Originally a native of Arizona, when Kirt Webster was 20 years old he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to chase his dream of a successful career in the country music industry. Not long after, he founded the firm Webster Public Relations. In short order, Webster Public Relations grew to represent some of the biggest names in country music, such as Carl Perkins, The Bellamy Brothers, Lee Greenwood, The Little River Band, and Hank Williams, Jr., cementing the firm’s reputation and ultimately leading to Kirt’s inclusion in Nashville Business Journal’s list of the most successful businessmen under 40 years old in 2009. Around the same time, he served on the boards of directors for the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD).

Over the course of his career, some of the accolades Kirt Webster has earned include  a TELLY Award in 2021 as a consultant on Rainy Night in Georgia, and five TELLY Awards in 2022 as the producer of Tyson Fury/Dillian Whyte Heavyweight Championship Fight Opening featuring Don McLean. He was also recently commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by Andy Beshear, the current Governor of Kentucky.

These days, Kirt Webster is leveraging his accumulated experience as a project manager and consultant in the music and entertainment industry. He still works and resides in Nashville.

How do you organize your workday?

I start out each day by consulting a to-do list made up of all the clients and projects I have on the go. I make sure to cross off each task as it’s completed. Knowing that I did something for each of my clients is a satisfying feeling. Crossing off the tasks on my to-do list tells me that I had a productive day because it affirms that I was able to move each of my projects forward.

How do you see your ideas through from conception to reality?

Everybody’s got an idea, but the real trick is sussing each idea out and evaluating if it’s the right fit for the right situation. You can have a great idea, but if you don’t know how to execute it, it’s not worth bringing to the table. You have to think ahead when you’re pitching an idea with a client because once you say it, they might get excited and want to execute it. Put simply, if you can’t bring an idea to fruition, you’re not putting a checkmark in the win column. You have to think about if you can make something happen before you vocalize it to a client. If they tell you to go do it and you can do it, then go for it. If not, you should think of how you can get it accomplished before you bring it up.

Is there a trend that you’re enthusiastic about?

I love that vinyl music is coming back in full force. There’s nothing better than putting an old record in a record player and hearing the sounds of the scratches and the real, authentic music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Now, in 2023, new records are being made that same way, and the technology to cut vinyl records is moving forward instead of going away.

As an entrepreneur, is there a habit you can cite that’s particularly valuable?

I’m still a paper person. I like to write things down and cross them off when I get them accomplished versus always getting something in an email where I might delete it and forget it. When I check my spiral notepad, I’m able to see what I crossed off so I know that I’ve got it done. Consulting a written list also helps me because sometimes I get ideas from something that I’ve previously written down that will work for another project.

If you had a time machine and could visit a younger incarnation of yourself, what would you tell him?

Be tenacious, productive, and proactive. Don’t wait for somebody to give you something; go get it yourself. Too many people today want a handout. They want somebody to do their work for them. Had I adopted that same thought process 25 or 28 years ago, I would not be where I am today.

Would you like to share an unpopular opinion that you hold?

The Tennessee Titans will win this year’s Super Bowl. I don’t believe too many people are making that prediction.

Is there one thing you find yourself doing consistently and would recommend every entrepreneur do to better facilitate success?

Everybody should return phone calls. I try to call everyone back within a short period of time. Whether the answer is “yes,” “no,” or “I don’t know,” at least the communication takes place and nobody is left wondering about the issue. Communication is key to any sort of success.

Is there something in particular you do to combat stress?

It depends on the situation. Sometimes, I’ll take a break and walk away or get lunch, then come back to the project I was working on. If you force yourself to focus on something, you’re probably going to make a mistake, so you’re better off walking away from that project or situation and coming back to it when your eyes are fresh and your head is in the right space.

Can you share a specific strategy that has helped to expand your business?

I’m very outgoing with a big personality, and I think that people either love it or hate it. In my case, I’m fortunate that the majority of people I’ve met have loved it.

What is a mistake you made during the course of your career, and how did you overcome it?

We all fail at different things throughout our careers, whether it’s the way that we spoke to someone or the way that we acted in a given situation. Every failure that anyone has in their career creates its own unique obstacles. For me, one of the biggest issues I have had to overcome is being very bold and vocal with my opinions. Some people don’t know how to take it, so sometimes the things I say can be misconstrued.

What advice would you give to anyone considering a career in the country music industry?

I have a website, kirtwebsterconsultant.com, where I give free information to people who want to be in the music business so they can better navigate their way through Nashville. If anyone wants to start a business based around country music, I highly recommend it as a good place to start.

Is there a piece of technology, an app, or a particular piece of software that helps you to be productive? If so, what is it and how do you use it?

That would be my email account. I use email a lot in communicating with people outside my office.

What is the best relatively small amount of money that you’ve spent lately?

I take a lot of people out to dinner. The majority of what I make in a year is spent going out for business meetings or wining and dining people.

Do you have a favorite book? If so, would your recommend it to our readership?

Jim Halsey’s Starmaker is a book that I’ve pulled valuable information from since the first time I read it. He was the long-term manager of The Oak Ridge Boys and Roy Clark, as well as a professor at Oklahoma City University. His knowledge of the music business is almost unparalleled.

Can you list a television series or two that you watch to unwind at night?

Blacklist was a television series that I really loved because I love crime shows like Scandal and Law and Order.

 

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