Meet Michael Nightingale | Business owner / father / drummer / problem solver

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

Hi Michael, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was rehearsing with my band in a place that was less to be desired. But for almost a year, we thought we were getting a great deal. After doing a bit of math, and looking around, I figured that I could build a place a lot nicer. And of course, if I owned it, …. well, I could rehearse for free!!

What should our readers know about your business?
When we started our rehearsal studio business, there was a mountain to climb. The three partners at the time all had full time jobs with great career opportunities. But we were all taking on a second job that none of us really understood. We had to learn as time marched on. Many mistakes were made, and many lessons were learned. Being relatively young, we were all up to the challenge. There was a point when we realized that one of us needed to commit to making this business survive by leaving the comfort of being gainfully employed. I was that guy. My thoughts were simple. There are many competitors out there. I knew that my (our) company just simply needed to be better than anyone else that was doing the same thing. So, that’s what we did. It was not easy. We knew everything about our competitors. And we implemented things that made what we were offering just plain better than the other guy. Another thing that we did is service. It’s obvious now that by being patient, listening to your customers, and most importantly, stay positive, is how you can achieve success. After a few years and getting a grasp on how to run a business like this, we found our groove. Recognize the things that work, and do not ignore the things that do not work. Sounds simple, but you really do need to call a time-out sometimes and just think.

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.
Being a product of the 80’s era of the Sunset Strip, I still like to re-visit the area even though it is a shell of what it used to be. It is still a vibrant area, and if you did not get the opportunity to see what it was like in the 80’s, it is still cool. An old college pal of mine was here in Los Angeles for a week for business. Thankfully, it was during the NFL and NHL seasons. There are few experiences that can match a football game at SoFi Stadium or a hockey game at Crypto Arena. Downtown Los Angeles used to be the last place you would want to hang out in after dark. Now, it’s a great place to go before and after events at the Crypto Arena. My business is located in Burbank, CA, and the downtown area of Burbank has many great restaurants and other venues. There’s a great comedy place that is walking distance to a great live band venue. And no shortage of great eateries along the way. If taking a short trip is in the cards, getting to the beach communities or the mountain communities is very easy to do. As a resident of southern California, it is easy to forget about how wonderful the weather is here. I grew up in Canada and upstate New York. Winters can be brutal there. When I get the opportunity to show a buddy around that might also have grown up back in the northeast, I always enjoy hitting a snowcapped mountain in the morning and relaxing on a beach by sunset with a great whisky!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Although the business plan was my doing, it would not have been possible without the money to get things going. I did not have any at the time. Two good friends of mine at the time in 1989 thought it was a good idea. The two of them had a bit of cash. My childhood friend, Steve Bliss, and another pal, Bill Welsh, took the risk. That is how it started. The three partners had no idea what we were really doing. No internet / youtube videos to help…. just books. A studio needs to be built properly… so we read books and figured out how to build it.

Another quite famous person came into the picture around 1997. He is probably the most influential person to give a shout out to. Circumstances changed through the years, and my two partners eventually left the company. That left me alone to keep the ball rolling. But without the help of my dear famous friend, things would have ended badly. But that’s not what happened…. thankfully.