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About This Author
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La Bene Vita
I am a professional musician  , worship leader , small business owner , songwriter , aspiring author and freelance nonfiction writer with a chemical engineering degree .
But that's just my resume.
My profile of qualifications is only one of the ways in which I am unique. Here I chronicle my personal and professional goals and my efforts to achieve them. Occasionally I fail. Mostly, I take daily baby steps toward all my long-term goals. Much like the stories I pen, the songs I compose, and the businesses I run, I am always a work in progress.
February 27, 2011 at 3:01pm February 27, 2011 at 3:01pm
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Reach 300 students at MTMS by 12/31/11:
 In progress at 143. It remains to be seen what the summer will do to our enrollments, so this goal isn't in the bag yet. Summer programs may be key, and I'm frantically working on them.
Customized database by 12/31/11:
When I told Chris, the office manager, about my JackRabbit (music scheduling application) discovery, she flipped. She had head of JackRabbit via the business coaches her former employer had hired. So we signed up for a demo, and Chris played with the app. It has its pros and cons. But the whole demo thing prompted her to research other apps, and she found several better ones, which she is also test driving.
It never occurred to her to look for such a tool. Her former employer would never have considered such an unnecessary investment. (See how, with my overwhelming political savvy, I've avoided the word "cheap"?)
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
*thumbdown* Nope.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
 I have decided to remove this goal, since I no longer feel like a complete and total slacker. I've been paying my dues this year.
Reading: One book per week.
I did read a little last night, but I fell asleep quickly.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1)  Blog at WDC daily.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. My mom told me that I need to update my blog. I guess I need to update my blog.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: gah.
I need a new strategy! It may involve hiding in a cave for a year. |
February 23, 2011 at 9:22am February 23, 2011 at 9:22am
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*stares at the WDC declaration, "BLOG - Last: 6 Days ago"* 
We are at 138 students, which is not as high as I wanted to be this close to the end of the month. But we have four samplers going with really good batches of students who all seem to want to be there, so we are pretty sure most of them will enroll. The last batch of samplers seemed to have kids whose parents were making them take the classes. We also have a drum sampler starting next week that has one opening left. W00t! My only worry is our adult songwriting class. Lots of people say they want to take a songwriting class. Few actually enroll.
Now, if I could just get our summer camp program in order. It's a logistical nightmare, because we need teachers, but we can't let them go over 40 hours, and we need rooms, but we're currently scheduling day classes and will have to work around them, and we need space and curricula and advertising, but we need to know how many students we can accommodate first. And we need it fast, because advertising and enrollments take time.
Meanwhile, we hired two new teachers and extended offers to three computer lab attendants. We are confident that all three candidates will accept our offer, so we should be officially announcing their hires by the end of the week. That makes 15 employees: 10 teachers (one of whom is also the assistant manager), 3 lab attendants, the office manager, and yours truly, a.k.a the site manager. We have the BEST employees. I only have concerns about one or two of them, and I'm just keeping my eye on the situation. For the most part, we seem to have assembled a crazy cohesive band of music lovers.
We found an existing online scheduling database called JackRabbit, and Chris tried it out. It has pros and cons. It seems more geared toward a dance studio than a music studio. But we're considering signing up for a trial to really test it out - AFTER we hire a receptionist and have the manpower to duplicate our scheduling for a month.
I find myself in need of an electronic drum set, two pianos, and a somewhat-major renovation to keep up with our growth, all of which I have been spending time evaluating and pricing. This is an expensive business. But I get to buy cool toys, so who am I to complain?
But life is busy. Yesterday alone, I was confronted with four dropped balls (all my responsibility.) I hate letting people down. I also am keeping a close eye on cash flow, because the growth is costing us some investments, and I don't normally like cutting it so close.
And I'm eating. What do you want? People gotta eat. I suppose they don't need to eat pizza, candy, and huge meals at the Japanese steakhouse, but that's a problem for another day. Specifically, tomorrow. Or Monday at the latest. You know how I love new weeks... and this one almost coincides with a new month, so perhaps refreshed goals will be in order next week.
Peace out. |
February 17, 2011 at 9:14am February 17, 2011 at 9:14am
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Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
I am waiting to hear back on a pending interview with a music instructor who has a music education degree and specializes in strings. Her specialty is apparently Irish fiddling, which, if we hire her, will be fun at our St. Patty's Day Party and Irish Festival next month. We also stumbled across a potential drama instructor quite by accident while enrolling him in upright bass lessons. I've been teaching the two drama classes since our drama/drum instructor left us a couple weeks ago. I found a new drum instructor quickly enough, but drama has been a bit of a back-burner problem. Initial impressions of this instructor are good.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
 Pending and pressing. But I'm too busy tracking down three new pianos, hanging mirrors and soundproofing, designing renovations, fighting off advertising salespeople, and teaching drama classes to actually work on it.
