"If you don't operate it as a business, you aren't going to be around very long"

A venture survives on more than passion or talent; it survives on structure. Skitch Henderson’s warning is a reminder that every endeavor with aspirations beyond a pastime requires the discipline of a business: clear goals, attention to costs and cash flow, consistent delivery, and a focus on customers. Creative fields often resist that language, yet orchestras, design studios, podcasts, and bakeries all collapse for the same reasons, no pricing strategy, no reserves, no plan for slower months, no way to scale beyond the founder’s energy.

Operating as a business begins with defining value and audience, then building systems that deliver that value reliably. Budgets, contracts, schedules, and metrics may feel prosaic, but they are what protect the art, the craft, and the mission. Cash flow pays for rehearsal space; margins fund new products; bookkeeping avoids ruinous surprises. Without those foundations, even a beloved project becomes fragile, dependent on luck and goodwill.

Longevity is the point. Anyone can generate a burst of attention; staying power requires repeatable processes, professional standards, and the humility to measure what’s working. That means pricing for sustainability, saying no to unprofitable work, documenting operations so others can help, and reinvesting in tools and people. It also means treating customers with accountability: delivering on promises, communicating delays, honoring refunds when appropriate. Professionalism is not the enemy of authenticity; it’s the container that lets authenticity show up every day.

There’s a hard boundary implied: if it’s a hobby, enjoy it as such. If it must support livelihoods, treat it with the seriousness of payroll, taxes, and risk management. Market realities will not bend for enthusiasm. The artistry matters, but the operating system keeps the artistry alive. Build that system early, refine it often, and the work has a chance to endure beyond the first season of excitement.