Rich Kolodziej
WRITER • SPEAKER • MUSICIAN • BAND MANAGER
Writing about music, creativity, and the strange economics of making art without waiting for permission.
ABOUT
Rich Kolodziej is a Chicago-based writer, attorney, band manager, and working musician interested in creativity, the music business, and the increasingly strange economics of being an independent artist.He spent more than two decades as a trial lawyer before moving into the insurance industry, where he now works as a litigation manager. Outside the legal world, Rich co-founded and manages a Chicago-based noir-rock band. He writes songs, plays bass, builds press and radio campaigns, and has learned firsthand how much of an artistic career gets built far from the stage.Rich is the author of No One Is Coming: Making Art, Finding Meaning, and the Freedom of Doing It Yourself. His writing has appeared in Hypebot, and he publishes essays on music, creativity, culture, and the realities of the independent artist economy on Medium.His work lives where art meets labor: what we make, why we make it, who profits from it, and how artists continue when permission never arrives.
Speaking & Contact
Rich Kolodziej is available for conference panels, podcasts, webinars, workshops, guest lectures, and conversations about music, creativity, and the realities of building an independent artistic life.In June of 2026, he spoke at the Winnetka Music Festival’s Just Listen Sessions, presenting a talk based on his book, No One Is Coming: Making Art, Finding Meaning, and the Freedom of Doing It Yourself.Drawing on his experience as a writer, attorney, band manager, and working musician, Rich brings both a practical perspective and a healthy suspicion of anyone promising artists a magic bullet.POSSIBLE TOPICS
• No One Is Coming: Building an Artistic Life Without Waiting for Permission
• The Myth of the Music-Business Magic Bullet
• Who Profits When Every Artist Becomes a Customer?
• AI, Streaming, and the New Independent Artist Economy
• The Creative Second Act: Reinvention Without Starting Over
GET IN TOUCH
Interested in inviting Rich to speak, join a panel, appear on a podcast, or participate in a workshop? Send a note below.
© 2026 Rich Kolodziej • Chicago, Illinois