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
I launched "The Only Exception" by Paramore at the request of WildThing~Becoming  , and was promptly informed by our office manager, Chris, how much the song annoys her. I kinda like it.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
Good Friday: Pending. New song "Our God": Pending. Singer rotation: Implemented and, hallelujah, a managed by a volunteer who saw the need and stepped forward. Audio System: just pending reimbursement for some of the gear. We got colossal kudos for the sound Sunday.
Reading: One book per week.
80%, but seriously: I would have been done three weeks ago if the verbose author had chosen to write sentences like, "But like it or not, I had to trust my eyes," instead of, "But whatever might have been my wish, I was compelled to yield to the weight of ocular demonstration." Show off. I bet contemporaries hated talking to that dude. On a related note, Jules Verne breaks all the modern comma usage rules, which makes me wonder if he was an idiot, or if the rules were put in place after his time because of the potential ambiguity caused by writings like his. Interestingly, I understand every word of his books. He commas where a speaker would breathe, and though it strikes me that a particular phrase might be ambiguous as a result of his usage, it's really not. I know exactly what he means. It makes me wonder if grammar and usage rules are inventions meant to clarify the stupid. The purpose of language is to communicate, and if a speaker's or writer's intent is clearly communicated without following rules and conventions, then really, who the hell cares? It's a new paradigm for me.
If Seisa-sleepingcatbooks.com  reads this, I'm sure she will cringe. And probably comment. Specifically about how that was an incomplete sentence. And how that one was too. And how three of the (incomplete) sentences in this paragraph begin with conjunctions. 
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: No.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 44
Coffee (1)
Egg (2) with toast (2)
Sticky bun (3)
Crackers (8)
String cheese (1)
Jelly donut (6)
Olive garden: Two plates of salad (12), two bowls of soup (6), and a breadstick (3).
So much for salad being healthy. Good thing I decided to take home the 850-calorie, 47-fatgrams serving of lasagna after I filled up on soup and salad. I'll leave that for the boy. That one plate of pasta is worse than a jumbo margarita. |
February 16, 2011 at 10:28am February 16, 2011 at 10:28am
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Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
Interviewing another teacher, outfitting another lesson room, looking for a couple more pianos and another drum kit, and working on moving the teacher's lounge to the back (which requires installation of electricity and kitchen cabinets), all to free up space for more students. I LOVE MY JOB.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
Pending and puh-puh-puh-pressing! Like, I really need to figure this out. The schedule is getting so complicated, and our color-coding and Excel commenting is out of control.
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
Pending. Hm... I have a half hour or so right now.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
Good Friday: Work To Do. Must Not Forget.
Reading: One book per week.
Still at 77%.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: Not so much.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 46
Coffee (1)
Egg (2) with toast (2)
Sticky bun (3)
Crackers (4)
I lost track again. DAMN IT. I know I had Mexican, including a margarita (10), chips (5), guacamole salad (2), and a taco (4). But the snacking all night at work? I think I had a piece of string cheese (1) and maybe some peanuts (1), plus more coffee (1) and about (10) points' worth of trail mix. |
February 15, 2011 at 11:21am February 15, 2011 at 11:21am February 14, 2011 at 8:20am February 14, 2011 at 8:20am
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Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
No new enrollments since yesterday, seeing as how we're closed on Sundays. However, recitals were a blast, and we got lots of compliments, videos on Facebook by our customers, and even some new FB likes (perhaps by students who noticed our new "Find us on Facebook" sign?) Bring on the PageRank!
Funny thing about PageRank. Before we opened, I was pushing rank with everything I had. I was blogging religiously, updating and changing the website content frequently, and hawking over my Alexa number, since that's the one that actually moves. My Google PageRank has been 1/10 since the days when the website exclusively hosted my performance information.
So the Alexa rank was steadily climbing, and it peaked at about 450,000. Then I stopped watching, and somehow it dropped back down to around 750,000. There it has hovered ever since. And yet, more people than ever are actually viewing the website. People walk through our doors, sign up for lessons, and say not only did they find us on Google, but they really like our website, finding it helpful and informative (implying that they browsed around for awhile, clicking on the various links.) Existing customers check frequently to find our snow day status, pictures of their kids at the latest recitals, and when the next drum sampler will be, because their children are cycling through all the samplers to try everything out.
