WCA #613 with Ben Mellott – Northern Virginia, Church Sound, Farm Festivals, and Profit First

For episode 613, Matt talks with Ben Mellott — recording engineer, mixer, and owner of Nothing But Noise studio in Northern Virginia. Ben has been freelance since 2014, balances studio work with live production at churches, farms, and local venues, and runs every dollar through the Profit First system. They talk about building a career on curiosity, the alternative path through cassette manufacturing and church sound, and why the business side of audio doesn't sound like fun until it absolutely is.In This Episode, We Discuss:Northern Virginia, Born and RaisedA Dad at Toys R Us and a Mom in the Church ChoirRecording Bands on a Tascam Four-Track at Ten Dollars a SongThe Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio — Audio Boot CampLearning Signal Flow Before HardwareManufacturing Cassettes and CDs at Lion RecordingMoving Into Graphics — Quark Express, InDesign, and Terrible Early WebsitesRoadie and Merch for a Month-Long US Tour With FrotisGetting the Farm Festival GigTen Years of Sunday Church Sound — and What He Learned About TemperamentThe Drummer in the Crowd Who Got Him the Venue GigReal-Life Social Proof — Likable Enough (For a Live Sound Guy)Curiosity as a Career StrategyNothing But Noise — The Studio and the Freelance Life Since 2014Debt, an Inheritance That Didn't Change the Slope, and the PandemicImplementing the Profit First SystemOf Every Thousand Dollars, Only $150 Is Spendable — and Why That's the PointSelf-Financing Gear and Paying Yourself Back on a Payment PlanThe Sweetwater Rep Who Said You've Got a Lot of GearThe Business Side Doesn't Sound Like Fun Until It IsMatt's RANT!: Doing Things the Alternative WayLinks and Show Notes:Profit First — Mike Michalowicz (book)Profit First — Audiobook on Libro.fmWCA #133 with Alan EvansWCA #328 with Alan EvansWCA #576 with Alan EvansCredits: Guest: Ben Mellott Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell The Voice: Chuck Smith