Susan Cattaneo - Leading in Creative Environments

Authentic Leadership for Everyday People is the podcast where we investigate the connection between effective leadership and authenticity. If you are looking for inspiration and tips on how to become a better leader by being your true self, you are in the right place.

Today's guest is award winning Americana singer-songwriter Susan Cattaneo. Susan started her career as a writer-producer in television, where she ended up running on air promotion for WPIX, New York's number 1 independent channel. She left that career to attend Berklee College of Music on a vocal scolarship and was hired to teach songwriting there upon graduation.

Susan talks about what it is like to teach and work with creative people, and the lessons that leaders can take from that process. Since we are married, and I am also her manager, we also talk about what are some factors that make a work partnership between life partners successful.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[03:36] - Susan, welcome to Authentic Leadership for Everyday People, how are you doing?

[04:22] – Why don’t you start by giving my listeners, our listeners, a background of how you started some key changes though your career.

[07:31] – This interruption, part of our dynamic, you do have the tendency to under play your accomplishments.

[09:42] – If any body listening here is interesting in learning about writing lyrics, check out Pat Pattison on Coursear.

[10:21] – Take me to the moment when you actually made the decision to

[11:12] – What was the moment, of saying, “that is okay, I am willing to step away from this” and what was the driver?

[14:47] – You made the discovery of a new professional path, that you didn’t know at the time, which was the staff-song writer.

[16:33] – We both had to make an adjustment, I think, and we moved back to Boston. And that is when you started teaching.

[17:56] – If you were to step in the shoes of a manager or senior leader who is coaching new younger employees that are coming, and they may have some skills, what are some of the things that you learn in terms of being effective?

[20:48] – What are some of the elements that make a successful co-writing session?

[24:15] – There is obviously the scenario where you know that you are writing something that is going to be for you.

[25:22] – I remember the day I told you, “You went to Berkley cause you wanted to be an artist, you have this enormous catalog of songs, no body is buying records anymore, let’s have you become an artist”.

[27:27] – I think this is a really important part in this podcast, I always ask people was there a moment when something didn’t go the way you wanted.

Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com

Websites:

al4ep.com

susanmusic.com

Additional Guest Links:

Facebook: facebook.com/susancmusic

Instagram: @susancmusic

Twitter: @susancattaneo

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com