About
I am the former CEO of Music Connection publishing corp. and the founder, and former executive editor of Music Connection and Songwriter Connection magazines.
I am also an Amazon bestselling author, longtime blogger, and private consultant to artists and entrepreneurs.
My 50-year career in the entertainment industry has taken me on a wild and wonderful journey of writing, producing, publishing, performing, speaking, teaching, and consulting. Along the way, I have been an active member of IATSE, NABET, ASCAP, The Author's Guild, and the Hollywood Musicians Union Local 47. If you’re interested, you can explore more of my personal backstory below.
I also write a blog that comes out 2–3 times a month. I began blogging in 2010 and never stopped. Since then, I have written more than 1,000 blogs, all archived on this website.
I call my blogs abstractions because I try to keep them short and focused—capturing the essence of meaningful messages without the fluff. My intention is to inform, enlighten, remind, and offer thoughtful perspectives on the personal challenges that confront artists, entrepreneurs, big dreamers, and creative risk-takers.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share what I have learned from 50 years in show business, 33 years as the publisher of two influential national music magazines, five books, four decades as a daily meditator, and more than 20 years of consulting and coaching creative people through a variety of seemingly impossible challenges.
If you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more on my Consulting page.
Backstory
Early Music Career
My professional music career began when I was still in high school. Although I had taken years of piano lessons, drums became my instrument of choice. Eventually, I became a decent singing drummer, which was pretty unique in those days. I was asked to join a band called the Nobelmen. The guys were much older than me, and we played strictly cover songs. Our very first gig was at a seedy dive bar in the San Fernando Valley, in Los Angeles, but the band soon got fired because you had to be 21 and I had lied about my age—I was just 17. So I got fired from the band. First band, first gig. That part was a bummer. The best part—I was completely hooked on starting my own band. Through rumor, hearsay, and gossip, I handpicked a group of fellow high school musicians and formed an original band called The Realm. And like a lot of young musicians with big dreams, we were all committed to “making it!” Our brilliant marketing strategy was word of mouth and posters on telephone poles. We played everywhere we could find an audience—high school dances, summer pool parties, fraternity and sorority events, Teen Centers, and Battle of the Bands competitions. In fact, during our early years, we never lost a Battle of the Bands contest. Word spread quickly, and before long we had developed a strong local following. My parents were extremely supportive, and once they saw we were getting pretty good, they added a large practice room behind the garage where we rehearsed three or four times a week after school and on weekends. We were committed. It was during this fledgling time that a young producer took a liking to us. His name was Dan Whitman, and his indie label was Whitman Records. He released one record called “My Disgrace,” written by our lead guitarist, who wrote most of our songs. Unfortunately, the record garnered zero reaction and zero money. However, the recording experience was priceless. After we graduated from high school, as our popularity grew, we also graduated from teen centers, school functions, and community events to the professional club circuit. Our biggest break came when we successfully auditioned for Hollywood’s legendary Hullabaloo Club on the Sunset Strip. At the time, The Hullabaloo was one of the hottest music venues in Southern California and a major gathering place for the exploding rock scene, during the summer of love, in 1969. The club seated 1200 people, and featured a massive rotating stage that allowed one band to begin playing before another had even finished, creating a nonstop live music experience unlike anything most audiences had ever seen. The Realm became one of Hullabaloo’s house bands and performed there regularly during the club’s peak years. It was an incredible education for us young musicians. Night after night, we found ourselves sharing the stage with artists such as Neil Diamond, The Seeds, Love, The Standells, The Music Machine, Sunshine Company, The Palace Guard, The Yellow Pages, and many others. Headlining acts during that era included The Yardbirds, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, The Doors, and The Turtles. The exposure also led to an appearance on the popular Southern California television show 9th Street West, hosted by Sam Riddle, which helped expand our visibility throughout the region. As exciting as those years were, perhaps the most surprising moment came when Capitol Records offered us a recording contract. For a group of young musicians, it seemed like a dream come true. But after carefully reviewing the agreement—and with strong advice from both our musicians’ union attorney and our parents—we reluctantly decided to decline the offer. At the time, it was a difficult decision. Looking back, I believe it was the right one. The contract was heavily one-sided and offered very little payout or protection for the band’s music. More importantly, not signing allowed us to eventually disband and pursue the opportunities and experiences that ultimately shaped the rest of our lives and careers. I didn’t know it then, but The Realm was only the first of many steps that would lead me on a much larger journey.
