Better Work...And A Little Luck

Better work by applying pressure?…or…Better work by lowering pressure?

As the leader you get to choose which path.

»» If you keep showing up in a positive way, you build a good reputation and more people like you.

If you keep showing up, luck is more likely to happen.

If you keep showing up, people are happy for you when you get lucky.

Thad Cockrell has been a staple Nashville artist for a long time. Solo work, band stuff and now back to solo work. A true artists heart. An artist who just keeps working, keeps writing, keeps putting out music. Sometimes it lands, sometimes it doesn’t.

While walking through a hardware store recently, Jimmy Fallon shazam’d one of Thad’s songs.

Ya know, I’ll let Thad tell you about it…

But watch Jimmy tomorrow night (Tuesday) to hear him play with The Roots.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Ownership, Pies and Elvis

Maybe it’s more fun to be a part of something that works than owning the whole pie and having it be an endless struggle.

Being a part of something that works is a good way to keep moving forward, to engage in new opportunities and jump new hurdles.

In loose terms, when it’s working it’s less groundhogs day and more choose your own adventure.

Similar but different…

Better to own a slice of a million dollar pie than own an entire pie worth zero.

Similar but different…

It would be fun to be the next Elvis if it all worked out. But if the Elvis plan doesn’t work out will you still be glad you went for it alone.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Finding It

I can’t find it. Statement of ability.

I won’t find it. Statement of will and finality.

I haven’t found it. Statement of fact.

I haven’t found it yet. Statement of fact and possibility.

Flipping a word here or there. Yeah they’re just words, but we might as well get into the habit of saying what we mean.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Or Current Resident

I still get mail all the time addressed to ‘Gabe Anderson or Current Resident’.

i.e. Public data says there is a Gabe who lives here who we’d like to get our offer to, but if he isn’t there anymore then anyone else will be just fine too.

When you post your video, message, photo or interview do you know who you’re sending it to?

Is it FOR them or is it simply for no one in particular…just sending it out because sending out stuff feels good and productive.

Opening mail addressed to Or Current Resident isn’t special or fun. It’s never a wonderful surprise. How could it be? How could something with no specificity happen to be the thing I’m hoping for?

If you’re going to send it (post it, tweet it, email it), don’t make it for everyone, don’t send it to everyone.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Turning Up What's True

Queen putting “No Synthesizers” on their liner notes.

Steven Tyler and Joe Perry as the “Toxic Twins”.

The peanut butter label reading “Gluten Free”.

Queen wasn’t the only rock band not using synths. Steven and Joe weren’t the only set of two people using lots of drugs. And peanut butter is naturally gluten free. These things were true before they were advertised.

Highlighting what is already true about something is a great way to get attention from the people who think that thing is important.

What is true about you that your people think is important?

Turn it up.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Good And Famous

Do you want to be good?

Do you want to be famous?

Do you want to be good and famous?

Time, energy and resources. We all have them and there are always limits.

If you only want to be good, work on that. You can become famous by simply being good but don’t be disappointed or surprised if it doesn’t happen.

If you only want to be famous, work on that. But it helps to be ok with the fact that you are simply good at being famous and probably not the thing you want people to believe you’re famous for.

But I’m guess you want both. To be good (skilled at your thing) and famous. So you’re going to need people working on both.

»» It also helps to know…What does good mean for you and what does famous mean for you?

»» Most artists I know want to be famous but won’t say it. But if that’s what you want, go after it. Admit it, define it and get the team together and go get famous.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple