#185 - Being an Innovative Entrepreneur, Funding Your Project, and Building Your Fan Base

Recording artist Karen Waldrup and record producer Paul Worley join us in the studio on this episode. Karen discusses what it takes to release her new music, with Paul at the helm, producing the project. Karen and Paul share how she's funding her new project, through in a new and innovative way called Music Benefactors, an SEC registered investment platform, designed to help the independent artist fund their projects thru their fan base as investors. As a Country singer/songwriter and innovative entrepreneur Karen has captivated audiences all over the world through her authenticity, charismatic live performances and her new styling of nostalgic (as well as modern) country music. Her Waldrup Worldwide fan base is 1,000,000 people strong and growing daily. Her online videos have been viewed over 400 million times. Karen has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, People Magazine, Netflix, The Hallmark Channel, Bravo TV, Facebook Artist of the Day, NASCAR ESPN Live, the NFL Experience Superbowl XLVII, CMT and hundreds of other outlets world-wide. She has scored 12 Nashville Industry Music Awards and won the 2019 Torch Award from the Keith Whitley Fingerprint on Country Music Awards. Throughout her career, Waldrup has played sold-out shows in such cities as London, Atlanta, Knoxville, Dallas and beyond. Waldrup currently hosts a weekly online series on Country Rebel's Facebook page entitled "Waldrup Wednesday". The show initially airs every Wednesday at 5PM CT and can be accessed on-demand anytime via Facebook and YouTube. Paul Worley is known for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Records' Nashville division as chief creative officer. Since leaving Warner in the early 2000s, Worley has worked mainly as a record producer for other acts, such as Big & Rich, as well as an occasional session guitarist. He is most widely known as the co- producer (with Victoria Shaw) of the self-titled debut album of Lady Antebellum (2008) and as one of the producers of their second album, Need You Now (2010). He also discovered the Dixie Chicks and, with Blake Chancey, co-produced their first two albums. www.musicbenefactors.com/karenwaldrup www.karenwaldrup.com   The music provided for this episode is from: Artist: Karen Waldrup Single: "I Go By Jane Doe" BMI Songwriters: Karen Waldrup, Brandon Darcy, Ben Russell   Artist: Karen Waldrup Single: "Over The Ocean" BMI Songwriters: Karen Waldrup, Brandon Darcy, Ben Russell   Artist: Karen Waldrup Single: "Justified" BMI Songwriters: Karen Waldrup, Brian Kolb   The Business Side of Music ™ © 2021 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas Recorded inside an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what's left of Music Row in Nashville TN (except during the Covid 19 pandemic, then it's pretty much been accomplished VIA Zoom or over the phone, with the exception for those fearless enough to come to Bob Bender's dining room… and there have been a few that have survived). Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY Production Sound Design: Keith Stark Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy. Website: If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to: [email protected] If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we'll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at [email protected]