Show notes:
How to smash the income ceiling by building a team. When you work alone, it doesn’t take long to be fully booked – there are only so many weddings one person can attend in a year – so how do you continue to grow? Today I chat with Tim and Lizzie, the husband and wife team behind Boujee music. We discuss the growth of the business, what it’s really like working with a romantic partner, and how they keep the boundaries between work and pleasure.
Follow Boujee Music on Instagram and TikTok
Book tickets to Wed Pros Live 2026
Time Stamps:
00:03 – The Impact of Live Music
06:24 – Beginning the Journey of Boujee Music
07:20 – Transitioning from Duo to Agency
16:10 – Navigating Challenges: The Impact of COVID on Business and Family Life
28:52 – Working Together: Strengths and Trust in Business Partnership
31:14 – Navigating Personal and Professional Boundaries
Transcript:
Tim
00:00:00.160 – 00:00:16.480
That’s what you need. You need a way to reach as many people as quickly as possible.
And especially for live music, our thing is always how many people can we get in front of the band? Like, when you see a band play and you feel it live, it’s totally different to watching videos online.
So we’re always trying to look for ways to showcase the band live.
Becca
00:00:17.760 – 00:01:02.390
I’m Becca Poutney, wedding business marketing expert, speaker and blogger, and you’re listening to the Wedding Pros who Are Ready to Grow podcast. I’m here to share with you actionable tips, strategies and real life examples to help you take your wedding business to the next level.
If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business doing what you love, then you’re in the right place. Let’s get going with today’s episode. Today I’m joined by Tim and Lizzie, the dynamic duo behind Boujee Music.
Passionate about live music and with a performance background, this husband and wife team are passionate about their live music.
Today I’m going to be finding out a little bit more about the business they’ve built, how they got here, and what it’s really like working with your partner and Tim. Lizzy, welcome to the podcast.
Tim
00:01:02.550 – 00:01:04.110
Hello. Thank you. Thank you.
Becca
00:01:04.110 – 00:01:55.650
I’m very excited to have you here.
It’s not often that I get two guests on the podcast at the same time, so it’s a special treat for me today and I’m looking forward to getting to know both of you.
And I will also, as I alluded to in the intro, finding out a bit more about the dynamic about you working together, because I’ve talked about that on the podcast before. Some people think it’s a great idea working together. Some people think it sounds like the worst idea ever.
But we’ll get into that and I’ll get both your opinions on it a little bit later in the episode. But before that, I like to get to know my guests on a bit of a deeper level and to ensure my listeners know who they’re listening to.
And as you both probably know as well, I also love performing, I love singing, I’m very into musical theater, so I’m very excited to get into the history of your performance careers first. So I said in the intro, we’ll start with you, Tim, that you’ve got a background in performing. Tell me some of your highlights. What have you done?
What’s going to get me excited?
Tim
00:01:56.610 – 00:02:42.710
Well, the thing that won’t get you excited is That I studied jazz originally and you know, there’s. This is very hard to make a career in jazz.
So when I moved to London, you know, when I finished my degree, I moved to London, immediately transitioned to playing much more fun pop music, playing with different artists and that sort of thing. So yeah, I’ve been to.
Been played stadiums around the world like in Zurich and performed with artists like Belinda Carlisle and Simply Red, supported Jules Holland, played at the Royal Albert Hall. Ronnie Scott’s. So a good mix of places and yeah, it was.
I play saxophone and piano keyboards so I was able to, you know, sometimes do both, sometimes do one of either and yeah, get lots of experience performing and playing with different artists.
Becca
00:02:42.790 – 00:02:54.950
Some pretty iconic venues in there that you just rolled off the tongue that are pretty exciting. Royal Albert hall, that’s up there as one of the best music performance venues you can be.
And as a jazz musician, Ronnie Scott, that’s got to been a pretty cool experience too.
Tim
00:02:54.950 – 00:03:22.710
Yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing.
It’s funny obviously, when you dream of being musician and you think of these places, you know, they’re the kind of ones that you want to tick off.
So when you first get that call to play with an artist who’s got a gig there and you get to do it is an incredible feeling of excitement that it’s like I’m going to, I’m going to be able to take this venue off and like feel what it’s like to be on stage there and not just be in the crowd. So it is, yeah, it’s, it’s very exciting. It’s one of the things that I look back on the music part of my career and I’m really grateful for.
Becca
00:03:22.710 – 00:03:27.150
Yeah, absolutely. And you’ll never forget those moments. Lizzy, how about you tell me about what you’ve done in the past?
Lizzy
00:03:27.370 – 00:04:02.020
I’ve done numerous sort of behind the scenes things. I’m more of a session vocalist, recording vocalist for adverts, TV adverts.
I was once on a boots advert which was very exciting and I only found out because my friend rang me and went, oh my gosh, you’re on the TV. It was in the middle of X Factor 2, so it was a big, big moment. It was quite exciting.
And then, yeah, so just a lot of sort of session vocalists, vocal stuff and I’ve worked with artists and been a backing singer and that kind of thing, but really focused on event musician performing at weddings and occasions and yeah, really honed that crap craft there.
Becca
00:04:02.020 – 00:04:05.020
Do you play any instruments or have you always Just been a vocalist.
Lizzy
00:04:05.020 – 00:04:14.379
I’ve always been a vocalist, but I’ve very cleverly married a very talented musician so that I can have someone on tap, just play me songs whenever I want.
Tim
00:04:14.379 – 00:04:14.940
On tap.
Becca
00:04:14.940 – 00:04:15.380
Wow.
Tim
00:04:15.540 – 00:04:17.140
Not been described as on tap before.
