008 - Get in the game - don't just sit on the sidelines

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Do you take life by the horns, or do you observe from the sidelines? We are in exciting times, but the spoils will often go to those who are taking a proactive approach to their careers. What are you doing today to move your career forward? Get in the game!

Podcast Highlights:

00:14 – What it means to be a musician in the information age
00:28 – The Compact Disc is no longer a business model
00:41 – Change is constant
00:47 – Don’t equate change with progress
00:53 – Job security is a thing of the past
01:10 – Entrepreneurship and creativity are pre-requisites to a thriving career
01:19 – One more item to talk about
01:34 – Create, don’t criticize
02:07 –Stay open to new developments
02:36 – Questions to ponder

Tweet These Quotes:

If you never take any risks, how do you expect to grow and thrive? – Tweet This
I want to encourage you to get in the game – don’t just sit on the sidelines. – Tweet This

Transcription:

We’ve been taking a look at what it means to be a musician here in the information age.

How do you continue to grow, adapt, and ultimately thrive in the new age we’re in?

In the last show, I touched on five key points.

I’ll go over them again:

The Compact Disc is no longer a business model. It’s important for us to understand that a format shift has taken place, and that format shifts will keep on happening, especially at the rate technology is advancing.
Change is constant, so don’t be a Blockbuster in the age of Netflix.
Change shouldn’t be equated with progress. Sometimes change is good, but it doesn’t always mean better.
Job security is a thing of the past. People will change careers many times throughout their lives. But it’s dangerous to assume that someone is going to take care of you in your waning years – the company won’t, the government won’t, your friends and family won’t, and your odds of winning the lottery are extremely slim.
Entrepreneurship and creativity are fast becoming pre-requisites to a thriving career. There has never been a better time to embrace what you already are.

But there’s one more item I’d like to talk about. I think it’s really important, but it’s more of an attitude than anything else.

An attitude cannot be taught – it is caught.

So don’t think of this as information – think of it as a new paradigm, a new way of thinking.

People that never do anything will never produce anything worth criticizing. This is why it’s dangerous to go into everything with your preconceived skepticism.

There are a lot of people doing worthwhile things in the music industry. There are a lot of people that are trying to bring about meaningful change.

But without rallying together and supporting each other, our odds of succeeding aren’t very good.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t carefully evaluate new opportunities as they come your way. Of course you should be careful.

But you can’t hold onto resentment forever just because you got burned once. You have to be willing to get up and try again.

In this new age, you will have to stay open to new developments. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you never take any risks, how do you expect to grow and thrive?

Simultaneously, you can’t be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes should be seen as the foundation to eventual success. If you keep playing it safe, you could end up spinning your wheels, getting nowhere.

We can’t go back in time, so we need to learn to make the most of the opportunities at hand.

I want to encourage you to get in the game – don’t just sit on the sidelines.

In closing, I’d like to ask you a few of questions:

Are you being proactive about your music career, or are you waiting for the phone to ring?
Are you keeping a constant watch on new opportunities, or are you just looking for an excuse to criticize others?
Are you willing to make mistakes, or are you always playing it safe?

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David Andrew Wiebe

Founder & CEO at Music Entrepreneur HQ

Award-winning composer, best-selling author, professional musician coach, and podcaster of over 10 years. Wiebe helps musicians like you unlock your full potential. If you'd like to be notified whenever the blog is updated, click here to subscribe.

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