My not-so-secret life as a band wife

Incremental shifts can deliver outsized returns.

In 2025, I helped The Boston Naturals grow revenue 42% year over year.

Yes, they rock. Literally. But the results weren’t luck. They came from a shift in strategy.

It started on a Sunday morning.

Post-COVID, live events were back. Demand was high.

The band did what most do: They filled the calendar.

Close to 100 gigs.

And they were exhausted.

I remember sitting there, coffee in hand, half-watching the news while my husband recapped the weekend.

That’s when the real question showed up:

“What would it take to play fewer gigs… and make the same or more money?”

That question changed everything.

My “this is fixable” moment

Here’s the thing.

I don’t come from the music industry. My background is customer lifecycles and business models in media and tech.

And business fundamentals don’t care what industry you’re in.

Band. Startup. Service business. Doesn’t matter.

When I looked at what was happening, it was obvious:

• They were underpriced

• They were overbooked

• They had no structured way to increase value per gig

• And venues were making a lot more money off them than they were making themselves

(That last one? Not uncommon. Just rarely challenged.)

First shift: pricing and positioning

We started simple.

Raise the floor.

→ Increase rates across gigs 

→ Walk away from venues that wouldn’t meet the minimum 

→ Build a real services menu (not just “show up and play”)

And we reframed the conversation:

This band doesn’t just play music. They drive revenue.

Packed rooms. Lines out the door. Bar sales through the roof.

Once we started positioning them that way, negotiations changed.

Today?

They command some of the highest pay rates for club gigs across Cape Cod and Greater Boston. And they pack the house.

Second shift: fewer, better gigs

Then we pushed the next lever:

Not more gigs. Better gigs.

Higher pricing. Larger venues. More selectivity.

They started to see it:

Every “no” created space for a better “yes.”

Inbound picked up—festivals, major event planners, private events.

No paid ads. All organic.

The moment it clicked

A client flew them to London to play a 50th birthday at Abbey Road Studios.

That’s when everyone realized:

Oh. This isn’t just a band. This is a business with upside.

2025 results

85 gigs. 42% more revenue.

Less grind. More return.

Then came the next hard decision

They had outgrown some of their venues.

Bigger crowds. Longer lines. Even capacity issues.

(When the fire department shows up, it’s probably time to reassess your growth strategy.)

So we made another shift:

→ Let go of smaller rooms 

→ Move into larger venues 

→ Build residency-style partnerships 

→ Create predictable fan touchpoints (think: 2nd Friday of every month)

Now?

3 partnerships secured for 2026 

80 gigs booked—with more upside 

Early conversations around revenue sharing

And me?

Somewhere along the way, I went from “band wife”…

to helping negotiate contracts, set pricing strategy, manage logistics, and yes—earn my spot on the London trip.

I like to joke that I’m somewhere between Yoko and Linda McCartney. (Probably closer to Linda. Better PR.)

The real takeaway

Most people think growth comes from doing more.

It doesn’t.

It comes from:

→ Charging based on value, not tradition 

→ Saying no before you’re comfortable 

→ Designing how the business works—not just doing the work

If everything depends on volume, you don’t have a business.

You have a treadmill.

Want help applying this to your business?

Join The Build Room.

It’s a free, small-group working session where you bring a real challenge and leave with a clear next move.

You can come to:

→ get unstuck on something specific 

→ hear how other operators think 

→ or just get out of your own head for an hour

We meet on Wednesdays at noon.

If you’re sitting on something you’ve been circling, bring it.