My job isn't to force an idea into a business plan.
It's to help it find where it belongs.
"John sees things I don't see."
I don't have all the answers.But after twenty years plus of working with creators, artists, founders, podcasters, and business owners, most of the time your idea just needs someone who isn't standing inside it.I've come to believe that we spend too much time trying to own our ideas and not enough time trying to understand them. Of course we all want to make more money, grow our audience, serve more customers, and build something that lasts. We just can't force it.That's what these sessions are all about.
Perspective Conversation
$49
What is this idea trying to become?
Bring your idea that's been bouncing around your head for hours, days, weeks, months, or even years.We'll spend thirty minutes figuring out what it's trying to become—and whether anything is actually standing in its way.
Working Conversation
$89
How can i turn this idea into action?
You know what you want to build.Now let's figure out how to build it.We'll spend an hour creating a practical plan together. If you're local to the Philadelphia area, lunch is on me. Some of my favorite ideas have come from conversations around a table.Within 24 hours, you'll receive a written recap with the biggest takeaways from our conversation, practical next steps, and a few more ideas worth exploring so you know exactly where to go from here.
Who Books a Session With You?
Usually, it's someone who can't stop thinking about an idea.It might be a business you've always wanted to start. A podcast you've talked yourself out of launching. An Instagram/Tik-tok page you've been meaning to create. A product or service sitting in your notebook. Or maybe you've been building for years and just need another set of eyes.Whether this is your very first idea or your fiftieth, you're welcome here.
Or It Could Just Sound Like:
"Should I finally start this?"
"Why isn't my business growing?"
"What am I missing?"
"I feel like I should be making more money with this"
"Is this sponsorship actually worth it?"
"What should I charge?"
"Should I quit my job?"
"How do I build a community instead of just an audience?"
"Am I solving the wrong problem?"
"What is this idea actually trying to become?"
Have a question before you book?
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Nobody has a playbook for building something meaningful. Most of us are figuring it out one conversation, one collaboration, and one idea at a time.Art, Commerce, & Community is my journey to understand how creators, artists, entrepreneurs, and local businesses are building a stronger creative economy together.Each week I share conversations, ideas, and observations from the people who are actually doing the work. No gurus or courses. Just creators, artists, business owners, and communities finding new ways to build together.I'll introduce you to people and projects worth paying attention to, and share my perspective on what we might be missing when art, commerce, and community come together.If you're a creator, artist, entrepreneur, or business owner, I hope you'll join the conversation.
I'm John, and this was me in Los Angeles in 2005.Like a lot of people who moved to Los Angeles, I thought I knew where my career was headed. I'd already been working in radio since I was 18, so somewhere between voice acting, television, music, and entertainment, I assumed I'd find my place in traditional media.Then I discovered podcasting.This was long before smartphones took over the world and years before most people believed you could build a career on the internet. I was hooked because it completely changed the relationship between creators and the people they wanted to reach.I've spent the last twenty years chasing that idea. First as an artist, then as a creator, and now as a business owner and father. Along the way, I've become convinced that we're entering one of the most exciting times in history to build something meaningful.The best ideas have a funny way of finding the people they need.Sometimes that's an artist. Sometimes it's a business owner. Sometimes it's an entire community. The more I pay attention, the more I realize those worlds were never meant to be separate. The strongest ideas simply give them a reason to find each other.I've come to believe my job isn't to force an idea into a business plan. It's to help it find where it belongs.I'm convinced that most of the answers we're looking for already exist in our own neighborhoods. The next customer, collaborator, audience member, mentor, or breakthrough is probably a lot closer than we think.The hard part isn't coming up with good ideas. It's helping artists, creators, entrepreneurs, and local businesses realize they're all part of the same creative ecosystem.If we learn to serve the idea first, the money has a way of following.That's the philosophy behind everything I do.The future of entertainment clearly doesn't belong to Hollywood anymore. I think it's being built in coffee shops, breweries, local theaters, small businesses, spare bedrooms, and main streets all over the world.The old playbook isn't coming back.That's exciting.It means we get to write a new one together.
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Art, Commerce & Content!Your first newsletter will arrive soon, and I can't wait to share what I'm working on.As a thank you for subscribing, anyone who books a 30-minute Perspective Session also receives a complimentary 30-minute follow-up session.Great ideas rarely come together in a single conversation, and I don't want the flame to die once we light it.Talk to you soon,John Barchard
Here's a Few Ideas I'm Helping Develop
2Moods Beverages | Nick Cicione
Question: Can an independent beverage company grow without relying on the traditional distribution system?I've been obsessed with this question for years.Long before I met Nick Cicione, I was trying to understand why so many incredible beverage companies disappeared. I watched independent soda, beer, and beverage brands get squeezed by traditional distribution, and during the pandemic I saw just how fragile that system really was. Pennsylvania's alcohol laws only make that challenge more complicated.Around the same time, I had the opportunity to work closely with the team at Liquid Death while they were still a startup. We believed in each other early. They believed in my independent Eagles podcast enough to fund its entire first year, and I believed in what they were building because they understood something that most brands still don't.Culture beats advertising.I've never liked traditional advertising because, frankly, most people don't like being advertised to. We skip commercials. We block pop-ups. We pay for subscriptions just to avoid ads altogether. Instead of interrupting people, I'd much rather help build something they're excited to discover and genuinely want to share with someone else.That's why I was so excited when Nick handed me his Orange Crush.It wasn't just the best thing he'd ever made. It was the kind of product that doesn't need to be oversold. You don't have to convince people it's good.You just have to let them taste it.Since then, I've helped wherever the business has needed me most—from sampling in beer stores across Pennsylvania and developing content strategy to building relationships with retailers, creators, and local businesses. This summer we're planning to produce four to six original videos together while continuing to explore bigger ideas like a seasonal outdoor taproom and new ways to make 2Moods part of the culture instead of just another product on a shelf.One of my favorite parts of the business has been connecting the people I already work with. When it makes sense, I introduce 2Moods to creators, artists, and local businesses that already have trusted communities. Amanda Yoa's bingo nights are a great example. Instead of forcing advertising, we created an experience where people naturally discovered the product—and selling multiple cases in a single night became the byproduct.2) Amanda Yoa3) Art, Commerce, and Community4) Trying to start a family business for my non-verbal stepsons