Becca
00:04:18.100 – 00:04:45.250
Well, I’ve gone one step further, to be honest, because I’ve actually birthed a child who is now going to be my backing musician. Because my son Daniel, who I adore, he is 11 years old and he plays guitar, piano and drums, so we’ve got a whole band in one.
But recently he’s always loved the guitar. He started playing it when he was 2, just picked it up and played it.
But recently he’s got to a point where he can play an actual song and I can sing along to it and that’s really magical.
Tim
00:04:45.250 – 00:04:47.770
That is. That is amazing. I hope it was a Spice Girl song.
Becca
00:04:47.770 – 00:05:30.570
Well, he hasn’t met in a Spice Girl song yet. We did Jingle Bell Rock, but it’s quite Christmas niche, so we think we need to work on some things.
But it is amazing to see and I’d love to find out a bit, actually, from you guys about your background as well, children, because I think one of the things that I talk about a lot is how sometimes the people around us hold us back. And when we’re in the creative industries, sometimes people say, that’s not a career, that’s not something you can do as a job.
Being a musician, studying jazz, what’s the point of doing that?
And I look at my son and I see all his potential and I think, how can I make sure that he doesn’t fall into that trap of thinking, I can’t do anything with that? Did you both have fairly supportive family backgrounds? Were people encouraging you or did people say to you, nah, you should do something proper?
Tim
00:05:32.010 – 00:06:04.110
I think we were both lucky that we had very supportive parents, actually. Our paths to music were very different. Like I said, you know, I studied jazz. Before that I had very formal kind of classical music education.
My mum was a music teacher. She actually taught at my primary school, which is a whole other story, I think.
But, yeah, so she taught me the piano, you know, she took me through a very formal classical education and through the grades and that sort of thing, and very supportive. Whereas Lizzie was much more of a natural, a natural singer and performer. Didn’t need all that learning. She was already good enough.
So yours was very different, wasn’t it?
Lizzy
00:06:04.110 – 00:06:24.870
Oh, well, that’s very kind of you, darling.
I also had a bit of pushback, though, I think, you know, there Were people in my life who would say, you know, no one wants to do a proper job or a normal job. They didn’t see singing as, you know, you could make a career out of it. But honestly, I think the passion was just too strong. There’s not.
There was nothing that was going to stop me. So, yeah, luckily my parents were very supportive. Yeah.
Becca
00:06:24.870 – 00:06:35.880
So at what point in the journey, then, did bougie music become a thing? So we’ve talked about how you both had these performances, backgrounds. Where did it suddenly become more of a business?
Tim
00:06:36.120 – 00:07:42.140
Yeah, yeah, great question. So, I mean, we met in a wedding band, so the seeds had already been laid in the meeting.
And when we actually got together as a couple, we were on tour with. With the band, not. Not playing at weddings. We were in the Alps. So, you know, sounds glamorous. It was marginally glamorous. But, yeah, so we.
We were already kind of working together already. And so. And you kind of already said, or Lizzie helpful to. To marry someone who plays the instruments that can support you.
So we started out as a duo where I would play piano and Lizzie would sing. And that duo is called Crimson Keys, actually. And then that was kind of the start of it.
We thought, okay, we enjoy working together, we enjoy performing together, but we want to do something bigger. And starting a. At the time, we called it a live music agency.
Starting bougie music was really the way to take that to the next level where we could create a bigger band. We could have different acts on.
On our, you know, on our roster, on our selection of bands and do something that went beyond just performing as a duo and have a business and a company that. That offered more.
Becca
00:07:42.220 – 00:07:45.660
Does Crimson Keys still ever go out together or is that a thing of the past?
Tim
00:07:45.740 – 00:07:48.380
It’s been. It’s been gracefully retired at this point.
Becca
00:07:49.580 – 00:07:57.820
I love just. Just at home and made some more appearances during COVID when no one else had anything else to do.
Tim
00:07:57.820 – 00:07:59.580
Yes, exactly. You’ve hit the nail on the head there.
Becca
00:07:59.580 – 00:08:20.560
Let’s go back to that time, though, because I think there people listening and I’ve spoken to lots of people who are at that kind of first part.
They’re not ready to start a big agency, but that maybe they want to go and sing at a wedding or play at a wedding, and they don’t really know even how to get started with that.
Do you remember getting your first weddings as a duo, how you went about doing that and how you got the confidence to go, yeah, actually, we could do this.
Lizzy
00:08:20.560 – 00:08:50.420
Well, actually, we had both been musicians in our own right before we even got together and started Crimson Keys. So we had a lot of experience under our belt before we even started that. So I think we were very confident when we put out Crimson Keys.
And also the advantage of working together, you know, the late nights and being able to go for a nice brunch the next morning to debrief about the wedding the day before, you know, I think we just ended up combining our skills and creating a really niche project that was just really special to us.
Tim
00:08:50.900 – 00:08:54.580
And, I mean, do you remember your first wedding gigs? How did you get those?
Lizzy
00:08:56.500 – 00:08:57.380
Do you remember?
Tim
00:08:58.020 – 00:08:59.300
I feel like you’ve told me stories.
Lizzy
00:08:59.300 – 00:09:03.300
Well, sometimes you remember more than I do. This is why it’s good to work with him. He can remind me.
Tim
00:09:03.300 – 00:09:13.490
I feel like you’ve been. You’ve told me stories where, you know, you are part guest and part singer and kind of, you know, you know, making.
Starting to make inroads in that way without feeling like it was a fully professional thing yet.
Lizzy
00:09:13.490 – 00:09:35.390
Yeah. I think naturally what happens is, you know, you have friends who might be getting married, and then they’ll say, oh, Lizzie can sing.
Will you, you know, will you sing at my wedding? And then you end up doing a load of free gigs because you just love to sing and they want you to be a part of it.
