic, I asked people:
1) How important is music networking in your day-to-day life?
2) How do you network right now?
3) How much time do you spend networking in a typical week?
4) How much money do you spend networking each month?
The answers taught me far more about the market, consumer habits, and the actual usability of my business idea. The Mom Test works because it takes your ego out of the equation and forces people to answer honestly. There’s no risk of hurting your feelings because they don’t even know you have an idea yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://getopenmic.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getopenmic
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