Why I FAILED

Remake Yourself

My thanks to Tom Asacker for sharing this quote:

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to
remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being
able to remake ourselves.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Remaking yourself is a worthwhile, noble and doable lifelong task.

Powered by ScribeFire.

The Freakonomics Future of the Music Industry

The Freakonomics blog of the New York Times has the best collection of perspectives, thoughts and ideas I’ve read about the current and future states of the music business. It’s long, but required reading as far as I’m concerned. Among the quotes:

Koleman Strumpf: “As for the future, I am dubious about making forecasts. At the same time, I reject the argument that recorded music is
close to death, simply because the financial incentives to create music
have never been particularly high. In 2005, less than one in five
albums were released on a major label, and even among those releases,
fewer than one in fifteen went gold (the usual measure of record
success). With such daunting odds, recording an album may have seemed
like a pointless task. But in that year, nearly 44,000 albums were
released — enough to provide almost three consecutive years of
listening. Regardless of what happens to companies that produce and
distribute music, I am sure that recorded music will continue to be
made.”

Fredric Dannen: “My epiphany, if you want to call it that, was simply this: consumers of
recorded music will always embrace the format that provides the
greatest convenience. No other factor — certainly not high fidelity —
will move consumers substantially to change their listening and buying
habits.”

George Drakoulias: “For starters, while we’re still in agreement as a society that people
want music, I’d say music is not as important now as it once was.
Instant gratification has removed some of the the demand. Music feels
like it has become more disposable and cheap, with less staying power.
As a result, it becomes a lot harder to commit to newer acts knowing
they may not be around a year from now. I don’t see many kids nowadays
wearing the T-shirts of the latest fad bands, but I do see a hell of a
lot of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd shirts out there.”

Peter Rojas: “The majors thrived in an era of artificial scarcity when they were able
to control the production and distribution of music. Today, we have an
infinite number of choices available to us, and when content is
infinitely abundant, the only scarce commodities are convenience,
taste, and trust. The music companies that are successfully shaping the
Internet era are recognizing that the real value is in making it easier
to buy music than to steal it, helping consumers find other people who
share their music tastes, and serving as a trusted source for
discovering new music.”

That’s only a piece of the wisdom you’ll find on the blog - here’s the link again. 

Powered by ScribeFire.

I’m Not The Only One

According to Paul Brown at the New York Times, Failure Isn’t Always a Bad Thing.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Last.fm Makes a Move

Great news from Last.fm today.

Read J’s take on it here and the official blog.

Could be very cool.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Nico Ramon’s New Site

This is a heads-up, FYI about a new resource filled site called Not Evil Music run by Nico Ramon.

“The main mission of Not Evil Music is to support and encourage the
independency of artists when it comes down to the business side of
music.”

Nice.

Here’s some recent highlights:

Sell and promote your music with widgets

Online music marketing resources

Musicians, Copyright and Creative Commons

Regional online music marketing

I’m particularly fond of the last one because it highlights something I’ve said and believed for some time: the internet is bringing back the regional artist.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Predictions Worth Reading

mSick in the Head has a set of predictions for 2008. Worth reading.

Powered by ScribeFire.

20 Trump Tips

Success tips from Donald Trump that EVERY artist/musician should employ:

1. Think big

2. Be positive

3. Follow your passion

4. Learn something new every day

5. Listen to your gut

6. Be patient

7. Put a great team behind you

8. Put beauty in everything you do

9. Learn to negotiate, because everything you want demands it

10. Always go for the biggest win possible

11. Invest in real estate because it is the best investment there is

12. Take risks

13. Be audacious and get into the public eye

14. Be your own brand

15. Enjoy doing some work seven days a week and on vacations

16. Say no

17. Get out of your comfort zone

18. Be stubborn when necessary

19. Always have a Plan B

20.  Never settle for second best

Powered by ScribeFire.

Two More Thoughts for 2008

In addition to the values based plan in my last post, here are two more thoughts to help you move successfully through 2008 and beyond:

First, In The Secret of Your Success in 2008…, Donald Trump says his typical mouth full when he says “Think big!” It’s a foundational truth that separates the successful from the failures. I’ll also send you to the lyrics of the Switchfoot song “Dare You to Move.” I don’t think it’s possible to say it better.

Second, check out the 43Folders post on Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues lifehack. Franklin developed an ingenious way to improve his life through the use of four 13 week cycles per year. Each week, he chose one of 13 virtues such as Moderation, Sincerity or Frugality to focus his attention on. This one at a time focus allowed him to gradually improve on the things that mattered to him in a way that was manageable and doable as opposed to trying to change everything all at once.

I’m about to put this into practice in an attempt to remove some useless words from my vocabulary. Words such as “like,” “really,” “um” and “I think.” I’ve realized that I lack the power I could have - and need - in my relationships because of these words. For instance, I use the words “I think” too often at the beginning of statements I make. So instead of saying “we should do x,” I sound weak and uncertain.

So, each week, I’ll pick a word or phrase to concentrate on removing from my speech. Over time, this will allow me to learn alternative words and ways to say what I’m, well, thinking.

I hope you find these two additional thoughts for your 2008 beneficial. Have a great year.

Powered by ScribeFire.

What You Really Want in 2008

David Bach, writing at Yahoo Finance, has the best advice I’ve read on developing a plan for reaching your hopes and dreams. His challenge to “ditch that list of resolutions once and for all and instead follow my seven steps to create a Purposed-Focused Financial Plan for real success in 2008″ is true not just about finances, but about every area of your life.

David suggests building a plan based a clear understanding of the things you value most because “people will do more to protect their values than just about anything else in life.” These are ideals that will not change and are therefore powerful motivators to help you create the life you want. Here’s his plan with some insights of my own:

1. Ask yourself what matters.
2. Identify your top five core values.

I like the idea of 5. Not 15 and not 2. And as David says, “stay focused on values - not goals, not things, not stuff to do or buy. Values are about being; they define a way of life.” Two of mine, for instance, are family and freedom. I want to do things that help my family (earn income for, spend time with, build relationships with, teach my kids, etc.) and work towards freedom - control my life instead of a job or money.

   3. Use your values to figure out your financial goals. (all goals)

This is where you make plans and goals. But because they’re value based, the plans are easier to follow AND easier to change. You may only have 5 core values, but there are hundreds and thousands of plans and goals that can support them.

   4. Make your goals specific, detailed, and deadline-driven - and write it all down.

Writing them down is CRITICAL. Write them out and review them often - like everyday because you’ve hung them on your mirror.

   5. Take action toward your goals within 48 hours.

Move. Break the plans and goals into actionable steps and start doing the steps. Soon.

   6. Enlist help.

Success is a team sport.

   7. Include your partner and family.

The best team members you have are your family members. They are also the ones that will torpedo your life if they are not aware of, or on board with, your values, plans and goals.

Here’s another link to David’s detailed plan.

I wish you success in 2008.

Powered by ScribeFire.