Creativity Meets Commerce
By this point, the romance of being a starving musician had begun to fade, and earning a steady income became a priority. At the same time, my awesome dad strongly encouraged me to work alongside him in the motion picture industry as a special-effects studio projectionist. I easily got into the IATSE union via nepotism, and for the next ten years, I worked at virtually every major motion picture studio and television network in Hollywood. My assignments ranged from on-location production work, where I worked alongside some of Hollywood’s most successful directors, actors, and film crews on projects such as New York, New York, Billy Jack, Baby Blue Marine, and Silver Streak. I also worked in the color-timing department at Technicolor, where I participated in the final color-correction process of numerous classic motion pictures. Working alongside directors and color timers, I operated the projection equipment and tracked every scene, in slow motion, as the filmmakers fine-tuned the visual look of their movies frame by frame. Among the films that passed through my screening room were Chinatown, The Sting, The French Connection, Papillon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, All the President’s Men, and The Godfather. Eventually, I landed a steady position at CBS Sunday Night News, where I worked as a rear-screen technician, running film clips and visual graphics behind legendary news anchor Charles Kuralt. Having inherited my father’s entrepreneurial spirit, I never limited myself to a single career path. While working in the studios, I simultaneously pursued a variety of creative ventures, including writing, photography, acting, and, whenever possible, my first love—music.
Writing
My passion for storytelling eventually expanded beyond music and into the written word. During downtime on location and in the studios, I was constantly writing and crafting short fiction stories, which I regularly submitted to magazines. One of my early works earned an Honorable Mention in the Reader’s Digest National Fiction Writing Contest, giving me my first taste of success as a writer. The story caught the attention of a family friend with deep connections to the New York Broadway theater community. Impressed by the concept, he offered me a contract to collaborate on adapting the story into a Broadway musical. For months, we worked tirelessly, developing characters, writing songs, and refining the script. Although the project ultimately stalled due to “significant” creative differences, the experience proved invaluable. It deepened my understanding of storytelling, sharpened my writing skills, and reinforced my fascination with the powerful intersection of words and music. While the musical never reached the stage, the experience ignited a lifelong love of writing and planted the seeds for the books, articles, blogs, and creative projects that would follow throughout my career.
Photography
While working full-time in the studios and continuing to write songs and short stories, I decided to explore yet another creative path. Again, following in my father’s entrepreneurial footsteps, I launched a photography business called Image Makers, specializing in professional headshots and promotional photography for actors, musicians, and entertainers. To attract clients, I advertised in The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Drama-Logue, one of the industry’s leading publications for actors and theater professionals. What began as another creative way to make a buck soon led to an unexpected opportunity. I was invited to serve as one of the official U.S. concert photographers and reviewers for the German rock publication Hitkrant. Although the position paid very little, it provided something far more valuable: unprecedented access to many of the era’s biggest rock stars and live concerts. Armed with a camera and a press pass, I found myself backstage, in photo pits, and face-to-face with some of the music industry’s most influential performers. The experience sharpened my photography skills, introduced me to the world of music journalism, and provided firsthand exposure to the lives of artists, managers, promoters, and industry insiders. It also gave me extensive experience writing concert reviews, feature articles, and artist profiles. Perhaps most importantly, the assignment gave me an inside look at the inner workings of a music publication. Long before I imagined that for myself.
