A plan leads to consistency.
Consistency leads to variation through creative inspiration.
Creative inspiration leads to technical understanding.
Technical understanding leads to a better plan.
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I was with a friend a few months ago and he was telling me about a new pop artist…about how she got a pretty big festival slot and she hasn’t even played twenty shows yet. And how she’s mediocre at best and really doesn’t have the foundation to back up the hype.
It doesn’t matter.
I’ve seen it a million times and had the conversation more times than that: ‘Artist Gets Festival Slot They Don’t Deserve’
But it turns out deserving the slot doesn’t matter. What matters is having someone on your team who can get a Yes out of the person booking that festival slot. That’s it, that’s the only thing that matters.
If the only thing you’re trading on is to what extent you deserve to get on the festival, it’s going to be a tough, long road.
You need someone who can get Yes’s from existing relationships and strangers.
That’s why you get upset at the new artist who doesn’t deserve the festival slot. Because she has that person and you don’t.
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We dream big and bold but act inconsistently.
It’s fun to talk about plans but a long and thankless process to see them through.
We want the least bit of work for the most glory.
We want the excitement and immediacy of winning the lottery but the honor and respect of having earned it.
In a year it’s going to be a year from now. In five years, five years from now. And the most likely scenario is that you’re going to live to see it.
Do something, start something, see something through that will make it better for you and your world.
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Too often freelancers take on the perceived burden of their prospective clients’ financial situation and they don’t need to.
It sounds like this…’I charge $1000 per track but let me know if that doesn’t work for you and I’ll drop the price’
You’re already assuming your client can’t afford you. You’re taking on the burden of their financial situation (assuming they don’t have enough money) before you even know their financial situation.
It’s disrespectful to make that assumption and you don’t need to do that to yourself.
Their financial situation is theirs. Your price is yours. If they bring the truth of their financial situation to you, have that conversation and adjust. But if not, give them the respect and dignity of simply quoting your price.
***I know. It scary for you. Because maybe they had $995 (so close!) and because you didn’t present any wiggle room in your pricing they walked away. You missed the sale because you were charging five bucks too much. And maybe it’s a tight month and you would have taken what they had.
So you add the ‘I’ll drop the price’ language back into your pitch next time.
But the next client passes on you because they came in wanting to spend $1000 per track and got weirded out when you were so quick to drop the price if needed. It cheapened their perceived value of you. They thought you were the thousand dollar guy and it turns out you’re the pay-what-you-want guy.
(And then there’s the client who doesn’t even want to talk to someone who only charges a thousand dollars per track.)
Decide what you’re going to charge and stand behind it. If someone asks you to wiggle, you can make that decision then.
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It’s not that there’s not enough time in the day, it’s that it’s hard to change your mind and switch gears to the next thing.
You’ve been writing all day and now the dishes need to be done. It only takes ten minutes and it’s not difficult. But it’s incredibly difficult to get into dishes mode.
Also…
It’s not that there’s not enough time in the day, it’s that it’s hard to give up the things that are instantly gratifying for the the things with long term returns.
***On a different note, Apple Music is (finally) offering its music analytics dashboard to artists. Claim your page HERE.
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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com
Take the stage out of it.
Uncover and grow your presence.
The stage will take care of itself.
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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com