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When Sharon Hennessey, co-president and co-owner of Berlin-based The Music People, was a child, she would go to work with her father on weekends at Ovation Guitars in New Hartford. While there, she and her younger brother John acted like they ran the company.
“We had complete roam of the factory,” Hennessey said. “Since I was older, I was the ‘boss’ and asked my brother for reports.”
Hennessey, who was around 7 years old at the time, would call her brother on the phone from the sales department and say, “ ‘I asked you to get me that report an hour ago.’ Then, I hung up on him.”
Hennessey said the dynamic hasn’t much changed.
“It’s what we do today,” said Hennessey, who now runs The Music People, which her father Jim founded in 1979, with her brother.
She focuses on sales, while John is involved in operations.
“We manage day to day the business together,” Hennessey said.
Hennessey worked part time at The Music People, which is an importer of musical-instrument accessories and a national distributor of Pro Audio Brands, while in high school and college. She went to college, earning a degree in special education because she wanted to carve her own path.
But when she went to a National Association of Music Merchants trade show in California with her father in the late 1980s, she was hooked on the passion and creativity in the industry.
“I saw rock stars and that was enough to say ‘I’m joining the company,’ ” she said.
She then joined The Music People’s sales department full time in 1989.
“If you believe in the product you’re selling and you align that with a relationship with the customer, that’s when magic happens,” Hennessey said. “People want to work with people who they like and trust.”
She and her brother took over officially from her father a few years ago, but unofficially were running the business for more than a decade. Hennessey’s father, now in his 80s, comes to work every day, although he’s no longer involved in the day-to-day operations, Hennessey said.
She credits their success to hard work and a dynamic to “take on things we know nothing about.”
One of her greatest accomplishments has been the “seamless transition” of the business from her father. “During this transition, we continued to experience significant growth with minimal growing pains,” she said.
Hennessey and her brother helped the company through difficult economic times between 2008 to 2012, when they grew it by 113 percent, Hennessey said.
During her tenure, she said she has not only had a role in developing the sales department but the company as a whole.
“We’ve grown from 17 employees to 84 worldwide today as well as started a division overseas that enhances our abilities and continues to establish relationships with the most strategic corporations in our industry,” Hennessey said.
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What’s been your biggest professional accomplishment so far?
My biggest accomplishment was the seamless transition from my father, who founded the company, to my brother and me while continuing to grow significantly with minimal growing pains. During my tenure, we’ve grown from 17 employees to our current 84 worldwide and started a company overseas to develop strategic relationships.
What’s your next big goal?
We’re developing innovative products to boost the market share for On-Stage, and our TMP-Pro sales are growing as we further integrate our MI and sound-contracting relationships. We’re also producing OEM goods for our pro audio partners. We hit $65 million last year, and $100 million is within reach.
What legacy do you want to leave after your career is over?
I was a fair-minded individual who always valued the input of others, strived to make the culture at The Music People a positive one for all, and worked to ensure our company was a leader in the industry.
Integrity is everything to me, and everything our company has accomplished has been done with integrity. We can walk down any hall in a trade show with our heads held high. I hope that integrity always remains intact.
What are your keys to maintaining business success?
We hire excellent employees who are allowed to make their own decisions, sales staff with superior product knowledge, and a high level of customer service coupled with state-of-the-art support systems. On the innovation side, we’re first to market with thoughtful, new products.
What are your keys to maintaining work/life balance?
Quality time alone with my son is very important to me. Spending time in nature allows me to connect and tune in to my thoughts. Some of my best business ideas have come while I was hiking.
A HUGE congratulations to Sharon! The Town of Berlin is proud to call her and The Music People a Berlin business! Blessings and good health to you, your family and all of the readers of the HBJ!
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The Hartford Business Journal 2025 Charity Event Guide is the annual resource publication highlighting the top charity events in 2025.
Hartford Business Journal provides the top coverage of news, trends, data, politics and personalities of the area’s business community. Get the news and information you need from the award-winning writers at HBJ. Don’t miss out - subscribe today.
Delivering vital marketplace content and context to senior decision-makers throughout Connecticut ...
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