Today I signed a lease on an office building for DFTBA Records. We still only have two employees, Hank and me. We have three interns, including Monica, Karen Kavett and Beka. But we’ve outgrown the spare bedroom and garage here at my house, so we need some more space.
Meeting with the building owner was fun, but it was hard to explain we were an online business and wouldn’t be opening our doors to the public. He thought people could come in and buy a shirt, which might be fun, but I can’t see anyone randomly walking in off the street to buy a Pizza John or a Nerdfighterlike tee.
The location is perfect. Our new office is directly across the street from the post office, so dropping off outgoing packages will be convenient, even if there are enough to require multiple trips like there sometimes are.
I’m very excited about the way DFTBA has been growing and the future just keeps looking brighter. It’s a great feeling to have started a company that makes everyone involved so happy. Most of our artists can make a living from their music, our listeners can finally own the music they’ve wanted in their iPods for so long, and I make enough to do all this full time. I own a freakin’ record label! I’m releasing CDs! And I’m making money doing it! That’s insane!
The only thing that bums me out is how far away Hank lives. He and I should be celebrating together today. He and I should be painting the offices and setting up shelving units together. We should be placing our sign in the window together. But the distance is just impossible.
Instead, Mike Lombardo, one of our newer artists, will be flying in to stay for about a week to help paint and move boxes. Also, I hope we can talk a bit about laying down the groundwork for my next album, on which Lombardo will play a pretty big part.
This is a big step. I just got off the phone with the power company and the office now has working lights and central air. Tomorrow I deal with the water and gas companies.
Thank you to everyone who has ever made a purchase at DFTBA, and everyone who continues to. You’re supporting some great art, helping some very talented musicians live out their dreams and participating in a great community of awesome people. I only hope that support continues. As we continue to grow, we will continue to be a source of inspiration and fun music.
Rock on!
Alan
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Alan this is so awesome! It’s been amazing to see DFTBA grow and I look forward to seeing all the places it will go
ahah that rhymed so awfully i’m sorry.
Sorry I’m not there with you dude! If it weren’t for VidCon, I’d be putting my painting pants on right now!
I love that you call it a storefront, I’m looking at it on Google Maps right now. IT’S A REAL PLACE!!! Thanks to everyone for supporting this, and to Alan for always being the driving force behind DFTBA. We made this happen man!
So Cool….
Congrats on the new digs. Your success couldn’t happen to better people.
And watch out for that Lombardo fellah. He tends to slack off when he should be painting ceilings, and keeps making videos for his You Tube Channel. Crack that whip!
Good luck and continued success.
Tom
Ahhh! That’s so exciting. My dad just started his own business in the fall and he’s doing what he loves in hopes that it will support him when he retires from his full time job. It is very inspirational seeing people do what they love to do!
congrats! DFTBA totally has a future and it just keeps getting brighter.
Congratulations! This is so exciting! I am so happy for DFTBA Records’ success, and I know that the company will continue to grow and thrive. Thanks for all your hard work, Alan.
You are welcome, Alan!
You guys deserve the support of us, because you actually create worthy content. All the CD’s I’ve order over the last year (8 so far, plus DFTBA-Tee) have a special place in my shelf.
Hugs and ROCK ON DUDE
Can’t wait to play Mario Kart online against you and Luke again ;)
Dome
I am beyond excited! For you, for Hank, and for DFTBA. =)
Wish I was there to paint with you. Can’t wait to see it come August. <3
This is great news–both for DFTBA and you. From your tweets, I’ve gathered you’re quite excited about it and you should be! It’s great to see people take their passions and use them as a creative force to create bigger and better things (including renting and office building, because as you’ve said, it’s a little bigger than your spare bedroom/garage). If only I still lived in northern Indiana, I’d be willing to offer my volunteer painting skills for this great cause, but, alas, I’m stuck in southern Indiana with nothing but corn to keep me company.
Good luck on your future endeavors!
DFTBA
P.S. @Valerie: It sounded very Dr. Seuss, I laughed!
