clarabellanyc.com

Instead of writing one big LONG post about all the excitements of yesterday, I figured I’d break it up a little… So, here is round 2 of why yesterday was fabulous!

I had my very first ‘official’ Clarabella meeting yesterday. I met with Jennifer Levy Niederhoffer, former Verve publicity genius, for breakfast. After leaving Verve three years ago Jennifer formed Impress Media, LLC. Jenn is an all around fantastic person and a total sweetheart. She’s thorough, caring, extremely intelligent, creative, and just plain fun. Her clients span from recording artists and film companies to events and retail outlets. We talked about initial steps for Clarabella’s press launch next year and discussed key outlets. I’m really excited about working with her! It’ll be fun and I know that she’ll do a great job. To learn more about Jenn’s company, check out her website: www.impressmediapr.com

NOW LISTENING
still Pete Murray! now I’m on onto “Fly With You”. If you’ve never heard him, check him out here: www.petemurray.com

Yesterday was another big day in my world. I have a feeling there are going to be lots of those in the next few months. Everything seems to be a step in the right direction. I’m sure there will be plenty of days that I feel like pulling my hair out, but for now, I’ll savor the days like yesterday.

Yesterday was LLC day. I finally put in my application! I’ve been meaning to do this for ages now and had every intention of executing the process on my own, but I finally submitted to the notion that I might need help. I got the site for online application from a friend and for the bargain price of $440 and about 10 minutes online, my request is in the works. An LLC (for those who don’t know – don’t worry, I didn’t know until I started this process) is a Limited Liability Company. The official explanation:

The LLC is a type of hybrid business structure that is designed to provide the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a partnership. A popular choice for sole proprietors who are looking to incorporate simply to protect personal assets or secure additional loans, the LLC is thought to be one of the easiest and least expensive forms of ownership to organize.

Don’t you just love official jargon? Ha.

In a few short days, I should know if my ‘single member LLC’ will be called Clarabella LLC, Clarabella NYC LLC or Clarabella NY LLC. I’m pulling for the first option, but we’ll see what happens. For anyone out there looking to apply for an LLC, check out this site: http://www.inc-it-now.com/. It was very handy and when I called the help line to ask a few questions, I got a real live person who answered all of my questions without hesitation and even told me to have a nice day. Imagine that;).

Why, you ask, did I choose to LLC rather than INC myself? Both options create a separate entity so that one is not personally liable for business conflicts. With a Corporation, taxes for business and personal are filed separately, whereas with an LLC, taxes can be filed togetherwhich makes the whole tax process less complicated - a huge plus in my mind. Also, i’ve asked a number of savvy business owners who have pushed me toward the LLC. Recommendations are key in this whole process.

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NOW LISTENING:

Pete Murray – “Feeler” and “Opportunity”

And so it begins… one great big leap into the giant unknown, better known as my departure from the music industry, the only industry I’ve ever really known since graduating from college a good solid 7 ½ years ago. Today marks the day that I bought my new business web site, and though it’s not yet live, I thought I’d start writing about my experience to share it with you all. A few friends suggested it and I thought, why the hell not. Some people might find this whole blog thing interesting, some might find it helpful or even just plain entertaining. I’ll try my best to be candid and honest. If you’re feeling supportive, critical, or maybe just like saying hi, write away! I welcome anything and everything and while I may not be able to write responses all the time, occasionally I’ll come back at you with a few lovely words;).

Before I begin, before I introduce Clarabella to the world, I’ll give you a little piece of my background. I’m Erin. When I was little, some people called me Eri – some people still do. I love both. I was born in New York – Mt. Kisco to be exact, and I lived in Peakskill for the first 3 months of my life. In June of 1977, my mom, my dad, my most favorite dog Maggie May and I moved to Cornish, Maine. Though I only lived in Cornish until I was 8, I stayed in Maine for my entire childhood. I have a mom, a dad, a step-mom, a step-dad, 3 step sisters, 1 brother-in-law, 1 beautiful niece, and 1 dashing little nephew. I love them all. Childhood was at times thrilling, challenging, thought-provoking, and adventurous. It made me who I am, and I wouldn’t change any of it. I stayed in Maine all the way through college. I graduated in May of 1999, went off on a road trip with some friends and moved to NYC to start my big bad career in the music business. I’ve lived in a sum total of 10 apartments in 8 neighborhoods in 2 boroughs in 7 ½ years and 2 summers of NYC residence, yet, I’ve been at the same job the whole darn time. So, now I’m here, about 4 months shy of turning 30, loving New York more than ever but ready for a new kind of change.

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A brief history of my music biz career – we’ll call it ‘chapter 1 of Erin in NYC’. I’ve been working in the music biz for my entire professional career. I was fortunate enough, as a sophomore in college, to have a professor who had connections… the kind of connections to hook me up with a highly coveted internship at Verve Records. My arrival on the scene at World Wide Plaza in Midtown fell in the summer of ’97, so yes, that makes this journey nearly ten years in total. I started in radio promotion, and when we realized they only needed me for 2 days a week, I moved along to publicity and then to A&R. I worked 5 days a week and even some overtime, which was unusual for an intern at the time – a time when interns were relatively new and the programs weren’t overly structured. I learned a ton, and even though I had to make my share of photocopies and alphabetize more CDs than most people have ever seen in a lifetime, I also got to check out shows… like the legendary Betty Carter at The Bluenote. I loved being there and I suppose my passion might have showed. I made enough of an impression that they welcomed me back for a second summer.

The summer before my Senior year (summer ’98) was spent entirely with A&R supporting the then 3 person department. It was an extremely valuable summer. I kept in touch with my supervisor and the department head throughout my senior year and come March, I found myself with a job offer… Assistant to the Senior VP of A&R. Just like a dream as far as I was concerned. It’s what I’d always wanted: a ticket to the music biz and a life in NYC.

I started in July of 1999, worked a year in A&R, and when the opportunity presented itself, applied for a department shift to Marketing. I’ve been there now for over 6 years and I truly love what I do. My department is full of honest, hard-working people – people that have taught me an incredible amount about handling myself in business, and more importantly, in life. The one who I would call my professional mentor heads up my department, and (essentially) our company. He’s got a solid head on his shoulders, knows his business, treats his staff with unconditional respect and leaves plenty of room for growth. Though we don’t always agree, I often turn to him for guidance. It’s sad to leave them all – they’ve become like family. I love my artists. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with an amazing group of musicians, people I’ll dearly miss, though I know I’ll still see them as often as their touring schedules allow. But… it’s my time to go. The music business is a different place these days. Everything is changing, and it’s not all changing at the same time. We can’t always keep up – some good folks have been left behind, some great ideas lost in the shuffle, some bad ideas ushered into the spotlight. Process has changed and I’m not sure it still makes sense for me.

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So, here I am, on the brink of a major life change. I’m scared shitless, but in my heart, I know I’m making the right decision. I’m opening a store, dammit!

Stay tuned for more – I’ve got my space, I’ve got my website, I’ve got a list of designers I’m itching to represent, and I’ve got a long list of ideas that I love… some of which might even work;). I’ll show you pictures, notes on my process, links to designers I love, random comments, and more likely than not, a fairly regular log of the music that sees me through. I may be leaving the music business, but I’ll never leave music!

Good night, take care, and be well,

Erin

NOW LISTENING:

Daniel Varsano – Satie Piano works

My favorite: Gnossienne - Lent