159 – Brian Stephens: Product Development, Social Media Concepts, Musical Entrepreneurship

Brian Stephens is a drummer, audio engineer, producer, and studio owner who has spent most of his career in Atlanta. He has had most of the jobs a person can have in the music business and recently added “product developer” to the list. He’s always looking for gaps in the market and in the musical conversations being had, and thinking of ways to constructively fill them. What began as a project to design a pair of good-sounding but affordable in-ear monitors for himself turned into his new business, Session Ace. Boasting two types of hybrid driver IEM’s and a variety of other tools and accessories for working musicians, Brian launched the Session Ace brand in early 2018. In this podcast, Brian Talks about: Quality over quantity in social media interactions How being hired by someone is a continuation of previous interactions you’ve had “The currency of trust” – making your social media presence reflect your musical values, judgement, and trustworthiness Keeping your taste more elevated than your status Developing his own line of in-ear monitors and the other products under the Session Ace brand Creating intersections in your drumming community What networking really is Brian endorses Paiste cymbals, Promark drumsticks, Planet Waves cables, and Waves plug-ins. This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums