Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in music education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tucker Fatal, Owner of Dragon Finger Drums, located in Pahoa, HI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Dragon Finger Drums is an online music education company that offers finger drumming lessons and courses. Finger drumming is the art of playing realistic drums on a pad controller with your fingers, sort of like a new version of electronic drums. Our students come from all over the world. There is a growing interest in finger drumming, and we offer some of the most comprehensive finger drumming courses on the internet.
Tell us about yourself
I've been playing acoustic drums for over 13 years now, and I discovered finger drumming about 8 years ago. In 2020, I decided to start sharing my music and teaching finger drumming lessons online. Since then, it's been a steady path of growth and development as I refine my business skills and improve my products and my music.
My primary motivator is my vision for the future of finger drumming. I believe that in the near future, finger drumming will be a mainstream and popular way to play the drums, given that it's extremely accessible, portable, and affordable, which makes it so much easier for lots of new people all over the world who want to play drums, but can't have a full acoustic drum kit. I see finger drumming as an upcoming revolution in the music world.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Delivering results for my students! Whenever a student reaches out to tell me how I've helped them improve their finger drumming, it honestly makes my day. It's really inspiring to me that I'm able to share my passion and skills and help others to achieve the same thing.
Again, this ties into my vision for the future of finger drumming. The way I see it, the more people I can teach, the more excitement for finger drumming that I can inspire, and the more popular it will become. And someday soon, the students I'm teaching now may have students of their own. I can't think of any traditional business milestone that would instill more joy and satisfaction in me than that.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being totally self-reliant can be quite challenging. When I worked a normal day job, although it was boring, I never had to be concerned about having a low (or no!) paycheck because the hours were consistent, and the hourly rate was the same. When you run your own business, making sales is totally up to you, and that's liberating and empowering, but it can also be frightening. However, I believe that fear is an essential element of success, and it has certainly helped me to become a wiser, stronger, and more capable person.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do something you really love. If you don't love it on a personal level, chances are you won't see it through, especially when things get tough.
- Accept that you will have failures. If you always assume that everything will run smoothly, then you won't be prepared when it inevitably doesn't. It's how you weather these challenges that truly determines your capacity for success.
- Just start! I know so many aspiring business owners that are stuck in their heads, endlessly trying to craft the perfect product and business model before taking any steps to action. You need to start immediately with whatever you can think of and then refine from there.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.dragonfingerdrums.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragonfingerdrums/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dragonfingerdrums
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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