Acting
Stepping Stones
The 1970s became the period when I truly made my bones in show business. I worked in virtually every corner of the entertainment industry, including performing, songwriting, photography, acting, location work, journalism, and corporate media. Yet the broader my experience became, the stronger the pull back to music. Rather than satisfying my ambitions, those years only deepened my desire to become a meaningful part of the music industry. Each opportunity added new skills, new relationships, and a deeper understanding of how the entertainment business really worked. Looking back, I now realize that every job, every setback, and every creative pursuit was preparing me for something larger. The lessons I learned as a musician, photographer, writer, journalist, entrepreneur, and industry insider were quietly converging into a single vision. At the time, I had no idea that all those experiences were actually stepping stones, quietly laying the foundation for what would eventually become one of the music industry’s most influential trade publications. I just hadn’t discovered it yet.
Music Connection Magazine
The inspiration for Music Connection arrived during a spontaneous late-night road trip to Las Vegas with a good friend. We were heading there to pay tribute to Elvis Presley, who had just passed away, when I experienced what I can only describe as a creative download—a nonstop stream of ideas for a new kind of music publication that would serve both local musicians and record industry executives. Somewhere along the drive, I scribbled two words on a piece of paper: Music Connection. It was one of those rare ideas I couldn’t prove would work, but somehow knew it would. Over the following weeks, I immersed myself, day and night, in research and planning. I refined the concept, developed content ideas, secured copyrights, obtained a business license, secured office space, confirmed a printer, and assembled a rough mock-up of the entire first issue from cover to cover. The magazine would include reviews of unsigned bands, interviews with top record company executives, industry news, and a free classified section that quickly became one of its most popular features. Musicians could search for players, buy and sell gear, promote their services, find rehearsal space, and make valuable industry connections. The more I developed the concept, the more convinced I became that I was onto something special. Recognizing that the venture would require more than a one-man effort, and after a failed attempt at working with a few friends, I eventually approached my longtime friend and fellow studio employee, Eric Bettelli, and invited him to join the adventure. Eric immediately saw the vision and, without hesitation, replied, “I’m in.” At that point, Eric took on responsibility for advertising and distribution, while I focused on the editorial and production. We each brought different strengths to the partnership, and for a while, the arrangement worked beautifully. On the one hand, I felt like I was rushing the project to get it published—and I was. On the other hand, I realized that my self-imposed “rush” was fueled by excitement and anticipation. I was launching something whose time had come. And since I had my ducks in a row, I thought, why wait? The time was now. That said, it had been only three months from idea to launch, and in November 1977, the first issue of Music Connection hit the newsstands. Initially published as a funky weekly newsletter, it received a modest response—just enough to justify publishing issue #2. After several months, we realized that a weekly schedule was ambitious, expensive, and, in hindsight, not one of my better ideas. We soon switched to a biweekly format, cutting production costs in half and giving the publication some much-needed breathing room to gain traction. And slowly, issue by issue, year by year, what began as a bold, risky experiment evolved into essential reading for music industry professionals and a trusted advocate for musicians and songwriters.
Songwriter Magazine
Five years into the growth of Music Connection, I recognized that songwriters needed a publication of their own—one that was as connected to the music industry as MC was. In response, we launched Songwriter Connection magazine. The publication received rave reviews from readers but generated little enthusiasm from advertisers. The prevailing belief at the time was that songwriters simply didn’t purchase enough musical instruments, studio equipment, rehearsal time, or promotional advertising to attract the level of advertiser support needed to sustain a national magazine. What we had already learned from publishing MC was that advertising revenue was essential to success. Without strong advertiser support, the cost of producing Songwriter Connection soon began to erode the profits of Music Connection. After only one year of publication, we sold Songwriter magazine to a private investor, who shortly thereafter ceased operations. Unfortunately, several staff members were laid off, and we redirected all of our creative energy and resources back into strengthening and expanding Music Connection. While Songwriter Connection proved to be a valuable publication for our readers, the experience left us drained, financially stretched, and ultimately disappointed. It was the first real setback we had encountered—and one that temporarily slowed the momentum of our otherwise rapidly growing company.
Seminar Leader
During the booming music industry of the early ’80s, musicians were craving information about how to get signed, yet there were few, if any, workshops, classes, or seminars available to help them navigate the business.
To better serve the local music community—and expand the Music Connection brand—I created “The Music Connection Survival Sessions” a comprehensive series of weekly seminars and workshops designed to educate musicians and aspiring industry professionals.
The sessions featured live interviews with record company A&R executives, managers, producers, attorneys, publishers, and other industry insiders. We covered everything from songwriting and record production to media relations, legal issues, music publishing, and record deals. Most importantly, musicians had the opportunity to get valuable information straight from the horse’s mouth.
The Survival Sessions also helped expand our visibility and readership and put the Music Connection brand firmly on the fast track to becoming a major voice in the music industry.
That work eventually led to an invitation to be the keynote speaker at a UCLA career day, which unexpectedly turned into a two-year teaching position at UCLA Extension. My course, How to Produce Extraordinary Results in Your Showbiz Career, became the most attended class in the Department of Arts & Sciences at the time.
Music Industry Network
The success of my UCLA course inspired me to create “The Music Industry Network” a private membership organization that connected professionals from every corner of the entertainment industry—long before “networking” became a popular buzzword.
I led the thriving community of more than 200 members, who met biweekly to exchange ideas, build relationships, overcome career obstacles, and create new opportunities through collaboration. For five years, MIN brought together artists, executives, managers, producers, songwriters, and entrepreneurs from throughout the industry.
Although MIN eventually concluded its five year run, I still, to this day, regard it as one of the most rewarding projects of my career.
Desktop Publishing
That same year, I was introduced to an Apple computer and instantly became a devoted tech geek. Recognizing the enormous potential of desktop publishing, I became determined to transition Music Connection into the digital age.
Like many publishers at the time, I faced strong resistance from partners and staff who were comfortable with traditional production methods and fearful of change. After months of encouragement, training, and persistence, Apple computers began appearing on every desk in the company. Eventually, my message became simple: learn the new technology or move on.
The transition proved to be one of the most tumultuous periods in the company’s history. Some employees embraced the change, some chose to leave, and others were let go. But I remained convinced that the future of publishing was digital.
In time, the gamble paid off. Desktop publishing dramatically increased efficiency, reduced production costs, and improved workflow throughout the organization. As Music Connection successfully entered the digital era, the company became more profitable, more competitive, and better positioned for future growth.
MC's Guide to Everything
The first guide to appear in Music Connection was an exclusive directory of A&R representatives from major and independent record labels, complete with names, contact information, and the types of music they were actively seeking. At the time, the guide was so unique and valuable that it quickly became one of the magazine’s most widely read features. Its popularity inspired me to include a specialized industry guide in every issue. Initially, the idea met resistance from staff members, who felt the guides consumed valuable editorial space and required too much time and effort to research and compile. I disagreed. I believed these directories were among the most practical and valuable resources we could provide our readers. Turns out, I was right. As readership demand grew, the guides expanded to cover virtually every corner of the music business, including producers, publishers, entertainment attorneys, voice teachers, recording studios, rehearsal facilities, managers, booking agents, and countless other industry resources. Eventually, an exclusive guide became a regular feature in every issue of Music Connection magazine. I also have to give credit to my partner, Eric Bettelli, who recognized the business potential of the guides. While I was focused on their value to our readers, Eric saw an opportunity to make them profitable. He developed the strategy of selling display advertising throughout each guide and coached his sales team on how to turn these highly targeted directories into valuable opportunities for our advertisers. It was a perfect example of how our different strengths complemented each other—creating something that served our readers while also strengthening the bottom line.
Small Ideas Become Big Winners
To further unify the company’s offerings, I introduced four relatively simple ideas that served our readers, made our advertisers very happy, and further strengthened the Music Connection brand. While these ideas are commonplace today, they were non-existent at the time.
The Weekly Bulletin
A free, subscription-based newsletter emailed every Wednesday, providing exclusive news, information, and opportunities for people working in the music industry.
