A company and its culture are a product of its people, and today we’re talking with our Founder and CEO Lori Rosolowsky about founding the company, finding inspiration, and the future of Open Sky Artists.
What was the path you took to get to where you are today?
It’s been a winding one. I started studying piano at age 5, but I majored in environmental science in college (minored in classical piano performance). I came of age during the 1970s when pollution, extinction, and overpopulation worries were dominant. I then earned a PhD in pharmacology (the flip side of toxicology). In the mid 1990s, after working as an environmental consultant in a very family-unfriendly company, I had to shift my work-life balance. By then, we had a toddler, and my husband also had a demanding job. It was scary to leave my career and abandon my income but, it allowed me to reinvent myself as a piano teacher, performer, and primary caregiver to our son. Soon after, I combined my environmental calling with my musical passion and often planned, produced and performed in concerts for environmental causes and progressive candidates. Over the years, I grew my musical skills, becoming a singer-songwriter, jazz pianist and theatre music director. A song I wrote about a fraudulent election landed me in the finals of a national songwriting competition and was used as a theme song for a radio show about election and voter protection. I co-hosted that show for 3 years (2006-2009). When we moved to Montana, I left behind an active performing career in which I led a jazz quartet, a vocal trio, music directed and acted in community theatre, and performed solo and with several other organizations.
Why did you start this business?
For practical and philosophical reasons. After 25 years in Pennsylvania, we moved to Montana in 2016, where I was a “nobody.” I continued to seek gigs in my old state where I had spent years cultivating relationships, but I also needed to refer jobs to colleagues since I didn’t live there anymore. Open Sky Artists started out by mostly getting bookings for other people, with some ancillary promotional services.
The philosophical reasons are what make me passionate about the business and have driven me to make Open Sky Artists different from other companies that assist people in the performing arts. First, we recognize that artists need a champion at every step of the process, not just to get a gig. Second, our non-commission based model allows us to create and implement opportunities for artists beyond one-off performances. Third, I’ve had painful experiences with promoters who shut me and my partners out of the conversation and did not act with integrity. They acted as gatekeepers instead of door openers. That behavior is a deal breaker for me. Anyone with whom we work can trust that we are working in their best interest at all times, with integrity, trust, transparency, excellence, and inclusion. I am immensely proud of our track record with those values and love to share with people how we’ve responded when we’ve been put to the test.
What has been the most challenging part of running Open Sky Artists?
Learning to think like an entrepreneur and investing in coaching that allows me to serve my team and my clients as well as I can. Balancing the value of the work our team and I do with clients’ budgetary constraints and being creative in developing billing models so we can serve our clients. Running Open Sky Artists has taught me so much about myself. It’s given me many opportunities to walk the walk when it comes to my values.
What has been the most rewarding part of running Open Sky Artists?
I recently opened a fortune cookie that said, “Don’t wait for things to happen. Happen to things.” That’s what we do! We “happen” to the people, ideas and things so they can do what they love! I’m happy about the bond I have with my team and our clients. Open Sky Artists is a professional extension of how I live my life. I like “happening” to people!
What do you do when you’re not busy with Open Sky Artists?
I’m addicted to nature and fitness, especially swimming (competitive) and yoga (non-competitive, duh!), with a healthy dose of skiing and biking when possible. I’m super involved in Bozeman, Montana as a volunteer in educational and cultural organizations. I’m blessed with a wonderful husband and two sons, one of whom is still at home. Being a loving wife, mom, and friend who drops everything when someone is in need—that’s my life’s purpose.
Who inspires you?
Climate change activists. Single parents. Caregivers of the elderly. Survivors, refugees, and their champions.
What art inspires you?
I’m as moved by creations from local, unknown artists as those on big stages. I have some young piano students who compose music with dissonance and rhythm that you’d never find in a beginner piano book; many of the community theatre productions in Bozeman are as impactful as shows I’ve seen on Broadway; art created from materials that would otherwise clog landfills inspires me; so do productions that involve underserved communities.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of Open Sky Artists right now?
I’m going to pick two! First, our team. It’s really hard to find people with the skill sets and mindsets needed to do this work. Our team members are bright, multi-talented, experienced, devoted to outstanding service, and fun. Because their skills complement mine, our clients get robust services delivered with integrity. Second, our clients. I’m thrilled that people with big ideas and bigger hearts are finding us and want us to help them.
What do you see for the future of Open Sky Artists?
I look forward to continuing to serve our loyal clients who’ve been with us since we started, and all the new people we are connecting with—they have something to say with their art, and it’s a joy to help get their unique voices heard and appreciated. To me, our future feels boundless, like an open sky.
Any parting thoughts?
One of my mantras is “when things are tolerable, you tolerate them; when they are miserable, you change.” I left a corporate career for which I had trained my whole life because the working environment was miserable and not compatible with family life. That allowed me to pursue music professionally and eventually start Open Sky Artists, which has been such a blessing. Like the fortune cookie says, “Don’t wait for things to happen. Happen to things.”