Scott K Fish
Silver Member
Mike Johnston marches to his own drum in the online education industry
October 10, 2014 by Kate Brosseau
Mike Johnston brought the beat to Big Kansas City with a live demo of just how legit a drummer he is. Johnston started playing the drums when he was five, and with drumming instructors such as Pete Magadini and Steve Ferrone, he was sure to get the hang of it.
However, the thrill of performing in front of 20,000 fans eluded him....
“I realized that just because [performing] is the world’s dream for me, doesn’t mean it’s my dream,” Johnston said. “I got my thrill from teaching, not playing in front of people, so I quit to teach private drum lessons.”
He began teaching at music stores, but...decided [to] put drum lessons on YouTube. After three years of building credibility through social media, Johnston launched MikesLessons.com to provide live and recorded lessons, making it the most successful educational site in the world.
“I spent three years on YouTube and social media to build trust, and I didn’t charge anything for it,” he said. “I was waiting for organic marketing to take place, and as soon as people started asking for more, I knew that was the time to direct them to MikesLessons.com.”
Remember the “I Wish” Principle
“The moment you say ‘I wish’ out loud, you need to act,” Johnston said. “If you’re wishing for something to exist then there’s a good chance others are wishing for it too.”
Full Story
Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals
October 10, 2014 by Kate Brosseau
Mike Johnston brought the beat to Big Kansas City with a live demo of just how legit a drummer he is. Johnston started playing the drums when he was five, and with drumming instructors such as Pete Magadini and Steve Ferrone, he was sure to get the hang of it.
However, the thrill of performing in front of 20,000 fans eluded him....
“I realized that just because [performing] is the world’s dream for me, doesn’t mean it’s my dream,” Johnston said. “I got my thrill from teaching, not playing in front of people, so I quit to teach private drum lessons.”
He began teaching at music stores, but...decided [to] put drum lessons on YouTube. After three years of building credibility through social media, Johnston launched MikesLessons.com to provide live and recorded lessons, making it the most successful educational site in the world.
“I spent three years on YouTube and social media to build trust, and I didn’t charge anything for it,” he said. “I was waiting for organic marketing to take place, and as soon as people started asking for more, I knew that was the time to direct them to MikesLessons.com.”
Remember the “I Wish” Principle
“The moment you say ‘I wish’ out loud, you need to act,” Johnston said. “If you’re wishing for something to exist then there’s a good chance others are wishing for it too.”
Full Story
Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals
