 Toby Nady is the first to admit her path into the music products industry was anything but traditional. While her husband was cultivating Nady Systems, she was “working professionally in writing and editing,” armed with a master’s degree in clinical psychology. In 1986, Nady got her first opportunity to enter the music business, but not in a way you’d expect.
“A friend of ours showed us a building in Oakland, Calif., that used to be an Italian social club,” Nady recalled. “Even though my husband, John, and I weren’t thinking of getting into the nightclub business, it kind of piqued our interest.”
Within a year, Nady and her husband converted the venue into The Omni nightclub—one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest live music venues. That initial investment grew to the point where Nady and her husband owned three clubs in the Bay Area, hosting both established and up-and-coming acts. “We put on thousands of concerts both big and small,” said Nady. “I’d say what was probably most gratifying was being able to provide these venues for up-and-coming smaller bands. We gave them a stage, a sound system, and an audience to perform in front of.”
Though “things kind of fizzled out when the music scene changed and the economy kind of tanked in the early ‘90s,” Nady said the experience helped prepare her for what was coming next. “I kind of felt that after I ran these nightclubs for several years, with their unique set of challenges and demands, I could do almost anything,” she said.
So when the position of chief operating officer opened up at Nady, she felt poised and ready to take on the challenge. “I understood how the gear is used, why the gear is so important, what musicians are looking for, and kind of how all the pieces fit together in the professional music realm.”
Thank You for the Music
Nady, who plays keyboard and saxophone, and has recently started learning the blues harp, finds that love of music permeates the atmosphere at Nady Systems. “We have a lot of musicians who work here—some gigging and some not gigging anymore—but many people here have a background in music of some type and are here because they love music and the industry,” said Nady, who also likens her company to a big extended family.
“Even though we’ve grown over the years, we’re not a super large company so everyone, for the most part, has a voice. When people have ideas about new products, changes to current products, or new approaches, we’re very receptive to hearing their suggestions,” she said. “A lot of people have been here for five, 10, even 20 years. We really try to foster mutual respect and I think it’s a respectful environment. Do people enjoy working here? I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them,” she added with a laugh.
Over the course of her 13-year tenure, Nady’s role at the company has expanded to include a variety of functions, including sales, marketing, operations, human resources, and strategic planning. Despite learning much about the industry and technology over the years, one aspect she isn’t very involved in is product development.
“If I had more technical knowledge, of course I’d like to get more involved in that,” she said. “Being in the industry and being in the position I’m in here at Nady, I’ve gained some technical knowledge but I’m certainly no authority. Fortunately, I do know who to ask.” [Laughs]
Even though technical knowledge is something often associated with the men in this industry, Nady has never felt “excluded or looked down upon or anything like that. In fact, I think it’s the opposite and a woman’s perspective is welcomed,” said Nady. “Our views are appreciated and I think we add a different dimension that may not occur to a man. Probably the combined male-female approach ends up being better than either one separately.
“I think in general women tend to be good listeners. We’re more approachable,” she continued. “These sorts of qualities can be helpful in negotiating deals and strategizing business plans and just generally dealing with people you work with.”
Also, Nady pointed out, “women tend to be more relationship oriented and I always appreciate having a face to associate with a business contact. I enjoy knowing who I’m speaking to and having more of a personal relationship with the people we do business with.” It’s that desire that’s led to what she considers her steepest learning curve in this business: “Understanding the industry, and understanding how best to present products and to what audiences and how this information will be received” in a rapidly-changing industry.
“Until more recently and certainly way before I started getting involved, it seemed like the industry was more relationship-based,” Nady said. “That’s changed a lot with some of the more corporate approaches and dramatic impact of the Internet, as well as just the changing face of the industry. Personal relationships, although they’re certainly still there, don’t have the same significance and meaning that they used to, I don’t think.”
While some things change, other things stay the same. Nady is proud of the company her husband founded and the fact that it has maintained its original mission and feeling, even after more than 30 years.
“The company was built upon John’s original idea and invention, which was the first modern-day wireless. The reason that was conceived of in the first place, the general spirit of that still pervades this company,” she said. “We’re driven by the desire to be innovative, to provide solid value to our customers, and that started really on day one with the development of the first wireless and has continued with our expanded product line. The specifics of what we do and the products we develop and how we market them to the outside world [may change] but the mission stays the same.”
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