Invest Time to Get the Results You Want

If you receive the weekly e-newsletter that I send out each Wednesday, you saw that last week I led off the August 17th email by saying that I just might’ve met my match.  I was referring to having been told before that I’m “the hardest working man in show business,” yet the guest on Episode 444 of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast that was being released that day is just not stopping at all.

And that’s a good lesson for us all to learn.  If you’re a solopreneur, especially, you can’t expect to just do 40 hours a week.  Presumably you already know that, but, let me be more specific.

First, just to finish the story, Nashville recording artist Brandon Bing said the following to me during our interview.  “There’s a lot of, in Nashville and a lot of other music scenes – Texas music scene and other places, in L.A., New York, et cetera – there are super talented vocalists, artists, musicians, songwriters.  What is the one thing that makes them stand out amongst the rest, no matter what genre it is, to be in that Top 100, or that Top 40 or get that Number 1?  It’s, they’re willing to do anything and everything at all times to outperform and outwork the people that are in their realm.”

So, ask yourself, “Am *I* willing to do anything and outwork” others?

Oh, and here is me practicing what I preach, by the way.

Today I’m on an airplane for nine hours, flying back home to Tampa from an event that I’ve been at in the UK since last Thursday.

This past Friday the organizers left the afternoon open so they could provide a tour (a few hours long) of Cambridge.  I’m sure it was probably informative and enjoyable.  You see, I wasn’t there for it.  I stayed in my room because I just had too much work to do, a couple of the projects being time sensitive.

Yes, of course, it’s my company, it’s my job, and I’m being paid for my work.  But ya’ know what?  It meant a lot to me that I got back emails from two different people I was providing service to during the time I could’ve been out sightseeing, with one having one said, “I appreciate you taking care of this while out of the country” and the other writing, “These are GREAT… Thanks for the quick turnaround!”

I’m certainly aware that work-life balance is a thing in 2022.  It has been for some time now.  However, there’s a temptation to get too carried away with, “No, I deserve this,” as an excuse to take TOO much time off.

When I say that I work seven days a week it’s a fact.  I’m neither patting myself on the back nor looking for sympathy.  It’s one hundred percent my choice but it’s also how you see me staying so busy and getting all the opportunities and the results that I write about in the e-newsletter, in my weekly blog, and/or on social media.  And sure, it’s what happens when you run your own business and are fortunate enough to have so much work coming in.

Among the talks that I give, there’s one where I make the point of, “If not you then who?”  So, to use an expression I really like, do a ‘self-audit’ and be honest with yourself.  Is your work ethic where it needs to be?  Is there a chance you’re missing out on opportunities because, metaphorically speaking, you’re not willing to pass up going on a three-hour tour of a city that you’re in for a business trip?

By the way, did I mention that less than 20 hours after I land back in Florida, I’ll be right back at the airport for wheels up on a flight to Dallas?

Get out there and make business happen.

What frustrations, what challenges, are you having that you need to talk to someone about?  Feed off my energy and book a private, one-on-one, online video consultation with me.  For 18 years I’ve been helping independent music artists, authors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, and more.  Let’s have a confidential discussion about what you’re doing, what you’re not doing, what you’d like to be doing, and how to keep things moving forward for you.  I’d welcome the opportunity to put our heads together.