Meet the Founder: Karen Kim, Hello Music
This month we chat with Karen Kim, founder of Hello Music.
Hello Music is an innovative music teaching program and entertainment for children.
Karen joined the monthly Atto Academy membership community in March 2021.
Learn more about Karen and Hello Music below.
How did Hello Music start and what stage is it at now?
Growing up I always attended music classes, sat exams and participated in competitions - music practice was part of a routine, a chore. I recognised the cognitive benefits of learning music, but it wasn’t until attending university I had an epiphany - that music could and should be enjoyable as well!
I decided there and then (back in 1990!) to establish a music school where the joys and benefits of learning music could be discovered and taught, through an immersive environment of quality teaching, innovative programmes, community partnerships and events.
At Hello Music we exercised BSR (business/corporate social responsibility) before it was a ‘thing’ - from charity music concerts with thousands in attendance, to regular performances at the Children’s Hospital on their internal television network. Edu-tainment was a large part of our approach - making learning fun. Our 5D digital cinema production ‘Hello Music Land’ which we launched with Village Cinemas, toured the world from New Zealand to Abu Dhai.
Thirty years later, we still continue to develop fun and innovative programmes, online and offline for the next generation of enthusiastic young musicians
What were you doing prior to starting your business? Did you start it as a side project or did you go all-in from the get-go?
I was all-in, setting up the business during the final years of university, despite the nay-sayers.
My business knowledge was nil, so I attended all the free business courses I could to equip myself with some tools. In retrospect I wish I knew then what I know now as the saying goes.
When I starred, I had tenacity and a burning ambition to create the vision I had for a creative, positive music learning environment, good for EQ, IQ and good for the community.
Where did you get the idea to use technology to scale?
I’ve always been drawn to technology - there is always a plethora of new offerings for businesses in terms of communication, media production, education, business administration tools etc.
I recall in the late 80s, using a paging service which came with a vibrating pager device which I clipped to my hip, whilst I was teaching classes as I couldn’t afford admin staff. My uni friends thought it was quite ‘high tech’ at the time.
I dabbled in TV production for a while since the accessibility of editing software and digital cameras allowed us to produce relatively low-cost TV shows for broadcast. The advent of digital cinema in the early 2000s enabled us to enter the ‘movie industry’ with a 5D animated cinema production which would have been much higher cost had it been on film.
In terms of business processes, I regularly surf the net to discover new integrations and apps to increase the efficiency of the business, to allow growth at minimal cost.
What problems does Hello Music solve?
We make learning and practising music easy and fun through our online classes, community and regular events.
What was the first thing you did to get the online side of things up and running?
I liken the role of an entrepreneur to a conductor of an orchestra.
It’s imperative to understand the capabilities and limitations of each instrumental section within the orchestra or organisation, in order to create successful harmony and achieve a great performance.
As the ‘conductor’ in my business, I try to learn as much about every aspect of the business - websites, SEO, production, marketing, API’s - so I can manage people in projects in the area effectively.
In the early days of business I was Chief Everything Officer (now just Chief Almost-Everything Officer so I’m improving!).
I’ve found running a business is a never ending continuum of learning, because the business environment is never stagnant thus customers’ needs are ever changing.
Was being a startup founder always part of your career plan? If not, what was?
Having the opportunity to travel and work overseas during my gap year, inspired me to explore opportunities outside the limited path I was expected to follow.
Ironically, it was experiencing some of the sexism in traditional cultures overseas that made me realise how large the opportunities were for me as a woman in Australia. This realisation catapulted me into action.
What would be the one piece of advice you’d give to other female founders looking to take the leap into something new?
Take the leap but make sure your foundation of skills and knowledge is as secure as time and budget permits.
Believe in yourself but ‘overnight success’ is rarely an instant lotto ticket.
It only happens through sheer perseverance, continuous learning and a good support network.
What’s been your biggest lesson so far?
My biggest learning is to not brood over mistakes I’ve made but take out the learnings and keep focused on the road ahead.
Also to keep educating myself by reading, watching and listening to the best in my industry in order to mitigate risk of failure and increase chances of success.
What’s been the biggest win so far?
I try to celebrate milestones on the journey - some of the wins include:
celebrating 30 years in business
raising capital and launching an innovative cinema production
industry recognition for ‘best employer’
What are the biggest problems you have right now?
Scalability, whilst maintaining quality control and good customer care is my biggest challenge.
What do you love about running your own business?
The freedom to develop and integrate innovative ideas and solutions without having to wade through red tape and bureaucracy is key for me.
The opportunities to work with talented people on new projects and developing effective long-term partnerships is also very satisfying.
What does 2021 (and beyond) have in store for you as a founder? What’s your next step for Hello Music?
2021 has been disruptive and certainly tested the robustness of our systems when yo-yo-ing from offline to online, and everything in between.
In the meantime, we’re focusing on developing a global music education platform with a resource library, music courses and events, for schools and the general community.
Now more than ever, we need the ‘A for the arts’ in the ‘STEAM’ curriculum for mental and emotional balance.
How do you think Atto has helped you in your business?
As an Atto member, it is great to be regularly immersed in an environment of new ideas, constant development, solutions to problems and peer support from fellow team members also on their respective missions to make an impact in their industry.
Atto has provided me with an engaged network of people, solutions and resources.
The weekly masterminds have helped give clarity to issues that sometimes swim around in my head, looking for a place to to be discussed and mentored.