Back in the 1970s there was a TV commercial for Life cereal where two kids didn’t want to try something new, so they got Mikey. Spoiler alert: he ended up liking it.
I’ll be the first to admit that it’s really easy to find your comfort zone and just kind of stay there. My dentist is often heard using the old expression, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Whether you’re in the music business, or are a podcaster, or are doing something else creatively for your career, if what you’re doing is working, you tend to kind of “stay in your lane,” to use a very popular expression nowadays.
| Related posts: |
| Invest Time to Get the Results You Want |
| What are You NOT Doing for Your Indie Music Career? |
| Putting a Priority on Getting Better |
But – to keep piling on the cliches – variety is the spice of life, isn’t it?
In three days, I’ll celebrate 22 years since the day I moved to Florida. I’m amazed at people who never leave their city, never mind their state. They don’t know what they’re missing out on! There’s so much more out there to see and experience.
So it was that last week I spent my time in the greater Orlando area, helping a friend with his booth at a conference. On the surface, you’d look at the event and say, “That’s not really in your topic area, though, Bruce, so why would you go to that?” It’s a fair question, but (a) my friend does a lot for me and so I was happy to be able to help him for once, and (b) the first five paragraphs should’ve told you that the idea of spreading your wings isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Besides, there were going to be content creators at this event, so right off the bat it wasn’t completely out in left field for me in terms of being horribly irrelevant.
But consider all these takeaways and, as you read them, ponder what results you might be able to find if you venture out of your safe harbor a bit:
1. I identified a potential podcast sponsor that I’ll now follow up with, grateful to have been at last week’s event, otherwise they’d likely have never gotten on my radar.
2. Away from the conference I was able to meet with a music industry executive because (a) a mutual acquaintance had recently e-introduced us, and (b) he lives in that area, so by attending last week’s event I ended up right in his backyard
3. Someone who I’d previously only known from a distance was at the event, which allowed me to get to know that person a little more by putting in some meaningful face-to-face discussion
4. I took advantage of a different backdrop than what’s around me every day and shot a video in my hotel room that will land on YouTube
Keep in mind that stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new doesn’t have to specifically mean going to a conference (although it’s not a bad idea). Maybe you’re a recording artist who has always only written by yourself and it’s time to finally give co-writing a shot. Perhaps you have someone you go to for recording and editing, yet you have the gear under your nose but have been uneasy about opening the box(es) and finding your way through the hardware and software. Or maybe you do folk music and it’s time to start expanding and playing country music too.
The only thing stopping you from venturing out into something a little outside those lines you keep coloring inside of is yourself. Go ahead and step out in faith that you and your career will benefit from taking that next step.
Have you been putting off doing a video consultation with me? Be inspired, step outside your comfort zone, and procrastinate no longer. Let’s get online together and talk about what you’re doing. Our one-on-one conversation is completely confidential. I’ve been helping indie artists, authors, podcasters, and more for 18-plus years and would love to huddle with you virtually too.