#32: Turning Your Music into an Empire

In this episode, Leah sits down with composer, performer, and educator Gabriel Santiago for a real-time strategy session on what it actually takes to build a sustainable music career online — especially in a world where streaming doesn’t pay, attention is fractured, and AI is changing everything.

Leah kicks off by sharing the origin story behind her own online music journey: how she built an audience from home as a young mom (without touring), learned the psychology of sales and marketing through trying to sell music, and eventually turned a small group of super fans into a real business — which later became Savvy Musician Academy.

Gabriel’s story mirrors that evolution in a powerful way.

Originally from Brazil, Gabriel has built a full-time career across multiple lanes: performing, composing, teaching at universities, private instruction, and his online mentorship program, the Brazilian Guitar Institute. But now he’s at a familiar crossroads that most multi-talented musicians hit: Do you keep everything under one personal brand…

or separate the “artist brand” from the “education platform” so it can scale?

Leah walks Gabriel through the core question that changes everything: owner’s intent — are you building a lifestyle brand, a legacy brand, or a platform that could become a sellable business someday? From there, they unpack how musicians can expand beyond “just gigs,” use team support and AI tools to repurpose content, and build a more predictable revenue engine through ads, list-building, and even micro transactions that create higher-quality buyers.

This conversation is a must-listen for musicians, composers, and educators who want to scale without burning out — and who are ready to build something bigger than a stream count.

In this episode, we explore:

• Leah’s original path: building a music career online without touring
• The “1,000 Super Fans” concept — and why it still matters
• How Savvy Musician Academy was born from an ebook flop and course experimentation
• Gabriel’s journey from Brazil to the U.S. and building a full-time music career
• Balancing multiple income streams: teaching, commissions, performing, and online mentorship
• Should you separate your personal brand from your platform brand? (and when)
• The “owner’s intent” question that determines your entire strategy
• Why building a platform “like you’re going to sell it” creates a stronger business
• Using AI tools to find soundbites, repurpose content, and speed up content creation
• Team building, delegation, and what only the founder should keep doing
• Ads and funnels for creatives: building predictable revenue beyond launches
• The shift from free lead magnets to micro transactions (and why it changes list quality)
• Navigating the noisy AI landscape and why trust + personal brand will win
• Gabriel’s vision: retreats, camps, and expanding into a broader music platform

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⏩ CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction to Legacy Launchpad
(00:31) Liam McHenry’s Musical Journey
(01:46) Building a Music Career Online
(03:14) Creating Super Fans and Savvy Musician Academy
(05:31) Introducing Gabriel Santiago
(06:12) Gabriel’s Musical and Teaching Career
(08:32) Balancing Personal and Professional Brands
(10:38) Expanding the Personal Brand
(19:19) Expanding the Music Platform
(19:46) Building a Sellable Business
(20:35) Personal Branding for Musicians
(22:00) Leveraging AI in Content Creation
(22:40) Team Building and Delegation
(23:35) Repurposing Content for Growth
(25:56) Advertising Strategies
(27:13) Future Plans and Vision
(29:10) Micro Transactions and List Building
(31:23) Navigating the Shifting Landscape
(34:04) Final Thoughts and Contact Information

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GET HELP FROM LEAH:
💰⛏️ The Goldmine (for complete beginners): https://leahmchenry.com/goldmine/
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