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Music Is Fun Until You Forget To Invoice with Mari Hashimoto · Epic Entrepreneurs

• 0:28
  Bill Gilliland: Hey there.
• 0:29
  Bill Gilliland: Welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs.
• 0:32
  Bill Gilliland: I am your host, Bill Gilliland.
• 0:34
  Bill Gilliland: I am the principal at Action Coach Business Growth Partners and also one of the founders of the Asheville Business Summit.
• 0:41
  Bill Gilliland: And I am here today.
• 0:44
  Bill Gilliland: A lot of times we we I don't know, everybody seems to be a friend at some point, but at but a lot of times we're interviewing businesses and people that I don't know that well.
• 0:55
  Bill Gilliland: But actually, I've got a friend on the line here today, and that's and that's Mari, Mari Hashimoto of Mari Hoshimoto.
• 1:02
  Bill Gilliland: She is a violinist and amazing.
• 1:05
  Bill Gilliland: She puts together all kinds of cool stuff and helps uh other musicians get gigs.
• 1:10
  Bill Gilliland: It's a pretty cool thing, but I'm gonna let her tell it.
• 1:12
  Bill Gilliland: So, Mari, tell us about you, tell us about your business and how you're serving our communities.
• 1:20
  Mari Hashimoto: Thanks, Bill.
• 1:21
  Mari Hashimoto: So, um, like he said, I'm a musician.
• 1:24
  Mari Hashimoto: I play the violin and viola.
• 1:26
  Mari Hashimoto: I've been playing for over 25 years.
• 1:30
  Mari Hashimoto: I actually stopped counting at 25.
• 1:32
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, I always uh performed, but I didn't go full-time musician until about three years ago, two or three years ago.
• 1:42
  Mari Hashimoto: And I started playing for weddings, private events, uh private house concerts, nursing homes, corporate events, and just lots of other uh special events like conferences, galas, just anything you can think about, including uh benefit concerts.
• 1:59
  Bill Gilliland: Love that.
• 2:00
  Bill Gilliland: I love that.
• 2:01
  Bill Gilliland: Quick question: What's the difference between a violin and a viola?
• 2:05
  Mari Hashimoto: Oh, well, so uh I usually get the what's the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
• 2:11
  Mari Hashimoto: I can tell you.
• 2:11
  Mari Hashimoto: I know the answer to that one.
• 2:13
  Bill Gilliland: I know I know the answer to that one.
• 2:16
  Mari Hashimoto: Okay, well, so uh violin and a viola.
• 2:19
  Mari Hashimoto: So a violin has uh four strings, and a viola also has four strings.
• 2:24
  Mari Hashimoto: However, the violin goes a little bit higher than the viola.
• 2:28
  Mari Hashimoto: The violin has something called G D A E strings, and then the viola has one that's a little bit lower, it's C G D A.
• 2:37
  Mari Hashimoto: So it's just a tiny bit lower.
• 2:38
  Mari Hashimoto: It's almost like a baby cello.
• 2:40
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, I got it, got it.
• 2:42
  Bill Gilliland: I understand.
• 2:43
  Bill Gilliland: I understand.
• 2:44
  Bill Gilliland: It's good, it's a good one.
• 2:46
  Bill Gilliland: So uh let's talk about business.
• 2:47
  Bill Gilliland: So you've been in business for a few years.
• 2:49
  Bill Gilliland: How what would you do differently if you had to start over?
• 2:53
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, if I started over, honestly, I would focus earlier on creating boundaries and probably systems.
• 3:05
  Mari Hashimoto: When I first started, it was a lot of survival mode.
• 3:10
  Mari Hashimoto: And so it even though I was organizing events to the best I could and performing for them, and they'd sound great, but it was the really what was happening in the back, like the planning, organizing, and also uh I would say yes to everything, to every single client I had.
• 3:32
  Mari Hashimoto: And so I was in total survival mode, and I think that led to a lot of stress, um, a lot of times not paying myself enough, and eventually to burnout.
• 3:46
  Mari Hashimoto: So I think since then I've gotten so much better.
• 3:52
  Mari Hashimoto: I've been able to say no to certain gigs or understand um what the fair pricing would be from the amount of work I'd do and how much work I could actually take on, because I've realized if I was stressed out and burnt out, you know, I couldn't help any of my clients at all.
• 4:12
  Mari Hashimoto: So that and that also really, I mean, honestly, understanding your limits too helped me keep my passion of music alive because there was a point where I I kind of questioned if I wanted to keep doing this and if music was still giving me joy.
• 4:30
  Mari Hashimoto: So I would definitely say from the start, like boundaries and uh systems.
• 4:39
  Bill Gilliland: I I love that because you wouldn't want music to not give you joy, right?
• 4:43
  Bill Gilliland: You know, a lot of people do get into a career or something and something they really liked because it was a maybe a little hobby or a little more than a hobby, but um yeah, and then they don't like it anymore.
• 4:55
  Bill Gilliland: That's a bad deal.
• 4:57
  Bill Gilliland: So, what are some of the other learnings you've had as an owner?
• 5:01
  Mari Hashimoto: Um honestly, I'd say communicating better and networking and building relationships.
• 5:08
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, as you know, I'm an introvert.
• 5:10
  Mari Hashimoto: I'm actually an introvert, even though I sound very animated right now.
• 5:13
  Mari Hashimoto: But um, and being a musician, I think it's comfortable for me to go in the practice room or you know, in the workshop or studio and just hide, you know, and practice.
• 5:27
  Mari Hashimoto: And I think as a business owner, I've had to learn how to communicate uh better with others, being able to network, and honestly, like I feel like my growth came from building relationships with other people and just understanding the community I'm serving because when you connect with others, you understand what they're looking for, you actually gain a better understanding of what you're offering to.
• 6:01
  Bill Gilliland: Love that.
• 6:01
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, I love that.
• 6:03
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, I mean, the the introvert-extrovert thing is about energy, it just you just gotta know that it's gonna take you more energy and maybe more recovery time if you're gonna get out there in the world and and do the thing.
• 6:15
  Bill Gilliland: But I you know, I think we all have that a little bit.
• 6:17
  Bill Gilliland: We're all just like, hey man, I I could just go into my office or go into the like you say, the practice room or something, or yeah, you know, take a walk, something where I don't have to I don't have to talk to anybody.
• 6:29
  Bill Gilliland: So definitely.
• 6:30
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, it's it it it's good.
• 6:32
  Bill Gilliland: So what do you think some of the common misconceptions are about running a business?
• 6:39
  Mari Hashimoto: Um I think a lot of people think that if you have a great idea and you can just rush into it and start a business.
• 6:50
  Mari Hashimoto: I've honestly I've learned uh I mean I feel like I knew it was gonna be hard, but I didn't realize how hard it was gonna be.
• 6:59
  Mari Hashimoto: And I've had other people tell me, oh yeah, just like show up and play music.
• 7:05
  Mari Hashimoto: That's all you need to do.
• 7:06
  Mari Hashimoto: But there's so much more that goes into it.
• 7:09
  Mari Hashimoto: And I think people don't realize how difficult it is because you have to be committed, you have to have your own, you have to be good at your own time management.
• 7:19
  Mari Hashimoto: There's nobody telling you what to do, you gotta kind of figure it out as you go.
• 7:24
  Mari Hashimoto: And so I think that's that's something that I've discovered as I, you know, gone on because I have to tell myself what to do next.
• 7:35
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah.
• 7:35
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, you can show up and play music, but you still have to get paid.
• 7:39
  Mari Hashimoto: So somebody's gotta get an invoice or gotta, you know, there's gotta be, yeah, there's a lot of things you gotta pick up, and then there's taxes and everything else that goes with the attribute your growth to um honestly, I feel like relationships, just creating relationships with other people from networking, like I said earlier.
• 8:03
  Mari Hashimoto: Um I I want to make sure that you know, no matter how big or small the performance is, then that it feels special for the client.
• 8:14
  Mari Hashimoto: And I think this genuine care uh has led to a lot of uh referrals and repeat bookings, and I think just just connecting with the people, the community, um, that definitely has helped me grow.
• 8:39
  Mari Hashimoto: Um I would also say, like, I mean, I guess on the back end things on the business side, um improving my systems, just updating my repertoire, collaborating with other professionals, other musicians, um, and just connecting with other, you know, even if they're not in the music field, just connecting with other business owners too.
• 9:03
  Bill Gilliland: Love that.
• 9:03
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, I love that.
• 9:05
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, I can't know enough good people, right?
• 9:07
  Bill Gilliland: So, how do you balance your personal life with your business life?
• 9:12
  Mari Hashimoto: Oh god.
• 9:12
  Mari Hashimoto: Um it's it's a work in progress, I will say.
• 9:18
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, a lot's changed when I moved to Greenville, South Carolina this past May.
• 9:25
  Mari Hashimoto: Uh, there's a lot of performances I still do in North Carolina, so I actually spend a lot of time in the car and um uh lots of driving.
• 9:36
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, but I think for next year I've been planning uh a little bit more intentionally about my schedule and how much you know travel I'm gonna have to do.
