I’m Just Really Important Lately

“What have you been up to?”

“Just been super busy.”

I was at a coffee shop the other day and saw a mild aquaintence-pal…I said the first line and he started responding with the second, but then stopped himself.

He said, “Ya know, what does ‘busy’ even mean, when people say they’re busy, when I say I’m busy…I think you could substitute the word ‘important’ for ‘busy’ and that would be much more honest about how we’re trying to come off…what we’re REALLY trying to say”

I’ve just been REALLY important lately.

How was last week? I was super important the entire time.

I’m important all day tomorrow, but maybe another time.

I can barely breathe I’m so important.

I love having an important schedule.


Don’t we do this? Isn’t this want we’d really like others to believe about us?

Yes. Yes it most definitely is.

You’re important, I’m important, we’re all important…our mommas told us so.

So take “busy” off the table.  I’m busy, you’re busy, we’re all busy, so it communicates very little.

Make an effort to communicate something other than how important you are…it might just lead people to believe you’re important

p.s. The words you use matter.


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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Post Honeymoon Head Butt

Are these the people you want to be working with after the honeymoon phase is over?

Because it’s going to end. Soon.

It’s always fun working with the new people at the beginning. It always starts off well.

That’s why you started working together in the first place…if it wasn’t starting off well, you wouldn’t have jumped in, duh.

But the goal isn’t to find people you don’t disagree with and argue with and sometimes hate.

The goal is to find people you can disagree with and argue with and sometimes hate, but are willing to come to the table and work it out..and keep moving forward together.

At the beginning it’s difficult to envision butting head with your new manager, agent, label, PR, etc…but you WILL butt heads, no matter what, no matter how nice or talented or connected they are.

Are these the type of people you’d like to butt heads with over the weeks and months and years and your career?

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

It’s All That You Don’t Know

There is a group of things that you know are going on.  You dwell, worry, contemplate, sift through, prioritize, accomplish, add to, freak out about this group of things you are aware of.

There is a much much bigger group of things, pertaining to you, that you don’t know are going on.  It’s hard to even imagine what’s in this group.  You can’t, because you don’t know.

And its all that you DON’T know that’s gonna get you through.

The things you know are such a tiny sliver.

There are things happening right now that are, and will be, keys to your success…and you have no idea…yet.

Keep working. Work great. Have faith. Remember that you don’t know everything…there’s life there.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Looking Rich, Looking Pro

You can easily go broke trying to look rich.

But you won’t go broke trying to look pro…or displaying how pro you are.

All the tools to display your band in the way you want to be seen and heard are out there…and they’re free.

Photo editors, text, graphics, video, website editing…and if you wanna get on the dirty side, you can even purchase followers on social media (not recommended…you will be found out).

If you’re a pro and you’re not being presented as a pro, it’s on you.

Make it sharp. Tighten up. Make it look good. 

Present yourself like the professional you are and want to be.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Everyone Is Tired

Everyone is tired. 

And everyone gets energized.

You’re tired of the road…until Maroon 5 wants you to open up the tour.

You’re tired of writing…until Steven Tyler needs to write you his next single.

You’re tired of the hustle and grind…until you’re phone starts ringing instead of you having to do all the calling.

You’re plain old sleepy tired…until someone offers you $10,000 to stay up a little longer.

There’s always an energizing force.

And, for the long run, the hope is that you don’t need a truck full of cash to back up into your driveway in order for you to renew your energy.

For the long run, the hope is that the very opportunity to do the work is what will renew your energy daily.

The people who get their energy back consistently quickly, win.

And the only thing that happens everyday is the opportunity to do the work.

p.s.  Back in the day, whenever there was a really long trip back to Nashville after a gig…we’d be pulling into town at 4 or 5 or 6 in the morning…inevitably someone would pass around the hypothetical, “How much to turn around right now and go play a four hour set in Montgomery, AL?” 

We’d be absolutely exhausted, but there was always a price.  It was fun…”You’d do it for $500???? No way, I’d need at least $1000”  “Oh really, you wouldn’t do it for $900?”  “Maybe…would there be set breaks?”.  And on and on.

The conversation would take us all the way to our own driveway.



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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Playing The Show

The people don’t need you to play the show. 

You can say no to it. 

But if you say yes, you can give them something they need. 

Taking it a step further…perhaps you should only say yes if you’re willing to give them something they need.  

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com