Four teenagers turn singing talent into pitch-perfect business.
Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Bradley Ritschel
Bradley Ritschel, of Whippany, New Jersey, and winner of the NFIB/American International Group Young Entrepreneur Award, never imagined that his casual singing hobby—along with that of his brother, Derek, and two of their friends, Mike and Matt—would turn into a successful business. But that’s exactly what happened in 2011, thanks to Lead East.
Lead East is an annual car show and 50s party held at the Hilton in Parsippany, New Jersey, every Labor Day weekend. Each year, the festivities also include an open singing contest called “Doo Wop Idol.” Ritschel’s friend, Mike, organized the four of them as a group and entered the contest. While they didn’t win that year, the Doo Wop community was so supportive of them that they came back the next year with an album and won the 2012 Doo Wop Idol contest. The Whiptones Doo Wop Quartet was born.
“We started as four goofy kids entering a local competition on a whim, but today we perform all along the East Coast as a professional Doo Wop group,” Ritschel said.
Since that 2011 competition, they have released three albums (available on iTunes), won the 2014 New York Mets Anthem Search and performed the National Anthem on Opening Day, won the 2014 New Jersey Shout Down Drugs Competition, performed on America’s Got Talent, performed hundreds of shows at notable venues (including many pro bono charity performances), appeared live on Fox and Friends and WMTR AM1250, and developed a social media following.
“As manager of The Whiptones, I learned that no one is going to make ‘it’ happen except you,” Ritschel said. “If you wait around for a promoter to call you, or for the next hit song to magically pop into your head, you are losing time you should be spending producing and working to create or pursue opportunities. You are in control.”
The Whiptones made ‘it’ happen for themselves by committing to hard work and diligent practice to make the best music possible. After all, Ritschel said, at the core of every business is the quality of its product or service. They’ve never shied away from opportunities, even if they seemed like long shots, such as the New York Mets Anthem Search contest. They had to miss school to audition against a slew of professionals, but they went for it, practiced thoroughly, and won.
With all four members attending different schools—Ritschel will attend the University of Texas at Dallas in the fall, and the other three have already been in college for two years—scheduling has gotten trickier, but they have always booked performances on college breaks and will continue to do so. Ritschel said the group’s aspiration has always been to make their careers as The Whiptones, but for now they’re dedicated to staying in school while continuing to produce and perform music on the side.
The Whiptones recognize the independence and flexibility that entrepreneurship and small business ownership afford them. Although they are mainly a Doo Wop acapella quartet, they have also been able to find and pursue opportunities across different music genres without getting the approval of a producer or manager.
“We make all of the decisions ourselves,” Ritschel said, “and the freedom and sense of responsibility that this brings each member of the group is invaluable. Small businesses are able to adjust quickly to market trends because of their size and independence as opposed to big corporations’ red tape and standard operating procedures. Our ability to zig and zag when we needed has proven to be a rewarding quality of our small business.”
Ritschel also speaks highly of his Whiptones partners, noting that businesses are made up of people and ultimately fail or succeed at the hands of those people. Find the right people to build a business with, he advises other young entrepreneurs, and the journey will be much more joyful and successful.
