My Typical Day

How I structure my day to run my business, allow for professional growth, and enjoy some free time.

Hi friends! My name is Anna and I’m a mobile piano lesson studio owner in the Austin, Texas area. I’ve been running my business since I was 15 years old, teaching lessons after school in my high school choir room. I taught part-time through high school and then grew my student base to about 30 students when I was in college. I taught lessons in homes and from a space in a church.

After college I relocated to the Bangor, Maine area and found a space in a music lesson studio co-op located in a recording studio building. By this time I had been teaching lessons for 10 years and I was working with 40 to 50 students each week.

After a few years in Maine I wanted to live somewhere warm that had more resources for musicians so I relocated again to Austin, Texas. I opened a studio in my home for a few years and then transitioned to a mobile studio, teaching lessons in my students homes. I currently work with 40 to 50 students each week and run an interactive website, YouTube channel, and work on maintaining my social media presence.

My Daily Routine

I’ve been self-employed for over 20 years and one thing I’ve noticed that is crucial to success is creating structure in my day and finding a routine that I can follow consistently. Recognizing when my ideas are flowing, when I need to decompress and never feeling negative about needing time to chill. I find that I can be really productive if I use the leverage of my natural energy flow and follow my inspiration rather than trying to motivate myself.

Early Mornings

I like to wake up at 6am Monday through Saturday. I get up (after a snooze or 2) and sit with my husband and son having coffee and watching the news. My brain is READY TO GO immediately after waking up so sometimes I’ll have my laptop or a notebook out to write down my ideas to follow up on later. My family need more time to wake up so I keep those ideas to myself until they’re ready.

At 7am I sit down at my piano and practice. I play a Roland electric upright piano at home so I have the luxury of practicing with headphones so I don’t bother my family. It’s nice to play as loud as I want!

At 8am I have little something to eat, usually a piece of gluten-free toast with peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. I have Celiac Disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis so I eat strictly gluten and soy free. I take my daily thyroid medication at 6am when I wake up and let it absorb for a while, drinking lots of water.

After breakfast I get a little workout in. I get bored easily so I like to switch up my workouts. I love openfit.com so I can do a HIIT workout, yoga, pilates, barre, etc. Sometimes I just walk or run outside or swim at the city pool in the summer.

Late Mornings

When I’m done with my workout and have gotten a shower in, I have a little time to do some “office work.” I usually do the things I can finish quickly first:

Check my bank accounts and budget
Return emails, texts, and phone calls
Schedule social media posts
Reach out to anyone I feel inspired to co-create with

Co-creating can include venues I want to book for students recitals, photographers for branding shoots, designers for marketing materials, etc…

Then I like to get out my GoPro Hero8 and work on some reference videos for my students. I’ve already practiced so I’m warmed up and ready to go. I like to get a few videos recorded, edited, and posted on my YouTube channel. Then I can text the YouTube link to the specific student who needs it and use the post in my social media the next day.

Early Afternoon

At noon I like to make some oatmeal for lunch. Not a typical lunch food I know, but it’s super healthy and filling! I pack a green smoothie and some fruit to eat in the car before I hit the road for my early lessons. Between noon and 2pm I teach a few homeschool families and adults who take a mid-day break for their lesson.

Late Afternoon and Evening

This is the busiest time of my day. The majority of my students are scheduled in the after school hours so I have to be very deliberate with my time and make sure I can get to everyone on schedule.

I use a planner that is dedicated to my students and make a note of what everyone is working on. The following day I make any copies they need, record reference videos, and send links that will help them use their practice time in the best way they can.

Even though I know my route, I still like to map out every students to keep an eye on any traffic delays. If I happen to run early or late I make sure to contact the parents to let them know. Because I teach lessons in my students homes, I make sure I’m respectful of their personal space and only arrive as scheduled.

After Work

When I get home after teaching lessons I eat some dinner and decompress. I like to make sure my house is tidy and cleaned up so that I can wake up the next morning and be productive and not stressed out by clutter! Dinner, TV, clean up, skin care routine, and lights out by 10pm. I recognize that this sounds a little boring, but I actually really love it! I’m a homebody and there’s nothing I would rather do than just chill out with my boys and the cat.

My Day Off

I teach lessons on Saturday morning but make sure to never schedule anything on Sunday. On Saturday after lessons I usually pick up a grocery order and go out to dinner with my husband. Sometimes my son has sports or there’s some other kind of event.

On Sunday, I don’t do anything! I need a day to not play music and not conduct any business to refresh.

My Typical Day as a Small Business Owner