• 9:48
  Mari Hashimoto: And so I've been trying to figure out, I haven't come up with it yet, but I'm trying to figure out an ideal schedule for me for next year, like what that would look like, what days I would want off, what days I just you know want to relax, do nothing with the violin.
• 10:05
  Mari Hashimoto: Um yeah, but I mean, I guess for now, right now, I think what's helping me the most is honestly my dog uh tells me when I'm like done at the computer.
• 10:20
  Bill Gilliland: I love that.
• 10:21
  Bill Gilliland: The dog comes and gets you.
• 10:23
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, you're like, yeah, that's enough, Maury.
• 10:26
  Bill Gilliland: Come out.
• 10:27
  Bill Gilliland: Let's go.
• 10:28
  Bill Gilliland: Yep, that's right.
• 10:29
  Bill Gilliland: We gotta play.
• 10:30
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah.
• 10:31
  Bill Gilliland: So be epic, as you know, is an acronym.
• 10:33
  Bill Gilliland: Let's let me, I'm gonna give you the acronym, and then I want to get like a real quick fire answer.
• 10:39
  Bill Gilliland: Like yeah, words are a sentence.
• 10:41
  Bill Gilliland: So boy.
• 10:42
  Bill Gilliland: So the B stands for bring energy.
• 10:45
  Mari Hashimoto: Uh be positive and optimist.
• 10:49
  Mari Hashimoto: Um I it's infectious, I think, to your friends, team, colleague.
• 10:56
  Mari Hashimoto: And if something happens, you know, something bad happens, just keep going.
• 11:00
  Mari Hashimoto: You're you're learning and you're growing.
• 11:03
  Mari Hashimoto: Things are gonna get better.
• 11:05
  Bill Gilliland: I love it.
• 11:05
  Bill Gilliland: How about the E in Epic for education?
• 11:08
  Mari Hashimoto: Um always strive to learn, like keep learning.
• 11:14
  Mari Hashimoto: There's all you're or else you're gonna be stuck.
• 11:17
  Mari Hashimoto: You know, there's there's gonna be a day you're just you're not gonna know how to move forward.
• 11:23
  Mari Hashimoto: And I think knowing just continuously learning, just fostering that love of learning, or if you don't love to learn, then maybe a wing willingness to learn, maybe.
• 11:35
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah.
• 11:35
  Bill Gilliland: Well, I love uh I love that.
• 11:37
  Bill Gilliland: If you're stuck, do some education.
• 11:39
  Bill Gilliland: That's been my experience, you know.
• 11:41
  Bill Gilliland: Take a class, listen to a podcast, something to learn, read a book, whatever it is, you know.
• 11:46
  Bill Gilliland: Do you love P stands for planning?
• 11:49
  Mari Hashimoto: Planning.
• 11:50
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, for me, planning is the backbone of everything I do.
• 11:55
  Mari Hashimoto: So if I I mean my performances might look effortless, but behind the scenes, there's been a lot of practice, a lot of organizing, figuring out what to play, all that.
• 12:07
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, so a lot of my business, you just have to plan things out because nothing happens like on the day of it.
• 12:14
  Mari Hashimoto: It's like all the planning up to that.
• 12:16
  Mari Hashimoto: But in other ways, I think planning, like planning for the future, like my goals in the next year, you know, in the next three months.
• 12:26
  Mari Hashimoto: It's something I I frequently find myself doing, a lot of planning.
• 12:31
  Bill Gilliland: I love it.
• 12:31
  Bill Gilliland: I stands for inspiration.
• 12:35
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, I think finding the reason to your business are goals.
• 12:44
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, like, why are you doing this?
• 12:48
  Mari Hashimoto: What is this for?
• 12:49
  Mari Hashimoto: Um I guess it's almost like goals, but um, I feel like it's it's a backbone of it.
• 12:55
  Mari Hashimoto: Like if for me I my goal is to play more music, but behind the scenes, I I want to play more music because I know it helps people connect, helps people uh um feel better in certain situations.
• 13:14
  Mari Hashimoto: There's so many things that music does for people, and so that's that's my inspiration, I guess.
• 13:21
  Bill Gilliland: Like yeah, so you've got a bigger purpose than just to play music for you.
• 13:25
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, yeah, I love it.
• 13:27
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, and the C stands for commitment.
• 13:30
  Mari Hashimoto: Um I'd say like showing up fully, even things get hard, even if things get hard.
• 13:40
  Mari Hashimoto: Um like today, I wanted to sleep longer, but you know, I had to get things done, or I wanted to take a nap.
• 13:50
  Mari Hashimoto: But there's always things, you know.
