Hiring your own Virtual Assistant? Know what to ask in the interview.

Happy Saturday! Saturday mornings are my absolute favorite time of the week.You can sleep in and still have a day ahead of you, or you can wake up early and be the most productive you can be. It’s up to you and that feels wonderful to me. Personally, I like to use this time to sip on the biggest and slowest cup of coffee and read up on the industry, news and more. Making some time for yourself during the week really makes a difference.

 

I’m hoping all of you are able to make time for yourself during the week to relax, meditate, do your favorite hobbies, see friends or just veg out. Since starting my own venture, I’ve seen how badly it can go if you don’t take a moment to rest – sickness, overwhelm, burn out, even outright quit. And that’s why I feel it’s even more important for people who do have a lot of their plates (aka you busy musicians), to be able to delegate some of those tasks to someone they trust.

 

I believe this idea is starting to take hold of musicians trying to do it all by themselves. Gone is the romantic notion to say that you hustled and bustled to the top with no ones help. In my eyes, that’s simply not true. You have influences, mentors, coaches, leaders and assistants set up to assist you and help you reach your goals.

 

The top three questions I get when I talk about what I do are:

 

“What does a VA do for a musician?”
“Where do I find a VA for a musician?”
and
“What questions should I ask when interviewing a VA?”

I’ve shared every week what a VA does for a musician, and also have shared resources on where you can start your search for your own (check out and read through my blog for those posts here), but I have yet to brush the subject on what to ask when interviewing a potential VA for yourself.I believe that you want some passionate about the industry itself, but also has the balance of knowing how to keep a musician balanced and organized.

Here are a few questions to include in your interview to find the best candidate for you.

 

1) Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you want to be a Virtual Assistant for a musician?
I’d like to know this because this is where they have the opportunity to express passion for music or interest in what the industry is about. A little spark in their response is really good.

 

2) What music platforms do you have experience with? Reverbnation, Bandcamp, CD Baby, (fill in any sites that you like to use on the regular).
They are going to have to have a good idea of what needs to be managed on a day to day basis. If they don’t have experience, ask them if they have heard of it or if they feel they could learn it quickly.

 

3) Have you ever worked with a musician before? If so, what did you do for them? If not, why do you want to work with a musician?
Find out if they have experience working with a musician. Also, you can ask about the genre the musician was in, considering a hip hop artist will need a different sort of skill set from their assistant than from a bluegrass singer.

 

4) What is one way you went above and beyond for someone you’ve worked for? In what way to you exceed what was expected of you when assigned a task?
This will tell you how driven and how much of a go-getter they are. In this industry, it’s constantly changing and it’s not easy. You’ll need someone on your side pushing along with you.

 

5) What can you do to help me stay organized and on schedule?
You’re hiring this person to help you keep organized and keep you on track. Find out more about how they work and if it would work well with you.

 

6) Tell me a time that you weren’t sure how to complete a task that was given to you. How did you handle it and did you get it done?
Get a sense of what they would do or say if you gave them a task they had no idea how to do. See if they would take the extra effort to research and find the answer on their own, or just turn to you for answers. You’ll want someone who will try to figure things out on their own and THEN come to you with questions if they are still unsure. This shows drive and the extra effort they would make while working for you.

 

And then, be sure to take this extra step: Find a couple scenarios you know that will happen on the job and ask them what they would do or suggest in that situation. For example, you would like them to send an email to a few presenters introducing yourself and interest in their venue/festival, so ask for a writing example of that very scenario and see what they send back.

 

These questions will help you learn more about the person, how they work, why they want to work with you and will give you a better sense of if you will work well with them.

 

Remember, all new team members will have a learning curve, however, you want the V.A. that will give their best effort, whole heartedly. After all, this is your career and life that you are working so hard to enjoy!

 

Go out there and ask the right questions to find the right V.A. for you.

 

Business Tips - 06/14/2014

How I set up a video shoot in less than 24 hours.

I get asked quite a bit what goes on in my day as an assistant to a musician. I find it hard to fully explain, but I CAN tell you, it’s never dull and I learn something new every week. This makes it highly rewarding and exciting with a dash of the good stress. The stress that pushes you to blow your own mind and do something you didn’t think was possible.

 
Here’s an example.
 
Last year, one of my clients had a very exciting new CD/DVD release. It was definitely an album that included a concept never done before, so everyone on the team AND the public were excited for it to be released.
 
During a meeting a few months before the release with our publicist, she suggested that we create a video press release – a visually exciting video that would showcase the release and highlight it’s importance and what makes it so different than any other album anyone has ever done.
 
The problem was, my client was traveling constantly for other performances months before this needed to be completed. Even when he was back in the office, other activities were already scheduled. I was stuck trying to figure out when this could be created since I knew my client wanted to make this happen, if at all possible.
 
I saw an opportunity. My client had one day free, and our team member who specialized in videography was also in town. I emailed them both saying, “If we’re going to do this, we should do this tomorrow.” So without delay, they responded with a yes, let’s go for it, and the countdown began.

While we had the manpower and we had the space (an apartment), we didn’t have the proper video equipment available. This had to result in a high quality and professional video to be able to release to the worldwide press, so we needed top-notch video cameras and lighting.
 
