Defining success in your music career can mean different things to different people. Like Sly Stone said in Thank You FalettinMe Be Mice Elf Agin, “Different Strokes for Different Folks”.  I’ve thought and read a lot about it, but I really love Chris Brogan‘s(1) take on success.

  • Unsuccessful: Lives in Mom’s Basement
  • Successful: Doesn’t Live in Mom’s Basement

Here’s my take: If you’re ever going to be a success at anything in the music industry you have to do something.  Make a move. Take one step. Take some sort of action in the direction you want to go.

It’s kind of like the old joke, “Q: How many guitar players does it take to play a killer solo? A: Ten, one to do it and nine to stand around saying, ‘I could’ve done that.'” Be the one.

You will never be awesome if you don’t step out of your comfort zone. You have to be willing to acquire that taste for failure before you get to the sweet taste of success.

If you’re a songwriter this may mean having your songs critiqued.  It may mean seeking a co-writer  (or someone to introduce you to other writers) or hiring a plugger to present your songs. If you’re an artist, it may mean engaging someone who has the skills to open the locked doors and get you past the gatekeepers and keep you from wasting away in the lobbies of record labels. My clients have access to these services, do you?

Take Twenty and Take The Twenty

A great way to get started is to assess where you stand.  Take twenty minutes and take the Twenty Questions exercise and submit it to me and let me help you make a plan.

Again, as Chris Brogan says, “We are at war, you and I. The enemy wears the names “average” and “settling” and “good enough”. Successful artists and writers don’t wear those names and don’t associate with those who do.  Which side are you going to be on?

My intention is to never settle for “good enough” and if you share that intention I invite you to reach out to me and let’s get started.

chris@chriskeaton.com

(1)(Don’t know about Chris Brogan? You should. Chris provides strategy and skills for the modern business. He is CEO of Owner Media Group, a sought after public speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author of nine books and working on his tenth.)