side of it before doing this, because it gave me a little bit more of an open perspective about the various ways you can do business. Again, I spent 25 years in one environment at Corner Music. And much like Jamie, that was all I knew at that point. But I really think my experience at Sam Ash and being able to see how a bigger store was run was a really valuable experience.” Jackson said he also gained valuable insight during his time at Sam Ash. “It truly gave me an opportunity to see and work with people on all different levels,” Jackson said. “Starting out on the sales floor many years ago, it was a matter of just getting to learn behaviors and patterns and working with any of the prospective customers that were coming in. As I worked my way into management, I started working more and more with people from all different walks of life. My experience at Sam Ash, it was really good in the way that they gave me an education in this business, and from kind of tip to toe. I know a lot of the higher dollar avenues, and I know how to operate things based on a corporate structure. But it was also very mom-and-pop because it was a family-owned-and-operated business. And while, they had to do things that were good for 40-some stores, there was still a touch of, ‘We’re going to try this and see what works.’ “So, it gave me a good in-between for what we’re doing now, which is we’re very much trying things out to see what works,” Jackson continued. “We had a lot of relation- ships that we’d developed over the years with our clientele and within the music industry. And that has been what’s really helped us get our brand partners together faster. It’s helped us open up a little bit quicker than most stores. We were able to buy all the fix- tures from our Sam Ash location as it was closing. So, there’s a lot of Sam Ash in Tone Central Station — literally and figuratively.” SETTING THE ‘TONE’ When asked what his biggest piece of advice is for fellow MI industry members who are looking to start their own entrepreneurial journey, Jackson kept it simple: “You can do it.” “That’s the biggest hurdle,” he continued. “You just have to believe that you can do it. For us, it was always a pipe dream, and when you work for someone else, you tend to stay in your lane. Like Todd said, I would probably have never left if the store didn’t close down.” Jackson said reaching out to other busi- ness owners helped Tone Central Station get off the ground. “Anyone who wants can reach out to us,”
Jackson said. “We’ll let them know some of the steps we took. We’re always very open about what our journey had been like. We’ve received such support from our neighboring MI store owners that we want to do the same. Andy at Drum Supply House, Danny at Forks Drum Closet and Ben at Corner Music have all helped us out. I would sug- gest to those looking to take the ownership plunge also reach out to business owners in their own community.” With only six months of ownership under their belts, Austin and Jackson have big dreams for Tone Central Station — including
using its unique showroom vibes to entice customers return time and again. “We want Tone Central Station to be known as a destination spot, which is why we went overboard on the decor and design of the showroom,” Austin explained. “You look at Chicago Music Exchange in Chicago or the Guitar Sanctuary in Texas, and they’re independently owned, but really put a lot into the atmosphere and vibe of their stores. They create an experience, and that’s what we’re doing. We hope Tone Central Station gains that kind of ‘steam.’” MI
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