Meanwhile, my Google PageRank hasn't moved from 1/10. And yet, we get more hot leads from Google than any other source except our two exterior signs. These days, a web search on "music lessons Gahanna Ohio" and related keywords places MTMS on the front page, in the top three or so listings.
I no longer have much faith in Alexa and Google ranks. In fact, I am starting to believe that by checking my own website for Alexa ranking daily, I was somehow elevating my own Alexa ranking. Now that I don't care, it's no longer climbing. But Alexa ranking doesn't bring my business revenue.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
Pending.
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
Pending.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
I delegated checking and finalizing of the Power Point and created a Music Team for selecting, sorting, and organizing praise band music. The weekly team meetings start this Saturday. I also compiled a spreadsheet for the church treasurer to organize and cover our sound system overhaul expenditures, provided ongoing input to the pastor's podcasting dreams, and... well, actually, failed to launch our new song, "Our God." But I'll do that this week.
See, this is what I do. I feel neglectful and guilty, so I get on a kick. I'll overcompensate for my neglect until I can turn around and neglect the job for awhile again. This is how I keep variety in my life. Heaven forbid I should ever get bored.
Reading: One book per week.
Um... still 7X%-ish.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: pending.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY:
Tall, nonfat, no-whip white chocolate mocha (7)
Three cookies (10)
Veggies and dip (3)
Crackers (4)
String cheese (1)
Two jumbo margaritas (30)
A basket of chips (8) with bean (4?) and cheese (4?) dips
One beef taco (4)
Guacamole salad with pico de gallo (2)
I should probably stick to the taco and salad and skip the chips and margaritas. I found the Weight Watchers points for the margaritas - 5 points for 4 ounces - and I have a hard time believing it. I'm estimating the ounces of the two jumbos, of course, because I get them on the rocks, and they don't skimp on the ice. Somebody debunk my WW calculation, please!!! I really don't want to give up margaritas, but good gracious, I can't consume those kind of calories. |
February 13, 2011 at 8:32am February 13, 2011 at 8:32am
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My Saturdays are normally busy, and with the sound system work days all afternoon at church the last three weeks, I've been non-stop from 8am - 9pm every Saturday for a month. So you would think yesterday, with recitals in between Saturday morning lessons and Saturday evening Praise Band rehearsal, would have been par for the course. But at 6pm, on my way to church from recitals, I could have crawled under the covers and passed out for days right then and there, behind the wheel of my Jeep With a Capital Junk. I'm not sure what that was about, but three agonizing hours later, I finally did crawl under the covers, and I slept like a rock all night. Rehearsal is a vague blur, and I hope I was nice to the church musicians I lead.
Next Saturday, I'm taking the afternoon off.
Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
I keep thinking we're slowing down. Then I look at the stats and really think about it, and we're at 135, versus 127 at the end of last month. If we maintain the trend, we'll be up a total of 20 this month, and 20 per month is pretty standard. And yet, there is still that feeling that we've stalled, and I think it's in part because we didn't get all the enrollments out of our last batch of samplers that we thought we would. More people are actually sampling instruments, instead of enrolling in a sampler with the full intention of eventually enrolling just to get a cheaper first month. And I'm cool with that, too, because our samplers are slightly more profitable than private lessons, so long as our per-class enrollments stay up. The only bummer about samplers is the lack of long-term committed revenue. That's the beauty of this business, which is something I miraculously didn't consider when choosing it: music lessons are an ongoing commitment, versus a consumable one-time buy. Therefore, the business is very stable and predictable. I have a good idea how many students I'll have next month, because a good majority of them are already enrolled.
I'll take the miraculous business selection, along with the miraculous location selection, which is driving our volume growth to double my initially-targeted numbers, and the miraculous staff finds, which are going to make us wildly successful and profitable. I haven't told them this, but I envision a corporate executive staff in a decade or so that includes a certain core group of current teachers and administrators. And me, of course.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
Every once in awhile, I think of this. We still really need a database. Right now, I'm too busy growing and hiring. It's crossed my mind to contract this out, but I'd rather spend my money on another piano or two, another drum set, and a computer lab renovation. And a receptionist!
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
"Forgive Me" - and I'm sort of in a daze that I completed this goal, of all goals, while I failed at so many others. On a related note, I had two separate requests for Dave Matthews in a span of maybe two or three weeks.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
Yes, although I didn't go over our new song ("Our God") with the band last night, due to (1) a delayed start caused by extensive equipment adjustments and sound checks, and (2) utter exhaustion on my part.
