Keep Things in Perspective and Manage Your Expectations

I’ve had this take for a while now about, “What do you mean, you don’t know who John Cena is?”  It’s sort of my example for putting things into perspective.  As much as I’m abundantly aware of the WWE superstar turned movie (and TV) (and pop culture) star, there are people in various parts of the world – and various walks of life – who simply don’t know who he is, what he does, or why he’s famous.

To someone like me who is a big fan of his, I’m appalled that people could possibly not be aware of him.

It’s not too different from another observation of someone thinking that EVERYBODY knows someone, or an event that’s going on.  Here I’m referring to athletes who are immediately interviewed at the conclusion of a game whose outcome is considered an upset.  Often times in these scenarios you’ll hear the player tell the interviewer, “We just went out and shocked the world.”

No you didn’t.

There’s a guy in Sweden who has no idea who you are, about your team, or that your game was even happening.  When you consider that there are people who don’t watch the Olympics, you can see how some regional game that’s not on a global stage isn’t one whose outcome “shocked the world.”  There are tons of people who don’t know who you are or are even familiar with your team or, believe it or not, your league.

Here in the United States, coming off of the Thanksgiving weekend it’s just important to be thankful for what you DO have and the opportunities you ARE given, even though everybody might not know about them or be watching them.

Put things in perspective to avoid feeling let down.  Just because you were on “The Voice” doesn’t mean the world was watching and it doesn’t mean everybody knows who you are.



This past Thursday I returned from six days in Nashville.  While I was up there, I found out that on Thanksgiving Day a popular spot there called The Local closes for the holiday, but they invite area songwriters who don’t have anything to do to come in and help feed the homeless.

Heck, I was reminded how grateful I should be for the great weather that I always have back home in Tampa, what with having woken up to 22 degrees one morning in Music City.

Manage your expectations, folks.  If you expect your career to take off and be all set just because you’re on a reality TV show, you’re in for a big letdown (as, unfortunately, we’ve heard far too often on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast).


Work hard, have fun along the way, always strive to do better and get to the next level, and celebrate your wins along the way.  But keep things in perspective and remember that just because your music is on Spotify, there are still lots (and lots) of people out there who have never heard of you.  That should also help you stay humble – and hungry.

Yes, some people will be watching you.  But it won’t be the entire world.

I know that it’s an exciting time when you release a single or an EP or a new music video.  And of course, you should be proud and want to shout about it from the virtual rooftops, meaning, post about it everywhere on social media.  But don’t let your mindset be that everybody has been waiting for it.  When they don’t show up in the numbers you thought they should, you’ll be setting yourself up for disappointment.

I’ve been helping indie artists from around the U.S. for more than 18 years now.  What aspect of your music career is keeping you up at night?  Book an online video consultation with me and let’s roll up our sleeves with the challenges you’re facing.  Our conversation is completely confidential and is your opportunity to defeat what has got you stuck in one place.  Let’s get you moving forward with a private discussion to ensure that you’re moving forward.