No Matter What, Give It Your All

Did you ever wonder whether you have professional standards that are a tad too low? Is it too easy for you to justify a bad day simply by saying that (somebody else) made it too hard for you to do your best? Standing almost alone on a stage last night, Kevin Griffin made me think hard about this.

He's the founder and lead singer of the band Better Than Ezra. He came to a tiny venue near us and played without his band for about 100 people.

A talented songwriter who also pens songs for many other artists, Griffin has produced, written, and co-written albums and songs that have sold over 30 million copies.

He must actually love what he does, because why else would he play small clubs like this one?

I've seen plenty of others play in this venue, and in many cases it can be mildly pleasant but hardly exciting.

Within five minutes, it was utterly obvious that Griffin didn't need 1,000 cheering fans to create energy. He brought his own.

Later in the night, he added percussionist Jen Lowe - playing the smallest drum set I've ever seen - and they nearly blew the roof off the place.

When the drunk guys in row 4 started singing and cheering, Griffin made them part of his act. When it became obvious that most of the audience knew all his lyrics, he used them as a chorus.

Griffin took requests. He played other people's songs, Better Than Ezra songs, and lyrics he seemed to make up on the spot.

Here's what he didn't do...

Griffin didn't make excuses. He didn't say:

• "I'm used to playing big halls. There are only 100 people here. This is a joke."
• "People in Connecticut are boring. Why did I come here?"
• "I'm tired of playing night after night. Maybe I'll just coast on this one.

Now back to you. Do you only give it your all on a few select days when all the stars align? Or do you pour energy into your performance day after day, just because that's the way you love to live?

Pump up the energy, and perhaps the volume. Blow the roof off any "venue" you play.

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.