Believe it or not, a company in New York accepted rental inquiries and fulfilled them within 6-8 hours. I struck gold! After quick approval from our videographer, I put in the rental order and gave them all the requirements (scanned IDs, Credit Card Scans, Insurance forms, etc.). I went to bed thinking, “The impossible has been done!”
 
Once the rental store opening up in the morning, I went straight to the store and easily picked up my video equipment. In a matter of hours, they put together a video camera, memory card, stand, light stands, blubs and reflectors for me to take away to the apartment. It was on!
 
I hopped in a cab, carrying more bags of equipment than I had hands, but somehow handling it all and headed to the apartment. Once I got there, the videographer and I got to setting up.
 
While the camera was being tested, my client approached me with a list of questions for me to ask him that he put together the day before so he could easily and comfortably talk about his new release. It was brilliant and effective. He could speak to me, someone he was comfortable with, to be able to say what he wanted to say about them album in the video. It wouldn’t have the effect of him talking AT the screen.
 
Then, we thought it was all over. We turned the lights on in the room, and not 15 seconds later, half of the place lost power. We blew a fuse! We all looked at each other and literally cursed. My client wasn’t sure where the fuse box even was. We started looking and found it behind a bookcase that was mounted on the wall. (I cannot make this up!). So, we got unscrewing and unloading books from the case so we can access the fuse box. Minutes later, we opened it up and reset the fuse. Success! I also moved the lamps to the other outlets in the apartment so that it wouldn’t happen again. 🙂
 
With that fiasco out of the way, we set the stage with a nice background, focus and got to the ‘interview’. Not even an hour later, we had some great footage and we all felt great about the look and feel of the video results.

Can you believe it? In less than 24 hours, we had footage for a video press release. Just the day before, I didn’t even know if it would happen.
 
That is a moment that I feel highly rewarded for staying persistent and making a goal happen. Most people might have given up and said, “Oh, we should have planned this better,” or “It wasn’t meant to be this time around.” But our team knew that for this release, it was important for this video to be created.

The key to take away here was that the team worked together to make it happen. You might have the will yourself, but you are going to need the support to help you see it through.
 

The result? Well, see for yourself!


Hope you enjoyed my story and that it inspires YOU to build your team so you can keep pushing toward the goals you have. 

Have a great weekend,

Album Release / Business Tips / Life - 05/10/2014

Find your perfect flight.

Today, I’m writing you from San Diego, CA, during my so-called “spring break” visiting family! I haven’t seen them in over a year, so it’s definitely overdue. Being far away from my entire family is very difficult at times, so I always make a point to visit every few months. After my weekend in San Diego, I’ll also be stopping in Texas where I grew up to see more family and old friends. Can I just say I’m more excited about the warm weather than anything else? Okay, maybe I’m also a little excited about the food, too.

My clients have been doing quite a bit of traveling as well, and I’ve been on logistics duty. There were plenty of festivals, performances, conferences and more that I helped coordinate trips for.  And I have fun doing it (I know, I’m weird). J

There are several parts to planning a trip for your next performance, but I want to first focus on the flight that will get you there. (Full disclosure – I wrote this during my Thursday morning flight so it feels even more appropriate to talk about planning your flight!)

So, musicians, let’s talk about how to find your perfect flight – and also show you how you can delegate it all someone like me who can assist you in your planning. This is from real experience, so take notes.

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1. Book as early as possible – I cannot stress how many dollar signs you could save if you just book a month earlier than you think you should. I remind my clients of this, especially if they are traveling to perform at an event and they are responsible for the travel bill. Heard stories of last minute cheap seats? Don’t believe it. I’ve been doing this for three years and this has never happened. Nowadays, if you book late, you are stuck with buying the $100 priority seats after they run out of regularly priced seats.

Tell your assistant as soon as possible about an event you will be going to. Ask them to remind you to look for your ticket at least 3 months, if possible, in advance to secure a great price.

2. Gather your frequent flyer numbers – Surprisingly enough, when I book with a client that has a frequent flyer account, seats open up and upgrades are readily available. If you visit a city more than say 4 times a year, it’s worth it to get a frequent flier number under the airline you use the most. Some aren’t free, so choose what you can.

Most frequent flier numbers can be created by your assistant with your email and basic contact information. Find out what they can do first for you before you create your own account. If you already have them set up, send them a shared document with your frequent flier airlines / number as well as login info on the sites.

3. Know where to search – If you are traveling to a city that JetBlue or Southwest cover, you will 9 times out of 10 get your best deal there. If you aren’t finding the city you need, you can find a great flight through a couple search engines. Otherwise, I’ve consistently found the best options from only two: Kayak.com and Cheaptickets.com. They find great options for any domestic or international flight.

Ask your assistant to search your preferred sites and send you options based on your preference. Like this: “Please search Southwest.com & Kayak.com for flights from any NYC airport to Sioux Falls, SD, departing May 6 and returning May 9. I need to arrive by 5PM on May 6 and can depart as early as 8am on May 9.” This gives clear directions and you will get better choices of what you want the first time, saving tons of back and forth emails.

