Today we’d like to introduce you to Kea Goins.
Hi Kea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Someone once told me that I seem like I’ve lived many lives. At the time, I had no clue what that meant. I’ll do my best to make this hysterically long story brief and still entertaining. I was raised on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, growing up in both Wahiawa and Ewa Beach. During my 11th grade year, we moved to the mainland after my parents secured jobs in Washington DC. Though I feel like I tried my best to adapt to my surroundings, I couldn’t handle being away from my island and everything I’ve ever known. Post-graduation and a failed semester at UNC Charlotte, I packed my bags and moved back home to Hawai’i. I arrived back home to nothing and ended up couch hopping for a while until I landed a job at a Safeway grocery store. It took four years to realize that corporate management wasn’t what I wanted. Ready for the weird part?….So one day, as I’m walking home from another stressful overnight management shift, I find a magazine on the floor (Immediately, I’m frustrated that someone would litter on my island). I pick up the magazine and the page it’s open to has an article entitled, “Austin, Best Place to Start Over!” I’m still not sure what the hell I was thinking, but I quit my job the next day and flew out within a week.
AUSTIN— I arrived in Austin and immediately asked my phone “Hey Google, Cheap apartments in Austin”. You can imagine the mess I didn’t know I was getting myself into. But ignorance is bliss and I was just happy to “start over”. I lived off Rundberg in Austin for a few years where I started dating an independent artist. It was a great time! We often attended live music events, artist showcases, and studio sessions. Back then, my original thought was “How can I help my friends get shows and push their music?” The more I looked into it, the more I was drawn to music business and marketing. Between serving tables and keeping up with the Austin music scene, I was able to give college another try and attended ACC for general business. During that time, I also taught myself social and digital marketing, earning my Google Certification among others.
Though the relationship failed, I left with a newfound passion for music business and independent artists. Fast forward, I’ve been in Austin for about seven years now working with a handful of artists and producers to help grow their network and gain exposure for their brand. The process that an independent or unsigned artist goes through to create even one large-scale marketing campaign is time-consuming, stressful and costly. When an artist is unsigned, they’re typically their own team, meaning the manager, the booking agent, the marketing specialist, the artist and sometimes the producer as well. Trying to juggle all of these hats is where many artists fall off, which is where I come in. The amount of hidden gems in Austin alone is amazing and it’s frustrating to think that some will never be discovered because they’re being buried in all of the chaos of the intricacies of music business as well as the industry and scene itself.
I’m also the COO of Good Music Influence [GMI], an Austin based media platform helping to push independent music while keeping up with the best of hip-hop culture. We host themed events about three times a year and are one of very few (if not the only) event promoters who pay our artists [versus having them pay to perform].
I’ve worked with hip-hop duo Tribe Mafia, Co-manage Austin DJ, TJ the DJ and was previously a podcast host on Royalties radio [Presented by Royalties ATX]. During my time working with Royalties radio, I had the pleasure of interviewing some of Austin’s most talented upcoming artists, producers and entertainers.
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?
Until recently, I would say that the hardest part about this whole journey was figuring out where I belonged in the big picture. I fell in love with music and artistry so hard and so fast, but I wasn’t an artist, so I felt like it was hard for me to find a place where I held value. I really had to research and figure out what pockets in the process I could fill. I honestly never knew there was a “business” side to music and how crucial it was.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Artist Management. In a traditional setting for a signed artist, the manager does not directly pitch for bookings, create ads, set up accounts or write contracts. These are all areas I cover, in addition to a few others. For new artists, I go through a 2hr consultation setting up their music royalties and registration accounts while teaching them how to navigate each platform independently. I think it’s very important for artists to understand where their money is coming from and how it’s paid out.
For the more advanced artist, I typically provide marketing consultation surrounding new releases, contract drafting services and publishing administration.
In the Austin & San Antonio music scene, I’m more well-known for Curating & Hosting live showcases.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think success is defined differently depending on the original goal. For me personally, success is being able to find a lifelong harmony between something that you love and something that you’re good at. I love music and I’m good at marketing and business. Finding a space between the two where I could exist was success on its own. Literally a dream come true.
Contact Info:
- Email: wonderlandbusinessgroup@gmail.com
- Website: www.wonderlandbusinessgroup.com
- Instagram: @Keainwonderland
- Twitter: @Keainwonderland
- Other: www.goodmusicinfluence.com
