Show Notes
This season on The Offstage Mic we are talking about strategies to combat the challenges in the cultural sector borrowed from the business world that have proven successful across patron retention, subscriptions, ecommerce, raising money, and digital content (to name a few). And throughout the season, I’m occasionally bringing in some people who know the business world quite well to help me break it down: board members of our orchestras, operas, ballets, theaters, museums, zoos, and more.
These are the people governing our cultural institutions, who also have incredible professional experience outside the arts, and who are also among the most connected to and engaged with our mission-driven work.
All so that we can Run It Like a Business — without sacrificing the art we produce. Season 3 of the Offstage Mic is coming up right here. Hit “follow” or “subscribe” right now.
More from The Offstage Mic
This episode is all about change management in arts organizations. Aubrey Bergauer breaks down the research behind building a change-ready culture and how to actually shift someone's mind when facts alone aren't enough. In the season six finale of The Offstage Mic, Aubrey closes out the "Changing the Narrative, Ten Years Later" season by going deep on two bodies of research: the i4cp study "Building a Culture of Change" and David McRaney's book How Minds Change. Together, they answer the question arts managers ask her more than any other: how do I get buy-in, bring my board along, and lead change without strong-arming anyone? If this season has been useful, please follow the show and leave a rating or review — it helps more arts administrators find these conversations. Reserve your free seat at my Audience Growth Masterclass right now by going to www.aubreybergauer.com/masterclass.
Auto-renewing subscriptions in the arts: how one organization hit 87% adoption and tripled its season ticket base in two seasons. Justin Morgan, Director of Audience Development at Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City, joins Aubrey Bergauer to break down how a small presenter of world class chamber music went from selling 90 paper tickets per concert to filling 450 seats — and how their move to an auto-renewing season ticket model helped them get there. Justin walks through the exact playbook: ditching paper tickets and Excel spreadsheets, migrating to a new CRM to support this work, launching a buy-one-get-one season subscription offer to build the base, then converting to opt-out auto renewal with an 87% adoption rate. He also shares how the board navigated the shift from all-volunteer to part-time contractors, why long-tenured board members were actually the hungriest for change, and how generous ticket donations to veterans and students became a feeder for new subscribers and donors. If this episode helps you rethink your subscription model, subscribe to The Offstage Mic and leave a quick rating or review — it makes a real difference. Reserve your free seat at my Audience Growth Masterclass right now by going to www.aubreybergauer.com/masterclass. Learn more about about the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City: cmsofslc.org Sponsors: Bolero: https://hellobolero.com/changingthenarrative EvolvArts: https://evolvarts.com/ Morreale Digital: https://morreale.ca/podcast
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s an operational necessity for lean arts organizations. In this episode of The Offstage Mic, Aubrey Bergauer sits down with Ashley Gross, CEO of the AI Workforce Alliance, to demystify how AI can save cultural institutions tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of staff hours. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or an early adopter, this episode provides a baseline for understanding the current tech landscape and moves quickly into practical application.Ashley shares her "inception story" of building a $115 million revenue pipeline using AI tools before ChatGPT even existed. Together, Aubrey and Ashley walk through live exercises, including drafting an internal AI policy and building an automated "AI agent" for a general inquiry inbox. You’ll learn how to identify "leaks" in your processes, the difference between simple automation and autonomous agents, and how to ensure your technology adoption aligns with core artistic values like inclusivity and accessibility. Subscribe for more case studies and arts management insights. Reserve your free seat for this Audience Growth Masterclass right now by going to www.aubreybergauer.com/masterclass.
Running an arts organization is hard, but tackling a $1 million deficit is a different level of challenge. In this episode, Aubrey Bergauer sits down with Vanessa Morosco, Executive Artistic Director of the American Shakespeare Center (ASC), to discuss how they orchestrated a massive financial turnaround. Learn the tactical steps taken to integrate marketing and development departments, the nuances of managing board expectations during a crisis, and the importance of viewing transactions as human behavior. Whether you work for a theater, a symphony, or a museum, this case study offers a roadmap for moving from financial scarcity to a balanced, sustainable future.
Are your traditional funding sources drying up while your audience development plateaus? In this mid-season reflection, Aubrey Bergauer revisits her seven bold performing arts predictions for 2025 and 2026 to see what’s working and what’s failing in the current landscape. From the global boom of the subscription economy to the bipartisan surprise in government funding, this episode breaks down the data-driven shifts necessary for survival. Aubrey shares why retention must overtake acquisition as your primary growth engine and how AI can reclaim your staff's time for higher-value creative work. This episode is for arts administrators, executive leaders, and board members who are ready to stop the "leaky bucket" of audience churn and start running their organization like a business. You’ll learn: Why opt-out renewals and strong onboarding are the keys to bucking subscription declines. How to move beyond brand-only social media to leverage an "influencer army" of artists and staff. And the tactical ways AI-assisted productivity can solve administrative burnout without cutting jobs. Sponsors: Bolero: https://hellobolero.com/changingthenarrative EvolvArts: https://evolvarts.com/ Morreale Digital: https://morreale.ca/podcast Sources: Aubrey Bergauer: 145% Performance Revenue Growth with the Long Haul Model https://www.aubreybergauer.com/long-haul-model Mark Schaefer: Marketing Rebellion https://businessesgrow.com/publication/marketing-rebellion/