So, yeah, that’s the kind of natural evolution onto that sort of path. But, yeah, Crimson Keys was something that we really joined together. A lot of experience.
Tim
00:09:35.790 – 00:10:08.310
Yeah, absolutely.
I think Liz is right that it can be really helpful when you start out to have to not be feeling like it’s such a professional thing because you’re gaining experience.
And that’s one of the great things about being creative, is that you can do things for friends and family and gain experience that way, so that then you’re ready to take the step of charging some money, which feels like such a big jump to, you know, take someone’s money and have the responsibility of delivering a service or something. So I think that’s the.
That’s the bit where it can feel difficult, but if you’ve already got some experience under your belt, then that can really help you with the confidence.
Lizzy
00:10:08.550 – 00:10:33.060
It’s hard when you are the product, you are the commodity, I think.
You know, I felt at the very beginning, I felt like it was a really hard thing because I’m so passionate about singing and I love performing and I enjoy it so much. It’s a very hard thing to then make money from that because you’re kind of a bit like, well, Actually, I just love to do it, you know.
So I had a lot of people sort of say to me, you know, you should charge for that. And I’d be like, but I just like to do it.
Becca
00:10:34.180 – 00:11:13.600
I think that’s one of the problems, though. You never had that problem.
I think one of the problems though, in our industry as a whole, because there is a lot of creatives in it, is that very thing is that we love what we do, so we’re happy to just do it. And then after a while we realize, okay, this is not sustainable because this is taking me a lot of time. And actually there is costs involved.
It’s not just turning up to sing. Maybe you need insurance or maybe you need a website. You know, there’s all of these other things.
And I think a lot of people do get stuck at that beginning part, like you said, Tim, where they’re doing a few things for friends and family kind of on the side, and then they realize they’re starting to resent it because actually they’re not enjoying going to their friends weddings anymore. So I guess at what point did you realize we need to professionalize this?
Tim
00:11:13.840 – 00:12:00.690
Well, in terms of starting, you know, working together, whether it be Crimson Keys or starting Bougie Music, I think that by that point we’d already broken the seal. You know, we were already full time professional musicians, so that didn’t feel like a big leap.
I think that the leap came earlier in terms of being just a professional musician and taking that leap from just either studying or doing it part time, and then that first gig that you get paid for, that feels like a big leap.
But by the time that we started Bougie Music, part of the reason that we did it was because we had lots of experience performing at weddings, working with bands, and we felt like we knew how to offer a great experience from the band side, the performance side, the entertainment, but then also from the kind of planning and organization side as well. So, yeah, it was kind of two different stages. The business stage felt very much like we’re ready to bring this.
Like that’s what’s making us want to start Bougie Music.
Becca
00:12:00.930 – 00:12:32.020
I think you say it’s not a big leap, but there’ll be people listening that think even that’s a big leap.
Because actually going from being a solopreneur or even the two of you together, to suddenly being more of an agency set up, having other people to worry about, team members, other people’s wages to pay, that is a leap that people don’t always like to take, because it takes it away from just being them and them having full control over everything to having to entrust other people to deliver a service. How have you kind of overcome that? Or are you just still control freak?
Tim
00:12:34.410 – 00:13:53.160
You know me. So you’ve clearly got the inside knowledge there. Yeah, definitely.
I think it’s funny because the kind of personality that makes you want to start a business is that element of control where you feel like you. You want to make everything perfect and you want to be in charge, and that’s what makes you have to have the.
The boldness to even start a business to start with.
But then actually it becomes your Achilles heel in that it’s so hard to let go and like you said, trust other people to deliver what you’re doing or to speak to customers or. Or be there on the day performing. So it is. It is a really hard one. And I think it’s a constant battle that you have as a.
As a business owner or as an entrepreneur. But I think the first bit is finding people that you trust, like you said.
So when we started building the kind of the admin side of bougie music, you know, the planning team and the sales team, it was a. We looked within the people that we knew and trusted.
So the musicians that we already worked with and we thought, who do we know and who do we work with already that we trust from a professional point of view, but then also we think has the skills on this other side that can work with us, and the people that we brought in at the very beginning of that are still working with us now. So hopefully it wasn’t too terrible a decision to trust them.
But I think, yeah, it is that big leap of trust and it can help to recruit from within your own network to start with, because you’ve already worked with those people and you already know what it’s going to be like working with them just in a different format.
Lizzy
00:13:53.320 – 00:14:26.500
And also, we are a big family.
When we all gig together, all of our musicians, we’re all good friends, and I still perform with the bands and, you know, there’s such camaraderie and we all believe passionately in bougie music, and I think we have a goal of making bougie music, you know, as special, as unique as, you know, in delivering to all of our clients and couples. We just. It feels like there is an investment in there, in there through their hearts, through playing music and also doing the admin roles.
Tim
00:14:26.650 – 00:15:15.430
Yeah, I think it’s. Yeah. Because I was talking there more about the kind of the service of bougie music rather than the entertainment.
But actually now, as you said that, it’s reminded me that when we started the bands, we did exactly the same thing. We reached out to the musicians that we knew and we thought they’re great to work with, they’re amazing performers, they’re amazing entertainers.
Those are the people that we think are going to be great. Let’s reach out to them and work with them first.
And I think one great thing about creatives and musicians that we’ve experienced is that they’re always ready to take on something new. And yes, I’ll come and record your promo and yes, I trust you to go out there and get me the work that’s going to make all this time worthwhile.
And they really are very. It’s a very giving type of personality, being creative.
So without that, you know, we would never, have never been able to start because it took everyone believing in what we were saying we were trying to do to actually commit their time and energy and effort and talent to towards starting bougie music.
Becca
00:15:15.430 – 00:16:04.440
And it shows that you’ve created a great culture and a great ethos that those people are still wanting to be around and wanting to work with you. So that’s not. Again, that’s not an accident. I think sometimes as, as business owners, we can feel like, oh, that’s just what happens.
