Author & Speaker Dennis Waitley once said, "Mistakes are Painful when they Happen, but Years Later a Collection of Mistakes is what is called Experience!"
So it is with a measure of honor and some distinction that I count myself among the most 'experienced' leaders out there, as a result of the many humdingers I've cast upon my various band mates over the last 16 years with my current band, SounDoctrine and other projects. While I am grateful to still call 97% of my associates Great Friends to this day, I am confident the remaining 3% are calling me several other adjectives!
Today I Bear My Soul & Confess My Sins to You in the hopes that My Blunders Create Stepping Stones for You wherever You May Be on Your Musical Journey!
1) I Failed to Plan
Although I have blogged on this point several times, it continues to climb to the #1Spot for things going wrong for the EntreMusician. There will be many times where True Emergencies surface and the "Unexpected" rears its head, but most often it's our failure to look at our Projects & Performances from a 360° angle and dissect all of its components. Checklists are as much a Best Friend to an EntreMusician as is a Rehearsal. Ask Questions of Your Team and Then Ask More. Have You Considered Everything? Many Times I Didn't and I Fumbled Every Time! Dr. Steven Covey's Book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" marks as Habit #2 'Begin With The End In Mind'.
2) I Didn't Pay Attention To The Numbers
Not Being A Numbers Guy (At All), I didn't get the adage that they don't lie! So I would usually rely on what my gut was telling me. I did not budget. I underestimated costs and overestimated profits. I halfheartedly listened to my accountant (an obsessive numbers guy) who warned me, cautioned me and chided me when I disobeyed his advice and did the gig anyway...Further, It Cost Me In Taxes, although I had software which would calculate inventory for me, but was relying on me to punch in the data - and I was too lazy, slow and stupid to do it myself, or hire someone to do it for me. So I LOST Huge $$
3) I Did TOO Many Promotional Gigs
"Exposure" Can Be a Very Tricky (read Dirty) Word for the EntreMusician, Especially As You Are Just Starting Out. Most Promoters and Venue Owners Will Say that Word 12 Times Or More on Your First Phone Call, Cementing Into Your Psyche that You Actually Need Them to Reach the Audience You're After. Most Often You Will. But You Should Know When You Don't. I Didn't. So, I Spent the Better Part of Our First Two Years Counting on Free Gigs To Get Our Name Out There, Often Very Afraid To Ask for Money. Promoters would Promise us that If We Did a particular Event for them THIS Year, for"Exposure" they'd pay us the NEXT Year, But It Would NEVER, Ever Happen!
Finally, When I Began to Actually Charge Some Real Money for the Group, I Felt Stupid that I had Gone So Far Down The Road Without Requesting Moola! Unless the Performance was related to the right Radio or TV audience, I have eschewed the Dirty Word. (More Below on Point #6)
4) I Didn't Sign Agreements
Repeat After Me: "I Can't Repossess My Performance!" Once You've Sung Your Song and Played Your Kazoo, That's It.
If the Venue Owner has stiffed you on the Sheckels, you better have sold a ton of merch so you can get back home - provided you had an agreement which allowed for you to keep 100%...And the Answer is YES! I Did Drive the SounDoctrine Van All The Way to Philly on a mere Verbal Agreement, just so the Promoter could explain every reason why he couldn't pay me what he promised...Of Course Now, We Don't Even Start the Van, Until We Get It In Writing
5) I Didn't Promote Often or Accurately
Obviously, this specific Flaw began before the Now Normal Social Media Blitz, but my Earlier Methods Morphed Into Big Mistakes because I kept attempting to make Our Social Media Platforms behave like Traditional Marketing & Promotion. Early On, to Save Money, I Didn't Do Enough Promotion, trying to get by with sub par Posters and Flyers that didn't properly convey our brand (or much else). I became a little more savvy with getting SounDoctrine on Radio & TV segments, but the hours of our appearances were unsustainable - no one was awake and those who were, were on their way to work!! It took me a while to build a base socially, but even when I did grab a foothold, it seemed I was always on the back end of what was trending months earlier. Now I subcontract work to a professional!
6) I Didn't Charge Enough $$
This point is actually an extension of numbers #2 & #3 above, as we had moved beyond the phase of promotional to paid performances - BUT, It wasn't much Beyond Gas Money! I hadn't gauged our popularity nor the momentum we were building, so instead of calculating actual costs and asking accordingly, I also didn't possess the confidence to push back on the first bid. I felt I should settle for what I was being offered, lucky to have the opportunity to perform. While some of that is true, a Real Win-Win, especially for your band, is that everyone can feel great about doing a wonderful job which also profits them financially.
Allow me to say here, that the Venue Owner and/or Promoter needs to make a profit too - and there are some very reputable, honest ones who want to see the Artist and His/Her Music Expand. They have overhead, expenses and employees and should receive appropriate fees for their hard work. But many of them are so focused on their bottom line that nothing else matters. Neophyte Musicians are usually operating on advanced emotional stimuli and can't see beyond the stage. The Objective is to be as passionate about receiving the income you deserve as you are for the Incredible Experience You are offering them. And Don't be Afraid to Say "No, Thank You" to any deal that is not the best for You and Your Artistry.
7) I Didn't Stay Focused
With Complete Transparency, I Must Say that This is an area Which I continue to Work On.
If I am not Absolutely Careful, I Can Allow a Variety of Interest to Capture My Attention. All are Musical and Each offer their own level of reward. It's Important that I Maintain My Focus, Prioritize the Goal and then become Brutally Intentional about seeing the project from Conception to Completion. As I Review, each time I've Lost Focus, I've Lost Consistency. Conversely, All Gains I have been blessed to accomplish, without a doubt were the instances where I held a laser light focus on what was Most Important and Worked It Off until it Worked Out. I am a firm believer that Every EntreMusician CAN Do It All. Many Times We Must - But We Cannot Do It All At Once, so the Next Time We are Faced with 12 Simultaneous Ideas, Pull Out the Scribble Board and begin asking some the Serious WHY Questions and move into the HOW with Careful Planning (read #1)
These Seven Rabbits have proven to be Major Mistakes which have most led to my Career Detours which could have completely derailed me. I am grateful to have learned from these experiences. I am sure you have your own set of criteria to look to as what "Not To Do" in Your Artistry. Please Share Your Advice So We All Grow Together. Remember to Sign Up & Download My Free E-Book "50 Engaging Ways to Transform Your Fans Into Family!"
Peace & Blessings!
Jere B