The Blast
A paid promotional opportunity that allows anyone in the industry to promote a product, service, or event directly to Music Connection’s entire email list.
The Friday Freebie
A weekly giveaway featuring products and services provided by our partners and advertisers. Every week, readers have a chance to win that week’s featured Freebie.
The AMP Network
As the Music Connection brand continued to grow and evolve, I saw the need for a more contemporary way for musicians to connect with one another. Utilizing the growing power of the Internet, along with MC’s industry clout, I created the AMP Network—a private online membership community for Artists, Musicians, and Players.
In many ways, AMP was a very early precursor to today’s social networks. It gave professional and semi-professional musicians a dedicated online environment where they could create profiles, connect and communicate directly with one another, and build professional relationships—free from fans and non-music-related distractions.
After nearly a decade as a stand-alone venture, AMP was eventually absorbed into the Music Connection organization.
Under New Management
Over the years, Music Connection evolved from a traditional print publication into a thriving multimedia company, featuring a heavily trafficked website alongside its national print edition. Along the way, the magazine earned an extraordinary compliment from the Los Angeles Times, which called Music Connection “the most beloved music publication in the industry.”
However, after 33 years as founder, CEO/Publisher, and Executive Editor, I realized something very clearly: I was done. Not burned out. Not disappointed. And certainly not unhappy. Quite the opposite. I felt complete and deeply fulfilled by what we had created and what I had accomplished. I had taken an idea scribbled on a piece of paper during a late-night drive to Las Vegas and helped build it into a respected national music publication that had informed, connected, and supported generations of musicians and industry professionals.
It had been an extraordinary ride, but I knew it was time. I was ready to step away, turn the page, and make room for new adventures and new creative challenges.
So, in 2010, I sold my interest in the company I had created 33 years earlier.
I wasn’t walking away from something. I was moving toward whatever came next.
If you’re interested, see the letter I published in MC below: “Why I Sold My Business.”
From Magazines to Books
Along the way, my passion for publishing expanded beyond magazines and into books. I founded Mulholland Pacific Publishing as an independent imprint for my own work, as well as selected projects I believed deserved a wider audience. My first book, "How to Care for Your Aging Parents and Still Have a Life of Your Own" was based on extensive research and my personal experience caring for my aging parents. The book received strong reviews and critical acclaim and became a top 10 Amazon best seller in its category, reaching #6. With the success of my first book, I decided to expand Mulholland Pacific beyond my own work. One of the company’s early hardcover releases was "Whistling Girl" the memoir of acclaimed television writer Ann Marcus, whose credits included numerous hit television dramas, soap operas, and sitcoms. The beautifully produced hardcover edition was distributed through major and independent bookstores, giving the fledgling publishing company another important step forward. My second paperback, "Mastering Show Biz from the Heart: 10 Timeless Principles" drew on my years in the entertainment business and offered practical guidance and enduring insights for artists and entrepreneurs seeking long-term careers in the industry. The book reached #13 in its category on Amazon. Over the years, I continued writing and publishing under the Mulholland Pacific banner, and eventually created another imprint called “Probity Publishing.” To date, I have published six books—two paperbacks, one hard cover, and four digital titles. My four Kindle books are collections of stories, insights, inspirations, reminders, and practical wisdom drawn from a lifetime in the creative arts and entertainment industry. All are currently available through Amazon.
From Business to Being
Beyond business and the entertainment industry, I have devoted much of my life to the study of philosophy, spirituality, psychology, and human potential. Since 1985, I have maintained a daily meditation practice that has become a cornerstone of my personal and professional life. Over the years, what began as a deeply personal practice gradually became something I wanted to share with others. That opportunity arrived in 1995, while I was at the height of my career in the music business, when I began volunteering each month as a meditation teacher at California’s Lompoc and Terminal Island federal penitentiaries. For the next ten years, I traveled once a month to both facilities, teaching a mindful meditation method to inmates seeking greater clarity, self-awareness, and inner peace. Working with inmates from widely different backgrounds and life experiences, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of meditation, self-reflection, and personal responsibility. Although the prisoners came from vastly different circumstances, many shared a common desire: to better understand themselves, find greater meaning in their lives, and create a more positive future. The experience was deeply rewarding for me, and reinforced my belief that personal growth and transformation are available to anyone willing to do the inner work—regardless of their past or present circumstances. After more than four decades of personal practice, I can summarize the value of meditation in the simplest possible terms: “I don’t know who I would be without this simple daily practice in my life.”
