Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Kocur.
Angela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been helping musicians since 2017. Most of that time has been spent helping them in a personal capacity, such as loading in & loading out their gear, sharing their music on social media, giving them feedback on their music, & being their cheerleader at their gigs. Back in 2020, a friend of mine and I came up with an idea to make a splash in Austin. We were about to move to the live music capital of the world. We thought that it would be a good idea for me to wear red everywhere I go and to introduce myself as Lady in Red of Austin. The idea was for me to promote a business to help musicians. My business was unsuccessful, so I scrapped the whole idea until just a few months ago. I am a rideshare driver, so I thought I would keep things simple and revamp & start with giving rides to musicians wherever they need to go. So I ordered a new set of business cards to promote my rideshare idea. I’m calling this service Encore Express by Lady In Red of Austin. My rideshare service guarantees that any musician that schedules a ride with Encore Express will get a fare cheaper than Uber. I understand that many musicians are struggling financially and I want to do everything I can to help them. I have seen how much effort musicians put into their craft, and how little they get back in return. They write songs, spend lots of time rehearsing, spend money on gear, travel to and from gigs, and so much more. And then when they finally perform a gig on stage, they might be fortunate enough to get a percentage of the bar tab or a few tips in a tip jar. Musicians are so underappreciated for all the effort they put into their work. I just want to give back to the music community. Music is a huge part of who I am, so I want to help musicians succeed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I like to play hostess. So whenever I first started Lady in Red of Austin, I brought along lots of stuff that musicians could borrow or rent from me. Or they could even buy these things out right, without making a trip to a music store. I brought brand new guitar picks, capos, guitar straps, mic cables, and so much more. I even brought along bottled water and healthy snacks. Due to my own financial struggles, I had to sell most of what I was offering. I wound up drinking the bottled water and eating the healthy snacks myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am studying to be a personal trainer. In fact, I’m done studying. All I have left to do now is take my CPR exam and my personal training exam. The reason I’ve chosen this career path is because I have learned so much in the past several years about exercise, nutrition, and weight loss. I lost 50 lb with the help of a friend, and now I just want to share with others what I have learned. I want to help others the way I have been helped. People now think of me as a person who eats healthy, even though I eat foods that you normally wouldn’t think of as healthy. I eat pizza, nachos, and other fun foods. But I still manage to keep the weight off because of the way I eat. I actually lost weight by eating! I am very proud of myself, and I am eager to teach others what I have been taught.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as a drive to keep going even if you fail. If you fail, get back up, dust yourself off, and try again. I can’t tell you how many times I have failed, been discouraged, then made up my mind to try again. I’ve repeated this process many times. Finally, I am seeing the fruit of my labor just because I was unwilling to give up.
Pricing:
- The price is based on your pickup and drop off locations
- I can also help you load your gear in and out, free of charge
- Please schedule a ride at least 24 hours in advance
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladyinredaustin?igsh=bmVtMDhxZjlnY2Jo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17mKwFf1Hd/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/encore-express-by-lady-in-red-austin