• 13:52
  Mari Hashimoto: I I came up with a goal that I want to achieve, and you know, I have that inspiration we just talked about, the the reason behind it.
• 14:01
  Mari Hashimoto: And so I I want to be committed to that goal and keep working towards that.
• 14:07
  Bill Gilliland: I love that.
• 14:08
  Bill Gilliland: I love that.
• 14:09
  Bill Gilliland: So, what words of advice would you offer other business owners who are looking to grow?
• 14:17
  Mari Hashimoto: I would say definitely be open or willing to learn new things.
• 14:24
  Mari Hashimoto: Um connecting with other people, honestly, I I think it's a lot of your growth can happen from connecting with other people because you're learning from other people and you're sharing your you know ideas, and maybe they might bring in an idea that you've never thought about.
• 14:48
  Mari Hashimoto: Um and also I'd say other things would be um like coming from especially from a musician, maybe to other creatives too, and obviously business owners too, but I think understanding your worth, know your value, and stay consistent is very important too.
• 15:12
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, especially for me, it's so easy to just say yes to everything, but uh you you want to be sure, like don't be scared or afraid to charge fairly for your time and expertise, is honestly what I've learned kind of the hard way, but the I would definitely share that to everybody.
• 15:34
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, pay, yeah, get paid what you're worth.
• 15:37
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, yeah, it's it's a hard, it's a it's a hard thing.
• 15:40
  Bill Gilliland: So um so what's the next big thing?
• 15:45
  Mari Hashimoto: Well, I so I I wanted to do a rebrand this year, didn't really go to plan because of my move, but I've been ever since then though, I've been focused on having a stronger foundation.
• 15:59
  Mari Hashimoto: And so I just onboarded an assistant.
• 16:02
  Mari Hashimoto: I'm so excited.
• 16:03
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, and he's been helping me with some day-to-day business tasks.
• 16:08
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, and I recently just connected with a CPA, he's absolutely amazing.
• 16:15
  Mari Hashimoto: And I'm looking for a bookkeeper now, but I'm trying to get everything organized and uh just make sure everything is good from the bottom level, the foundation.
• 16:27
  Mari Hashimoto: That way, you know, as I have that better system in place, as I grow and get more uh different services to offer and other musicians to onboard, then I'll be ready for it.
• 16:40
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, well, I think that's fantastic.
• 16:42
  Bill Gilliland: I mean, what you're doing is offboarding, you know, outsourcing the things that aren't your genius.
• 16:49
  Bill Gilliland: I mean, your genius is the violin and and the violin playing and getting people together and you know, making music.
• 16:57
  Bill Gilliland: I mean, that's your genius.
• 16:58
  Bill Gilliland: And so uh, yeah, I love that.
• 17:00
  Bill Gilliland: I love that.
• 17:01
  Bill Gilliland: So, what's the best way for someone to get in touch with you?
• 17:06
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, so I always have my phone on me, so definitely uh they can call my business number, which is 828-423-0413.
• 17:17
  Mari Hashimoto: Um, but I also have a website, violinmari.com, or they can find me on my Instagram, Mari Hashimoto Violin.
• 17:27
  Bill Gilliland: Love it.
• 17:28
  Bill Gilliland: All right, I'm gonna set you up for the joke.
• 17:31
  Bill Gilliland: So, what's the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
• 17:36
  Mari Hashimoto: Okay, so a violin has strings and a fiddle has strings.
• 17:42
  Bill Gilliland: I love it.
• 17:43
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah, violin has four strings.
• 17:46
  Bill Gilliland: Yep, four strings.
• 17:47
  Bill Gilliland: I love it.
• 17:47
  Bill Gilliland: Strings, yep.
• 17:49
  Bill Gilliland: Strings, I can get it in there.
• 17:50
  Bill Gilliland: I can get that in there.
• 17:52
  Bill Gilliland: I love it.
• 17:52
  Bill Gilliland: A little twing.
• 17:53
  Bill Gilliland: It's been good catching up, Maury.
• 17:55
  Bill Gilliland: Thanks for being on.
• 17:56
  Bill Gilliland: Appreciate what you're doing and in our communities, you know, Greenville, Western North Carolina, both communities.
• 18:02
  Bill Gilliland: And um, yeah, we certainly know you're going to continue to be successful and keep being out there and keep making music and being infectious.
• 18:11
  Bill Gilliland: I love it.
• 18:12
  Mari Hashimoto: Thank you.
• 18:12
  Mari Hashimoto: Thanks for having me today.
• 18:14
  Bill Gilliland: Yeah.
• 18:14
  Bill Gilliland: Hey, and until next time, all the best.