Blogs & Stories
In 2011, I began blogging. Today, my short stories and essays are read by thousands of creative artists and risk-taking entrepreneurs with big ideas and impossible dreams.
My blog aims to inform, enlighten, remind, and inspire those committed to a lifelong creative path. Over the years, I’ve written more than 1,000 short blogs, and I continue to publish two to three new ones each month.
The entire collection is available in the Archive section of this site.
Today
After more than five decades in business and the creative arts, I continue to relentlessly research, read, explore, and share what I’ve learned along the way. Currently, I'm writing two books—one fiction, one non-fiction.
Ever since the introduction of the Macintosh and the birth of the Internet, I’ve been an enthusiastic early adopter of emerging technology. Today, I’m particularly fascinated by the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its extraordinary potential for artists, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers.
At the same time, I’m keenly aware of the very real challenges AI presents to artists, musicians, songwriters, actors, writers, and other creative professionals—as well as the larger challenge facing governments and society: how to establish and enforce effective safeguards against the misuse of increasingly powerful technology.
While AI will undoubtedly change how creative work is conceived, produced, distributed, and valued, I remain convinced that it cannot replace the imagination, emotion, intuition, lived experience, and uniquely human voice at the heart of meaningful art.
I continue to write, and serve as a private consultant and mentor to artists, entrepreneurs, content creators, and AI innovators working across the media, entertainment, and technology industries.
Drawing on decades of experience while keeping an informed eye firmly on what’s next, I help clients clarify their goals, overcome obstacles, adapt to change, and turn ideas into reality.
Whether you’re seeking guidance, coaching, strategic insight, a second opinion, or simply an hour of focused conversation, each consultation is tailored to your unique goals and challenges.
To learn more or schedule a Zoom session, please visit my Consulting page.
Why I Sold My Business
Published in Music Connection magazine,
Vol. 34 • Issue #5 • May 2010
Dear Readers,
I have never made a decision in my life that provoked so much soul-searching for such a long period of time. After 33 years of nurturing, nudging, prodding, caring for, and watching my baby—Music Connection magazine and its websites—grow into one of the most respected music trade publications in the industry, I have decided to step down as president and resign my position as publisher, executive editor.
The truth is simple: I sold my half of the company to my longtime business partner, Eric Bettelli, who will assume the role of CEO effective immediately.
Make no mistake, I arrive at this decision with a genuine sense of peace and gratitude. Eric and I remain the best of friends—more like brothers—and I am confident I am leaving the company in capable hands. MC enjoys an outstanding reputation for integrity and service, offers a variety of valuable products to musicians, and is supported by a talented staff committed to carrying the mission forward.
I am especially proud that MC, in its own humble way, has made a meaningful difference in the lives and careers of thousands of musicians around the world.
Even so, over the past several years I began to feel increasingly confined by my own creation. Countless opportunities and ideas crossed my path, yet I always convinced myself that the day-to-day demands of growing Music Connection had to take priority. What once felt liberating had slowly begun to feel limiting.
To some, I have given up a dream job, and in many ways that's true. But for years I have been haunted by a simple question:
"Are you willing to risk who you are for who you could become?”
My answer has always been a resounding yes.
The best analogy I know comes from a poem by Anaïs Nin:
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
That quote perfectly captures how I feel today.
When I started MC in 1977, I wrote down three simple goals:
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To help musicians navigate the challenges of the music business—because I am one.
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To create a music career breakthrough for myself.
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There was absolutely nothing like Music Connection anywhere, and I thought this was an idea whose time had come.
