March 2026
March 14th, 2026
This month I want to try something different.
Here are the top 3 mistakes I made as a beginner small business owner/media professional (and how I adjusted).
#1. I tried to do it all by myself.
When you are in your 20’s, its easy to feel like you simultaneously have the whole world figured and out and yet feel alone. Neither of those things are true. Its not only okay but good to ask for advice! And not only when you get stuck, but alwaysssss!! You think you know? Someone more experienced knows better. Think you have the best idea? Maybe you do… and you probably still are missing something. Brainstorm with people who don’t think perfectly like you. Take advice from mentors instead of dismissing anything you don’t understand. Attend as many free classes as you can in your niche. Listen to their stories. I promise. It will change your perspective and broaden your horizons.
Also- side note: I am looking to expand soon. If you know anyone who is looking for a part time music video / content editing position, send them my way; I’d love to chat 🙂
#2. I didn’t keep track of my finances.
When you are beginning a start-up, there’s a lot of expenses you may not expect. That may seems obvious, but it is so very important that you keep track of them all. Don’t just swipe the card and move on. We’re coming up on (dreaded) tax season and I am back-tracking all of my annual costs.
Here’s what I do: Go to whatever bank you already have. Open a second checking account (its okay that its under your social because as a sole proprietor everything is under your name anyway.) Put all business expenses on that card. All this does is keep everything in one place. Thennnn, start a series of excel sheets. Keep all expenses in there. Organize it, filter it, and keep it as detailed as possible. Not sure of a charge? Check the spreadsheet. Received a payment? Put it in the spreadsheet. Make sure to note how clients pay (cash, Venmo, card, check, etc.). This way nothing gets lost. This is helpful to have always, of course. But quarterly, you should also be double checking your profits and making sure your operational costs are not dragging you down.
In recent months, I realized the several subscriptions I was sinking into the business were making my profit margins around 15% instead of my previous 45%. In my second year of operation, I made some serious changed because of it. I stripped back the things I was paying for. Made more permanent, one-time purchases, and am working my way back. Last note on spreadsheets: Keeping track of the dates of expenses and payments helped me find my slow season. I use December- February to update my socials, website, and branding, as well as outreach to potential new clients. Then my media presence is planned ahead of schedule for when things start getting busy again in the spring.
And just like I mentioned before: I don’t know everything!! There’s still so much for me to learn in this sector. I have taken micro-economics, am currently taking macro-economics, and am looking forward to taking financial planning next fall at my college. I have many in depth conversations with my professors, peers, and mentors about financials, expenses, and investments I should be implementing. Its always a work in process, and there’s always more to learn! That’s the beauty of it all.
#3 I could not rely on social media for all of my networking.
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are wonderful tools for marketing and networking, but they seriously do not compare to shaking someone’s hand and giving out a business card. To preface, I am not a social media hater.
When I first began to get serious about making 615 a business, I was nervous to jump in head first. I was scared to go to shows, Broadway, or writer’s rounds. I tried to do all of my outreach online. Spoiler alert: not the best idea (especially when you work in the service industry).
There are so many wonderful features on these platforms. Communications is easier than ever, and outreach is simple online. However, by exclusively having an online presence, people aren’t getting to know the real you. And again, as a sole-proprietor, that is so very important. People want to work with good people, just as much as they want to work with a reputable brand. If you don’t give potential clients a chance to get to know you, you’re robbing them of loving that aspect of your company (AKA YOU).
I am a big proponent of this: With our entire lives being online and consumed by social media, it is more important than ever to be present and engaged in person! Here’s how I know. I have spent hours upon hours commenting on posts and messaging musicians only to receive one, maybe two, responses. And 9 times out of 10, they are from repeat clients or friends. However, I go to one show for one artist, and suddenly I am begin approached by other bands playing or solo artists there to support their colleagues. I gain more followers at shows CONSISTENTLY than I ever have purely online. Then, after you have done your in-person networking, that’s when you go online, follow those you have met, and keep up-to-date with their schedules, messaging them occasionally to keep the conversation going. In my personal opinion, there is no need to pay for ads or followers. Let your presence shine in person, deliver consistent results, and the work will come.
Subscribe so you can leave a comment! Come back in April for another edition 🙂
February 2026
February 12th, 2026
I wanted to take this month to give you a bit of insight into my day-to-day life. Well hey! I’m Morgan and I’m a student at Belmont University (graduating May of 2027). Sometimes, I wish I talked about this more. As a student, and a 21-year-old woman, I often feel behind in the industry because I spend most my nights studying instead of booking and shooting gigs. My degree will be in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, (and Architecture, though that’s a little irrelevant here). I have recently been inducted into Belmont’s chapter of the Entrepreneurship Honor’s Society, and I am running for office in it. Everything I learn in class and through the experiences I have, I implement into 615. I am not just a photographer (that’s the easy part); I am also a small business owner. And there’s a lot that goes into it! I do all of my own networking, management, administrative work, financial planning, analysis, and so much more, as so many people in Nashville do!
I am constantly proud of what 615 has become. It feels like my baby! haha! Laughs aside, I am growing alongside my business and I would not have it any other way. I picked up a camera in August of 2024, but I feel like 615 was truly born in January 2025, as I started developing my brand, style, and mission. Its hard to imagine how I’ve been operational for over a year!
Outside of photography and 615, I love to paint and draw, play pass, and write poetry. I consider myself to be pretty generally artistic. I also love to travel and take long car rides in the summer. So hint hint… if there’s any touring artists out there looking for a travelling media manager: I’m so there.
Stay tuned for so much rock content this month with shows booked by Blackwood, Tattered Sons, and video rolling out by Jane and The Killer Queens. Exciting things.
January 2026
January 17, 2026
This is a very special time for 615 Focused. This month, we are celebrating 6 months of being trademarked, and just over a year of operation. What a wonderful time to celebrate art, music, and creation. As it is the first blog post, I think it is only fair to highlight the one who helped me begin it all. Meet Ryan Romano, my boyfriend, who convinced me I could get into any of his shows (even though I was broke and was not 21) by holding a camera. I did not entirely plan on learning to use it. However, I could not hold it, reap the benefits of it, without giving it back to the community. Thank you, Ryan, if you’re reading this, for being my personal chauffeur for many moons, troubleshooting with me backstage, and carrying my equipment bag without a single complain through it all. Jokes aside, you are my biggest supporter, and I would not be in this incredible situation without you. I am ever grateful to you, this business, and everyone who supports what I do. What a blessing it is to be supported by the ones we serve.
