We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tyler Witt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tyler, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
It’s been a process to get to where I am now with it, but early on I definitely struggled with imposter syndrome. Coming from athletics with no background in the music industry, I’ve felt out of place at times. It also created doubt in my mind that I can be effective at running my own record label. I think the point where I moved past those doubts was when another record label reached out to me to have a meeting. The owner told me how impressed he was with my label’s progress and the success some of my artists were having. Not only was it very reassuring to hear, but it gave me the confidence to accept my differences and know I’m on the right track with how I’m running my business.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Tyler Witt, or Twitt as some of my artists call me. I’m the CEO of Broken Record Music Club. We are an independent record label that has two hubs in the Chicagoland area and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We pride ourselves in working with artists that have something to say in their music. Our label motto is “music for whatever you’re going through” because we want the music we release to be there for people that need it. Whether it’s an upbeat song for a sunny day or a day you can’t bring yourself to get out of bed, we will have it for you.
We work with any genre of music and put focus on working towards the goals the artist may have for their career. We offer a wide range of services to our artists, including management, distribution, social media management, public relations, marketing, and a variety of artistic services. We strive to take as much off our artists as possible so they can focus on their art: the music.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the first skill that has been impactful is being a sponge when learning something new. There’s always some knowledge that you don’t have that someone else might so listening to retain information is so crucial. I also make it a habit to try and find different resources to keep expanding my knowledge in the industry as it changes daily. I frequently look for virtual conferences that I can attend to learn the latest trends and tools to help make me more efficient in avoid becoming stagnant.
The second skill that has been super impactful on my journey is being open to meeting new people wherever you go. The music industry is all about connections with others. You never know how one interaction might help you a few years down the line. Even just networking with other creatives is helpful for future projects your artists want to do. You might find someone that pushes creativity in the same way you do. Those kinds of connections help you build not only an effective team, but one that is also fun to work with day in and day out.
The final quality that has had an huge impact on my journey is always trying to bring up the people in your circle. I always tell my artists if one of them succeeds, the rest of them succeed in other ways too. So when the artists on the label have a chance to help each other they always do. I think it’s so crucial to have a collaborative environment in this way. And people will never forget that you helped and almost always will help you right back.
The best way I can say to develop these skills if you’re just starting out it’s just to go out. Go out and meet people in whatever space it is you want to work in. Practice going up to people and talking to them. Listen intently to what they have to say and absorb everything. I’ve made a lot of my connections just going to open mics around town. talk to people, get to know them, and when you find the right people, don’t be afraid to put them on your team. it’s not very often we find people we align with creatively, or even better people that are opposite to us, creatively. these different views not only help you, but the artists that you manage as well.
How would you describe your ideal client?
There are two main things that I look for in clients before deciding to work with them:
The first thing that I look for in potential clients is strong work ethic. The biggest trend that I see is that people who have the talent don’t really want to put in all the work. Some artists say they have these big lofty goals, but they aren’t taking the steps to achieve them. I’m a very goal oriented person so once we are on the same page about your goals, I’m doing everything in my power to get clients to reach them. The catches they have to be willing to do the same. Most cases it’s a lot easier said than done. A tough lesson for me to learn was I can’t make artists do the work to achieve that vision, despite seeing their potential.
The second thing I look for is if the artist fits our message as a label. Our goal is to make music for whatever people are going through so we try to get artists on our label that are actually saying something with your music. We want listeners to have that tangible experience of feeling seen for something that they’re going through in their lives. So, as we look for artists, we want to work with people that have this vision in mind as well.
If these two things describe you as an artist, you should reach out to us. The best place to get in contact with us is by messaging us on Instagram or our website. We are always searching for new artists to work with and expand our label roster.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brokenrecordmusicclub.com
- Instagram: @brokenrecordmusicclub
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenrecordmusicclub/
Image Credits
Bailee Witt Angela Lawson Nico Mitchell Tyler Witt