4. What to consider when browsing through connections – One thing I see overlooked constantly is not leaving enough time in between flights for you to get from Terminal A to Terminal D. This is imperative to make your travel day as smooth as possible. In my experience, leaving at least one hour and 30 minutes in between connections is a safe time length for connections, whenever you can. Otherwise, you risk missing your connection, losing your luggage and being late for the important performance. Not worth it. Leave yourself enough time to get through the terminal (especially Atlanta, that airport is HUGE).

Make this clear to your assistant the first time they begin booking your flight. Making sure it’s a priority from the beginning will diminish this being overlooked.

5. For Musicians only: Traveling with your instrument – If you are traveling with a small instrument as a carry on, you might want to opt for priority seating or seating in the back so that you can claim overhead space before it gets too full. You are absolutely allowed to travel with your instrument if it’s small enough to fit overhead. As for larger instruments, like a cello, I usually have to buy them an extra ticket to fit the cello in a seat. There are also great travel cases for larger instruments if you choose to check it.

If you can, have your assistant purchase priority boarding so that you can find space for your instrument. If not, it usually is not a problem, but some of us like to make sure there are no issues on a travel day.

Are you headed somewhere in a few months? Use these tips and you will find the best option for you or your band. Of course, every trip is different and offers their own challenges, but I make sure I know these 4 things for each flight I am booking to be able to give my client their best options.

Tour / Travel Tips - 04/17/2014

5 Benefits of a Virtual Assistant – for Musicians!

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You know that image we all have in our heads about personal assistants? Only celebrities are busy (and rich) enough to have someone to keep them on track and book their first-class flights. Maybe you don’t see the need for an assistant – you are determined to be the DIY musician and actually believe it’s possible . But your life is feeling unbalanced, and you are finding yourself spending more time updating Facebook than working on your next album.

Hiring a personal assistant is costly for anyone, especially a musician getting their feet off the ground, but there is an option here for you – a virtual assistant. You could still be hurting yourself professionally, financially AND personally by not hiring a virtual assistant – want to know how?

Below are 5 benefits of getting a virtual assistant of your own.

1. Clear and efficient payment terms.

Virtual assistants understand that you are only paying them for the time they work on you – NOT for lunch breaks, sick-days nor vacations. Your money is 100% going to investing in you! You are not responsible for office space, office supplies, computer, etc as you would be with a regular full-time employee. Also, most VA’s work as independent contractors – this means to you that you don’t worry about insurance, benefits or taxes. Make the agreement clear and on your terms from the beginning and you’ll be set.

2. They do the ‘stuff’ you don’t want to do.

You know you should be writing a new blog post. You know you should be writing to venues or conference appearance opportunities. You might procrastinate, avoid and even all together not even start a task that you know should be done. But you would just rather tune out and practice on your instrument, spend a couple hours in the studio, and get to that next record as soon as you could. With an assistant to delegate to, those tasks are as easy as done. Bottom line – you don’t have to do stuff that you don’t want to do!

3. You’ll get organized without really trying.

Virtual assistants are all about organization, prioritizing and getting sh*t done. And the best out there are proactive and manage their time extremely well. Ever double booked yourself? Sure you have! When I start working with a musician, right off the bat I create their calendar. I share the file with them via Google Docs, as well as emailing it to them every other week. Their calendar includes performance dates, personal appointments, meetings, rehearsals and travel days. My musicians might have their own way of marking important dates down, but this allows for both of us to double check any possible future conflicts. Double bookings WILL happen with musicians handling their own schedule, but are typically avoided with 2 pairs of eyes watching. This would make any person, let alone the busy musician, more organized.

4. No training needed.

One musician I work with only hired interns before bringing me on board. I understand why she did this because you can hire them for zero to minimum wage. However, she found herself spending more time explaining and training rather than them getting the stuff she needed done, and it felt more productive for her to just do it on her own. Where she had it wrong was knowing what kind of support she needed. Yes, an assistant will cost more, but the right one will have the skills and knowledge already established and is only the best investment you can make in terms of starting your team. The time you work with them won’t be training, but delegating those tasks you don’t want to do (see no.2!) and concentrating on getting to your next show or writing the next Billboard charting hit.

5. They are real support – you’re not alone!

You might have already realized you can’t do everything yourself, so you went and hired the booker, manager and publicist to help you book shows, plan routes, plan recordings, promote your show, etc. You’re thinking, isn’t that enough? Truth is, as a musician, it might not be. An assistant’s job description is typically more flexible in the tasks they could do for you. While a publicist is hired only to promote and spread the word, or a booker is hired to book you an upcoming tour, the assistant works hand in hand with those positions, plus more. Who’s going to plan your band’s next rehearsal? Who’s going to update your mailing list after a show? Who’s going to mail out master copies to your distributor to meet a deadline while you are on the road? These sorts of things are not in a manager’s or publicist’s job description, and certainly NOT what a musician’s energy should be drained on – they should be focused on their music and building their own enterprises! With a virtual assistant, you aren’t alone anymore.

Business Tips - 10/24/2013
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