Now do you remember where you left that wondrous gift?  Is it even in your possession anymore? 

How quickly we change.  Even as adults, too many of us look for the bigger, better deal or the new shiny object.  A wise person once said that a free man has nothing.  Somewhere between quality of life and poverty lies the balance.

A career is much like that.  I’m not speaking about how much money you should make, but the vocation that gives you a reason for getting out of bed.  With as short as life is, we should all have one.  But a very precious few are actually “living the dream.”  Or, they work hard to get where they think they should be, only to find it lacks luster relatively quickly – just like the Christmas gift.

Even the deeply-reflective, carefully-planning, “eyes wide open” career holders can wind up in a rut.  I remember many investigations, correspondence, job shadows and soul searching about “what I should be when I grow up.”  Granted, many interesting people still don’t know at 50.  I just happened to decide at 7.  And yet, I still have many experiences that prove to be the “job” part of “living the dream.”

So it’s about shifting your focus, isn’t it?  Remembering why you are where you are and reflecting on the more romantic and even honorable aspects of the job.  Embracing your purpose and posting reminders of it everywhere, if need be.

Just like your diet, you can’t eat junk food all day every day.  You’re going to have to ingest some fiber sometime.  Recognize that any position is going to have “brussel sprouts” – as long as you’re not spending your whole day eating them.

Onward and upward!

As the last of my “spec work” falls off the grid, I reflect again on the habits I’m arresting – and the new ones I hope to form.

Through these posts I’ve discussed many of the classic problems that seem timeless in the art world,  most stemming from a personality that (as a very wise person once said) never wants to “put any skin in the game.”

And now I propose the following for your own reflection:   turn your thoughts toward the relationships that you lead, such as with those that support you – even staffing.  Are you training and developing well, or just “well enough?”

I paraphrase Reagan: “surround yourself with those who are good at what you aren’t, and let them do their job.”  Ask yourself, “When it comes to my own goals and strategy, am I forcing others to be that which I cannot?  Or am I recognizing limitations and allowing for a limited growth?”

It’s counter-cultural to be patient.  There’s even an increase in a.d.d. symptoms as more people try to master multi-tasking.  Fruitless efforts are met with a drop in I.Q.

Maybe the “skin you need to put in the game” is not only patience for the right outcome, but even for the right person, limiting yourself (and even potential growth) to that which you can completely command.  

As my own worst enemy I need to keep cogniscent of such a tendency.  If I can’t do “perfect” on a small scale, I certainly can’t do better by overcompensating.

Because I try to keep “raising my own bar”, I also appreciate other creatives that do the same.  They’re good to align with.  It’s good networking and reflects well on my judgement in matters such as referring business to them.  Loyalty is bred 3 ways.

However, these connections are rare exceptions to the rule.  The nature of the creative is alive and well – in every stereotypical sense.  That which makes you a great entertainer also makes you terrible with punctuality, planning, and many other business skills.  Ultimately one will be stronger than the other (which is why agents have such a powerful responsibility.)

While the networking works, a part of my own worst enemy is knowing when I’m networking and when I’m babysitting a relationship. 

My wife will agree that I have a tremendous amount of energy.  I’ve both enjoyed it and also found it frustrating to be alone with my endurance when others have gone to bed.  As such, my endurance for relationships is equally long – I remain loyal, invest a lot of energy to them, and try to do all I can to help/mentor/promote/etc.

But I’m seeing more and more that successful people are not only tenacious with opportunity – even generating it from scratch - but often just accept what comes their way.  They act, they do the diligence and they invite more.  It’s another kind of endurance.  Still, as another return-on-an-investment, there comes a time when the energy put in isn’t reciprocated.  The energy would be better applied to a fruitful direction.

I’m learning to accept that sometimes I need to allow my own progress to distance myself from “like minds”  and enjoy my own ride.  Hopefully I’ll even find someone who will allow me to ride with them to the next level.

This is not limited to those who are trying out something new and then trying to make a living at it.  This includes classically trained, highly experienced artists as well.  The artist may not have an inferiority complex but I’ve yet to meet a successful professional that didn’t at least have a perfectionist nature (which is almost as bad in the equation.)

What happens is often a de-valuation of the art.

