1. Treat the newbies with respect: I hate it when I see people mistreat those underneath them. I can’t tell you how many times some ambitious youngster that I helped out in the past created or connected me with an opportunity that was hugely beneficial.  Your influence could be just the thing to spark the next mogul, and it can be a big pay back for you in the future.

2. Stay in contact: The old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”, holds true in the world of business. Don’t just interact with those who can help you when you need something. It can make  you come off as an annoying opportunist. Drop and email or give a call, sometimes just to say hello. Find out what the other person is into,  if they have a hobby, or do something for them without expecting something in return. Find alternative ways to make a personal connection. Doing this can create a rapport that goes well beyond just a business relationship.

3. Talking bad about others: Communities can be small, especially music communities. Watch what you say and who you say it to. You could be saying something bad about someone to a friend of that person. You don’t have to make yourself look good by dumping on others, and it may ruin a potential business relationship without you even knowing it.

4. Keeping your word: You can really tarnish a relationship by saying you’re going to do something and then not come through. It’s better to just say no if you can’t do it. Don’t get a reputation for being a flake.

5. Saying, thank you: If there was an 8th deadly sin it would be ungratefulness. If someone does something for you, take time out to show that you appreciate it. You’re almost guaranteed not to get a second favor from a person if you don’t show your gratitude for the first one.

Have any others you can add to the list? Feel free to chime in…

File this 8 part video series under “inspirational”. If you don’t know who Derek Sivers is, he is the founder and former president of CD Baby. A highly successful service that revolutionized the way we buy music on the internet. Derek was and still is a musician and he has a lot of jewels to share about staying focused, knowing when something isn’t working, and living out your independent, entrepreneurial dreams. Collectively this series is about 50 minutes but it’s a great motivator. Check it out.

“If you want to achieve some really big and interesting goals, you have to learn to fall in love with hard work.”

When I share great quotes with people I usually tell them that they’re not just for their benefit, but that they are reminders for me as well. See we’re creatures of habit and most of us need to break some of the bad behavior patterns that are keeping us from the success that we desire. And it doesn’t matter how you measure that success. Rather it be wealth, or just completing that project that you’ve been taking way to long to finish.

You’ve got to not settle for being mediocre…by your own standards. We all know when we’re slacking of, or taking shortcuts. Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks. You don’t live for them, and everyone in this game is going to have their fair share of haters and people who want to shoot down their dreams. I can’t think of one artist that doesn’t. But know this, most of those successful artists got there with a tremendous amount of hard work and focus on what they wanted. Even the ones you think are wack. In fact they probably worked the hardest.

Succeeding in this game is not easy. But what do you lose by working hard at something you love and have a passion for? Nothing! If you have a gift, refine it, polish it, and continue to challenge yourself. Most of the time, the only person that can stand in your way is yourself.

keep grindin’!

1. Don’t think that heavy marketing and aggressive promotion will be the solution to all your problems. Your music must be great. No amount of marketing will make people care about bad music.

2. Don’t be afraid to be different. Biting someone’s sound and style may get you noticed short term, but the artists who have a lasting affect are those who dare to stand out and create something new.

3. Don’t ignore your fans. Focus on building genuine relationships. Nothing beats word of mouth promotion.

4. Don’t underestimate the power of video. It doesn’t take a big budget to make an entertaining music video. A handycam, a little clever editing, and a creative idea can do wonders for a your songs.

5. Don’t contact blog owners, magazines, or DJs without knowing what their interests are. Do your homework! The more you know about them, the more impressed your contact will be with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEozcE542FM

Here are a few inspiring words from some successful independent artists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBrRLI4ozag

Seth Godin is a marketing mastermind, and I’ve been checking him out for a few years now. This is not my first post on him. I just feel that some of his words of wisdom can be beneficial to anyone trying to succeed in any career.  It’s words like the ones contained in this video, that inspire me to make this blog a tool that improves your life after you visit it.  Apply them when thinking about your craft.

They say how your spend your time is as important as how you spend your money. Very true. There are lot of people who seem to stay busy doing a lot of little things but at the end of the day never complete any of them. This post is about time management.  By effectively examining how you spend your time each day, you can see just how much you waste and make the necessary adjustments to become more productive. Here are 5 ways that worked for me.

1. The “To Do” list: I live by my list and try to check mark as much as I can everyday. The app that comes with my phone makes this easy to manage. Sure there are things that may pop up that will cause you reorder the priorities of your list, but at the end of the day, those check marks make you feel like you’ve made some accomplishments.

2. Multitasking: Some how this became a cool word for people who claimed that they could work on several things at once. I’ve been guilty of it too. Don’t do it. Would you want your surgeon multitasking while you’re on the operating table? I think not. The more you focus your mind on one specific task at a time, the more efficiently you’re going to complete it. In the beginning, I used to write articles for this blog while listening to artists submissions, monitoring twitter and watching television.  I thought I was getting more done but I was constantly going back correcting spelling errors, replaying music and reviewing what I missed on TV. I was wasting a lot more of my time and not doing the job to the best of my ability.

3. Meetings: Most physical meetings about business are a complete waste of time. It sorta makes people feel productive and important so say, “Lets have a lunch meeting.” The fact is, a large majority of those meetings could have been taken care of over the phone in a few minutes.  Cut out the fat and get to the meat! You’ll save time and the money you would have spent on gas, lunch or the bus. Now I think that it’s important to have first introduction meetings face-to-face, but if you want to look at the other party, use a webcam with Skype. It’s free!! You don’t even have to pay for the call and you can record the meeting if you want. How cool is that?  Use the technology!

4. Over-planning:  A well thought out  plan is great, but far to0 many people spend too much time sketching out the blueprints and never get to the actual building. Sometimes you can spend months and years planning an idea, only to find out that it’s a bad one. The quicker you put your ideas to work the sooner you can find out if they fail or if you need fine tune them. If it turns out to be a bad plan, no big deal. Scrap it and start a new one. This will bring you closer to one that succeeds.

5. Rest: Overworking the human brain and body will eventually cause it to cease operating at an optimum level. Resting is something that i had force into my daily routine also. I love what I do so it never feels like work.  Grinding 24hrs a day is not only unhealthy, but it causes you to not be as sharp in mind as you would be after proper rest. Resting greatly reduces the stress of those dreadful tasks you need to complete as well. You’ll look better too.

Real spit from Hov.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M88uMRwsj0U

Truth of the matter is, Will Smith most likely has just a fraction of the rap talent you have. Take one look at this interview segment and you’ll see why he crushed everyone else. HIS GRIND IS RELENTLESS! This man will not lose. .

Hope it inspires you as well. Go out there and get it, fam!

The music business model is ever changing. Even if you’re an artist that’s signed to a label, you have to learn how to manage the business of being a successful artist.  In this aritcle, producer, John Snyder goes further into depth about these 8 qualities of being an artist entrepreneur.

1. Wants to work for themselves, doesn’t want to work for someone else
2. Can communicate and is organized about it
3. Isn’t afraid of taking risks
4. Sees opportunity and takes it
5. Understands the need for innovation and innovates
6. Overcomes adversity, doesn’t take no for an answer
7. Knows how to sell themselves and their ideas
8. Ready to fight for what they believe