Sign O'The Times: Inspirational quotes from Prince Rogers Nelson

Prince's seminal masterpiece ‘Sign of the Times’ gets a super deluxe release this week. In 1987, the world was dealing with a lot of similar issues that we're all confronting today: There was a huge health crisis, (AIDS); the ongoing threat of nuclear war & superpowers jostling for power; the Challenger explosion setting a dark shadow over the year; and deep divides socially and politically, (sound familiar?). This album feels more relevant now than ever.

Waiting for this classic to land, I paused to reflect what lessons can be learnt from the Minneapolis genius and applied to our lives, modern business and how we work.

Prince’s work ethic was second to none. He lived and breathed music. On tour, he was renowned for playing sold out stadium and arena shows, 2/3 hours long, with a different set list each night, then hours later, after the gig, moving on to jam and play special ‘after show’ parties in small clubs for another 2-3 hours, often with other famous musicians. He was always recording new music. Not one for sleeping at night, he would sit alone in his home and recording complex Paisley Park and record well into the next morning.

He appreciated that to be the best he needed to learn & master everything around him. Playing guitar solos that made Hendrix look amateurish. Performing heart rendering piano solos that even Mozart would of applauded. Drums. Bass guitar. Dance. Sing. No problem. Write his own music…in his infamous vault enough material for a new album release every year for a hundred years. He designed all his own clothes. Write, direct, produce, compose and perform his own music & films…who does that in the music industry now? His talent showed no boundaries.

Prince, whilst a great musician, was also a great entrepreneur.  He sought creative freedom from the ‘servitude’ of life long music contracts where labels ‘owned’ all creative output, (famously writing ‘Slave‘ on his face); through his high-profile battles for creative freedom, Prince shed light on the vagaries of contract law, the importance of copyright, the challenge of bootlegging and the illegal use of recording artists’ images. Prince’s decision to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol during his dispute with his record company Warner Bros, while criticised & ridiculed at the time, gave Prince strong legal grounds to record, own and distribute music on his terms, when he wanted. With the emergence of the internet, Prince innovated and embraced the concept of using the web for audience interaction (10 years before social media). He pioneered by giving his album ‘Planet Earth’ away for free with the ‘Daily Mail’ newspaper. He rebelled against the internet where he sought to control his music and ban sites like ‘YouTube’, ‘Pandora’ and ‘Spotify’ distributing his music for free / minimal return. Prince’s independence from record labels forged a new revenue model from dependence on royalties to direct-to-consumer sales via the internet and live performances. Both models now the commonplace norm of how the music business generates it revenue.  

To be a genius, Prince had shrewd business ideas and views on life. Many which we can learn and apply to our own lives and careers today. Here’s a few of his insights and what they can mean for us.

 Inspirational Prince Quotes

- "Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people". How often do we aspire to be someone else?  There can be times managers try to shape us to be something we are not. The best version of ourselves is our true self. How often we lose sight of that! Believe in who you are. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

“Cool means being able to hang with yourself. All you have to ask yourself is 'Is there anybody I`m afraid of? Is there anybody who if I walked into a room and saw, I`d get nervous?' If not, then you`re cool”. Learn to enjoy your own company. Love who you are. Despite his exhibitionism on stage Prince was a painfully shy man. He also showed that introverts can make it big. The key is learning to be happy with who you are and be COOL.

-“I had a massive ego. Massive. But that’s not such a bad thing. Because at least you’re aspiring to be something, you consider yourself great because you want to be great.” Set yourself big audacious goals. Dream big. Have something to aim for and aspire to be the very best you can be. Goal setting helps trigger new behaviours, helps guide your focus and helps you gain momentum in life. In the end, you can’t manage what you don’t measure and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals does that and much more.

- "People who have no creativity, talent, or courage are the ones who follow the rules. Be brave, be bold, step up and make your own! The passion that lies inside of you means you don't need to follow the pack, because you transcend it." How easy is it to follow the rules? Be part of the compliant following herd. Stay hidden, not stand out and avoid the risk of getting shot down. But ask yourself are the rules right? Times change, are there better ways to do things? Remember, rules often change because of the boldness of innovators offering a new way.

-“Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what’s already there.” Prince lived for innovating. In business life we need to ask ourselves, both as a company but also as individual employees, how do we stand out? What makes us unique? Taking a risk, trying something new, creates those new foundations. Innovation fosters competitive advantage as it allows you to build better products and services for your customers.

- "The grind is real. There are no shortcuts. But what’s the alternative? Don’t quit one meter before you strike gold. Keep moving forward and creating the life of your dreams." Never give up. Life isn’t easy. Success often needs to be earned. Some make life choices to clock off at 5. Some work longer hours, studying, learning to be that little bit better. Prince rehearsing for close to 20 hours a day non-stop for several days in a row showed he knew he had to work hard to be the best he could be. A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. As he warned: “Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success”. 

- "I don’t really care so much what people say about me because it usually is a reflection of who they are".  So many people spend time worrying what people think of them. Seeking the need for endorsement of their lives or careers. Social media shows that many like to sit in judgement on other people’s lives, (often through the cowardice of anonymity). But have you noticed how, more often or not, those judging have little to celebrate in their own lives? Maybe their attention is better placed judging their own personal lives not others and being supportive of others. #BeKind. Key lesson. Focus on you and encourage everyone you know.

- "There are people who are unhappy with everything". "Negative people will always have something negative to say. Don’t let their fickle opinions bother you." Don’t let negative people drag you down. Associate with positive people who support you. This applies to some managers who want to solidify their position by belittling their reports. Karma has the habit of biting them. Keep strong & positive. Life is too short.

- "People will always have their opinions. Only you know who you really are. Focus on living authentically and honestly, have integrity in all that you do, and those opinions won’t matter."  Being real and authentic is the essence of modern business success. Don’t sacrifice authenticity for approval. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind!

- "As human beings we suffer from an innate tendency to jump to conclusions; to judge people too quickly and to pronounce them failures or heroes without due consideration of the actual facts and ideals of the period."  No-one knows what is happening in your life. The struggles and challenges you face. You are unique. Only you know the facts.  Ensure you are fulfilled and happy.

- “There are no accidents. And if there are, it’s up to us to look at them as something else. And that bravery is what creates new flowers.” We all make mistakes in life. Great entrepreneurs take risks. Risks don’t always pay off. But learning lessons leads to growth and new pastures. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. As Seneca says: “It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.”

- "Everyone has a rock bottom". Life is stressful. Even the most successful people have lows and hit rock bottom. Maybe monetary, maybe emotionally & psychologically but we all have a rock bottom. How we face it and break free from it is key.  When rock bottom, when you feel like you have been hit by a juggernaut, then is the time to dig deep and fight back. Rock bottom is not your end, it is a new beginning.

- “Time is a mind construct. It’s not real. A strong spirit transcends rules.” "Time is something we created in order to measure the span of our lives. It’s not meant to create fear in you or paralyse you from moving forward. You are never too old and it is never too late to start over." How often are people written off as too old? But, in reality their knowledge and experience is priceless. But conversely, you hear someone is too young & not ready yet.  Age is just a number. It carries no weight. The real weight is in impact.  When someone is ready, they are ready. The youngest school leaver may be ready to be a leader. What’s to stop them? Rules? Prejudice?  Don’t let age or time be a barrier to your success.

- Two similar quotes from Prince. 'When you wake up, each day looks the same, so each day should be a new beginning'. “You decide how you view the world each day. Choose to make it inspired!" However bad your day before, however bad your night sleep is, however bad your life is, life is full of challenges & obstacles to overcome, treat every day as a new dawn.

- "Success can also cause misery. The trick is not to be surprised when you discover it doesn't bring you all the happiness and answers you thought it would." Don’t crave success for success sake. Work hard and enjoy all you do. 

- “Everyone has their own experience. That’s why we are here, to go through our experience, to learn, to go down those paths and eventually you may have gone down so many paths and learned so much that you don’t have to come back again.” Experience, learning, trying new things, all combine to open new paths & opportunities.

- “I don’t live in the past. I don’t play my old records for that reason. I make a statement, then move on to the next.” Never rest on your laurels and past successes. Always seek to be better and innovate. Prince experimented. Rock. Pop. Jazz. Blues. RnB. Hip Hop. Fused them together. In modern business how often do you hear ‘ We tried that once’. ‘that won’t work’ ‘let’s stick to the tried & tested’. Business conditions change, we adapt, learning from the past but not being driven by it. Stick to what you believe is right.