But I’ve seen a lot of circumstances where that’s not the case.
People are everything, and so you’ve got to take some pride in the fact that you’ve clearly created a great culture for them to work in, and that’s why they’ve stuck with you all this time, and that’s why they keep on believing in what you guys have to offer.
Now it’s easy for us to look at the shiny sides of business, but I’m a realist and I know that a lot of people listening want to hear the real stuff as well, because it’s easy for us to look on Instagram and feel like everyone’s business is doing amazingly well, but every single one of us has struggles along the way.
Are there any many times you look back on, I guess, since the evolution of bougie music and you think, oh, that was a really difficult time or learnings that you’ve had along the way?
Tim
00:16:04.520 – 00:17:18.460
I literally took the biggest deep breath there because it’s so easy for me to be taken back to that time. I think it’s an obvious answer, but a true one.
It’s the COVID but maybe not the period that is immediately obvious actually during COVID although it was challenging in that there was no ability to work and we had all the postponements and we’re dealing with all the couples that their wedding was, was being postponed or canceled or affected. And that’s so difficult.
Actually from a business point of view, the really hard time was coming out of COVID because we’d postponed events for so long and thought for so long just what’s going to happen that you never quite believe it’s going to come back.
And so then when it did and we were at, you know, we were doing more events than we’d ever done before and you’ve got, you know, musicians getting Covid at 2, 3 days notice and not being, having to self isolate for, for 14 days or whatever. It was just the constant changing of, of conditions. It was just.
That was the most difficult time was coming out and not, not being in the zone of like performing and entertaining and you know, you’ve just.
Yeah, it was, it was actually the increased demand afterwards and, and growing the business to the size that it needed to be to support what was going on. That was actually the most difficult bit.
Lizzy
00:17:19.020 – 00:18:03.420
It was really hard because the venues were really trying to cram everyone in and they were giving them dates during the week and the weekends.
And it was almost like because we were following, you know, the government guidance, we were just sort of moving with that as much as we could and as much as everyone kind of knew at the time. And it was really hard to plan, as much as we like to plan in advance and have everything ready.
And you know, also, you didn’t mention this, but you might have forgotten we had a baby in Covid, a newborn baby.
So we also had that lack of sleep and you know, real life things happening, people, close friends, having Covid and being very ill in hospital and, and then also having to give the service that we want to give.
Tim
00:18:03.420 – 00:18:46.380
Yeah, it was, it was the, it was just, you know, demand from all parts of life and so juggling all of that. I think in some ways it was the greatest learning period and growth period because it, it forced us to set up everything that we have now.
But at the time, very, very challenging. And at the time I was still performing full time, Lizzie was still performing as well.
So it was not just the running the business and that side of it and we hadn’t made money for a little bit. So it was like, let’s, let’s do everything we can.
So I was still back out, you know, gigging, getting Back at three in the morning, getting up the next day, getting back to emails, doing it again. You know, it was, it was just, it was a tough period. But on that is the business owner’s journey. It’s a tough, It’s a tough journey.
And that’s the only way you learn is going through those periods and coming out the other side.
Becca
00:18:46.690 – 00:19:43.170
And it was exhausting.
And I think it was exhausting as well because things kept changing, especially even when it came to things like what musical instruments could and couldn’t be played.
Remember that phase where it’s like no wind instruments and then we can have these instruments but you have to be 2 meters apart and you’re not allowed to go near each other. Like it was just an absolute minefield.
And I think we’ll be looking back on that period for such a long time and thinking, how did any of us get through that?
And I think the knock on impact I’ve seen on a lot of wedding businesses, and you may have seen this in your business too, is we then had that, that swell of bookings because there was so much postponements and then so many people getting engaged and getting married after when they could again. And so people dropped their marketing and felt completely overwhelmed. And there was so much work.
And now suddenly the impacts of people not marketing and not going out and not networking are still being seen. And I think people have had this kind of false impression that the market was a lot more busier than it actually is.
Have you seen that or have things kind of plateaued out for you?
Tim
00:19:43.480 – 00:20:42.360
I think, I mean, we’ve definitely seen that for sure. And it’s, it’s interesting the waves of post Covid seem to affect different businesses at different times.
But yeah, because, you know, we’re part of various industry groups and speaking to other venues and planners and bands and suppliers all the time. You know, you do hear what’s going on. And yes, the obvious bit was straight afterwards. You’ve got postponements, you’ve got new bookings.
It was super busy for a year and a half, two years even.
And then as you said, there is a bit of a slowdown where couples haven’t met during COVID And just everyone’s attitude to events and money and life is so different. So there’s going to be a period of readjustment. And I think we are still in that.
And definitely at the moment, from what, you know, I’m hearing from other suppliers, is that we are still in some sort of adjustment period. And it’s.
Yeah, you Just have to constantly evolve and constantly, constantly be looking 18 months ahead, but also not ignoring what’s going on right now because you have weddings every single week. So it’s a tough balance strike.
Becca
00:20:42.360 – 00:21:00.640
And how have you managed to juggle the childcare? Because you mentioned very briefly there that in the middle of COVID you just had a child. That just happened.
But I know because I talk about it on this podcast a lot that having a child and running a business and all of the rest of it is not always easy. So how has that impacted how you’re running the business?
Lizzy
00:21:00.880 – 00:22:56.470
It’s. Do you know, it’s so interesting. Not only did we have a child in lockdown, we had an 18 month old little toddler as.
So I brought home a newborn with a toddler and it’s. And then when everything started getting back up and running, it was almost like then we divide and conquer. So it’s, it’s okay, Tim.
You get the business going and then I will focus on more the childcare and things like that.