Reading: One book per week.
I read like a page before passing out, and I'm at about 76%.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: pending. Growing. Hiring.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY:
I'm falling into bad habits again. We got donuts and muffins for the Adult Recital, and I ate a muffin and several donuts. Then I came home and had a piece of pizza. And throughout the day, I nibbled on sticky buns and other miscellaneous junk. Bottom line, I have no idea what I ate, and my resolution was to keep track. If I eat 100 points in a day, I will KEEP TRACK. Damn it.
Today's list, which shall be in complete form tomorrow morning:
Tall, nonfat, no-whip white chocolate mocha (7) |
February 10, 2011 at 3:27pm February 10, 2011 at 3:27pm
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Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
In the realm of the miscellaneous, I completed the lobby Power Point, wrote an offer letter and job expectations document for our Assistant Manager, and created a new web portal so that I can just use MichelleTuesday.com instead of MichelleTuesday.com/musicschool for all school-related advertising. Check out the new portal:
http://www.michelletuesday.com
Somewhat less miscellaneously, we held a staff meeting last Friday night, and all the teachers were full of ideas. Not only that, but several of them have invested time since then working on curricula and plans for summer programs. It might just come together.
And we are currently hiring computer lab attendants and preparing for this weekend's recitals. Never a dull moment.
Growth is still holding steady. We are at 132 private lesson students; I would love to be at 150 by the end of the month, but that might be an aggressive goal. It would mean the next pay raise for our office manager, Chris.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
Pending. Meanwhile, a customer showed me an application by Intuit called Quickbooks Customer Manager, which is pretty kick-ass. I *think* it may do everything we need it to do. The only thing it won't do is show us teacher schedules and available times at a glance.
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
Yep. I learned "Forgive Me" by Missy Higgins. I decided I love that song.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
The sound system overhaul is complete, the band started looking at a new song, I wrote a violin duet for our two fiddlers, I'm working with a teenager to plan a solo for her confirmation projecgt, and now the pastor is talking about podcasting and looking for help. When it rains, it pours. I'm feeling slightly less neglectful of church these days.
Reading: One book per week.
My one complaint of Kindle: a book is a book. I have no idea when I embark upon a new narrative whether the story is short, novel, or epic. I do believe I stumbled across an epic in "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne, and after three weeks, I am at 75%. For the curious, the book breaks every modern usage rule regarding commas, adverbs, and brevity. Perhaps that is because the book is, sadly, not modern. The book also lacks much of a plot. It makes me think of the movie "Castaway" with Tom Hanks. One wonders how much action can really happen in one long, monotonous, granite-lined underground tunnel. It turns out, not much. And yet the writer has managed to keep me engaged through at least 75% of his epic novel.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily. I've been failing at this again.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: pending.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: ?
I lost three pounds since Friday, thanks to my rather wicked stomach bug. Yesterday, I made up for it by pigging out all day. Today, I'm closer to normal, at least in terms of caloric consumption. I'm still eating junk.
Thursday: 13 so far
Coffee (2)
Granola bar (2)
Banana (2)
Crackers (4)
Thin Mints (3) |
February 6, 2011 at 7:54pm February 6, 2011 at 7:54pm
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It doesn't really matter what I ate yesterday, because it's gone now. Today, I've eaten about a dozen Cheez-Its and a PB&J, which was decidedly delicious, along with tea, water, and diet Sprite. Stomach flu = crash diet?
We had a withdrawal today that makes me very happy. Some customers are more of a liability than an asset. This particular customer bitches - loudly - in the lobby about things that "suck," like lack of a make-up lesson for her daughter when she missed a class (what do we do? Pay the teacher just to teach her, since we already paid the teacher to teach all the other students who actually showed up for the scheduled class?), the lack of a make-up lesson for a no-call/no-show (clearly identified in the policy document), and our refusal to remove her late fee.
This was the conversation on January 30th:
MTMS: Hey your tuition is due this week.
Customer: No, it's not due til the first.
MTMS: Your next lesson is on the 3rd. You won't be here again before the 1st.
Customer: I'll call with my card information on the 1st. (Technically, it's due BY the 1st, not ON the 1st, but that's another story.)
MTMS: Okay, don't forget that we charge a late fee if we don't receive your payment by the 1st.
Customer: I'll call you.
This was the conversation on February 3rd:
Customer: Can you take off my late fee?
MTMS: Certainly, if you would be so kind as to set up autopay.
