Recently I’ve found myself pondering the true merits of success after learning that a local musician (who shall remain un-named here) had been signed to a major label deal. Now, before you begin to think that I’m twirling a baton in the hate parade, read me out! I’m not asserting that he is without any musical talent; I have personally witnessed him strum together a beautiful freestyle melody on guitar while directing his back up band. My delight was interrupted, however, by the approaching, slow whine of what should have been an ambulance siren. Alas, no ambulance ever arrived as I came to realize: Oh…Oh no…He’s singing.
You may ask, then: how did he manage to get a label deal?? As evidenced by the offerings from today’s popular radio and video shows, talent (when factored in at all) is only one part of the equation. Though not necessarily endowed with vocal prowess, the un-named artist has spent a great deal of time shaping his image and career and getting it all out there by way of an impressive guerilla PR campaign that has garnered him lots of attention and apparently the golden egg: a recording contract.
All that being said I have sage advice for anyone looking to venture off into any entrepreneurial pursuit. I’ve engaged with a good number of performers, writers and business mavericks and have come up with an amalgamated collection of tips that may help you to shine in your own endeavor.
10 TIPS THAT WON’T STUNT YOUR GROWTH
1. Your Career Venture Is a BUSINESS and Should Be Treated As Such
When you take yourself seriously, you encourage others to do the same. Even if your business is in its infancy, approach every opportunity with fine tuned professionalism. Show up to events on time, sober and ready to work. Establishing yourself as a consummate professional will help to keep you top of mind the next time a venture opens up where your expertise or talents can be useful.
2. Own Your Brand
There is no rest for the weary when trying to move a career along. Your image should be one of those elements that never stops working. Let your image and all the accompanying elements (quality of work, timeliness of your message, reputation, etc) be a reflection of what you have to offer. If you model yourself as a sophisticated writer, but all of your social networking sites contain short hand text because “that’s your personal page”, then get another page to dedicate to the professional “you”. You can’t fully control the way your message will be received, but you can certainly control what you put out there to be received.
3. Don’t Be Afraid of the ‘Net
Point blank: If you’re still operating solely through MySpace, your career is a WRAP! The internet has opened doors that allow you to reach people all over the world. Ignoring vital tools such as dedicated web pages, blogs, social networking sites and even YouTube (the second largest search engine IN THE WORLD) can be career suicide and greatly neglects opportunities for marketing and brand building. Making your mark in cyberspace may seem daunting, but it conveys a message that you are taking your work seriously and maybe (just maybe) someone else should, too.
4. Collaborate, Collaborate, and Collaborate
Everyone wants to be a headliner, but there is no shame in absorbing a little glow from someone else’s shine. Aligning your project with a similar, more notable project (especially one with existing press coverage) creates greater exposure for you. Make friends with those making moves, make your career intentions known and maybe (just maybe), make some money.
5. Get Out and About
Having been an anti-social socialite at one time, I can NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! If no one ever sees your face in the place, it doesn’t matter how many friends you pillage from other peoples’ FB pages; no one will know who you are. Being out in your specific scene will allow you to spark up conversations with people who may be in a position to help further your endeavors. A closed mouth won’t get fed, so learn to schmooze with a purpose.
6. People Don’t Want to Ride Your Bandwagon Until It’s Already Full
I know I made mention of the friend pirating, but this behavior has its benefits. Foregoing any relevance to the actual number of friends you may have, it is essential to get those friends interacting with you on a regular basis. Comments on your work, reposts of your ideas, testimonials, etc. all give relevance to your brand. When it looks like you have a lot of activity going on with your work, people are more compelled to want to find out more. (P.S. Read my blog. Tell a friend to tell a friend and come again ;-)
7. Killing Time Kills Success
We all want to feel important at times. What better way to feel important than to have someone else handling all of your business and reporting back to you?? Wrong! A team equipped with a manager, publicist, producers, personal assistant, etc. may be necessary at some point, but if you’re waiting to get all of these people on board before making your career moves, kill your career now. You will run into roadblocks with everything from personality conflicts to money squabbles in some instances and you shouldn’t let that stop your progress. If you can handle certain aspects of your career on your own or with a core group of your close, reliable and CAPABLE comrades, get the ball rolling with just your peeps.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Spend Money to Make Money
My days on the poetry scene have shown me that people will go ROGUE with the production of their work! I recall seeing “coffee books” fresh from the copy store with crooked staples poking out of the back of the double folded heavy stock paper. And you want HOW MUCH for this?? Spending a little more time and (YES) money on your project helps you to provide a quality product and thus, a better representation of yourself. In these lean economic times, people are less likely to part with their money if your work is put together like a practical joke.
9. Free Can Be Your Friend
I know a lot of people are hesitant to work for “free”, but never under estimate the power of occasionally lending your talents in order to build your portfolio. I said that people don’t want to ride your band wagon until it’s already full and the same goes for those who are in a position to further your career. So, maybe you do a couple of shows in a small venue for free. Now you can approach the larger venue with a list of past gigs and never have to let them know that you worked elsewhere for free; you now have the experience that will allow you to negotiate a better gig for a fee.
10. Ignore the Nay Sayers, but Lend Some Credence to the Critics
Not every person will have an opinion of your work that mirrors your own. Of course not! You’re clearly biased. In the case of that newly signed artist, I previously recommended that he seek out instruction from a vocal coach and perhaps just lead his band with another vocalist until he was ready. He took it pretty hard, but I certainly meant him no harm. On the other hand, there are some individuals who just won’t want to see you succeed, no matter how great you are. In the land of the like and dislike button, you have to determine where the balance lies amidst the words of the “yes men and women” with motives and those who will be likely to pay for your services or talent in the future.
Tucked into an enclave of residential commons and an athletic field house on the north campus, The Smart Museum at 5550 S. Greenwood Avenue is an unassuming, artistic example of what the University of Chicago offers to the part of the city where they own the vast majority of commercial land. First opened in 1974 as a resource for the university’s art history department, the museum has been open and FREE (my favorite price point) to the public since the early 80s. Even before perusing the art collection, the location is inviting with the natural, open space of the Elden Sculpture garden as the functional courtyard. Once inside, light from the full wall of windows facing the courtyard gives the pristine reception area an almost ethereal, light essence. It makes perfect sense that this space was named as one of the ten best museums for a wedding. No worries for anyone without nuptials on the horizon; the space is available for a variety of events, with a private tour and catering services as a part of the rental package.
Though the museum is a modest size, it has the same amenities of other museums: a gift shop that carries books and unique jewelry, as well as a café serving food from some of area’s most popular restaurants. Special care was given to include vegetarian selections beyond simple side dishes, so vegetarians can forego the forced French fry lunch. The café seating is perfect for a quiet afternoon alone sipping espresso or for academic discussions with a group. Speaking as both a foodie and an artistic geek, that sounds like my kind of care free afternoon.
