Meet Camille Hastings | Founder, CEO of Leading Note Studios

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camille Hastings and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camille, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Every morning, I list projects, ideas, and things to do for the business. Some things are as simple as answering a question like what are the numbers today? Another item may take several months to research, like how to do Facebook Ads, but they are all things that may or may not help the business grow. I make sure to check them off the list and then rewrite the list new and clean every morning. There are new things that I have to do daily, and I have started using the “Task” feature in my iCal. I love it when I can check them off daily until it becomes a habit.

I also love listening to podcasts and books on tape for learning and training, and I enjoy hearing voices talk to me.

The biggest thing is you have to do something meaningful every day for the business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Leading Note Studios is a place that I want everyone to feel the joy I have when learning and teaching Music! That is our Motto: Teaching the Joy of Music! I don’t ever want to be the place the sparks bad memories or fear of music. The atmosphere is loving, safe, clean, joyful, creative, community and, above all else, musical.

I was teaching lessons in Nashville and had a great business mentor, and when I had the opportunity to open up my studio in San Diego, I said yes and never looked back. I had just created a business plan and handed it to family members and banks. Then, a parent of a child I was teaching told me I should open my own place. Funny, I had a business plan in my car, gave it to him, and he became my investor to get me to open my first location in Encinitas 15 years ago.

Over the years, long hours and 7 days a week were my lifestyle, but slowly, I learned I had to take a different role in the company. Being behind a door, teaching was not getting the phone answered, or the community contacts and relationships built, or the mentor group my daily list checked off. I had to move into an owner role. It was a big leap and not teaching was something I did not know how to do.

Today I now try to mentor our teachers sharing my many years of teaching private music classes and teaching 250 Pre-schoolers then 30 High schoolers! They all require different styles and classroom management, which takes years and lots of trials.

Today I love when employees are laughing, sharing and building a community. I want teachers to know it’s not a part time job but a career. Every day, a child makes you think of a new way to share the musical scale or learn line and space notes, so having a creative artist place is fun too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to walk, Jazzercise and garden.
I teach Jazzercise so taking a friend to my class is fun,.
Torrey Pines hiking is a favorite.
The Brigantine for tacos and happy hour.
The symphony or a musical downtown.
ANY Coffee shop!
Walking the Midway and pier area.
Finding “Whole in the wall” bars and visiting with others in the community and sharing stories.
I also ride an Indian motorcycle, so I go for a long ride with my husband on Sundays.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I joined a group of studio owners from around the nation. We meet several times monthly and have a Facebook page for immediate questions. The ideas that have helped Leading Note Studios with marketing, policies, and employment have been amazing. It’s great also to receive support and encouragement from others in the same business space. The Founder of this is Marty Fort with Music Academy Success Systems. This is the same group that awarded Leading Note Studios the National Music School of the Year 2021.

Website: https://www.leadingnotestudios.com

Instagram: @leadingnotestudios

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/6194450/admin/dashboard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadingnotestudios

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/leading-note-studios-encinitas

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingnotestudios

Other: Google Reviews: https://g.page/r/CXyFAmnxExDSEBM/review

Image Credits
All images are taken by myself and staff during events at Leading Note Studios, and all images are the rights of Leading Note Studios. Clients have signed to have the photos used for promotional uses.