Customer: No, I don't want to do that.
MTMS: I'm sorry, we can't remove the late fee. Your payment was late.
Customer: That sucks. (Everything "sucks".) Even the banks give a 15-day grace period. Besides, we didn't get a make-up for the snow day two weeks ago.
MTMS: You were a no-call/no-show. We were open.
Customer: I told you I wouldn't come in bad weather, and Michelle talked to my daughter. We called you.
After some dragging out of information, the daughter admits that, no, Michelle sent a text message to say, "Are you coming?" but the daughter didn't reply, because she didn't get the text until the next day. Mom says, okay, I guess we were wrong, we didn't call. But she must have let it go because she'd decided she'd had enough anyway. Today, she sent her intent to withdraw at the end of the month.
I like the kids. I even like the mom. I just can't have customers griping in a loud voice in my quiet, comfortable lobby about how everything sucks. You know what sucks? Paying teachers by the 1st when I don't get the revenue to pay them until the 3th. That sucks.
So, this withdrawal notice doesn't particularly suck.
Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
We're at 133. Make that 132.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
Pending.
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
I'm listening to some new songs off of my request list today. One is a song called "Forgive Me" by Missy Higgins. I had never heard of her, but I can see why the song was requested. It's acoustic, haunting, poetic, and very much my style.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
Three consecutive sound system work days and a new song arrangement are most definitely noteworthy.
Reading: One book per week.
I read quite a bit while trying to sleep last night: Chapter 30, 63%.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily - I missed yesterday again.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: *grits teeth* This is NOT coming off of my list.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: Net or gross? |
February 4, 2011 at 8:25am February 4, 2011 at 8:25am
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GAH. Losing an employee sucks. That's why people who should have been fired ages ago are still around (I know you've been wondering.) Luckily, unlike your manager, I'm not scared of a little hard work, and neither is Chris, our angel of an office manager. Unluckliy, I'm behind on my goals this week as a result of subbing, hiring, and rescheduling. Luckily, we already have almost all of the absent instructor's drum students transitioned to new teachers. Unluckily, I have to teach his two drama classes for awhile until other teachers can take them over. Luckily, that's only one month for one class and two months for the other class, totaling about a dozen hours of my time. *shrug*
Reach 300 students by 12/31/11:
* Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: We tried to fill a class by offering an email promotion, and it worked! Except it didn't. Two students who contacted us to sign up didn't actually show up, so we went from full to not full. Luckily (I keep using that word like I'm not in control of these things!), I raised the price of samplers in 2011 so that we cleared break-even on the class even with it not full.
Meanwhile, I think it's time to promote the drama program! Damn, if I'm going to spend all that time teaching those two classes, I might as well fill them with students and make some money at it. 
* Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Staff meeting TONIGHT! 
* Business Cards: Delegated to a sicky chicky with whom I'll follow up when she's all healthy again.
* Vocal warm-ups CD: No progress.
Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.
Pending.
Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week
Pending.
Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month:
We have one more sound system overhaul day planned tomorrow, and a new song to launch next week.
Reading: One book per week.
Around 40%, I believe.
Writing: Goals TBD:
(1) Blog at WDC daily.
(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: pending.
Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 29
Fiber granola bar (2)
Coffee (2)
Cheeseburger (11)
Crackers (4)
Peanuts (2)
Trail mix (4)
Guacamole salad (1)
Rice (2)
Refried beans (1) |
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Even better if she can whistle to the tune of Mozart or something. 
Comment • View 1 comment 
, also known as Michelle Tuesday, is a musician, educator and writer hailing from Columbus, Ohio.![Merit Badge in Music
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To a dear friend whose talent for writing music is sensational. May you have a fabulous New Year, (((Brandi)))!!! *^*Kiss*^*
Big hugs,
Sherri *^*Heart*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Music-1050.gif)
![Merit Badge in Organization
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I don't know how you do it, but I assume there's magic involved *^*Bigsmile*^* I have really enjoyed this month of planning and preparation for NaNoWriMo and I love how organized it all is. Thank you for hosting a great challenge and for your dedication to helping so many of us prepare with confidence and trepidation for National Novel Writing Month (known to sane folks as 'November' *^*Laugh*^*) at your [Link To Item #1474311]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Organization-1150.gif)
![Merit Badge in Leadership
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For your hard work, commitment, talent and innovation in running the October NaNoWriMo Preparation each year, which helps many of us get our scattered thoughts together for November's novel-writing. And also because this badge has ducks on it.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Leadership.gif)
And I've been practicing my new hand position. 