You Should, Like, Kinda Check This Out

I heard a story on the radio yesterday about the use of the word “like” in our modern culture. Like, this is like, the best blog that like I’ve ever like read before. The story was about how not just America has embraced this, but countries everywhere that use the English language.

Like, Kinda, Sorta, are preface words that you use without thinking in order to soften whatever you say or think, in order to let you off the hook for saying something meaningful.  

You don’t have to take full responsibility for what comes after like/kinda/sorta, because you don’t mean THOSE (harsh, over the top, not well thought out, watered down) words, you’re only sorta responsible for an idea in the like ballpark of THOSE words…you used a cheap preface to get you off the hook.

I get it. We all preface with like, kinda, sorta.

But removing those words from your attitude (and maybe even your speech) will set you apart as someone who is willing to say what they mean and mean what they say. Lots of cliches are true.

It’s easy to kinda say something. It’s hard to say something.

p.s. If this blog is helpful, entertaining or thought provoking, sign up on the right side of this page and get it in your email.  That way, if a post is particularity interesting to you, we can email back and forth about it human to human.

Why I Missed A Few Days

This is my first post in four or five days.  And you know who got on my case during those days to tell me to get down to business, write something and put it out in to the world? No one. 

That’s not to say there isn’t people who would have benefited in some way from me “releasing” a new post, but it’s just that no one cares more than I do about making it happen.

Most of us have somewhat of an idea of what we should be doing each day, and when we take a break from doing it for four or five days, there are a million excuses we tell ourselves why we couldn’t make it happen.  All of them can usually be boiled down to fear.  

Fear of coming off a certain way, fear of taking something seriously, fear of rejection, fear of acceptance, fear of being on the hook for something, fear of criticism.

You know you’re getting close to your purpose when you go through a circle of a million different emotions, both positive and negative when approaching a certain task or project. 

Fear isn’t something you should bask in, but recognize it as a guide post that doesn’t at all mean you’re heading in the wrong direction. 

Trust. Conflict. Truth.

Trust turns conflict into the pursuit of truth.

I didn’t make that up. I heard it or read it somewhere and wrote it down. The point is not to spend your time learning to avoid or squirm out of conflict. The gold is in the building of trust. Constantly living and interacting with your team in a way that builds trust.

If you’ve gone a while with no conflict, you’re doing it wrong. Maybe you need to put your team to the test or be tested yourself to see what your organization is really made of.

I’m not saying you should pick a fight but simply encouraging everyone to speak their mind for a few minutes should unearth at least something.  And how that conflict is handled and felt by everyone involved will speak loudly to the level of actual trust.

Does it feel like there are two sides battling each other? That someone just wants to be against?

Or is there a feeling of mutual respect and that both parties are trying to ultimately come together?

Conflict can be a very useful tool…when coupled with trust.

Work on the trust and dive into the conflicts.

Hotel Rooms

There is a canyon size difference between a hotel room for $60 and a hotel room for $90.

Spring the extra $30 for a decent room, every time.  

Because when you break it down, that extra $30 you were going to save for profit: five dollars would go to your manager, two to your business manager, so if there’s four guys in the band everyone is giving up about five bucks to stay somewhere you know is clean and decent.

Life is short and $30 extra is worth it every time.

If you disagree with this, one of two things is true. You can’t do math and love your $5 more than peace of mind, or you love the grimy struggle just a little too much.

It’s ok, you’ll come around. It might take a few times of getting into a bed that has food in the sheets, or a pillow case with blood stains, or a room with razor thin walls, and the smells….oh the smells.

And here’s a little tip. When you call to make the reservation, the first thing you do is to ask if they have flat screen TV’s in the rooms. If they do, it means the hotel has been renovated within the last five years or so.  If they don’t, move on. it’s a crap shoot at that point.

p.s. The difference in a $90 and a $120 room isn’t as great. The $120 room isn’t a “can I get your bags, sir” situation. It’s usually just means a slightly nicer lobby.

p.p.s. When you start rolling $150-$180 for a room and your anywhere but New York or LA, now you start talking about the hotel being an experience. And we all love to experience. Do this sometimes.

p.p.s. Everyone has at least one awesome bad-hotel stories. Email me yours: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Here's $100,000

Everyone wants more cash. Artists think if they just had some money, then they could really make it happen. If they could get a song in a big movie or play a handful of high paying corporate gigs, then they would have the money to become Jay-Z.

So often artists get a windfall of money, everyone gets new amps, buy a new van and trailer because you’re big time now, make a music video, buy cool jackets to wear in the video, buy a deluxe paintball set…and oh yeah, you’ve got to pay your manager and business manager, first (which, if you hired them properly, you should pay them happily)…so now the money is gone.

The money is gone. You roll up to the venue in nicer wheels, clothes and gear with a music video that looks really cool.

This is not a plan with money, this is a reaction to money.

Really think about it. Would you even know how to spend $100,000? Effectively? Who would you hire? Do you currently know these people? What expectations does your money buy from them? What’s the plan? What’s the goal? What’s the point? Who do you not need to hire? (because once people find out you have money, they’ll tell you you need them)

How do you best spend that money in order to make the deepest long-term impact?

You can substitute any number, a hundred dollars or a million dollars into this scenario, but the basic principle I’m pointing to is still true.

It’s great to have money, but even more valuable to know how to spend it.

Start learning and paying attention now. Become someone (and surround yourself with people) who is really really great at spending money effectively.

Energy vs. Intentional

Bands and artists talk a lot about wanting to have energy on stage.  Let’s get out there and have high energy, let’s keep the energy up….in hopes that having energy on stage will make the show go well, will make them feel good about life and will convert audience members into life long fans.

I’ve seen this a lot over the years.  A band comes on stage, tons of physical energy, they’re doing what they set out to do.  A few songs into the set, one of two things happen…

1. They get tired and the energy goes way down, and the rest of the show is half-hearted and boring

2. They don’t get tired, but I get bored because the show feels static. It might be high energy, but the high energy just becomes normal and once it’s normal it’s not as much fun anymore.

I want to rob you of the word energy and replace it with intentionality.  

So the pre-show pep talk goes something like this…

“Let’s go out there and be intentional about every moment of the set. Whether standing still or stomping our feet, let’s do it with purpose, with the desired impact in mind”

That’s a much more magnetic show to watch and participate in. It’s much more interesting from start to finish. For everyone.

There’s a lot of words I’d love to take the time to dissect in that pre-show pep talk, but let’s leave it there for now.

What would it look like for your show to be intentional instead of high energy?