No Fences
A birthday celebration
This week, we are trying something different. Instead of highlighting an artist or a record, I want to tell you more about this, and me, and (maybe) where it is all headed.
Country Minute turns three later this month. It is incredible to think about everything we have done in that time. It is even wilder when I reflect on the nearly two decades I spent covering other areas of music in other formats without coming close to what we have already achieved here. Before I go any further, I need you to know I never take that for granted. There is nothing new about someone in music finding “overnight” success after years of unseen work, but it still feels special when you are that person.
Since April 2024, Country Minute has been my full-time job. Whenever I tell someone this is what I do for work, they inevitably want to know how we make money. I understand why. Before doing this, I thought the idea of making it work was akin to magic, and it turns out I was pretty much right. I could not tell you the exact formula if I tried because every person I know making a living creating content does it differently. The only guarantee is that there are no guarantees. But here are the basics.
Most of our income comes from partnerships with artists, labels, and events, with the rest coming from the content itself. TikTok pays us for videos over a minute long, which is part of why I chose the name Country Minute. Instagram changes its payout rules without warning. Right now, it is photos and carousels, but the payout is pennies. A million views on Instagram might earn ten dollars. That same number on TikTok could be worth over a thousand. It is a system that is always shifting, so you learn to adapt.
Sometimes special promotions pop up on Instagram or TikTok that give us small boosts. Other times, a festival that contracted you for thousands of dollars in work will back out after months of promotion and leave you with nothing. You fight for what you can, but you never spend what is not already in your bank account. You also need a manager. Mine is named Mishko.
But I never got into this for the money. Truthfully, I did not even think all that was possible.
This all started because I felt something was missing from the country music conversation. Everywhere I looked, people seemed more interested in gatekeeping than growing. Arguing about what is and is not country, instead of celebrating what country music actually does: make people feel something.
Country music belongs to its fans. Always has. Always will.
Everyone has their own definition of what “country” means, and that is the beauty of it. Rather than divide ourselves, I wanted to create a space that brings people together. A place that honors the truth we all feel deep down: this genre has the power to change your life, sometimes in just three chords.
I try to live curiously. When I hear an artist that does not connect with me, I want to understand why they connect with others. Sometimes I will go to a show just to watch the crowd. I listen to how they sing along, how they talk during the breaks. What kind of comfort does this artist offer? What story are they telling? Even if it is not for me, I can still respect what it means to someone else.
The community we are building through Country Minute is still taking shape, but the mission is clear. We believe country music is the most honest reflection of who we are and who we are becoming. It is a melting pot of stories, traditions, voices, and rhythms. And as culture evolves, so must the genre. There are millions of people who love this music, which means there are millions of stories worth telling.
If we can get even a few of those stories through between the headlines, the gossip, and the noise, that feels like a miracle.
And since I believe in saying things out loud, here is what I want:
I want to make this family business a full-time job for both Laura and myself. None of this happens without her, and she is even more involved in our future plans.
I want to build a real studio at home and create a podcast that can stand alongside the very best.
I want to book space in Nashville this fall and record the next season of the podcast in just a few intense, focused days.
I want to hit 10 major events in 2026.
I want to interview Parker McCollum, face to face.
I want to host more gatherings, large and small.
I want to spend less time in rooms where we are needed more than wanted.
I want to spend more time talking about the music and the people we truly believe in.
I want to speak up more. Empower more. Give more.
I want to stop wasting time on doors that will never open and instead build new ones for people who have never been let in.
I want to forge partnerships that lead to sustainability.
I want to make longer videos, digging deeper into the things we love and the topics that matter.
I want people to feel seen and heard and represented in the fabric of country music. That is what you have given me, and it is something everyone should experience.
I want to share stories that matter, whether they come from artists who are rewriting the rules or those who hold tradition close.
If you believe there is room for everyone at the table of country music, even if we do not all agree on its definition, then you are in the right place.
Let’s build something real. Let’s build something that lasts.
Let’s build something undeniable. Together.
I promise we’ll get back to the music soon. For now, be sure to subscribe to our playlist on Spotify. Every little bit helps.