Community Highlights: Meet Greg Coffey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Coffey. 

Hi Greg, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was the touring keyboard player for Jamie Lynn Spears in Nashville, as well as a recording artist/writer when I discovered a dueling piano bar. It was love at first sight or hear?? haha – I just fell in love with the engagement and the idea of playing someone’s favorite song. It just really connected with me. Ended up becoming one of the main players in Nashville, and then helping the Piano Bar open up new clubs – the last being Cleveland! However, I knew we had something special in Nashville – the way we did Dueling Pianos and the level of talent there was really special. We decided to start a company around the idea of bringing that Nashville brand of Dueling Pianos to Cleveland and the surrounding area. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road! Owning a business has been challenging – I’ve had to learn to always have a backup to the backup plan, to the backup plan 🙂 – things can and will go wrong, it’s just the way things go – but you can be prepared and get through it. I think for me personally, the biggest struggle has been to relinquish control – to not be so uptight – our clients’ weddings mean the world to me, and I think that early on, that was my only focus, so team members probably felt left behind – expecting everyone’s very best, but not really allowing for any input or collaboration. Luckily, I think I have relaxed a little bit, not on the quality of the product or service, just in that I am much more trusting of my team, and allowing them to be who they are, not who I want them to be. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
There are a lot of great bands and a lot of great dueling piano companies. What really makes us stand out from the rest would be the people we have in the company. Andrew Varner, for example, is a world-class writer and recording artist from Nashville, TN. If you haven’t checked out his music, you really should! Andrew is constantly bringing his absolute best to our clients – he is as professional as they come, and I can’t tell you how hard it is to find this level of talent, combined with that level of professionalism and work ethic – he is our leader, and I am so proud to have been playing alongside him for this long. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
A die-hard fan of The Beach Boys, and a squirrel in human form. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@clekeys.com
• Website: www.clevelandkeys.com
• Instagram: @clekeys