The Importance of a Backup

There’s a reason trucks make that loud beeping sound when the driver shifts into Reverse.  Attention needs to be called to the fact that such a large vehicle is backing up.  It might seem routine and dare I say something that might be taken for granted.  Yet, without that, the result could be quite bad.

In other words, that example underscores the importance of why we must pay attention to a backup scenario.  There are really lots and lots of them if you look around enough.  In doing so, you’ll see that each one of them point to something that is not to be taken lightly.

As I go through these, you’ll feel the tension build in leading up to why you need to have your own backup plan in place for your career.

I’m typing on my laptop, which is on my desk.  Immediately on the floor alongside this piece of furniture is the battery backup that this laptop is plugged into.  In Tampa Bay we are considered the lightning capital.  The storms that came through here last year during hurricane season reinforce why something like a battery backup is crucial.  Oh sure, my machine will run on its battery for a while, but then what?

For that matter, consider the computer that I record my podcasts on.  Putting out a show on-time every week, I can’t afford to not be able to do an interview because the computer wasn’t plugged into a battery backup (with surge protection).

Yesterday in the NFL we saw Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffer an injury that’s going to keep him out of action for three months.  Yes, sure, the team still went on to win the game over Jacksonville anyway, but they were in the heat of battle.  Now it’s the next day and reality sets in at the premier position.  What will the team do for the next maybe eleven games?  Until now, many outside of Cincinnati probably didn’t know who the backup quarterback was.  They do now.  And boy has Jake Browning suddenly become important.

Although they use the word ‘understudy,’ a backup in the theatre world is hugely important.  If someone can’t take the stage, there better be someone waiting in the wings – literally – that knows all the lines by heart so they can step in and not have that character miss a beat.

If you’ve ever spent any time on YouTube watching police (car) chase videos, nine times out of ten when the heat really gets turned up, they’ll call for backup.  Imagine a harrowing situation, a law enforcement officer facing someone unpredictable, and not having someone there to help outnumber, if not calm, the potential bad guy.

And then there’s the commonly used expression nowadays when people talk about having a backup on the cloud, relative to important files that they don’t want to lose – whether pictures, documents, or other formats.

It’s interesting that I could keep going with other applications of the word backup, but at some point, we need to stop and say, “Okay, what’s my backup plan?”

Often on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, we’ll hear a guest talk about moving to Nashville.  Sometimes they’ll admit that when they first got to town, they waited tables, just to be sure they had money coming in regularly.  Or, as we could also call it, because it was their backup plan.

They say that Nashville is a ten-year town.  If you really stick to that, and things don’t look like they’re going to pan out the way you dreamed, what is your backup plan?

On Episode 595 of my podcast, Tampa Bay area singer, songwriter, guitar player Frankie Raye talked about performing at beach bars and how much the weather impacts bookings.  If you live in such an area, what’s your backup plan if one of your venues gets flooded or, even worse, gets hit by a hurricane and closes indefinitely?

Maybe now more than ever, entrepreneurs get that gleam in their eyes and walk away from their regular 9-5 job and instead venture out to start up the business that they really think they’re going to make a go at.  That’s great and you do have to believe in yourself, but what’s the backup plan if the road to success is rocky and things start looking grim?

Podcasters can cut it too close and be counting on a guest to ensure that this week’s newest episode will be a reality, but if the guest cancels for some reason, what’s the backup plan?  Are there a couple of episodes being held in reserve so as to not go dark that week?

Just like the computer power or file storage situations, you don’t want to find out and have to start thinking about these scenarios when it’s too late.

Now a Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for more than twenty years.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.