In this week’s episode Blasko and Mike take on questions from listener and aspiring manager, Zach. His letter reads:   I understand there are "friend managers" that take on the title early in a band's career who are only in it to hopefully ride the coattails of their creative buddies' success...and not really deserving, nor qualified to take on the work and responsibility that comes with being a good artist manager as you've outlined in previous episodes.   I am referencing the up and coming artist manager who is in the trenches daily, fighting the good fight to break their client and handling all business aspects of their career as a champion of their music...The artist manager who is working to CREATE opportunities as well as manage them.   With that in mind, the band that I am working with has been approached multiple times in recent weeks by an independent manager as well as an established management company...both of which have bigger resources and better relationships that I could never compete with.    Personally, I would never want to hinder the growth of my client by becoming a barrier to conversations with potential partners due to my personal interests and fear of potentially being replaced...Also, I like to think that someone like me can be viewed as an asset to a potential partner...either way, I'm very interested to hear your take on it...   Blask and Mike tackle the questions:     Did either of you experience this type of situation early on in your careers when your management experience was limited? If so, how did you handle it?  What are your thoughts on co-managing a band? Are open to co-managing if you believe the person was right for the job?  Have either of you taken on a band who had a less established manager on their team?  Check out the article Mike references in regards to Lorde:  http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/may/19/oh-lorde-pray-leaving-your-manager-wasnt-a-mistake   Email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop Want to get your band to the top of the charts with your next album release? Sign up for Mike Mowery’s “Release It Right” and “Unleash It Right” webinars at signup.outerloopcoaching.com ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices