Meet Rachael Bronstein | Founder & Financial Coach for the Music Industry

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

Hi Rachael, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Who knew that the country music I loved would be a path towards my professional renaissance? Music had always been my passion, not a job I could pursue. Besides, I was certain it was too late to reinvent myself. But then I thought about the people behind the music scenes whose industry had been halted, and I wanted to help. I had gotten my start in production finance at NBC and had always appreciated the production folks who make a show happen.

I didn’t mean to create a business. As a mother of three, a wife, and a guardian to my special-needs sister, my plate was definitely full. However, I was feeling “stuck” professionally. In my twenties, I had worked so hard to build my career, and then in my thirties, life happened. I moved to Miami, lost my mom to cancer, sold her business, raised three little kiddos, and helped my husband launch his law firm. It wasn’t until the slow down during the pandemic that I got to truly think about what I wanted to do professionally. I had not invested in myself in a long time, but I decided to work with a business coach. She mentioned that every time I spoke about music, I lit up. She recommended that I use the next several weeks to reach out to people in the industry and see if there was a problem that I could solve. I had volunteered at music festivals for years, so I started with the list of contacts I had made along the way. Everyone was so fantastic! Whether they gave me 15 minutes on a call, replied to an email, or dedicated a whole hour on Zoom, I was so grateful. The reoccurring theme was that there is a need for financial education/support in the music space. Since so much of the industry is made up of freelancers, there is no employer to guide these professionals along the way. I wanted to change that.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I spent the next several months diving into creating Life’s Jam. I learned from a young age that there are no guarantees in life. I told myself that my goal was to work hard and smart and get up every day with a determination to make forward progress. It didn’t have to be perfect, but I had to take action. Running your own business is a rollercoaster ride with many highs and lows, sometimes within the same day or hour. But I love it! I have always been a sponge for information, and I like to take all the lessons, tips, and tricks I learn and share them with others. At the same time, I realize that life is messy and unpredictable, and I hope to be a stable force for others as they try to navigate their own journey.

Growing up, the stable force for me was my mom. She was a teacher and, when my dad got sick with a brain tumor at 28, she recreated herself and became one of the first female independent financial planners at Commonwealth Financial Network. She showed me that you can be self-employed and, with proper planning and discipline, make it work. I truly don’t know how she kept it all together. She also showed me that if you want it, work hard, be authentic and kind, and chase your dreams. Don’t wait for others to make it happen for you.

Just as I was launching my business, I became an Accredited Financial Counselor and connected with Jean Chatzky, who was the financial editor on the Today Show for 25 years. Jean launched a media company called Her Money Media and rolled out a program called FinanceFixx. She hired me to be a financial coach for this program. She took a chance on me, and I feel so lucky to have her in my corner.

During my first six months of Life’s Jam, I was honored to speak at Music Forward Foundation’s All Access Fest and for Women in Music on the topic of Women, Music, and Money.

I’m so excited for the year ahead and to bring much needed resources and information to the community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The best part about living in South Florida is that everyone visits! Here are a few of my favorite spots:

Design District – fantastic food (Mandolin & Michael’s Genuine), shops, people watching.

Wynwood – a visit wouldn’t be complete without a photo stop at the Wynwood Walls.

Beaches – while the tourists usually head to South Beach, I love Hollywood Beach & Fort Lauderdale Beach, especially during Tortuga Music Festival in April.

Breweries – there are some great ones here! Our favorite is Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park.

The Keys – driving to the Keys is one of my favorite things to do. A fun day trip includes a stop at Robert is Here fruit stand & Knaus Berry Farm (for the famous cinnamon rolls!) while heading to Robbie’s for kayaking. My favorite time of year is festival season which includes the Key West Songwriter’s Festival. This multi-day festival is a hidden gem and shouldn’t be missed if you are here in May.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to my family who supports me during this time with the patience and understanding that it takes time to build something new. To my friends who were my beta testers, brainstormers, cheerleaders, editors, etc. Thank you so much. To the weekly crew at Coffee With Kim, this webinar on entrepreneurship has been an incredible resource over the last two years. It’s also where I found my business coach, Jenn!

Relationships are so important in life and in business. I have to take a moment to thank all the music industry professionals who gave me their time when I was new to this industry and needed some guidance about the space and opportunities. Thank you, Nathan Alves, Carolyn Snell, Holly Gleason, The Roadie Clinic, Charyn Harris, Nicole Barsalona, and Naz Fatemian to name a few.

Website: https://www.lifesjam.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifesjam/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelbronstein/

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

Image Credits
Photos by Courtney Ortiz