Empowering artists to succeed with Jason and Nia from Grindhaus
5 key takeaways from our conversation with Jason Jet and Nia Zhane from Grindhaus
October 20, 2023
Blog
Jason Jet is a passionate musical artist, songwriter, audio engineer, and producer based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Being in the music industry, he spent a lot of time in recording studios and always ran into the same issues – spaces were uninspiring and difficult to come by. He thought there must be a better way for musical artists to access the resources they needed to be successful.
So, he created one.
Grindhaus Studios was established in early 2021 to serve the unique needs of aspiring musical artists. Here, artists can access state-of-the-art recording studios on-demand, work with professional audio engineers, and tap into a community of like-minded individuals. Since opening their doors, Grindhaus has helped hundreds of artists reach their potential and realize their dreams.
We sat down with Jason and his superstar community manager, Nia Zhane, to learn more about Grindhaus Studios and the journey to build an exceptional niche coworking space.
Here are 5 takeaways from our conversation with Jason and Nia to help you in evolving your own coworking space.
“Grindhaus is revolutionizing an age-old problem in the industry and making it simple and easy for artists, engineers, and music professionals to have their resources at their fingertips.”
1. Seek out inspiration in your own life
While living in New York City nearly ten years ago, Jason found he was unable to access recording studios, forcing him to work out of his apartment. With trains going by and noisy streets below, the situation was less than ideal.
That’s when he first had the idea to make “a YMCA for musicians” where artists could easily access recording studio equipment on-demand.
Fast forward many years later when Jason started working on creating his own recording studio, he realized he finally had the space to make this dream a reality. He figured that if on-demand recording studios were a service that he needed during his career, then it was very likely that other artists needed it too. Thus, Grindhaus was born.
A common thread amongst many coworking leaders we’ve spoken to is that the idea for their coworking space came from the desire to solve their own problem.
Deborah and Rachael built Brooklyn Hourly Offices because they struggled to easily access on-demand therapy rooms. Megan Cyphers started Locally Known because she needed her own office.
By looking to solve the problems he was facing, Jason was able to realize a greater problem in the community. He found an opportunity to create a unique offering that supported an underserved demographic in his own community – musical artists – and found great success.
“As a producer and singer songwriter myself, I have always had a passion for helping people achieve their dreams. By working with artists out of their house and knowing what their needs are, it really helped this vision come to life.”
2. Have a strong mission and vision
Because Grindhaus was inspired by Jason’s own personal experiences, he was able to infuse a powerful mission and vision into the space.
For Jason, what Grindhaus is really about is helping people create whatever it is they want to create in life – whether that’s music or another innovative or creative pursuit. The goal is to help artists and creatives realize the dreams they already have.
Grindhaus and Jason’s legacy is really about helping other people achieve their legacy. Having this strong mission in mind helps guide all decisions that Jason makes.
“I want to be known as someone that helped people create what they wanted to create in life, whatever it is, even if it’s not music. I want to inspire people to be creative and innovative. The whole goal is to help artists and creatives realize the visions and dreams that they’ve already had.”
3. Find the right people for the journey
Jason began the buildout for Grindhaus two years ago during the pandemic. This was a challenging time for all industries, especially coworking spaces and other shared spaces.
When the buildout took longer than expected, Jason learned the importance of being patient and finding the right people to go on the journey with him. It wasn’t about building an overnight success – rather it was about setting the foundation and finding people that were in it for the long haul.
Nia, a singer and songwriter herself, joined Grindhaus as a member before transitioning into a community manager role. With a background in FinTech and a passion for all things music, she was a knack at filling the need in the business.
Now, she’s helping Jason scale the organization to success, while building an engaged community. They work together side by side with a number of other auxiliary members to support the community and bring the vision of Grindhaus to life.
“Nia is a major resource. She's been phenomenal - and our small team of people, everyone who's involved at some point or another. We're feeling the weight and value of all of our teammates.”
4. Experiment with your financial model and offerings
The business model at Grindhaus changed a few times through Jason’s journey. In the Grindhaus customer story with Optix, Jason spoke about having to mold his business model to fit his technology tool when he first opened his doors.
Unfortunately, this model was not right for his members and business suffered. He knew he needed to change his business model to offer on-demand bookings and memberships, but his current tool didn’t easily allow for it. This is what ultimately led him to Optix.
So far, he’s been far more successful with his offering. Now, it’s about continuing to experiment and optimize what they offer their members. Committing to a process of experimentation helps ensure the team is able to remain agile and responsive in what they offer the community.
With experimentation, they can find the ultimate offering to attract new members and larger musicians to their studio to work on bigger projects and continue to widen the scope of resources they offer..
“We’ve done pretty good in terms of catering to most artists here. Now we're going to start shifting and trying to cater to more higher level artists and people that are trying to come in and do whole albums.”
5. Get obsessed with who you’re serving
Jason isn’t just helping artists or serving his community – he’s helping people achieve their dreams.
Because of this, Jason has been very careful in what he offers and how he offers it. Everything from how the space is designed to what programs he offers is created with his members in mind.
Unlike traditional studios where an artist would have an engineer with them, Grindhaus is set up as a full stack service for a single person. Jason has taken the traditional recording studio and simplified it, providing computers with plugins and programs, putting the microphone in the room with the artists, and sound treating the rooms in a way so that artists can create music quickly and easily. This is all done to better serve his members.
Nia is also leading the charge in engaging the community in unique programs and events, tailored specifically to their needs and what they want. From member-led events, to educational-based programming, the Grindhaus team is committed to finding the best way to enable their members’ success.
“When I interact with everyone in the community, I emphasize the house part of it. I tell members, this is your home. If they want to see different things here or specific programming, I encourage them to tell us what they want.”
Growing with Grindhaus
Jason and Nia stand as a testament to the power of ingenuity, commitment, and a deep sense of purpose. With a robust mission and vision, Grindhaus embodies the spirit of helping individuals achieve their creative dreams, no matter their field.
Adaptability and experimentation have been instrumental in shaping Grindhaus’s financial model and offerings. However, what truly sets Grindhaus apart is their unwavering dedication to those they serve.
The studio’s commitment to tailoring every aspect of their space and programs to their members’ needs fosters an environment where dreams are nurtured and creativity is boundless.
Grindhaus Studios is not just a coworking space; it is a place where the aspirations of artists and creatives can come to life. As it continues to evolve and expand its reach, it serves as a shining example of what can be achieved when passion and purpose align.
To learn more about Grindhaus and their partnership with Optix, check out their Customer Story.
![A Complete Guide to the Coworking Sales Funnel [2024]](https://www.optixapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/A-Complete-Guide-to-the-Coworking-Sales-Funnel-2024.webp)
