How I Got Fired, Found Clarity, and Rebuilt My Business

In January 2025, I was sitting in the middle of the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MJTC) studio buildout—surrounded by tangled cables, unopened boxes, and gear nobody knew how to use. I mixed and mastered my latest album right there, in a chaotic room that eventually became a professional-grade recording studio. A studio I built. From scratch.

When I started at MJTC in late 2024, there wasn’t a real music program—just a vague hope that “music would help the kids.” So I made it real. Every cable, every workflow, every policy was built with trauma-informed care and creative excellence in mind. And then… I got let go. Over a timecard infraction. On Juneteenth. You can’t make this stuff up.

Was I salty? Briefly. But mostly, I felt relief. Because the truth is, I wasn’t built for that system. I thought I had autonomy. I thought FSLA-exempt meant “just get the job done.” And I did—in a big way. But bureaucracy doesn’t like people who move fast and fix things. Especially not in institutions that claim to be hospitals but function like youth prisons.

The politics didn’t start until the music came. Once the youth began creating tracks—real tracks, with real stories—I think some folks got nervous. Things changed. My requests for a raise and a reclassification probably didn’t help either. But let’s be honest: in those kinds of places, if they want you gone, you’re gone. Paper trail or not.

Here’s the part that matters:

While I was running around trying to figure out how to piece this studio together and all of the programming, with no one to really manage me, I rediscovered who I really am. I’m not an employee—I’m a builder. A creative. A systems thinker. And most importantly, I’m an entrepreneur.

So, I’m returning to what I do best. Some of you already know I run a consulting firm called Isthmus Digital Media Group LLC, operating under the name Isthmus Business Assistants. We help founders, creatives, and mission-driven agencies turn big ideas into actual systems. We don’t just give advice—we help you build.

What We Do at IBA

We’ve got two lanes of service:

🧠 For Founders & Creatives

• Business Plans

• Feasibility Studies

• Websites (Wix, Bandzoogle, etc.)

• Music & Audio Support (mix/master feedback, studio design, digital release prep)

🏛️ For Institutions & Agencies

• Entrepreneur Coaching

• Program Design & Policy Writing

• Workflow Setup

• Trauma-informed Youth Program Consulting

• Group Trainings (digital storytelling, creative motivation, etc.)

Why It Hits Different Now

I spent 25+ years building things for other people. Public programs. Studio systems. Digital tools. I’ve supported startups, nonprofits, and government agencies all over Wisconsin. And this last stint at MJTC reminded me why I started IBA in the first place:

Because bureaucracy doesn’t move fast enough for the people who need it most. And because talent doesn’t always come with a pedigree. Sometimes it comes in the form of a kid in a locked unit with a story to tell. Or a creative founder with a messy idea that just needs structure. That’s who I show up for.

Keep Me in Mind

If you’ve got a business idea, a broken system, or a creative project that needs finishing—reach out. I’m back. I’m grounded. And this time, I’m moving with full clarity and zero apologies.

Reach out to me! Let’s build something real.

— Tory