“Live music has always been a massive part of my life.”
If you have ever enjoyed a concert at the Live at Lakeview Summer Series, you can thank Leslie Schultz, Director of Events and Marketing for On Course Events! This talented event producer and promoter also brings fun to Tahoe through her own company, Vibe Direction and Four Count Concepts. She thrives off of her love for live music and desire to support and artists and local entrepreneurs that drive the music scene. When not hosting events, Leslie enjoys cleaning up the beaches and community spaces to keep Tahoe litter free.
Congratulations to this week’s 40 under 40 honoree, Leslie Schultz!
Can you tell us a little about your responsibilities and accomplishments in your current position?
Most people know me for my work on the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series, but I wear many different hats and work to support a lot of different companies in our community!
Vibe Direction – A company I launched one year ago to support events, entrepreneurs and artists across the nation. As the CEO / Director of Vibes I have provided Artist Relations support to largescale music festivals including BottleRock Napa, Snowglobe, Sonoma Harvest Music Festival, and more. I have provided Talent Buying services for events of all sizes and served independent artists including TapWater and The Daily Fare with Artist Management and Publicity support.
New this fall – I’ve launched a virtual wellness studio to support the mental and physical health of fellow creatives and plan to release the Direct Your Vibe Podcast for more encouragement of entrepreneurs and artists later this fall, stay tuned!
On Course Events – As the Director of Events + Marketing I’m responsible for a large portion of planning, production and promotion of the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series. I manage all of the Marketing, Talent Buying, Sponsorship relations, Vendor recruitment, Artist relations and general direction of vibes for the series. I get to work with an incredible team of hard-working people to create a series that has become a staple of summertime in my hometown of South Lake Tahoe over the last 8 years!
I am also responsible for recruiting and managing the dozens of talented athletes featured at the Snowglobe Music Festival Big Air + Rail Jam produced by On Course Events at Snowglobe every year. Being able to recruit, manage and showcase over 30 local athletes at the biggest event of the year in my hometown is incredibly rewarding! Last year we got to highlight the athletes during the midnight countdown, per the request of MTV!
Four Count Concepts – As the Director of Marketing for this boutique agency, I am responsible for marketing, scheduling and booking for a variety of local artists including Ike & Martin, The Connor Party, The Novelists and more! I help to connect the right artists with the right events and manage the logistics on both ends.
What has been your favorite professional moment in the last year?
Celebrating the 80th free concert for the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series was absolutely my favorite professional moment of the year. Producing 80 concerts requires a massive amount of time, patience and hard work from our entire team. It was a massive celebration and couldn’t have come together any better! With Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs commanding the crowd, our community was more engaged in the music than I’ve ever seen. As a Talent Buyer, this type of energy is what I dream of creating with the right entertainment, energy and weather. It all aligned perfectly and created the best celebration of the 80th free concert I could have ever imagined. Tied for the top professional moment of the year is receiving an invite for a spot on the Artist Relations team for the BottleRock Music Festival this past May. BottleRock has been my all-time favorite music festival for many years. Such a phenomenal curation of music, production and overall experience! Being a part of the behind-the scenes for such a massive production was an incredible honor. Definitely a major professional highlight!
Do you have a professional/life mantra that you live by?
When you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Live music has always been a massive part of my life. This love for live music has grown into a desire to supporting the artists and entrepreneurs who create the music we all love! Whether that’s through event production, direct support on the artist relations team at a festival, booking an up-and-coming band in a new market they’ve been wanting to break into, or interviewing an artist to share their message with the world on the Direct You Vibe Podcast, it’s all work that I love to do and it never really feels like work! Festival days are long and event production can be exhausting, but I am so grateful to be working in an industry filled with passionate souls that I love being around.
Why choose Tahoe to make your home and career?
Tahoe actually chose me! I was born and raised in South Lake Tahoe, not realizing at first how absolutely amazing this place is! I’ve moved away for college and new opportunities, and even now as I split my time between South Lake Tahoe, CA and Nashville, TN – this community has always remained a massive part of my life and it continues to bring me back. There’s no place that can match its beauty or strong community and I’m forever grateful.
Are you active in any volunteer roles or community groups?
Yes, the On Course Events team has been hosting weekly beach cleanups every summer for the past 8 years. We have a strong base of volunteers that would join us at Lakeview Commons every Monday in support of our mission to keep the venue and surrounding neighborhood litter free!
What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I fill my time with a lot of live music and outdoor adventures! In between festivals, I learned how to sail this past summer and it’s my new favorite thing! Shoutout the Hot Sheet crew who ended the season of Wednesday Night Beer Can Races with 3 wins in a row! I’m not quite ready to think about Snowboarding yet, but I sure do love spending time on the mountain!
Where are your favorite South Shore stomping grounds?
Anywhere on the lake, of course! I also love supporting local businesses including Freebird Café (best chai in all the land), Divided Sky (for the carrot cake, obviously!), The Hangar, Samurai, South Lake Brewing Company and anywhere else that will support my caffeine and beer vices!