And then also throw in after Covid, me gigging and wanting to get back into it because it’s a huge part of who I am and a lot of mums will be able to relate to wanting to find yourself again and go, oh yeah, that’s me. That’s what I love and that’s what makes me feel like me.
It has been a juggle and it’s, it’s still kind of, we haven’t, it’s not a total resolution yet. And I think, you know, as the boys have, they’re, they’re older now.
They’re, they’re 5 and 6 and they’re at school so I don’t see them during the week and, and you know when, and most of, as you will know, most weddings take place at the weekend or Fridays or you know, so it is a juggle. But I do think it’s really important that I do keep that piece of me.
And we, we happen to have a lot of very supportive family and friends who help us with the boys and they get a lot from them as well. Your mom in particular is amazing and she helps a lot. And my parents.
Yeah, yeah, both of your parents are incredible and we’re very lucky in that, in that sense.
But you know, I think many self employed people find that juggle between being a parent and being a present parent and also running a success, successful business. It is a battle and it’s always back and forth and you’re. Do you know what, no matter how good of A mum you are, you’re always. Or dad you are.
You’re always going to get the guilt as a parent. But yeah, I just think it is really important for you to make sure that you nurture yourself first. And then I feel like it makes me a better mum too.
And I bring so much music into their lives. You know, they. I show them videos of, you know, me performing at weddings and I don’t.
Tim
00:22:56.470 – 00:23:00.150
Think you need to show them videos. I think there’s plenty of performing that goes on just around in the house.
Becca
00:23:01.340 – 00:23:04.060
Are they musical? Have they started doing shows for you yet?
Tim
00:23:05.260 – 00:23:09.900
Yes, our youngest likes to line up the chairs and put on the show. So yes, it started.
Lizzy
00:23:09.900 – 00:23:13.100
He jumps off the couch like Benson Boone jumps off a piano.
Becca
00:23:13.740 – 00:24:10.560
I love that.
Well, maybe, you know, this is the long term game plan for the business survival because with my musical child and your musical children, we’ve got the next bougie music band coming up in the next decade ready and hopefully you can keep, keep the business going forward. And I think it’s so important to keep that bit of yourself and also to share it with your kids.
I’m a big advocate for talking to my kids about business and about life and opening that up to them and showing, you know, I just think it makes their lives that much richer.
And actually they want to see their parents doing what they love as well because as we’ve just talked about, it inspires them to recreate it and do it too. Now people want to know often they always ask me, where do people get their bookings from?
So I like to ask this question to businesses when I speak to them because often what we think is going to be the answer isn’t the answer.
So if you were to look over the bookings that have been coming in to bougie music maybe over the last 18 months, are there certain sources of place that you get your inquiries from? What’s working for you right now?
Tim
00:24:11.040 – 00:26:46.620
It’s a good question because I think it’s actually evolving at the moment. So traditionally we built the business on fairly traditional ways of finding couples and getting work.
So wedding fairs, online listings, those are kind of the first places you go. And I think the reason they’re so powerful is because you’re going somewhere that already has an audience.
They already have ways of bringing in leads, giving them to you, and then obviously it’s down to you, but you’re getting people coming to you and finding you when you’re starting your business. That’s what you need. You need a way to reach as many people as quickly as possible.
And especially for live music, our thing is always how many people can we get in front of the band? Like when you see a band play and you feel it live, it’s totally different to watching videos online.
So we’re always trying to look for ways to showcase the band live and the wedding. That’s what you need. You need a way to reach as many people as quickly as possible.
And especially for live music, our thing is always how many people can we get in front of the band? Like when you see a band play and you feel it live, it’s totally different to watching videos online.
So we’re always trying to look for ways to showcase the band live. And the wedding fairs are the best example of that.
It’s slightly difficult in that you’re on a 5 meter by 2 meter stand, you have about 100 neighbors, and you’re in the bright lights of the Excel center or the NEC at Birmingham or something like that, and trying to strike the balance of putting on a party.
And in the five minutes that you have to perform with eight musicians and all the sound and not annoying your neighbors, you know, that’s, that’s difficult.
But the flip side is that people get to see the band live and that gives them an emotional connection that it’s really hard to replicate and to, to create from, you know, whether it be online or, you know, print or anything like that.
So we’ve always been, been, been leaning on the live side, but more recently we found that that is the, the kind of in person things and traditional ways are getting harder and harder. And so we are, we are actively looking at new ways. And so we’re in the world of, you know, social media ads.
I listened to a very helpful episode recently on that, which was, I think it’s something that we’re all learning about and seeing how powerful it is.
And then obviously the other side of that is just the organic like social media and learning how to showcase ourselves in a way that is creating that emotional connection, but without actually being live, it’s, it’s hard to do.
But learning how to do that I think is the trick to taking bougie music to the next level of growth and being able to, you know, the limit of in person things and, and directories is that there is a limit. You can only get so many people at a wedding fair. Only so many people are gonna see the band.
You have to have people physically on the ground around and with, you know, directories and listings, you know, they bring a certain amount of audience, but then.
Becca
00:26:46.620 – 00:26:49.660
Once you maybe convert a certain number.
Tim
00:26:49.660 – 00:26:51.780
You’Re at your limit. So it’s like how do we go beyond that?
Becca
00:26:51.780 – 00:26:57.020
How do we reach entirely? And now everything is video content. I mean simple but not easy. In my business in the last social.
Tim
00:26:57.020 – 00:26:57.819
Media, whether it be.
Becca
00:27:00.620 – 00:27:43.210
Recording me, because that is what now is working.
Whereas traditionally a great post, a great photo, a great caption worked really well in the last three to six months, months, it’s now all about the video content and bringing that to life and the fast editing and you know, and I think it’s hard for us as business owners to keep up with this stuff, right? Because you know, not everyone can afford to have someone following them around at all times or even wants to.
