Part 01 — Positioning Reset
If you want a seat at the table, build your own chair
When we first started the band we realized quickly that we'd have to be entrepreneurial about it and treat it like a business. We played a lot of shows where we had to bring all of our friends to a bar only so that the bar would keep all the money and give us maybe 2 drink tickets in exchange. This was not such a great deal. We even had a joke that went, "never forget that what we're actually doing up here is selling beer for the bar."
So we started hosting our own shows and doing our own promotion. We started a series in the backyard of our friend's gallery (more on that later) and it was such a success that we went on to do it for 3 years in a row and even had sponsors by the end. Not only did it allow us to keep all the money and have more control over the experience and outcome but it enabled us to build a community. And that allowed us to grow something much more valuable than any one show ever could.
So before we get into tactics, there's something we need to do first.
First, you need to stop thinking that someone or something, other than yourself and your team, is going to grow your business. No one cares about it as much as you do and no one has as much to gain or lose. If you catch yourself saying, 'If we just had X or access to Y…' shift that thinking to what you can do right now with what you have in front of you.
This alone is going to be a radical shift for most of you. The bad news is no one is coming to save you. The good news is, you don't need them to.
Second, you need to accept that sales is vital to your career and business. When we say sales here, what we mean is business development, brand credibility & reputation and relationship building. These are all positive things that are important for your career or business to grow. If you or your leadership team sees it as a bad word, this alignment step really matters.
As shorthand, anytime you want to say sales, promotion or marketing, replace it with: community, convening, hosting, and partnerships. These are all positive associations you and your team can rally around.
Third. When we are scared and desperate for work we revert to isolation and transaction. Or we hold on to bad habits like grinding through our work or throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. We start scrambling and spiraling trying to do anything we can to get the thing we need. I know it's really hard to do in the moment, but you need to do the opposite of your instinct and lean into partnership and collaboration.
The concepts of competition and scarcity are false. You don't need to go alone to the top of the mountain. Competition divides us where community helps us grow. Stay calm and have faith. Call a friend.
And finally, you need to accept that a lot of the process around work is fake. Job applications and RFP cycles are built to maintain an illusion of fairness yet often reveal the opposite. How many times have you heard, "They went with someone they had worked with before" or "They hired someone in-house for the role"? Let's accept this reality as truth and move on so we can start being successful despite it. Let's focus our energy on working with someone we have worked with before.
Now I know what you're thinking: Sure, that's cute for a band — but this is a serious business. Totally fair. Here's the thing: the mechanics of growth don't change just because the context does. People still hire people they trust and opportunities still move through relationships. This is the same system I've applied across multiple businesses and industries.
Your community is your growth strategy.
Part 01.01 — You Need To Have Goals
If you don't have a goal, you can't meet, exceed or even fail at it. One of the biggest mistakes I see leaders make is they confuse activity with success. You need to know what you are doing, why you are doing it and then track and measure it to see if it is actually working or not.
Creating goals is something that often sends people into an existential crisis. Don't stress, this is pretty normal. I encourage you to dive deep down that well and spiral down the rabbit hole. It's the only way to get to the other side.
You can have more than one goal but be clear that by definition you can only have one priority. Get clear on what is the most important thing for you to achieve and what takes precedent over all else. This is much harder than it sounds and my honest advice is to only have one goal and run at it with everything you've got.
Make sure your goal has a number next to it and a timeframe. Also make sure it is realistic and accomplishable. Don't set yourself up for failure at the jump.
Create a simple spreadsheet tracking mechanism and do a quarterly check in on how you are performing. Something not working? Change it! There is nothing that says you have to stick with something just because you wrote it down. The best thing you can do is to look at what's working (and not) and make mindful adjustments to improve it.
Now when you're ready to stop working harder on cold outbound or endless RFPs and start building smarter on your relationship pipeline, move on to Part 02.