- “I want to make heart decisions in business. If you can’t do that, you’re not free. I want to be able to dictate which way I’m going to go". Follow your heart. Do what you love and enjoy. Fulfilment lies in what you want not what others ask of you. Let your heart be your compass when you feel lost.

- “Sometimes ideas are coming so fast that I have to stop doing one song to get another. But I don’t forget the first one. If it works, it will always be there. It’s like the truth: it will find you and lift you up. And if it ain’t right, it will dissolve like sand on the beach.”

- “Technology is cool, but you’ve got to use it as opposed to letting it use you.” Prince recognised the power of the internet. But also our addiction in seeking technological solutions for all we do. Key is to not let the internet consume us. It can cause people to seek verification, make them mad, angry, bitter, and lead to a loss of enthusiasm to live your best life. Key is to avoid overconsumption. 

“It gets embarrassing to say something untrue because you put it online and everyone knows about it, so it’s better to tell the truth.” Integrity is telling yourself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. 

- “When you don’t talk down to your audience, then they can grow with you.” Never talk down to people. If they talk down to you remember those who talk behind your back, they’re there for a reason!

- “Compassion is an action word with no boundaries”. Prince was a fierce philanthropist. He was very concerned about the poor and a pioneer for black lives, but he also believed in economic empowerment and uplift. He helped create YesWeCode, an organization which gives underprivileged kids an entrance into the tech industry. He was behind “Green For All,” an advocacy group for green energy and social justice. His charity Love 4 One Another worked all over the United States, and he even toured to support them. He gave a free concert for deaf and blind students at the peak of his popularity. In business what we put back into society governs the world we live in. Feelings are key. We all have a part to play. “If you lend your consciousness to someone else, you’re a robot.”  No one has ever become poor by giving!

- “Nothing more ugly in the whole wide world than INTOLERANCE (between) Black, white, red, yellow, boy or girl. INTOLERANCE.” Prince passionately promoted that Black Lives Matter. In the 70’s he truly fused diverse audiences together as one. His message: "Instead of hate. Celebrate".  “Like books and black lives - albums still matter. Tonight and always.” The murder of Trayvon Martin inspired Prince to set up #YesWeCode. While people were debating whether the 17-year-old was a 'thug or a victim' and whether George Zimmerman was a 'racist or a hero,' Prince zeroed-in on the hoodie Martin wore. He said, 'Hold on a second: If a black kid wears a hoodie, you say he's a thug, and if a white kid wears a hoodie, you say it's Mark Zuckerberg. Why is that?' 'And then of course, I say, because of racism.' 'Well, maybe. Or maybe we just haven't produced enough black Mark Zuckerbergs. Why don't we focus on that?' 

"It's a hurtful place, the world, in and of itself. We don't need to add to it. And we're in a place now where we all need one another, and it's going to get rougher."  It doesn’t matter who hurts you, or broke you down, what matters is who made you smile again.

“No child is bad from the beginning, they just imitate their atmosphere.” Noone is born bad or evil. It’s the environment they grow up in. The quality of interaction with their parents.  The friends they make. The neighbourhood they live. This all combines to forge the person they become. The children of today are the future of tomorrow. And in order to tackle the environmental, social, and economic issues that our societies will face in the future, we need educated, skilled leaders who are dedicated to pursuing creative solutions. Modern business plays their part with Internships, Apprenticeships and hiring graduates. Invest in our youth as they are our tomorrow. Prince believed: “The system is broken. It's going to take the young people to fix it this time. We need new ideas, new life..." 

- “I’ve grown up, everyone’s got to grow up. But there’s something inside me, I’m always going to have that little sort of – how do you say? – child streak”. Nothing wrong with enjoying life, having fun and letting the inner child run free for a while. Life’s stressful enough! Children worry not about past or future. They live for the present. Something perhaps we can all learn a lesson from!

Prince has been the soundtrack to my life and a source of inspiration. As I risk neighbourly harmony with the launch of the ‘Sign O’ the Times Deluxe Edition’, cranking the volume to 10 to the skeletal funk of ‘Housequake’ shaking the house foundations to the core, it’s clear that Prince’s musical genius also stretched to great advice for our lives and careers. Thanks for the advice Prince. RIP.  

Photos by Jeff Katz. The master of photography.