I originally imagined launching the magazine and then returning my full attention to music. It didn't quite work out that way.
Once the first issue hit the streets, I got swept up in the challenge and excitement of building a business. One year became five. Five became ten. Before I knew it, three decades had passed.
My music career took a back seat, but something unexpected happened: MC flourished.
Perhaps it became more successful than my music career ever would have been. Who knows?
What I do know is that writing books and blogs eventually replaced writing songs, and teaching seminars and speaking from the podium replaced performing under stage lights. It was a trade I never anticipated, but one I accept with suprise and gratitude.
What I've Learned
I've learned to embrace the unknown. The changes I've witnessed in the music business over the past decade are greater than any I've seen in all my years in entertainment. I love the way technology has transformed our industry. Who would have imagined that two computer geeks named Steve Jobs and Bill Gates would impact music and culture as profoundly as Lennon and McCartney? The medium changed, but innovation remained the driving force.
I've learned that truth triumphs over rhetoric. Although much has changed, the things that matter most remain the same: talent, relationships, commitment, persistence, authenticity, and practice—lots of practice.
I've learned that music is an expression of emotion, and who am I to judge another person's feelings? After listening to virtually every style of music imaginable for more than three decades, I have developed a profound respect for any artist who follows their creative spirit and expresses it honestly.
And finally, I've learned to speak less and listen more—though some may disagree.
Sometime around 1985, I began meditating. Since then, I have spent nearly every day trying to tame the beast between my ears. The balance I've found between the noise of rock and roll and the silence of my soul has been extraordinary. I'm not sure who I would be without that one, simple daily practice in my life.
What I'll Miss
Like anyone leaving a long career, I'll miss the people most.
I'm proud to say I've made more friends than enemies in this business, and many of those friendships will last a lifetime. I'll especially miss the talented staff of MC—a remarkable group of people dedicated to helping musicians achieve their dreams.
I'll miss holding a brand-new issue of Music Connection fresh off the press.
And I'll miss the creative process of publishing itself—the challenge of turning words, ideas, graphics, and dreams into something tangible and meaningful.
What I Won't Miss
Firing people. Especially good people.
In 33 years, it was the worst part of my job. Every difficult decision weighed heavily on me, and I apologize to anyone who felt that sting.
What's Next?
I still love the entertainment business, and I plan to spend my time doing what I love most: writing, teaching, leading seminars on a variety of subjects, public speaking and keynotes. Perhaps I’ll even have the honor of giving a TED Talk someday.
However, the thing tugging at me most is something I’ve always loved to do: helping and coaching individuals through the minefields of their lives, and consulting with groups, companies and corporations looking for breakthroughs in achievement and performance.
So I’m already in the process of creating a company to help others solve problems. It’s called The Probity Group—a creative “think tank” specializing in innovative solutions to seemingly impossible challenges.
It’s a consulting and coaching company that draws on the brainpower, practical experience and intellectual leadership of an awesome team of committed problem solvers to accelerate extraordinary results and arrive at exceptional solutions. Our intention is to lend insight and a helping hand to individuals, groups, organizations, companies, corporations—or anyone who could use some centered guidance and thought leadership.
Sound like fun? Wanna play? Got a problem you want solved? Got a project you want to move forward?
Just email me your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you: michael@jmichaeldolan.com.
Finally
For the first time in decades, my calendar is not dictating my future. Possibility is.
Sometimes I wonder if I sold out in 1977 when I traded my music career for an office job. Other times I feel it was exactly what I was meant to do.
Either way, music remains a trusted friend—always by my side, always inviting me to come out and play.
I cherish the ability to perform as a gift that I never take for granted. Whenever I get the chance to play with great musicians, my soul sings with joy, my fingers scream in agony, my heart races with excitement, and I laugh until I can barely catch my breath.
And that's enough.
To my friends, family, the wonderful staff of Music Connection, and everyone who has supported MC over the past three decades, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
You filled my life with challenge, purpose, friendship, and joy.
Peace & Love Forever,
Michael