As a self-employed musician, looking at your bank account isn’t the only indicator of how well your career is doing. It’s important to see yourself as a complete business. I learned about the importance of reflecting on your business each week from Dan Kennedy, in his book,
No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs (affiliate link). Thank you in advance for all your support should you decide to purchase through my affiliate link.Transparency is important to me, so I’ve decided to be as candid with you as I possibly can about my business, without compromising the privacy of any client, vendor, partner, sponsor, or organization that I have a relationship with. I invite you to give me your feedback below so that I can learn more about how to serve people better. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.
What I Know This Week That I Didn’t Know About:
My Business
Overall, my business is experiencing a momentum unlike ever before. I’m really excited for all the new opportunities coming my way. I’m doing my best to stay grounded as I experience this change. At times I feel overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, and resistant. I guess that this is part of growing up.
This week, I have listened to the audiobook, Good to Great (affiliate link) by Jim Collins. As I completed the chapter on the Hedgehog Concept, I realized that my business has lacked one. I decided to refocus my entire career.
Around 2004, I first read the book, The E-Myth Revisited (affiliate link). It was then that I was first introduced to the idea of systems and an operations manuals. For years, I have done my best to apply systems and operations manuals to my business. It’s helped me get more organized and things have run real smoothly lately.
Infusionsoft (affiliate link) has become one of the single greatest expensive purchases that I’ve ever made. This software has helped get me new business and grow current relationships. As I’ve gotten more comfortable with this marketing software-on-steroids, I’ve been able to do a lot more…automatically (while I sleep).
My Monday morning leadership meetings with myself are going great. I wake up looking forward to these meetings.
Mind Mapping (affiliate link) has helped me think through problems better. This has replaced the many yellow legal pads that I used to find randomly in my office, bedroom, car, & backpack.
My Industry as a Whole
Some days I think I know what’s going on in this industry and other days I am clueless. It doesn’t affect me either way because I am trying to do something very unique that has nothing to do with what’s going on in the music business. Putting my attention back on the Hedgehog Concept has reminded me of this.
My Competition
I had the pleasure of being hired by a brand new client last week for a small project. He was very happy with my work and hired me to work with him on some upcoming projects. One of the other musicians on last weeks project didn’t have the greatest attitude. She expressed her dissatisfaction with what this project was paying and was the most challenging person to work with on the team. I don’t think she will be getting hired back.
Even though I felt the pay was below what I would have liked, I agreed to the project and was 110% committed to its success, knowing that this would lead to more opportunities. Ironically, this other musician didn’t seem too enthusiastic about her own music career.
My Clients as a Group:
Some of my clients are getting fired! I don’t care how much they pay me or how much I love them, a few of them need to go. I learned about firing clients from Michael Port in his book, Book Yourself Solid (affiliate link). When I get the feeling that a client needs to go, I put their name on the list. I look at the list every few months and let clients go as needed. It never ends on a bad note and it always works out for everyone involved.
Infusionsoft (affiliate link) is helping me manage all my client relationships better. I don’t need to follow-up with them, the software does. I’m so grateful to pay for it every month.
My Top 10 Clients:
I’m grateful to give my best efforts to my clients. I performed a concert last week and experienced a variety of challenging circumstances. Regardless, I gave it my best on stage and felt good about my playing.
One of my best clients got me another client because I asked them to. It’s amazing what happens when you just ask for what you want.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m holding my clients accountable for their success. This means many honest, blunt, and uncomfortable conversations. I want everyone I work with to win. The money they invest in me needs to go farther than the service I give.
I invite you to give me your feedback below and be sure to check out the book,
No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs (affiliate link).
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