VYP Q&A: Nate Anderson, Ear Candy Charity

Get to know some of your fellow VYPers in our recurring series of Q&A sessions with some of the Valley’s top young professionals. This month, meet Nate Anderson, founder and president of Ear Candy, who went from successful real estate broker to striking a different note as head of a charity connecting Valley kids and music. Nate also serves on the inaugural Valley Young Professionals Board of Directors, whose members were announced in September.

Q. What inspired you to launch Ear Candy Charity? 
A. Arizona is currently 49th out of 50 states in per person educational funding. And here’s another statistic that really startles me: 79 percent of Arizona schools spend less than one dollar per student per year on arts or music education. When I read that statistic I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me, what do you mean kids don’t have music?” I’m a big music aficionado, and I go to live music performances all the time. After some research it became crystal clear to me: I’m funneling my passion and expertise into this area. I left a real estate brokerage to start Ear Candy Charity in 2007.

Q. Would you tell us a little bit about Ear Candy?
A. Originally Ear Candy hosted charity concerts to raise money for different causes. Now we do instrument drives to gather instruments collecting dust in people’s closets and then work collaboratively with schools to place them in the hands of low-income students. We also host music field trips —concerts and trips to recording studios, radio stations and instrument manufacturers — to supplement traditional music education.

Q. What was your very first entrepreneurial effort, and how did it go?
A. I helped start a real estate brokerage and was in real estate for two and a half to three years. It was an entrepreneurial breeding ground, and I did really well at it. I was real estate Nate, your eccentric authentic rock star realtor. I looked basically the same as I do now—long hair, facial hair, the whole works.  It was a great experience for me and I learned a lot of great stuff, but it didn’t satisfy my soul and I could see what was going to happen with the real estate market. So I left in 2007, my best year ever in commissions, to start Ear Candy. I figured if there was ever a time in my life to take a plunge, I might as well do it when I have a bunch of money.

Q. You once said you’re a horrible employee, but a great entrepreneur. How so?
A. I had a short stint in corporate America in sales for an advertising company in Chicago that lasted 11 months. I think I broke every rule that wasn’t written, but still excelled in my role. I was dealing with Fortune 500 clients and walking down Michigan Avenue wearing a suit every day. It really wasn’t me, but Chicago’s music scene was me. I was actually offered a promotion and the opportunity to open a new office in San Francisco. I wound up turning down the promotion and leaving.

Q. What’s your greatest success — the thing you’ve achieved you’re most proud of?
A. Starting Ear Candy in the midst of a looming recession. Not only starting it, but now having a team of paid employees and experiencing exceptional growth. We just trudged through the middle of the worst economic times since the Depression.

Q. Would you bring us up to date on Ear Candy’s accomplishments thus far?
A. This year we will impact well over 15,000 kids in the Phoenix area.  Literally the only thing preventing these kids from participating in music programs is having an instrument. We also do really cool backstage class field trips and music-based field trips, where we’re showing kids another side of music education they’re not going to get anywhere else.

Q. What’s in Ear Candy’s future?
A. In January we’ll be unveiling a brand-new online donation system. If you’re donating a trumpet, you can actually go online at www.earcandycharity.org and see what music programs need a trumpet. You’ll be able to read about the kids and the program and see pictures before you decide where to donate. Eventually I’d like to place instruments throughout the country. 

Q. What’s the best part about your job?
A. Helping 15,000 kids this year! Kids naturally flip out for music. We’re not only giving them something they want, but it’s insanely good for them. On a personal level, I love being an entrepreneur. I love challenging myself, I love challenging my organization, and I love growing on a daily basis. I live the richest life out of anyone I know, and money has nothing to do with it.
 
Q. What excites you about serving on the Valley Young Professionals board?
A. I’ve only been involved for a month now, but when I learned about VYP, I thought it’d be a really great way to channel my efforts into another avenue for giving back to the community, more from a business standpoint. I enjoy being around like-minded people, and I see it as an opportunity to be a visionary, but outside the nonprofit realm.
 
Q. What advice would you give to a young professional just beginning their career today?
A. First, identify your top skills, then couple it with what makes you happy. For example, if you’re really great at accounting and love sports, why not be an accountant for a sports team? I think it’s really important to figure out how to feel satisfied and challenged at the same time.

Q. When you’re not working, what do you do to relax, recharge and re-energize?
A. I love seeing music performances at least once or twice a week, bare minimum. It’s what fills me up.

Get Connected
Ear Candy Charity
www.earcandycharity.org

This interview, conducted by Lori K. Baker, is part of the Chamber's monthly Valley Young Professionals email. To sign up for any or all of the Chamber's email communications, click here.