The Offstage Mic

Arts and culture is a big business—a $1.02 trillion sector whose 100,000+ organizations serve almost every community in the nation.This podcast is about running that business: how to grow audiences, develop high performing teams and leaders, get younger attendees in the seats and on the donor rolls, apply strategies working in other sectors, and generate millions more dollars in revenue, all in order to serve the mission and flourish in a changing world.Hosted by “the Steve Jobs of classical music” (Observer) and "Sheryl Sandberg of the Symphony" (LA Review of Books), in each episode Aubrey Bergauer discusses the offstage work of arts organizations and the administrators, artists, and board members who make them run.Subscribe, download, and listen right here.

The Time Management Lie Holding Back Arts Executives
Apr 15, 2025 – 34:44
Major Gifts ≠ Financial Sustainability: Why Monthly Giving Is the Game-Changer for your Arts Organization
Apr 8, 2025 – 38:51
How to Level Up Operations at Your Arts Organization
Apr 1, 2025 – 35:04
5 Steps to Using UX Design in Arts Management
Mar 25, 2025 – 51:35
The Research Behind Gender Bias in the Arts
Mar 18, 2025 – 30:52
How to Build Your Arts Marketing Budget
Mar 11, 2025 – 35:01
Harnessing Data At Your Arts Organization
Mar 4, 2025 – 41:51
How to Transform Patrons to Donors with Tailored Messaging
Feb 25, 2025 – 50:40
Apply These 7 Research-backed Skills to Grow Your Leadership in Arts Management
Dec 10, 2024 – 59:35
8 Negotiation Strategies to Advance in Arts Leadership
Dec 3, 2024 – 01:00:27
Things They Never Taught You About Growing Your Leadership in Arts Management
Nov 26, 2024 – 01:11:44
Climbing The Ladder to Executive Director and Creating A Kick Ass Culture On The Way [Success Series]
Oct 22, 2024 – 49:12
How An Arts Administrator Found Her Confidence Because of This One Statistic [Success Series]
Oct 15, 2024 – 36:44
‘Fake It Till You Become It’: Level Up Your Leadership With Power and Presence
Oct 8, 2024 – 43:13
How One Conductor Learned You Can’t be Everything to Everyone [Success Series]
Oct 1, 2024 – 37:13
How One Arts Administrator Went From “I Couldn’t Land an Internship” to Multiple Job Offers [Success Series]
Sep 24, 2024 – 36:35
How One Arts Administrator Went From Wanting to Quit the Industry To Landing Her Dream Job [Success Series]
Sep 17, 2024 – 37:42
How to Create a Healthy Company Culture at Your Arts Organization
Sep 10, 2024 – 40:34
Your Company Culture May Be Toxic
Sep 3, 2024 – 37:56
Bonus Episode: The Problem with Data I See Everywhere in Arts Management
Jul 9, 2024 – 01:09:37
How to Lead Change at an Arts Organization
Jun 11, 2024 – 50:37
Building a Business to Scale: Changes at Changing the Narrative
May 28, 2024 – 59:38
The No Cost Solution to Grow Your Revenue
May 14, 2024 – 40:03
Do This One Thing to Make the Biggest Difference in Your Sales and Fundraising
Apr 30, 2024 – 44:49
Major Gift Fundraising & Star Trek with Board Member Susan Bay Nimoy
Apr 16, 2024 – 45:39
The Math of Diversity: How Much Your Audience Can Grow When It Looks Like Your Community
Apr 2, 2024 – 44:53
The Business of Zoos and Visitor-Based Institutions with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Past Chair Javade Chaudhri
Mar 19, 2024 – 53:32
The Subscription Model Is Not Dead: 3 Ways to Grow Subscriptions at Your Arts Organization
Mar 5, 2024 – 36:12
Season 3 Trailer: Run It Like A Business
Feb 20, 2024 – 07:26
Bonus Episode: Run It Like A Business—Book Launch Conversation with Kelly Harris
Feb 7, 2024 – 29:51
We Are On the Same Team: Union Relationships and Collective Bargaining in the Arts with Ted Nelson and Jessica Phillips
Jul 18, 2023 – 01:05:07
Attracting & Retaining Staff Talent with Karen Freeman
Jul 4, 2023 – 46:50
How to Release Recordings without a Label with Mike Warner & Jamie Freedman
Jun 20, 2023 – 50:41
Storytelling Techniques with Hollywood Producer Marcia Gwendolyn Jones
Jun 6, 2023 – 44:24
Training Artists to be Social Media Influencers with David Taylor
May 23, 2023 – 47:21
Organizational Design in the Arts with Julian Chender
May 9, 2023 – 38:08
Monetizing Streaming Performances with Zenetta Drew
Apr 25, 2023 – 42:54
Increasing Fundraising Revenue with Louis Diez
Apr 11, 2023 – 32:05
The Subscription Economy and What the Arts Can Learn From It with Robbie Kellman Baxter
Mar 28, 2023 – 39:56
Growing New Audiences through Customer-Centric Arts Marketing with Ruth Hartt
Mar 14, 2023 – 40:25
Company Culture and How to Renovate It with Kevin Oakes
Feb 28, 2023 – 34:32
Season 2 Trailer: The Offstage Mic
Feb 14, 2023 – 08:05
Bonus Episode: Should musicians be on the board?
Sep 7, 2022 – 27:05
How to Handle Office Challenges: Turnover, Toxicity, and Microaggressions
Aug 10, 2022 – 38:39
How to Use Data in the Arts Like they Do in "Moneyball"
Jul 27, 2022 – 35:36
How to Balance Risk Taking at an Arts Organization
Jul 13, 2022 – 44:54
How to Build a Culture of Iteration and Innovation at an Arts Organization
Jun 29, 2022 – 38:56
How to Get Arts Audiences Back
Jun 15, 2022 – 42:36
Growing High Performing Teams in the Arts
Jun 1, 2022 – 33:02
How to Make the Education Department Make Money
May 18, 2022 – 33:52

Recent Reviews

Honeting

This Podcast Is Gold

If you are involved in any kind of organization where customer retention is key, Aubrey Bergauer has news you can use. With her extensive expertise in the performing arts and business worlds she synthesizes and distills key strategies for not only helping an organization survive challenges, but on how to thrive. Her approach to tackling tough topics is refreshing, actionable, and always from a business adapted yet customer centric perspective.
TFSI_Podcast

Phenomenal!

Aubrey is passionate about helping arts organizations reach their highest potential. She is incredibly knowledgeable and highly respected in the arts community. Aubrey provides amazing content that everyone can learn from. Recommended!
allison.lambacher

What the arts industry needs

I’m not trying to be dramatic here, but I really believe content like this is shifting the arts at its core towards something revolutionary. I’m so grateful to Aubrey for taking the initiative on these hard yet fruitful conversations to help us rethink what’s possible in the arts world. Listen to what Aubrey has to say! She knows what’s up!