- Hey Mike
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- Stop waiting for the perfect time
Hi,
This week’s newsletter is more mindset related as opposed to case study / tactical like the last few weeks. It’s an idea I’ve been thinking about for a while and one that has come up in a few of my recent conversations.
It’s the idea of not waiting for the perfect time to do something and just taking that first to start now.
This newsletter highlights:
The mindset of not waiting for the perfect time
Resources for those affected by the California wildfires
10 music industry job roles
Let’s dive in ⬇️
About 2 weeks ago I was having a conversation with an artist I recently met and after a few minutes, the conversation turned to releasing music.
The artist mentioned that they had been working on a project along with a series of visuals and shared how excited and proud they were of it.
I could sense the excitement in their voice so I started asking a few questions…
“That sounds really exciting. When do you plan on putting it out?”
The artist looked at me and with a little bit of a laugh, said something to the effect of…
“Honestly…not anytime soon. I feel like it’s close but not 100% perfect yet. When I release something into the world I want it to be 100% perfect. No flaws. No errors. Same thing with the visuals. Everything has to be just right. I feel like I’m close but it’s not there yet.”
After asking how long the artist has been sitting on the almost completed project, they replied they’ve had it for almost a year.
That night, I thought about how that conversation had a lot of synergy to an idea I’ve been thinking about recently:
This artist was so caught up in the idea of making this project “perfect”, they spent the better part of a full year continuing to refine and tweak it.
Now…I think it’s crucial for artists + creators to be proud of their work and never release anything they aren’t comfortable with or proud of. Being proud of your art always comes first. If something straight up doesn’t sound good, that’s one thing!
That said…I think it’s important to keep in mind that perfection in many cases doesn’t exist!
Try to get it as close as possible to a level you’re happy with, let it fly, learn from the results, and keep creating.
Last year, I stumbled on a quote from a marketing newsletter that really resonated with me:
“In the current landscape, you’re more likely to find success by being consistently good than occasionally great.”
As soon as I read it, I feel like it really captured why some artists are able to find so much success in today’s landscape, despite it being oversaturated.
The artists and creators that find success are essentially like startups building in public…
They are making their product (music or content) as best it can be, releasing or launching consistently, making improvements in real time, and taking massive action.
Sure, everything won’t be perfect and they’ll make mistakes and sometimes “fail” in public - but the truth is that it takes an unbelievable amount of consistency and output to find success and more importantly, the action and repetition that comes with that action is what leads to sharpening the skillset, becoming better, and gaining experience.
There’s a reason why artists like Russ are able to find so much success…
Do those early songs sound like they were mixed or mastered by a world renowned engineer? Nope. But they got the job done and allowed Russ to be prolific with his release cadence and output, allowing him to improve his skillset very quickly - all while building a fanbase as a result of his high output and getting feedback from fans.
Artists: it’s okay if that song doesn’t hit 1 million streams.
Or even a few hundred thousand.
Or even 50,000.
As long as you continue creating and releasing music, you’re always in the game and sharpening your sword.
Also…many artists and creators are so driven that what might not feel “perfect” to them is actually still really good to someone else. The bar is always subjective.
The same concept applies to creators: that one YouTube video you’re sitting on will likely never be perfect!
It’s okay if it doesn’t hit 1 million views.
Or even a few hundred thousand.
Let it fly, learn, create, test, iterate, release, and keep going.
It’s important to hold yourself to a high standard but don’t let that stop you from taking action.
Some creators and artists may also feel like they don’t have the means to create at the production value they want to. That’s a fair point but the truth is…there are artists right now creating music on their phones who are doing millions of streams and generating significant income from their music. It doesn’t have to be perfect, I promise.
Having a plan and strategy is important but once you feel confident in the plan, let it fly!
Another quote I heard recently was:
“Use what you have until what you have pays for what you want.”
The cost of taking action and it not working is a lesson learned and feedback.
The cost of inaction is a lifetime of never knowing.
Thanks for reading, until next time.
California wildfire resources
1) Therapists offering Pro Bono Therapy sessions: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uAMVz8TQMzShQeuEA6kmOP0jyRN7qe1Iiqb6JOLTPqg/edit?gid=303232729#gid=303232729
2) A list of +200 folks in the music industry who need help, along with their names, GoFundMe links, and contact information: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jyJ-NM2qP-iRk1LJ8l3dc7e0M3IhHlo3E7Agvo9JOAQ/edit?gid=0#gid=0
3) GoodRX is offering free telehealth visits with code "LA-GOODRX-CARE": https://www.goodrx.com/care
4) AirBnB and 211LA partnered up to offer free temporary housing: https://care.211cs.org/public-survey/86c5adf88e2a29c103df24ba5f48cd3f6cf9a9171207a15954dbb8b9649429f0
5) The MusiCares Foundation is offering assistance -
If you’ve been working in the music industry for 5+ years and need help, they are offering:
•$1,500 in financial assistance
•$500 in food vouchers
Contact information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone #: 1-800-687-4227
6) Music Spreadsheet - Includes artists, key titles, genres, UPC, GoFundMe links, official artist links, IG links, and some context of how each artist has been impacted.
Music industry job opportunities
1) A&R Research Manager - Hundred Days Records
Salary: Unlisted
Location: Remote
Apply HERE
2) Artist Manager @ Independent Recording Artist - The Digilogue
Salary: Unlisted
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Apply HERE
3) Musicologist - ASCAP
Salary: $55,000 - $70,000
Location: New York, NY
Apply HERE
4) Coordinator, Music Programming - Sirius XM
Salary: $44,000 - $50,200
Location: New York, NY
Apply HERE
5) Brand Consulting - Account Manager, Entertainment Partnerships - CAA
Salary - $79,000 - $119,500
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Apply HERE
6) Social Media Manager - Chillhop
Salary: €2.730,00 - €3.494,63
Location: Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands
Apply HERE
7) Administrative Assistant - 8 Til Faint
Salary: Unlisted
Location: Toronto & Los Angeles
Apply HERE
8) A&R - SILO
Salary: Unlisted
Location: Studio City, CA
Apply HERE
9) Manager of Content Strategy - Position Music
Salary: $50,000 - $55,000
Location: Burbank, CA
Apply HERE
10) Head of Audio - Universal Music Group
Salary: Unlisted
Location: London, UK
Apply HERE
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