Creators – whether music, podcasts, or otherwise – already know how challenging their business is in the first place. You don’t want to make the hill even steeper to climb by surrounding yourself with people who are going to get in your way of reaching the top.
The other day I saw a social media post from someone who runs a well-known business that’s a service provider to the podcasting industry. I was shocked to read that he gets emails on a regular basis that none of us want to get even once.
He wrote, “Every morning when I get into my inbox, I have multiple emails from people cussing me out or being extremely rude/hateful for no reason.” He went on to say, “These emails used to hurt me deeply, and rightfully so. I’m a human with feelings doing my best to show up to serve the world every day.” Fortunately, his post also included him declaring, “These emails no longer affect my mood and performance like they used to!”
How great it is to hear of the perseverance he maintained that has contributed to his company’s success.
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Someone I was recently speaking with (completely unrelated) uttered the phrase, “I would’ve given up a long time ago.” And the fact of the matter is, you can’t.
You have something that you do because you love it and want to make it your life’s work. As you do so, make sure you’re surrounding yourself with the right people. I can still remember years ago working for someone who used to say, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”
In my weekly blog as well as quite often on my “Now Hear This Entertainment” (NHTE) podcast I emphasize the importance of contacts. But today’s post is more about people who are going to support and encourage you.
Back on Episode 361 of NHTE my guest was singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Dilan Jay, who is also an actor, producer, entrepreneur, and author. When you’re doing that much, you’re out there more, which means you’re an even bigger target for criticism and/or for people to try to take you down. It bears repeating that, in the entertainment industry where it’s tough enough already, you don’t need that.
Three days ago on Instagram he wrote, “There is nothing more nerve racking than releasing new music. I feel like we as artist (sic) get gassed. Release music… doesn’t do well, then release new music… and still not where you want it. It gets introverting. You feel me? Lately I’ve taken the viewpoint that with each piece of content you put in the ether, though seemingly lost in the ether, is actually a building block and it takes a lot of building blocks to prop yourself up on the table of life, when you’re a baby. Lol. So I have to just keep building… Who’s with me???”
That’s what I’m talking about this week. It’s not unlike the blog I wrote on here three months ago titled, “Mental Health Challenges are Real in the Indie Creator World.”
It’s all around us. This morning I saw a meme on social media that had a heading at the top that said, “Out Of My Control,” with entries around it such as, but not limited to, ‘The actions of others,’ ‘The opinions of others,’ and, ‘What other people think of me.’ In the middle of it was a blue circle and the heading, ‘In My Control,’ which was accompanied by the likes of, ‘My thoughts & actions,’ ‘How I speak to myself,’ and ‘What I give my energy to,’ among others.
Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “Don’t let someone rent space in your head.”
Keep all this – and your choice of friends and colleagues – top of mind as you push forward in your creator career.
A client of mine might’ve handled this best when she turned a potentially volatile situation into a positive. Singer, songwriter, guitar player Frankie Raye was being harassed by a male patron at a venue where she’d just finished performing. She simply wanted to get her pay and leave, but he felt entitled to her attention. She took the higher road and opted not to let him drag her down to his level – and then proceeded to write a song about it!
This blog comes out every Monday. You can adopt the downer attitude that some people call, “A case of the Mondays” or you can rally behind the above and look at today as the start of a new week and new opportunities ahead. Go get ‘em!
What facet of your creator career do you need a third party’s view on and support with? For 18 years now I have been helping clients ranging from independent music artists, authors, entrepreneurs, and even other podcasters. I’d love to get on a private, one-on-one video consultation with you and put our heads together on some steps to make sure you’re moving forward. Book time with me for a confidential conversation and let’s keep writing your success story.