But I do think, and I’ve been saying this quite a lot in the last few months is I think people’s next hire is going to have to be a content creator, especially for wedding venues. But even like when I see it.
Tim
00:27:43.210 – 00:27:48.610
Happening, I’m waiting for the day when we can have people follow us around. That’s the business goal.
Becca
00:27:48.610 – 00:28:38.090
That is the lifestyle you around. To capture that content and to edit it is the future.
Because I am no way having the capacity to be a full time video editor as well as run a business. It’s just impossible.
And the levels that are expected out there now, the quality levels, the edit levels, the way that all has to come out so fast is unbelievable. So even at my event last week, normally if I was at an event and filming myself, I would try and post it it like that evening in bed.
But having someone who’s posted it while I’m still drinking my Prosecco at the event is next level like that. That’s got to be life goals. Yeah, absolutely. But I do think it’s the future and I think you’re right there with it.
And I think with the paid ads it’s tough because it’s so hard to waste money and to spend money and not get anything back. And so I was just finding the right.
Tim
00:28:39.130 – 00:28:42.930
I thought that having someone follow me around was enough. But now I know I need to be drinking Prosecco at the same time.
Becca
00:28:42.930 – 00:29:12.230
So than to find the right person who’s going to make it happen as well. Now we’ve talked about a lot of things, but I said at the beginning I wanted to talk to you about what it’s like working together.
So for me, if I spent even five minutes working alongside my husband, I think we would probably throttle each other. But I can see that there are pros and cons, obviously you. You made a great duo and you had a, you know, a great partnership there.
But as a business, how do you work together? Do you take the lead on different parts of the business? How does it work?
Lizzy
00:29:29.350 – 00:30:07.410
So I would suggest that we play to our strengths. I really am very visual and musical and I’m quite creative. I draw and I do all of those sorts of things. And so.
So, you know, taking the lead from a social media point of view, I quite enjoy making reels. I do find them quite fun. And, you know, also because I still perform with the band, I still represent, you know, the heart of what bougie music is.
And so. And then also delegating all of the other more important organizational stuff to my husband is a real skill.
Tim
00:30:08.210 – 00:30:10.890
Yep. If you can cram it in a spreadsheet, it’s my bag.
Lizzy
00:30:10.890 – 00:30:15.660
So, yeah, he loves a spreadsheet and unfortunately, it’s just not cool enough for me.
Tim
00:30:17.260 – 00:31:14.920
Yeah, I think this is absolutely right. It is about playing to our strengths, but also respecting the boundaries of the other person.
So if they’re going to be good at something, to just placing trust in them. And we were talking about trust earlier.
You know, it’s hard enough to do when it’s someone that you maybe don’t know, actually, but when it’s someone you really do know and you feel fully comfortable with and maybe don’t have the normal barrier of. Of what it’s like to offer a difference of opinion and any social kind of stopping around that, I think that’s the bit that is the hard bit.
It’s like knowing when it’s great to share ideas within each other and have that kind of collaborative effort, and when is the right time to just park your opinion and let the other person do their thing and not feel drawn into kind of, you know, that kind of couple dynamic where you are, it is more conversational, it is more casual, more informal. I think that’s a boundary that is always going to be difficult to find. And it’s definitely changed over the years, but it’s striking, that balance.
I think that is the key.
Lizzy
00:31:14.920 – 00:32:01.900
I do think boundary is a really important word when it comes to balancing us as a couple and us as business partners.
Knowing when is the cutoff time for us to discuss things that are involved in bougie music and when are things to discuss as a couple and setting out couple time. Every Thursday, we have a day off together where we go and do something as a couple and we do not talk about bougie music.
We just Talk about us as a couple and our family. And we do have those things set in place so that we keep those, you know, those lines straight and not blurred.
And also we’ve worked together since day one. We were in a band together. I really don’t know any different and I’m extremely, extremely codependent. So, you know, it works for me.
Tim
00:32:02.380 – 00:32:26.760
I think that’s a really good point though, is that it’s evolved so much over the years because Lizzie mentioned earlier, you know, going for the Sunday brunch after the gig, you know, that is not something that happens when you have two kids. So.
And when, when we were out performing together and working together till the early hours, you know, that was in Excel in itself, kind of a dynamic that worked for us was everything. Being together, working together, playing together, and then it was the arrival of family.
Becca
00:32:26.760 – 00:32:28.120
There’s no way that we can create.
Tim
00:32:30.360 – 00:32:35.280
You can’t just do everything together. You have to find ways to cover more of the navigate. How do you cope with the boundaries.
Becca
00:32:38.160 – 00:33:12.620
Anyway when it comes to life, business? And I can imagine that’s only amplified.
So for me, I’ve tried really hard to not look at my emails in the evening and to try not to just think about work all of the time.
But I can imagine that if my husband was as invested in the business as I am, like you two are together, that we would, it would slip into conversation all the time because we’re both interested and we both want it to go forward and we both want to check the inquiries and we both want to do all of those things. So how do you make sure that business stays as business and you don’t let it kind of seep into all aspects of life?
Or do you just let it seep into all aspects of life?
Tim
00:33:29.820 – 00:35:00.540
Sometimes boundaries get broken and it, it’s like there’s emergencies or there’s important things. So that’s always going to happen. But in the, in most of the time, best case, you do have to put the boundaries in place. It’s.
Personally, I, I found it really challenging to, to turn off from, from work and I had to hire a mentor just to teach me how to draw boundaries and learn how to manage that side of things. Because as you’ll know as a business owner, it’s usually yourself as an individual that is limiting the business, not anything else.
So, you know, learning how to do that was actually a really important part of us taking as taking bougie music forward was learning about, about boundaries, how to park work, how to come home, how to still Be a good father and a good husband and be present and switch off, take time to recharge, you know, all those things. They’re all boundary related.
So yeah, personally it was through working with a mentor for, you know, just a casual two years that taught me how to do those, do those things and learn those skills because like you said, it is really hard and it takes constant reinforcement. Boundaries, you don’t build them one day and then just leave them alone.
You have to constantly reinforce boundaries to make sure that they stay there, there.
So it’s that constant work of, you know, occasionally I’ll say something at like 8:00pm that is work related and Lizzy will go, it’s 8:00pm let’s, let’s talk about that tomorrow.
So those are the little moments that seem in the moment quite small, but they’re powerful in, in adding up to having that different time and that different separation because your brain goes back there so quickly. It’s really important to just not even bat it away, move on, get back to just being a non, a non business person for the.
Lizzy
00:35:01.010 – 00:35:58.230
But I think at that point I will, you know, I’ll say to him if he, if we’re going from business day to evening, sometimes you need that transition period in between. So for Tim, the way he will be able to sort of clear his head is going for a run.
That’s the best way for him to move into an evening where he’s kind of, he, he says he has his best thoughts on his runs. Like he has his clearest thoughts.
And he comes back and he’s just like, right now I can, you know, he’ll jot a few things down that he thought of on his run and then he’ll be like, right, okay, now I’m, now I’m done. And we can have an evening. And it’s just so important just to, just to try and put that phone, put that phone away.
Obviously, if there’s nothing pressing, if there’s no events going on or whatever. But we also have so many dedicated team members as well. You know, it’s not like there isn’t a call that won’t be answered.
You know, we have delegated to the point where they don’t need you every, you know, 24 7.
Tim
00:35:58.310 – 00:36:26.190
So I think that’s such a great point that I nearly completely missed is that that’s one of the key differences actually is between where we were and where we are now is building a team of people who are there to do things beyond just the individual. And when you’re A solopreneur. It’s not possible, you know, if you don’t do it, no one does it.
But if you’re going to build a business, that is a skill that you have to learn is how to build team, how to train them, how to have systems and processes that mean that when you’re not there and you’re not doing it yourself, stuff, stuff still does happen.
Becca
00:36:26.270 – 00:36:39.070
So difficult and like I said, harder. When you’re both in the business, what’s your version of the run, Lizzy? What do you do? How do you transition those boundaries and.
Tim
00:36:39.070 – 00:36:58.680
They’Re not going to like you say, be constantly beaten down and eroded. She gets me out of the house when I’m for a run. That’s the transition.
Lizzy
00:36:58.920 – 00:37:15.240
In, in all honesty, I. So I. Singing for me is. It is a place I go to to do. You know, I, I hadn’t.
Obviously I’ve sang all my life but as I’m getting older I’m actually realizing the therapeutic benefits of singing and letting out any anxiety.
Becca
00:37:15.400 – 00:37:23.250
For that reason, it’s my time out of the house where I can just go sing for no apparent reason other than long. For me, if I go for a.
Lizzy
00:37:23.250 – 00:37:29.130
Run, definitely clearing my mind all I’m about. So yeah, my version of running is.
Becca
00:37:29.130 – 00:37:48.530
Definitely similar things for different people. So what’s next for Bougie music? You’ve come a long way.
Tim
00:37:48.530 – 00:37:49.810
I was just going to say the same thing.
Becca
00:37:51.490 – 00:37:53.870
Everyone is different. You see. I tried lots of different things.
Tim
00:37:54.350 – 00:38:58.060
Meditation and yoga and all those kind of things and they can be helpful. But you find the one thing that, that is the most helpful for you and it will be different for everyone.
Well, I think the most important thing is that we’re building the team team and that that side of it is what supports the business as a whole. So the, you know, we’re very lucky that we have about 10 people that work work for Bougie music now on a.
A mixture of, you know, different kind of roles. Some are more freelance and some are more, more permanent.
But it’s yeah building that side of it so that we as a, as a, you know, the, the business owners and the entrepreneurs can do things that are going to grow the business beyond just um, you know, the, the kind of day to day plan and the bands and that kind of side of it. So it’s that, that constant business growth and building the structure that enables us to, to.
Becca
00:39:01.100 – 00:39:06.620
Over the top all of the individual details and that trusting other.
Tim
00:39:06.620 – 00:39:08.460
Individual kind of take that vision forward.
Becca
00:39:08.780 – 00:39:11.660
If there are people listening that Are thinking my clients might like it.
Tim
00:39:11.660 – 00:39:13.980
So exciting in the day to day when you add it all up.
Becca
00:39:13.980 – 00:39:19.410
Do you cover the whole of the uk? How many bands have you got on your books and how do they go about finding out more about that?
Tim
00:39:36.210 – 00:41:41.300
Yep. Yep. So we do cover the whole of the uk, but we’re most. Most of our events are Leeds and South is the. The easy way to define it geographically.
So we have a few different areas that we have musicians in. So London and Birmingham and Bristol, that’s where our musicians are based.
And then in terms of the actual bands and, and what we can provide, the way that we have created bougie music is. Is hopefully a little bit different than what you might expect from a. Different from other music agencies where it tends to be quality.
Sorry, it tends to be quantity. And just taking on more bands is the way. And it makes sense because if a band is booked, then the only way to.
To grow your businesses to find other bands and get them booked up. But what we’ve done with bougie music is. Is create more of a show than. Than a band.
So firstly, because we are musicians ourselves, we wanted to do everything and be control freaks.
So we created all the bands from scratch and you know, from the arrangements, the, the outfits, the choreography, the names of the bands, the names of the bands, that’s why they’re so silly.
