When Jim Olen was thinking about leaving the Rhythm Caf? and the music business after 15 years, an audio producer fortuitously showed up at his recording studio, liked the facility and rented it on the spot.
“That hastened my exit and gave me the opportunity I needed to take my entrepreneurial approach and apply it to another business,” says Olen.
What exactly those new business plans are, Olen says frankly, “I don’t know. I’d like to utilize the entrepreneurial and management skills I learned as a business owner and manager to help a forward-thinking company grow its business.”
Since 1995, Rhythm Caf? had been a big part of the commercial music scene at a time when but shape shifts in the music industry have taken their toll on companies like Olen’s.
“When we first started the company, we composed and produced original music for commercials and worked around the world. We did very well, grossing over $1 million annually,” he recalls.
“Today is very different. The first thing clients ask about is licensing. They listen to music on their iPods and if they like a certain song, they’ll call to find out about licensing it and by noon they’ll have their answer.”
Rhythm Caf? was founded by composer/musicians Steven Zoloto and Brando Triantafillou, and Olen, their rep, who had worked together at now-defunct Editel, one of the first big post houses. When Editel closed, they decided to form their own company and each invested $10,000 to start the Rhythm Caf?.