I would want to stop in and buy a t-shirt…
But, I’m so proud of you all at DFTBA records! There certainly isn’t another group of people more deserving of success. Although, it is a shame that Hank can’t be there. I would kill for a 1980′s montage-style video of you two setting up the office.
You may call me… Fake Hank.
Well, you’re certainly tall enough to be. :-D
This is wonderful news! You should get a legit banner made from the pizza tee to drape across the storefront. :-P
Rock on indeed. \m/
I’m wicked excited for all of you and the future of DFTBA Records!!!!!
Wow, congratz on this, Alan!! now that you have a whole store, maybe that means no more limited run stuff?
Congratulations, Alan, this is so exciting! DFTBA Records was already a real, impressive, awesome business – but now it has a building to go along with it.
I bet it will become a kind of nerdfighter tourist stop… a mecca for citizens of the interwebs to travel to in their Pizza John and California Dorks T-Shorts, while listening to wonderful DFTBA Records artists (and later making YouTube videos about the trip).
I’m so pleased for you!
I must confess, I’m not terribly up to speed with the brains behind DFTBA. But I do know that the musicians you work with respect and like you, which is recommendation enough in my book. And since things are getting Seussy in the comments:
Hank and Alan have a store,
Who could ever ask for more?
It’s good news for DFTBA:
A place to work (and, ‘course, to play).
A place they can continue in
Making music full of win.
woot! that is the definition of awesomesauce!
Awesome – L-O-V-E DFTBA and all you guys do for the online music community.
Keep it up.
Much love.
This is so exciting! I want pictures!
That’s wonderful news!
This is fab, Alan… I am really enjoying watching the growth of DFTBA from afar, I wish I could come along and help paint your walls!! The best of luck with your continued success. (Charlie’s Mum)
Congratulations on reaching this milestone. What will you do with all the new space in your house?
I’m so excited for you! Congratulations!
You must post pictures of it when it’s all set up.
Best wishes!
Congratulations on getting a store front.
Cant wait to see pictures.
Barry
Awesome! Good thing I have a list of CDs I’ll be ordering, so I can show my continued support. I’m just waiting for Charlie McDonnell to release his one so I can buy it with the rest (new ALL CAPS, Erase This, The World is Mine (I Don’t Know Anything), 117% Complete and Songs For a New Day). I can’t wait to get my hands on them! :D
awwh thats a shame about hank. i love DFTBA.i’m waiting for Charlie to release his album, then i will be ordering it along with The World Is Mine (I Don’t Know Anything). so i’m hoping thats soon because i want to listen to alex’s album and the player on his website isnt working!!! :( grrr. i think you should make it into a shop where people can come in and buy t-shirts and CD’s. that would be awesome. and just a few days before you even mentioned it online, me and my friend were talking about how awesome it would be if you guys opened a shop!! how strange… keep doing what you do because its making a lot of people very happy. DFTBA x x
I would totally stop in off off the street to buy a Harry Moon, Pizza John, or California Dork shirt. Alas.
Congrats on the new place Alan! This is great!
Congratulations on getting an officebuilding! It’s so nice to hear that DFTBA is doing well! :)
Whilst reading this I got the chills (or something like it) and had a super awesome feeling wash over me. I think it’s because I’m just so happy that something like DFTBA Records has been able to come so far due to the awesomeness and support of so many wonderful people. It just makes me happy to see good things like this happen in the world.
Congrats :]
I’m such a stalker I found it on google maps, it’s in Utah :)
Dude, as long as you guys continue to make awesome music I’ll support you. I’m so happy to see the company do so well!! <33
Congrats Alan and Hank and all of DFTBA records!!!! fan freaking tastic!
May I suggest getting a wagon or cart of some sort to transport the packages across the street? I can just see you crossing the street with a red flyer wagon full of DFTBA packages.
wowww this is huge!! congrats to everyone involed!!
Whoa I could jog to the DFTBA office… SWEET!