As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I’m a fan of The Biography Channel. Interestingly enough, I find myself watching it most often when I’m getting dressed and ready to start my day. What I love about Bio, is that it’s a constant reminder that everyone ends up somewhere different from where they began. Most celebrities (whether, musicians, actors, politicians etc.) have a story, that’s obviously why I’m watching them on the Bio channel to begin with. While some are ‘born famous’, most are not. Most have a long journey of 24 hour days that we as the public don’t see. We often just see them at the end when their famous and call them lucky. And the ones who are ‘born famous’ often their stories are the most difficult and depressing of all.

Where am I going with this? Frequently, when working with clients they tell me how they just wish they were famous now. I get that. But when I’m watching people’s stories on Bio, it usually doesn’t happen like that. In fact, that’s what makes the stories entertaining. That’s what makes us happy that these people did succeed. That’s why Rocky won the Oscar for best picture in 1977. The triumph of the human spirit over adversity is one of the most naturally understood stories throughout humanity, because it is a story that on some level we can all relate to. On your worst day, do yourself a favor, and take the time to recognize that this is the part of your story that needs to be overcome.

When all is said and done, will you have the audacity to triumph? Are you going to let life, and the struggles that are guaranteed to go along with it stop you from being who you deserve to be? Are you going to succumb to the challenges of becoming a success and decide that you’re “just not good enough” or will I, and millions of others be watching YOUR bio on a weekday morning, becoming inspired to be who WE deserve to be?

What’s YOUR story?

1. The Philosophy of Continued Success - As a Life Coach I am regularly engaged in conversations regarding the reality of aspiring to certain levels of success and the odds of reaching that level for any particular individual. The TRUTH is, that we all have different dreams, we all have very unique perceptions of what brings joy to life. It’s up to us as individuals to make the time to gain extreme clarity on what success is for us before we can begin to honestly pursue a path to it’s attainment. If you don’t know what something is, how can you find the most efficient way to acquire it? More on this to come.

2. The Roller Coaster Ride of a Career in the Music Industry - One of the things that is most attractive to me about the music industry and other professional artistic endeavors, but is disregarded by most of the general public is that we are Entrepreneurs. When most people hear the word Entrepreneur, a guy on stage with a guitar and a mic, in his most comfortable pair of jeans and his favorite band’s tour t-shirt from 1995, singing about a girl he saw on a train or what he had for breakfast that day isn’t the first thing that generally comes to mind, . Yet, everyday musicians spend their waking hours creating ideas out of nothing, in the form of song or rhythm and then putting it into an order that they find personally enlightening in hopes that by in turn presenting these ideas in a public forum that they will be able to sell these ideas in one format or another and earn a living. All of this being said, starting and sustaining any business can be difficult and often feel lonely. Ironically, due to the extreme creative aspect of the individuals involved and the sheer number individuals trying to make it, the music industry itself can be one of the most crowded lonely places on Earth. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way for you. We create music for a reason. What that reason is, differs for each of us. We can’t really explain where music comes from, but we know that we have an innate need to hear it or create it. When we begin to recognize why we are so in love with music, and apply that to our clarity of what success is to us as individuals (as mentioned above in section 1) we’ve got a very inspiring tool to keep us moving forward that most Entrepreneurs do not. The TRUTH is, that there will be days that are better than others, and that overnight success is anything but overnight. But in the long run, if you intentionally spend time being grateful for the talents that you are blessed with, you’ll become more creative and successful at using those talents. If you choose to seek joy in all that you do, you’ll find it more often than those who spend their time looking at the stress in all that they do.

3. Opinions of Movies and Music - I love film and live music. I attend concerts and view movies as often as I can. I’ll plan to share my opinions and experiences frequently.

Some quick notes about me:

• My favorite band is Phish.
• Though I think that the greatest band in the history of popular music is The Beatles.
• I’m the 2nd oldest of 10 Children.
• I attended The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
• I also have a coach
• I’ve written a screenplay which I am in the process of developing into a feature length film
• I manage the band Karmic Juggernaut www.karmicjuggernaut.com

Thanks for Reading,

- RMS

But Those First 5 channels that I spend most of my time on are (in no particular order):

The History Channel,

Discovery Channel,

Nat Geo

The Biography Channel

and HBO

I suppose I like each of these channels for different reasons, all of which speak to who I am and the life that I’ve lead up until the moment that I turn the TV on, but that blog is for a different day. Tonight and in next week’s Blog, I want to discuss 2 shows that are on the History Channel. American Pickers and Pawn Stars.

I can hear your thoughts now… “What can this possibly have to do with Music?” Well stay tuned and you’ll find out!

(See that? I included the word ‘Tuned’ in that last sentence just for you musicians. I even put it in italics.)

At first I didn’t like American Pickers. The guys kind of annoyed me and I didn’t think that the show would last very long. But before I knew it more and more episodes were showing up on the Giant Golden H. So eventually, as my wife was snoozing next to me, I began to watch a couple of these episodes…

Here’s what I came to love about American Pickers:

Two guys in a van, traveling around the country (sound familiar musicians?)

They’re not guaranteed success when they arrive at some of the most run down facilities in the country (sound familiar musicians?)

But they do it because they love it. They do it because, they know that there is a possibility that they are going to find something that no one else has even taken the time to look for. They are not thinking about what’s not going to be there, they are spending their time and energy thinking about what could, might and will be there. When they arrive at these junkyards and properties, they don’t have some corporate guy go in and look for stuff that they want, THEY rummage through the junk looking, placing value, seeking and finding stuff that only they truly feel the value for. They always drive away happy, whether they got something or not. (and please note** that they almost always walk away with something of value. I wonder why…)

If you haven’t guessed why I’m talking about this show on the History Channel, here it is in layman/musicians terms.

Love what you do. CHOOSE to love what you’re doing. Whether you’re on tour, recording in the studio, playing in a local coffee shop or pitching your stuff on the Internet. Do it because you know there is a possibility that you are going to find something that no one else has even taken the time to look for. A fan of your music. Not just a fan, but a super-fan. A fan that is going to spend the next year listening to your music, and telling all of his or her friends to listen to your music. Don’t spend your time thinking about how many people aren’t going to be at your show, or aren’t going to be buying your music, spend your time and energy thinking about who could, might and will be there, who could, might and will buy your music. Don’t sit around and say “if only I had some corporate guy to get all of this done for me”. Get out there! At the gigs, on the web, and look for stuff that YOU want! Rummage through the junk looking, placing value, seeking and finding stuff that only you truly feel the value for. Whether that is more fans, a record deal or the high you get from playing a kick ass show. Don’t worry about the people who don’t like your music, because you didn’t write it for them. Pickers aren’t worried about the the broken junk that surrounds their treasures, because it’s not why they are there. Lastly, always drive away happy, whether you got something or not. The more often you practice this, the more often you’ll find things to drive away happy about. In summation, the more you enjoy this life that YOU’VE CHOSEN… the more you will enjoy this life that you have chosen.

Be a picker. Be a picker of success. Be a picker of ‘your fans’. Success and ‘your fans’ are out there. It’s a fact. You might as well do everything that you can to find them before some other picker gets there before you.

Next week, we’ll cover part 2 of this series.. The Pawn Stars.

Until then, Enjoy the Ride!

RMS

Check out the American Picker’s version of ‘What it takes’ to succeed in their line of work and tell me in the comments section below your thoughs about this blog post and how this video equates to success in what you do…

What is your journey going to be? Are going to slow your journey down because you’re waiting for “the person who knows what your journey is supposed to look like” to show up? Or are you going to get started right now and create the journey for yourself?

If you’re confident in your abilities, and you really feel that your career is at a point that you require management, but can’t seem to find any, here are 6 things that I would suggest you do:

1. Work every single day somehow at sharing your gift with the world. That can mean write a song, listen to new music, look up some new venues, work on your social media or even just spending 5 minutes writing out a list of things to do this week. Do something every day. Keep your mission alive and focused for your subconscious to thrive on.

2. Gig. Regularly. ‘Can’t find a gig’ should not be in your vocabulary. Getting your music in front of people should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about getting 50 gigs. Just get the next gig. Once you get that gig lined up , do that again. If you’ve tried every venue you can possibly imagine that is within driving distance and you still can’t find a gig, create one. Have a party, rent a hall.

3. Have a solid social media presence. Social Media is your megaphone to the world. At the absolute minimum you should have a FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube page. Getting your story in front of people should also be your number one priority. If you don’t know why Social Media is important follow @garyvee, watch this video from 2008 and read his book Crush It.

4. Always be creating new material. It keeps the right side of your brain active, it keeps your shows and web content fresh and helps you grow as an artist. By doing this you are also simultaneously creating new music and a new story to get in front of people…which as we mentioned, happens to be your number one priority.

5. Hire a coach.

The theory goes like this: Let’s just say that you’re sitting out on your front porch. You’re writing some lyrics or strumming away on your guitar worrying if you’re ever going to “make it”. Suddenly, after a thunderclap and a huge flash of white light, Doc Brown pulls up in front of your house in his Delorean. He hops out of his car and comes running up to you shouting your name.

DB: “I just want you to know that everything is going to work out exactly how you want it to.”

You: “What? What do you mean?”

DB: “I’ve just come back from five years in the future where you are more successful than you ever thought that you’d be. You told me to come back here, where you’d be on your porch and tell you, that you never have to worry again, and that you are on the perfect path. As long as you keep moving forward with the right attitude no matter what, the right people at the right time will be brought into your life, and you’ll be as successful as you want to be.”

You: “Really? That’s awesome! Did I say to tell me anything else?”

DB: “Nope, that’s it. You just told me to be sure to let know what your future held and most importantly to Enjoy the Ride“

Then he runs up to the porch, gives you a high five, and explains that he’s got to go because he’s got more time traveling to do. He quickly heads back to his car yelling something about 88 mph and 1.21 gigawatts. He hops back into his Delorean and with some burning rubber and another bright flash, he’s gone almost as quickly as he appeared.

