Business Spotlight with Eric Tillich from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music

In this interview, Eric Tillich, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, shares insights into his career journey and leadership style. A Milwaukee native with a background in nonprofit fundraising, Tillich transitioned to his current role after successful stints at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Boys and Girls Clubs. He discusses the significant turnaround he led at the Conservatory, transforming it from a debt-ridden organization to one with balanced budgets and substantial growth. Tillich emphasizes the importance of focusing on priorities and managing emotional impact in leadership, reflecting on the value of simplifying tasks and maintaining a clear vision.

Tillich also touches on his personal interests and ongoing projects, including learning chess and cooking, as well as writing a story about his upbringing in Sherman Park. Looking ahead, he outlines the Conservatory’s strategic goals, including expanding music education access and increasing financial aid, with a focus on adapting plans every three years. His approach combines practical advice from mentors with a commitment to growth and community service.

Podcast Transcript

Mike McKay: Good morning, everyone. Coach Mike here with Eric Tillich, the president and CEO of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Good morning, Eric. Thanks for joining us today.

Eric Tillich: Good morning, Mike. It’s great to be here. Thanks for the invitation.

Mike: We have a son who’s a music teacher, so I love talking to people in the arts. I’m eager to hear more about you. Let’s start with your personal story.

Eric: I’m a Milwaukee native, grew up in Sherman Park, and lived there my whole life. I went to UW Madison, got my degree there, worked in politics for a bit, and then found my niche in nonprofit work. I’ve spent over 25 years in nonprofits, which gives me a lot of satisfaction. I always tell people I could be successful selling widgets, but my passion is working with nonprofits. I recently celebrated my 31st anniversary with my wife. We went out to dinner last night. 

Mike: Congratulations! You grew up in Wisconsin, right?

Eric: Thanks. Yes. I have two adult children, one living in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota.

Mike: How did you become the president and CEO of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music? What was your journey?

Eric: I’ve been a fundraiser in nonprofits for most of my career. This is my first role as a president and CEO, but my experience in fundraising really set me up for this role. I’ve had success raising money and working with donors, which helped me transition into this leadership position. I was VP of Development at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for six years and then worked at the Boys and Girls Clubs for two and a half years under Jim Clark.

Mike: One of my favorite clients runs an organization called Rescuing Leftover Cuisine in New York City. He’s young, about 28, and grew up food insecure. Learning to fundraise was crucial for him because, as you know, you need money to achieve a big vision.

Eric: Absolutely. When I took over the organization, it was about a million dollars in debt, with a budget of $1.5 million. The debt-to-income ratio was terrible. My training in business management helped me address these issues. Now, after eight years, we’ve had seven balanced budgets, grown the organization to about three and a half times its previous size, and are serving many more people.

Mike: Tell us more about your target market, demographics, and mission.

Eric: We’re the largest community music school in Wisconsin. Our name might be confusing because, historically, we were an accredited degree-granting institution. Now, we’re focused on community music education, offering lessons for all ages, from six months to 96 years old. We also work with community organizations and provide music education in schools and nonprofits like Next Door Foundation and La Causa. We’re filling a need because there’s a shortage of music educators. These components—private lessons, community partnerships, and fundraising—drive our revenue.

Mike: It’s interesting how interconnected big cities are. Luis Ayala from La Causa was one of our interviews three weeks ago.

Eric: That’s interesting. We do their early childhood music education. You run into people you’re working with quite often in Milwaukee!

Mike: Absolutely. How would you describe your leadership style?

Eric: I prefer not to micromanage. I believe in hiring professionals, giving them a roadmap and goals, and letting them work. My role is to coach them to be their best. This approach has worked better for me than a more hands-on, demanding style. My mentor had a very different approach, and I learned from him what not to do. For example, when he yelled at me for not completing tasks, I’d call him back in a professional way and say, “Done. What’s next?” That experience taught me to manage in a way that suits my personality, which is more even-keeled.

Mike: It’s interesting because I used to be the grumpy guy when I was an executive in a plastics company. My constant focus on mission and process made me seem mad, but I was just trying to keep things on track. I’ve learned that authenticity is key. If you lead in the way you believe is right, even if it’s intense, you need to be true to yourself. I’ve coached people who yell, but they’ve learned to apologize quickly and adjust their style.

Eric: Yeah, and on that note, even a slight rise in my voice signals to my team that something isn’t right. They quickly pick up on it. It’s a good coaching tip to acknowledge when you’ve been too intense and apologize for it. It shows you care. It’s not about disliking people but about caring deeply about the product and the mission. So, I understand how that can be a valid leadership style.

Mike: We want results, and one of our core principles is that true communication is the response you get. You can use any approach, but keep in mind the emotional impact. Yelling can deplete your emotional “bank account” quickly, and it’s about 100 to 1 in terms of balance.

Eric: That’s a good point. Balancing emotional impact with achieving results is crucial.

Mike: If you could change anything or apply lessons earlier in your career, what would it be?

Eric: I wish I had learned earlier to say “no” when necessary. I used to try to please everyone and take on too much. My mentor advised that you can only handle so many tasks before things start to fall apart. I would have benefited from setting clearer boundaries and focusing on priorities earlier in my career.

Mike: Is there a common myth about being a president and CEO that you’d like to dispel?

Eric: My daughter, who’s getting her MBA from the University of Minnesota, once asked me, “What do you do all day?” The reality is that my job involves a wide range of responsibilities. It can be anything from handling personnel matters to meeting with major donors or working on strategic planning. There are many facets to the role that vary from day to day and month to month.

The main challenge is staying focused on the organization’s priorities and not getting distracted by every new, exciting opportunity. For instance, people in development often want to combine development with marketing. I usually advise against it because while marketing can be enjoyable, development is the more challenging part. It’s easy to get caught up in things like rebranding or improving marketing, but it’s crucial to concentrate on the activities that will have the most immediate impact. Marketing is important, but sometimes it’s hard to quantify and qualify.

Mike: Right. It’s not a hot button, but it’s one of the most interesting things. There are days when I think, “Ah, I should have just gone into marketing,” because in marketing, you can just say things, and unless someone can prove you wrong, it works. But it turns out, especially in the development world, that when you’re thoughtful about it, like you said, the hard part can be measured and simplified with targeting and conversation. It’s not easier, but it can be simplified.

Eric: Yeah, there are some foundational metrics you can look into with development. With marketing, on the other hand, you look at things like click-through rates. Ultimately, though, the key result to measure for marketing is whether someone has actually signed up for lessons at the Conservatory.

Mike: Marketing for development involves looking at how much you spend for every dollar raised. Nonprofit people often avoid focusing on money, but the reality is, without proper marketing spend, you can’t achieve your mission. It’s interesting to see how focusing on these aspects compels us to do more of our mission. For example, the kid in New York is facing a $492 million annual meal gap but plans to provide 2 million pounds this year—about 20 million meals. They still need to raise $472 million. So, they need to keep pushing forward.

Eric: Filling that gap is always going to be a challenge until it’s resolved.

Mike: Exactly. And your mission isn’t going to shrink. There will always be more kids who can benefit from what you offer. What’s one of the most recent or interesting insights or pieces of advice you’ve received over the past six to twelve months?

Eric: That’s a good question. I looked over these questions last night, trying to think of advice from someone like a board member. Hank Herzing, who runs Herzing University and has been a mentor of mine, has given me valuable advice. He was there when the conservatory was struggling and advised me to focus on priorities that move the organization forward. For instance, as we grew our earned and contributed income, I asked Hank how to determine the administrative staff needed. He simplified it by saying, that for every $250,000 increase in budget, you need one additional staff person. This rule of thumb has worked well for us and helped when facing pushback from staff or board members. It was a crucial piece of advice that’s really helped us move forward.

Mike: Simplification and rules of thumb can make things easier. Sometimes, people overcomplicate tasks to avoid simple solutions.

Eric: Or they hesitate to ask for help. Often, people don’t share what’s going on because they don’t want to burden others. So, that advice from Hank was quite valuable.

Mike: Yes, the role of a CEO or president often involves focusing on the broader strategy, sometimes losing sight of the details. My coach, David, used to remind me to keep an eye on the bigger picture and not just get lost in the minutiae. Is there something you want to learn outside of work?

Eric: Well, outside of work, I’ve been reading a lot. I have a master’s degree in leadership, so I try to read books on leadership to gain different perspectives. Books on leadership are interesting, though sometimes applying them is challenging. I’m also learning chess, but I’m still at the beginner level and struggle to stay engaged for long. Additionally, we recently remodeled our kitchen, and I’m learning to cook. My wife is grateful, but my attempts have been disastrous—overly salty or otherwise inedible. I’ve been watching cooking shows like Gordon Ramsay’s to improve, but I tend to over-season!

Mike: It sounds like you’re experimenting and learning through trial and error.

Eric: Yes, and I’m getting better over time.

Mike: As humans, we often avoid trying new things unless we’re already good at them. However, real learning happens when we step out of our comfort zone.

Eric: I also forgot to mention that I’m working on writing a story about growing up in the Sherman Park area. It’s been a labor of love, as I’m not a great writer, but it’s an interesting project.

Mike: I think frustration is the price of learning but we all have to pay it. Finally, what’s the next big thing for the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in the next one to three years? Any major growth areas or development challenges?

Eric: We’re finishing up our strategic planning. Instead of traditional five to ten-year plans, we’re focusing on three-year iterations. This approach helps us adapt if leadership changes and keeps plans more relevant. Our mission includes expanding music education access to adults and children who can’t afford private lessons. We aim to increase our financial aid significantly.  Over the years, we’ve grown our financial aid from $50,000 to half a million dollars. This is a major shift for our organization and requires careful planning. Additionally, we’re exploring opportunities to expand outside Milwaukee, such as in Madison and the Fox Valley, where there’s a demand for community music schools. However, we need to ensure that such expansions are financially viable and don’t detract from our focus on Milwaukee.

Mike: Great. Eric Tillich, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you. Thanks for being on the show today.

Eric: Thank you!