When trying to
navigate through your journey as a creative person, it is good to realize that
there are people out there that know more than you do. This isn’t just true in
the music business; this is true in, well, WHATEVER business you are in! Hey,
this is true in life.
Once you have
wrapped your head around the first fact, then you are faced with a decision: if
there are people out there that know more than me, then how can I learn from
these people? How can I determine which one of these people I should actually
listen to?
Building your
network and establishing connections takes a lot more research and is a little
more difficult than just trying to connect with people who are “experts” in the
area that you are trying to learn about. It takes research. Lots and lots of
research. Do not be afraid to reach outside of your comfort zone if it means
gaining perspective and knowledge. We are trapped, sometimes, in a cycle of failure
when we don’t have to be. Failure itself is not a terrible thing. Repeated
failure, however, can make for an environment where growth is not possible.
Growth, especially to creative people like us, is one of the main ingredients
of success.
So what is the
point, Mr. Hungry Artiz? My point is, do not limit your growth by believing
that you have all of the answers. Even Albert Einstein did not have all of the
answers. Your favorite artist or band does not have all of the answers. Build
your network and you have a better chance of success. In other words, get to
know people who know. Tune into them on the radio, log on to their websites, and
read their blogs, go to hear them speak, read their books. Give growth a
chance!
To get you
started, I am going to help you to build network here during our weekly
conversation. The first entry in our “Get to Know People Who Know” series is an
introduction (or re-introduction to some) to a great blog that I found called
The Lefsetz Letter. Bob Lefsetz, the author of The Lefsetz Letter, is one of
those people that you should really get to know.
So who is Bob
Lefsetz? He is one of those people I recommend reading because he is a veteran
music industry professional who has worked as an entertainment lawyer, industry
executive and a consultant for many major record labels. The Lefsetz Letter has
been published for over 25 years, and serves as a “must-read” piece of insider
literature for everyone from up-an-coming artists to established professionals
like Quincy Jones. His blog is also famous because of Lefsetz’ reputation as
one who only serves “common sense” and has even been known to disagree with the
clients and companies that he was paid to work for!
Get out of the
box. Get to know those who know.
