Written by LeoB 
Career Spotlight: Nate Schoenfeldt, Co-owner of Warpath Group
Today’s Career Spotlight we feature Nate Schoenfeldt, the co-owner of Warpath Group. If you are looking for work in the industry, be sure to check out all open positions Here.
Who are you and what is your background?
I’m Nate Schoenfeldt, co-owner of Warpath Group. I’ve worked in the music industry for a little over 10 years now. I started as a Tour Manager and worked with various artists and bands for a few years and then started working with my now partner in Warpath Group putting on concerts across the Midwest.
How did you get to where you are now?
It started with just wanting to work with my friends. I have never been musically inclined, but loved the atmosphere. So, I started selling merch for a local band when I lived in the Dallas area. I went out on the road enough times that I eventually moved to Tour Manager. I did a couple of different runs with artists over a few years. Around the time, I stopped touring I got engaged to my now wife and started working with Andy Loper. Since I already knew how to set up a show, run it, and settle it out it made sense for us to work together. We ran a production company called BOMB Productions together for roughly six years.
When did you realize that you wanted a career in the music industry? I guess there was never a point in my life where I thought to myself that I wanted a career in the music industry. I wanted the people I worked with to succeed. I wanted the shows I was a part of to prosper. So, I just worked as hard as I could on my end to make that happen.
What does your ownership position at Warpath entail? Well, I have my own artists that I am in charge of on the MGMT Side of Warpath. But, then as a whole I do the accounting for the company and work with the employees that we have to make sure that everything is moving forward with their artists and them personally.
What is your favorite aspect of your job?
The relationships that I have made. Despite what you may have heard about the “industry” there are a lot of really good people involved in it. People that care more about what is going on vs. caring only about the bottom line.
Least favorite aspect?
While I enjoy this aspect of my job, I would say the traveling is my least favorite. I have an 18 month old little boy at home and it is hard to be away from him for days on end.
Is there anything you do for work on a daily basis others might be surprised about?
I base a lot of my routine for work on the acronym of GYSHIDO. It stands for The Art of Getting Your Shit Done. It is a movement started by Pascal Finette.
- Relentless Focus
- Single Task
- Boring Consistency
- No Bullshit
- No Meetings
- Follow Up
- Don’t Be an Asshole
I would encourage everyone to check it out at www.gyshido.com
Is working in the music industry as cut-throat and challenging as many people make it out to be?
Yes and No. There is no way around it. The industry is very political. Having to navigate those politics though are just part of the job. A lot of people love the idea of working in the music industry more than putting in the actual work involved in the music industry.
If you could change one part about the work you do, what would it be?
I need more hours in the day, haha! I shoot for six hours of sleep a night. The rest of the time I am either working or spending time with my family. If I could have just a few more hours in the day that would be perfect.
Do you have any advice for those trying to find a career path in the music realm?
Keep Working Hard. I can’t stress this enough. Results will come with hard work. It might seem advantageous to take the quick and easy route, but that won’t bring the results you want to see in the long run.
Is there anything else you would like to add? Tips, thoughts, feelings, songs, etc?
Never stop personally progressing. Read books. We live in a day and age where we have access to almost anything we could need to better ourselves. Use that to your advantage.
A big thank you to Nate Schoenfeldt for taking the time to share his EDMJob with us in this Career Spotlight. If you are interested in a job in the industry, check out EDMJobs.com and follow us on Facebook!
