Since I’m now in corporate America, I read many business magazines and attend training sessions and seminars. Through an article first, and then through a day class, I was introduced to the concept of You, Inc. It’s a concept that says in the ever changing job market you should have your own goals, mission, “brand”, etc. I was immediately struck by the fact that everything about this concept applies perfectly to music careers.
There are many different ways to talk about what I mean by You, Inc., but lets start with separation. By separating you the person from You, Inc., you can more easily deal with many of the decisions and challenges you will face. For instance, you may want to play with a particular group of musicians, or write a particular type of song, but these wants are outside of You, Inc’s business plan. Because you’ve defined You, Inc. the decision is easy.
The same thing might be accomplished by having a mission or vision statement, but that’s kinda my point: How many people do YOU know that have written one? How many successful companies do you think DON’T have one? I rest my case.
Separate yourself from your career. See yourself as the CEO of a company. What is the company doing and why? Where should it be in 2, 5, 10 years? How can it get there. What would you tell a company like that to help it reach its goals? What kind of help does the company need? Advice, knowledge, money?
Now, lead your company…