So yeah, we’ve got a show band called Uptown Showdown, which is all about filling the dance floor, bringing energy and fun to the dance floor, getting everyone up, dance dancing. We’ve got a roaming band called the Rock and Strollers, great for daytime outdoors, breaking the ice.
We’ve got a jazz band called Miles High and we’ve got a few different solo and duo acoustic acts as well. So that kind of sounds like a lot when you dump it at once.
But compared to most agencies, having just three bands and a few solos and duos is actually quite a small offering.
But we found that it makes it really simple for couples that if they want a certain thing, we just have one band that is hopefully the best at that does. Does that thing really, really well. And it’s nice and simple for couples. And then it means that we can also like a show.
You might go and see, you know, a show in New York or London. The show is the same, but the cast is different. And that’s the same with the way that we. We have the bands and we have the musicians.
So the Uptown Showdown show is always the same. The, the arrangements, the choreography, the entertainment, the, the charisma. You know, that’s what I want to see.
But then we have different musicians that work that wherever the band is performing, it’s always Uptown Showdown.
Becca
00:41:41.300 – 00:42:31.200
But you’re not whenever there is going to be some kind of performance that I can come along to bring Simona with me and then we can film me dancing around to your band because yeah, I think it’ll be a lot of fun. And you’re right. It’s so hard to enjoy live music without actually seeing and enjoying the live music, being in the room and understanding.
It was great to see your walk around band as well when I was at the Guys for Brides event. But yeah, that one is right up my street. Maybe I need to book you guys for my 40th birthday party. That is, that’s in the planning.
So maybe that’s where we need to do it. Well, maybe I’ll come to the free showcase and then book you for my 40th birthday party. Sounds good to me. It’s been so much fun talking to you both.
But I always end my podcast so.
Tim
00:42:31.200 – 00:42:35.200
Much what I was going to say will just come along to a free showcase. But yeah, definitely book us.
Becca
00:42:36.620 – 00:42:40.220
And that’s this. What’s one thing you wish you’d known sooner in your own.
Tim
00:42:40.300 – 00:44:04.870
That is the general idea. Yeah. Oh, okay. So I’m afraid my answer is is going to be a lot more boring than Lizzie’s.
But it’s, it’s around kind of of doing from the outset of a business what is helpful for the future.
So the kind of things that you don’t do in the day to day and you don’t even know to do, like writing down the processes that you’re following, writing down what you’re doing, recording, so that when you do eventually want to build a team or give a task, even just the smallest task to an assistant, it’s not a case of then going right, how am I going to do that? You’ve already got some structure and some processes that you’re following and you can give them straight away to that person person.
And that just makes it so much easier.
And it’s the kind of thing that when you’ve already grown a business to the point where you’re at capacity and you personally are limited to, then spend time building systems and processes is very, very hard to carve out time for.
So that kind of thing just from the very outset, I mean we spoke earlier about some people who might be listening to this who might not have started the business or just started the business that would Be my greatest tip is whatever you’re doing day to day, a record your time, just where is your time going? And B, just write down the things that you do, even if it’s just a high level, you know, task like reply to email.
Becca
00:44:05.090 – 00:44:25.410
Fantastic. A boring answer, but a very important answer. So hopefully people listening you have even less time to do it and it will take longer.
So yeah, I, I wholeheartedly agree with you Lizzy. What’s your.
Lizzy
00:44:43.340 – 00:45:20.150
I think, you know, at the start of any business, sometimes a lot of people struggle with imposter syndrome and I think they try and they see what’s out there and they kind of maybe try and copy what they see as a template. And I think going back, I think embracing what makes us unique is actually something that’s really important to remember.
You know, what, what sets you ap part, what is your, what is your USP like? Why are you offer something that is different out there?
And I think from the beginning, I think just having more confidence in, in what we, what we have to offer and knowing that we can give them and just trying to give them great, we know we’re going to do a.
Becca
00:45:20.150 – 00:45:42.540
Good job and you can see that shining through. So keep on shouting that message because I think it’s fantastic. Tim, Lizzy, I’ve loved having you both on the podcast.
It’s been a fascinating insight into your business, into your relationship, into your family and into the future. So thank you so much for sharing. If people want to find out more about Bougie Music, where are the best places for them to find you?
Tim
00:45:59.670 – 00:46:09.750
Well, as ever, we’re on all the platforms, but the best place to go is Instagram. We’re Bougie Music or our handle is Bougie Music Live. And since we haven’t said it already, it’s spelled B. Fabulous.
Becca
00:46:09.750 – 00:46:14.390
I’ll make sure I put all of the links in the show notes. If people want to hear the band, the best place to reach out to us.
Tim
00:46:14.390 – 00:46:17.270
If you’ve got your phone right now, feel free to pull it out.
Becca
00:46:17.270 – 00:46:19.430
If you’re not driving, give us a follow.
Tim
00:46:19.590 – 00:46:24.210
Send us a little dm. You know, we’d love to connect with everyone that follows with us, so that would be the best thing to do.
Becca
00:46:24.210 – 00:46:30.770
Just message us on Instagram and thank you so much for your time and I hope to see you both at an event or maybe your showcase very soon.
Tim
00:46:31.250 – 00:46:32.170
Yes, incessantly.
Becca
00:46:32.170 – 00:46:47.850
Such a fantastic conversation with Tim and Lizzy.
I really enjoyed exploring the dynamic about how the business works in their household because we all know that that boundary thing is difficult and things like growing a team whilst also having the other pressures of life are hard. So I hope you found it interesting hearing how they’ve done it.
Tim
00:46:47.850 – 00:46:48.170
Sounds great.
Becca
00:46:48.170 – 00:46:52.230
Do reach out to them, do chat to them and do go listen to their bands play. I’ll see you next time.
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