How to be so good they can't ignore you

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How to be so good they can't ignore you

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: When I started my business, I had no idea what I was doing.

It all started with a text message from my brilliant friend, Dorie Clark , suggesting that I might be able get off the grind of odd-jobs that supported my work as a jazz musician by trying my hand at being a virtual assistant. But that's a story for another time.

I had no business degree, and no real understanding about how to make a profit - the most I'd made in an entire year of my life was $25,000. My decision to listen to my friend's advice threw everyone who cared about me for a loop - I was going to do what? Quit the only things that made me any amount of reliable money to become an entrepreneur? While being a jazz musician who was getting ready to produce a concert at Carnegie Hall?

What I did have, though, was the knowledge that I had the creativity and the smarts to figure it all out, that I'd promise my early clients that we'd learn together as we went and that I'd find a way to grow from my early lessons in business.

I also had a competitive advantage. I was coming from the music world, and my early clients valued my creativity. That's still the case, almost 8 years later.

What we can learn from Shucked on Broadway

There's a show on Broadway right now called Shucked. Its marketing is astoundingly simple - it's a show about corn, and it's a comedy. Its score is a mix of contemporary musical theater... and country.

What?

As a musical writer, who's also writing a comedy, I was simultaneously intrigued and a little offended. A show about corn? What's the plot? Why should I care? Also, I hate country music.

And then I heard this song. Take a moment and listen - I'll wait.

Independently Owned is sung by performer Alex Newell (they/them), who plays Lulu (she/her) in the show. They won the Tony this year for best featured actor in a musical, which came as a surprise to exactly no one. But here's the kicker: Lulu is not the main character. She's a supporting character - the cousin and best friend of Maisie, our protagonist.

News of Shucked coming to Broadway came out, and suddenly this song was everywhere. And when I saw Alex sing this live, I wasn't at all surprised to be in the middle of a true showstopper for the first time in my life - the audience stood up and cheered around me, refusing to let the show go on for at least a minute. And any recording doesn't do their voice or performance justice - they're so loud, and so clear, that I'm left wondering if they even need a microphone. They hold high notes for what feels like an eternity. There's character in every note. Even if you never see another moment of Shucked, you know exactly who this character is from this song.

I've heard several people sing this song since hearing Alex, and no one quite puts the grit and character into it the way they do. They manage to take this song and make it their own - something I strive to take with me into every business meeting.

So how do you make sure you're so good they can't ignore you?

Take something and make it your own - so good, so exciting, so different that it stands out from everything else.

Ready to make your ideas so good that no one can ignore them? Book a time to talk with me. I'll be in office until December 22nd.