Five-Year Anniversary Major Subscription Discount
Forced adaption is not failure but an open door to success. How Herizon Music adapted and found success on Substack.
Five-Year Anniversary Subscription Discount Is Here!
OOPS! THE SPECIAL OFFER LINKS IN THE FIRST EMAIL WENT TO THE WRONG PAGE. THEY ARE NOW UPDATED. THE CORRECT LINK IS HERE.
In May 2019, I launched the first four episodes of Herizon Music’s podcast. Back then it was called Backstage Chats with Women in Music, named after the Austin-based nonprofit that produced it. We’ve come a long way and I want to celebrate by offering a huge discount to you.
Lesson Learned: Adapting Is Not Failure
About 9 months after we launched, the pandemic hit and our board of directors had to make some tough decisions. Our business plan was based on raising money at live music events (festivals, nonprofit events, industry events, etc.). What a kick in the head when all events went dark. And for good reason— I lost two family members to COVID early on and didn’t want anyone else to suffer.
I don’t need to read more, I’m ready to upgrade to a paid annual subscriber for only $12 or only $2 per month.
We introduced programs that would directly help indie female acts during their time of need.
Paid them to appear on live online shows.
Featured indie artists in 20-minute Facebook streamed “meet and greets” where we chatted and they played a couple of songs, expanding their audiences (they were paid, of course).
Offered the Rising Star Awards grants to three teens between 13-19 to help them move forward in their aspiring careers. Thank you Nicole B. Tate for making this grant possible.
Continued our podcast interviews.
Continued recruiting interns so they can get a leg up when they enter the workforce— we’ve seen 14 college students graduate through 2024. And yes, they get class credits for their work.
Most of our money was raised through hundreds of friends/family campaigns, local live music fundraisers, and online auctions with signed instruments and swag donated from Gibson Guitars, Joan Jett, Kathy Valentine, Linda Perry, Melissa Etheridge, Reba McEntire, even Daryl Hall & John Oates (before their fallout). That is how important our mission for gender equity and helping women during and post-COVID was to industry A-Listers. We changed the foundation and podcast name to Herizon Music because we became so much more than just interviews.
Supporting gender equity in music is important to me.
Let me upgrade for $12 annually or $2 monthly
Unfortunately, running a board, paying a director a competitive salary, and the legal expenses of soliciting donations across state lines was still more than we could handle as the live music industry was still recovering. The board voted to sunset the foundation and sign over the rights to the brand and all content to me in 2023.
What felt like failure was, in fact, adaption that opened a door to success.
The first few months was about changing my mindset, setting up Thea Wood Productions, LLC, researching the market, and contemplating a paired down approach to promoting gender equity as a one-woman act. I recognized that men still get more music media coverage than women. A music journalist at heart, it seemed best to fill the void in the way I knew best with one bold move: moving the podcast and newsletter to Substack.
It turned out to be the best decision for Herizon Music.
What We Achieved Since 2023
Look where we started and look where we are now! This is because of YOU!
In 2025, Herizon Music was a FINALIST in the the journalism and media category for the Women Changing The World Global Awards, founded by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Dr. Tererai Trent, Oprah’s “favorite guest”; and Peace Mitchell & Katy Garner, co-founders of AusMumpreneur, the Women's Business School, and WCW Press. The podcast was ranked #15 in Feedspot’s “Top 45 Women In Music Podcasts.” Our mission to promote gender equity in the music industry and music media is WORKING and getting recognition.
The “F” Word
Financials are trickier now that Herizon Music is no longer a nonprofit where donations are a tax write-off. The “F” word is hard to talk about, but it’s necessary to survive and thrive.
That’s where I need your help. If half of our free subs and followers bought a 12-month paid subscription today for only $12, all of Herizon Music’s operating expenses would be covered for the year, and I could hire audio engineers for podcast post production replacing my slower self-trained methods. Plus, I could pay myself enough to cover a few personal bills. You will get access to premium content like “Hidden Tracks” featuring music trailblazers and the sometimes shocking challenges they faced along the way. Plus discounts on live events and merch, which are in the planning/design phase.
Ready to upgrade for $12 annually or $2 monthly? CLICK HERE.
I don’t have an expiration date in mind yet for this discount offer. I’m just throwing caution to the wind and putting faith in the Universe that this offer will help reach my goal while saving you money. Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider upgrading. And thank you for joining our band of dreamers, rule breakers, and rockstars!
Rock on,
Thea 🎶
PS: Remember the 15% discount that JV Agency is offering musicians for their digital marketing services. Subscribing to Herizon Music has its perks!
Wow! 5 years! 👏👏👏