It’s seen in business – how many jobs are shipped overseas because of the bottom line?  How many corporations place a higher value on the cost than the people making it?  Even the quality of the work falls short of the expense.

With the trend to acquire skills or product as cheaply as possible, our consumerism only perpetuates the 3rd part of this series - the artist taking on too many projects to make up for lost income. 

The worst version of this habit is what is known as ”spec work”  If you’re not an artist, this is the kind of opportunity where you aren’t paid (or are paid very little), but receive “great exposure” for your work.

Exposure marketing is valid – if you’re the new Pizza Hut in town.  It’s good to let people know you exist.

However, there is another form of marketing that drives traffic to you – usually an ad, special, discount, etc.  The end result is to make a sale.  Artists need THAT kind of marketing.

Spec work is not it.  Being paid poorly or not at all also affects the local market.  If everyone in services could agree to keep within a certain range (I’m not advocating price fixing) then the customer could decide who had the most professional, quality option.  As I’ve written before, avoid being the under-cutter – or competing with them.  Most often these people are desperate, poor quality and fly-by-night.  You don’t want to be lumped in with that.

 But still spec customers try.  They’ll tie in the “living your faith” plea or plead hardship – or the most risky “you’ll get paid on the back end.”

I’m guilty of being in these situations – although it mostly occurred in my youth when I was more idealistic, energetic and naive.  But I find that I’m still a little of each. 

A notable example is a recent project whose proponent had actually sought me out on the internet.  He enjoyed my style of work and the openness with which I ran my business.  Being a man of faith, he also appreciated my “attitude of gratitude” and how I gave credit where credit was due (to God.)  In retrospect, I see that he played all 3 cards at our initial meeting – faith, poverty and “royalty” agreement.  But, as a professional I wanted to ensure the work matched his vision and prepared concept sketches to his approval – with the proviso that his work would be completed at a comfortable (but committed) pace with a deadline while other current projects took precedence. 

And then the pressure came.  His lack of preparation led to unreasonable deadlines, rethinking the work, back-tracking on approved concepts and a general loss of time.  Somehow it was my fault.  Not to mention that he developed a problem with my maintaining previous relationships with actual paying clients.  His true nature was revealed. 

In the end, I worked at least 40 hours for nothing.  He received no products, but I also received no pay.

And so  this is the year I completely stand my ground.  It’s true that you get what you pay for, and I need to believe 1 or another truths – either I’m a terrible artist, or they’re a terrible customer.  I have to choose the prior for my own sanity, and suppress my inferiority complex – part of my own worst enemy.

It was decided some time ago.  Even the idea was a long time coming, and perhaps well over due, though the timing seems perfect now.   I anticipate it will be a lengthy process before a good habit is formed.  After all, I’m not only working against my tendency to over-think things, but against societal trends as well. 

Consider – we’re flooded with choices, especially in entertainment.  So much so that we barely have time to think before we need to make another selection.  Our quality of life becomes linked with instant gratification.   Meanwhile we’re developing A.D.D., impatience, and a lack of appreciation for anything that takes the time it needs to take (can you imagine the quality of work if the Mona Lisa was created on today’s deadline-driven schedule?)

And so, I recognize it will be a bit of an uphill battle. I have no expectations of when I’ll be acting more instinctual, but I do expect to get out of my own head eventually.

But why, you may ask, do I have the interest in such things anyway?  On one hand we all have a certain reflex thinking to different scenarios.  You see it in every horror movie:

Naïve girl:  “Oh look!  A scary house!  I should go inside and take a shower!” 

Audience: “No!  Don’t you hear the music?  And the lighting is dark and foreboding!”

On the other hand, how many of us have said “Dang! (or another choice word) I should’ve known better!” in any number of outcomes?

Can’t I be satisfied with the 50/50 chance?  Why not accept a healthy average and not focus on it so much?  A lot of people are happy with “contentment.”

But this pursuit is encouraged and even stereotyped in a number of professions.  In journalism, it’s a “nose” for the story.  In crime prevention, it’s a “gut” for the right direction.   Leaders and captains of industry have a “sense” about certain directions – despite what the statistics say.  Sometimes the risk pays off in a huge and illogical way.

And how many of us respect those that make a bold decision – even if they fail – because we admire their courage of conviction, faith, or just a lack of fear?

Isn’t that what it all comes down to – fear?   Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, fear of judgment, fear of the outcome.

When did we develop these fears?  Why do they have such commitment from us?

Even if fear is taken out of the equation – if for no other reason, I seek to “raise my own bar” and to continue to grow as a professional, I can’t just settle for the status quo.  I think it’s a part of continuing to live the dream.  There’s a price to pay even once you’ve arrived.

An artist can have a “feeling” about a project.  Perhaps it’s the color used in a work.  Maybe it’s the brush stroke or even a different application of paint altogether.  Maybe the scope of the project is one that needs to evolve.  It’s possible the idea itself needs to “percolate” a little more before its time has come.

In business relationships, some people strike you as “odd” for a reason.  Others strike you as having enormous potential.  You get a feeling you’d like to keep in touch with some connections and others you hope lose your contact info.

In the coming weeks, I hope to provide not only updates on this process but also specific examples to further prove the point.  As I work to defeat my own worst enemy and everything he represents, I look forward to updating you on the results.  I also hope you find encouragement to do the same.

I am a success by my own definition and on my own terms, I have no regrets, and I am hope-filled for the future.  I love what I do, but I need to do it.

There are times where business trends leave the sounds of crickets chirping around the office.  It’s a scary experience.  But I also know the trends well enough to plan accordingly.  In those times I joke that “I can’t even afford myself!”  Because we strive to be the best, we have established premium services and can command a premium rate.

The joke has another connotation though – if I could afford us, would I?

I challenge you to think along the same lines – and be objective.  If you had a choice in service providers and even if one was considerably cheaper, would you still choose your company?

Are you a “get what you pay for” provider or are you “all we can afford, so we’ll overlook a few things?”

It can be as scary a revelation as the crickets chirping.

Some people have a strong preference.  Perhaps it’s relative to the thirst, the occasion or other intangibles.

The key difference in my mind isn’t how well either brand is made or marketed.  I’m not aware of any political affiliations either company has or if they have skeletons in the closet.  I think I would take such skeletons with a grain of salt anyway.

But the bottom line is Coke costs what Coke costs.  Faygo costs what Faygo costs.  One is just more expensive than the other.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard or witnessed anyone haggling about the cost of either.  Maybe they go on sale, maybe you have a coupon, maybe there’s even a promotional giveaway.  But whatever it costs at the time you need to acquire it won’t spark a revolt.

Now apply this to your own business.  Would you consider yourself a “Coke” brand or a “Faygo” brand?

I don’t want you to be too caught up in the egotism of “what my time is worth” or “how I’m more important than someone else.”  This is more about a sense of pride in your service.  It equates with “you get what you pay for” – and you should see yourself as a premier brand. 

This line of thinking can also be an eye-opener, especially if you’ve never done any marketing to see how your brand is perceived.

Perhaps it will spark a change in advertising, public venues, or just pricing.  Ultimately, it also translates into what kind of customers you attract.

Have you ever been in a city long enough to establish “where the money is?”  Because the resources are available, the environment is improved.  Sometimes you’ll notice the affluent version of  a facility or store that has a quality counterpart (but just outside the “comfort zone”)  In short, because they can, the rich are willing to pay to establish the environment they want (and not necessarily need)

I’m not judging the rich – I hope to join the club – and in short, if someone is willing to pay for a premier service or brand, who am I to judge that they shouldn’t pay a price in accordance with such quality?

So examine your strategy.  Are you attractive to the premier-seekers or will you be relegated to the bargain basement?

If I’m too short to dunk a basketball, I may be giving my best but will probably never be giving Michael Jordan’s best.

If I have no sense of rhythm, I may be trying hard to keep count, but will never be giving Fred Astaire’s best.

Then again there are exceptions – if I’m terrible at math, I may or may not be giving Einstein’s best.

But it is the exceptions that I think too many people focus on as the norm – as if it’s easier to expect the same from everyone instead of taking the extra time to direct each person towards their strengths.

Granted, success stories are great inspiration and should be seen as the spirit of tenacity bringing dreams to fruition.  There was a time when Jordan couldn’t make the basketball team, when Astaire was a clumsy kid, and when Einstein flunked math.

A key difference is passion.

I’ve never met any successful person in any walk of life who didn’t work hard to achieve – ignoring nay-sayers, adversity, or just popular opinion.  Successful people aren’t super-human or from a distant planet, they just wanted it badly enough.  Sometimes a special teacher, coach or parent was involved.  Sometimes it was over many years of development.

On the other hand, every successful person I’ve ever met also recognized (or had astute help with recognizing) their destiny - it wasn’t a hopeless dream.  They knew they had potential - even if it didn’t make sense at the time (honestly, have you ever met a really good accountant who knew since childhood?)

And so I offer this challenge to you – are you soaring with your strengths, or trying to fit an Einstein into a Jordan?

Life is too short to try and recognize someone else’s potential and deny your own.  Work towards change starting today!

This is for the affable.

The Everyman wants to work hard, be successful and generate as much business as possible.  That’s a respectable ethic.  However, there is a balance.  In a need vs. want mentality, you shouldn’t favor the latter.

Maybe you didn’t plan on being this way.  Life sneaks up on you and you may wake up with more than you don’t need and less of what you do.

If you’re finding priorities becoming re-organized or obscured altogether to fit the whims of your clients, consider it a warning sign of things-to-come.

If you find that your business calls or e-mails are un-returned – even from common courtesy – you may be trapped in a devalued state.  Of course some prospects will hope you “get the hint” with their silence, but the other possibility is sickening.

The status quo is a tricky concept to maintain.  However, pretend it’s to your advantage and your clients need your attention.  extend the time between calls or e-mails a little.  Give them a little space.  You may be surprised that the next time you reach out, it’s a more appropriate timing.  They may even have just planned to call you!

Reflect upon which are loyal to you – those are the ones to keep, and the personality to look for in prospects.   Those types deserve your dedication – and within reason.

Loyal clients will also appreciate you as a person.  They’ll understand your commitment to excellence, but also to your family (for example.)

Before too long, you may find a new balance in your life and a new success in your business.

The only thing you have to lose by trying this approach is a lack of respect.

Children are like sponges – they absorb everything from their environment.  From the things they see and hear, to the people they interact with.  When you consider the limited context they can put experiences in, it can make you paranoid to realize who may be teaching your children by their example.

So apply this to a private event you may be having.  Perhaps you’re interested in hiring entertainment for your child’s birthday party.  You may have an idea of what you’d like, but who do you trust?  Ultimately referrals are only as trustworthy as the person making them, and even then your experience will vary because you have your own preferences.  

I have heard many party horror stories about bad service in a number of ways.  They make me cringe as a provider and a parent.  I can only pray that what I represent stands apart.  But the stories have also provided me with a checklist for finding quality when I need the best for my budget:

Firstly, it’s nice to go with a name you know and trust.  Loyalty breeds loyalty.   As an entrepreneur, I like to encourage like minds and sometimes am tempted to give someone else a chance.  But, the right resource will always see repeat business as an honor and do their best to live up to it accordingly.

Next, I will not be caught in a bidding war.  While a quality entertainer will like to be sensitive to your budget, “no one barters for a burger” – sometimes quality just costs what it costs.  I would be suspicious of under-cutters.  They’re usually desperate for money and only see you as dollar signs and not a person trusting them with their children. 

I will also not insult quality talent by expecting a ridiculous deal.  Devaluing is all ready a problem in our society (has your job been out-sourced?) without it being applied to talent.

A degree of humility is important in those with talent.  Whether they credit it as a gift from God, a product of hard-earned experience, or both, they will always be grateful for your interest – even if it’s just a compliment.  As an artist, I can tell you the perfectionist nature is always there.  I’ve drawn more than 250,000 caricatures alone and still worry about quality. 

Those I would hire love what they do!  They’re living a dream, have no problem with talking with me about their influences, showing samples of work, and giving options.  In any field of work, there are those who have limitless passion and energy and those who should have retired years ago. 

Lastly, quality associates with quality.  Because I work hard to be the best at what I do, I only align myself with like-minds.  It is an honor for me to refer business to people who I know will represent my faith and trust in them.  Ask providers you have hired who they would recommend.  They’ll understand why you want “something different” and even offer to arrange an introduction.  I belong to The Creative Network (www.thecreativenet.com) and each member likes to work and works hard.  We’re not an agency and we seek to help each other grow our businesses strong.