Now, disregarding the insanity of what just happened, what would be different about the way you that you live your life and the pace at which you pursued your dreams?

Would you spend time worrying about whether or not you were going to succeed or would you move forward with your ideas as soon as they popped into your head?

Do yourself and your career a favor. Imagine that I’m Doc Brown. I’m telling you right now while you’re reading this. You never have to worry again. You are on the perfect path. As long as you keep moving forward with the right attitude no matter what, the right people at the right time will be brought into your life. Keep moving forward and Enjoy the Ride“

You can choose to waste your time worrying about what might or might not happen, OR you can choose to spend your time moving forward and creating the future that you deserve.

RMS
(aka Doc Brown)

Tonight I’m going to conclude this two part series by by shifting gears slightly and looking at another popular show on History Channel called Pawn Stars.

Pawn Stars is about a family owned Pawn Shop in the center of Vegas. This Grandfather/Father/Son team and their sidekick Chumlee hang out in their shop all day (don’t let the term ’shop’ fool you. It appears to be a pretty nice sized establishment ) and people show up from all over the globe to bring in stuff for them to make money on. Some of this stuff is awesome and unique and some of it isn’t worth anything at all. The Pawn Stars asses the value of whatever is brought to them, decide if it will benefit their business, and then either take it into their shop at a discounted rate or they say “Thanks but no Thanks” and send the Pawnee on their way.

(I’m not sure that Pawnee is a real word, but you know who I mean)

If something finds it’s way into their shop, (we’ll call it an opportunity) and they’re not sure if they can clarify the value of this opportunity, they call on one of the many outside experts that they’ve come to trust through networking and doing business with over the years.  These experts will give them a more accurate value of that opportunity so they can move forward with the opportunity in the most productive financially effective way.

So, if part one of this blog was for musicians who are still working hard  to try and find an audience (Pickers), this weeks blog is for those of you who are starting to see some success and are having opportunities brought to you more and more frequently.  Eventually if you pick long enough, and play it the way your supposed to, you’ll accumulate enough stuff (fans, ticket sales) that you can open up shop. People will see all of the stuff (fans, ticket sales, success) that you have and they’ll want to come to you to offer you other stuff (opportunities) that THEY think that you should have.  The faster you acquire success, the faster people will almost magically show up at your door. Thus making you a Pawn Star.  But you’ll notice from watching this show (or even from just reading the introductory paragraph of this Blog) that to become a successful Pawn Star, you need to know which of these opportunities is actually going to benefit you and your career, and which ones to say “Thanks but No Thanks” to.  Unfortunately, there a lot of people out there who have nothing but junk to offer, and don’t have a problem unloading it to be a part of your shop (successful career) and walk away with some of your cash.

Entertainment Attorneys, Business Managers, Coaches , Producers, Booking Agents, Graphic Designers, Sound Guys, Lighting Technicians, Press Agents.   All of these could be considered necessary at some point in a musician’s career.  And eventually, these are the experts whose council you will seek when other ‘opportunities’ show up at your shop.

 During your time as a picker, be sure to be spending some time ”picking” your team.  By this I mean, keeping an eye out for those who will help you make decisions, and share some of their experience so that it will benefit you.  And just because someone comes along and tells you that they’re a great booking agent, doesn’t mean that they are the right booking agent for you.  Network. Go to Music Conferences. Talk to other artists who these experts work with. Make sure they are the right experts for you and what you do.  In any business situation, you should be striving to create win/win situations, and so should these experts.  Also, make sure you get a good feeling while working together. You’ve got an intuition. Use it! Give some value to it. Combine that with opinions from other people that you already know and trust. Sometimes people will surprise you with their insight. Lastly, NEVER be afraid to ask questions. Often we become afraid of hurting someones feelings, or seeming ignorant. Don’t be. I read a Chinese Proverb yesterday that said “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”  Recognize the value in your career and your life.  Don’t be afraid to ask anybody who wants you to pay for their services any questions at all.  It’s all about moving forward. If they don’t get that, they’re most likely not the right fit.

Once you’ve “picked” enough to have a “pawnshop”, you’ll have surrounded yourself with experts you trust. You’ll only pay what other peoples stuff is actually worth and your accumulation of stuff (fans, ticket sales) will turn into more stuff (clothing, song sales, DVD Sales, Interviews, world tours) that people will bring to you. Before you know it, you’ll have gone from Picker to Pawn Star.  

Enjoy The Ride!!

RMS

Check out this video of the Pawn Stars carefully choosing the types of opportunities they want in their lives…

Check it out at the link below. Subscribe to his Blog as he’s got a lot of other really interesting guests lined up.

http://playitloudmusic.wordpress.com/

Leave some comments below and tell me what you think.. not only about my piece, but about the whole blog concept in general.

Thanks!!

RMS