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The Nashville Symphony: Deficit-Crisis-Miracle

October 13, 2026
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This is Part 3 of a four-part series on the Nashville Symphony and the Oracle gift. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. This situation highlights a pattern. Once I point it out, you will see it everywhere. Oracle’s $10M gift saved the Nashville Symphony. The 2026 season was saved. It was a miracle. […]

October 9, 2026
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Part 2 of a series about the financial crisis at the Nashville Symphony through the lens of strategy. Read Part 1 here. My original piece about the Nashville Symphony was always the first in a four-part series, with the second piece discussing “restructuring” an organization. Then, I saw Ruth Hartt’s piece on the Oracle gift. Ruth shared a […]

October 6, 2026
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About a week ago, the Nashville Symphony announced they were suspending the 2026-27 season. Not just cancelling performances but furloughing 27 full-time employees and 77 musicians. Mark Cantrell, President and CEO of the Nashville Symphony, highlighted the years-long habit of running the symphony on an unsustainable financial foundation. Until this year’s $10M deficit was too much […]

How I’d Like to Help You This Year

I deliver original, insightful content every week. Once a quarter, I do a self-serving update about how I can help you. 5 Ways I Deliver Value There are 5 ways you find me. In no particular order: Here’s what each looks like in practice. Strategic Advisory I work with leaders who feel Strategic Drift. Revenue […]

The NY Times Just Published the Temu Version of My Met Opera Analysis

Same story. Less depth. No framework. Let’s compare. A little over two weeks ago, I wrote a piece called “The Met Opera’s Crisis Isn’t About Art. It’s About Strategy.” I laid out frameworks for analyzing the situation: Today, the New York Times published its own version. Same subject. Same desperation. Same Saudi deal. Same Chagall […]

February 20, 2026
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I’ve been watching the Metropolitan Opera’s situation for a while. The status of the organization is personal to me. I love New York and those huge cultural institutions. When I moved to New York City, I bought memberships and subscriptions to all of the major cultural institutions I could afford at the time. I sucked […]

nonprofit strategy

The Nashville Symphony: Deficit-Crisis-Miracle

Nashville Symphony: “Restructuring” Isn’t a Plan. It is a Flinch.

Nashville Symphony: A Miracle Is Not a Strategy

How I’d Like to Help You This Year

The NY Times Just Published the Temu Version of My Met Opera Analysis

The Met Opera’s Crisis Isn’t About Art. It’s About Strategy.

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