We build better art when we start with an idea.  An idea begins in your head.  An idea can be a spark, an emotion, a cathartic experience, a belief that you are meant to create, or as simple as a message you want to communicate.  Without an idea, your work lacks intention.  Work that lasts begins with intention.  To make better art, you do not need a groundbreaking vision. No. Take a moment to allow yourself to be bored.  Put away your phone.Turn off the music.Remove distractions.Focus on your breathing.Exist.Do this for as long as possible, perhaps an hour. Aim to spend extended periods doing nothing.Eventually, you’ll want to do something.  Eventually, you’ll have an idea to make the experience better.Eventually, you’ll have a thought that, if realized, makes better what you do.  What keeps us from actually making better art, then?  We are afraid to take a step.Perhaps our ideas are meaningless?Perhaps people will laugh?Perhaps the cynics are right?Perhaps I’ll lose more than I gain?The list goes on. Overcome your fear and make better art.Write down all of your ideas.Each day, take a step to make something better.Each day, take an opportunity to be present with yourself and get bored.Each day, take one small step to realize your ideas.  Come alive.

A medium is any channel of communication (spoken word, art, music, written word, to name a few.) Go a step further; it means to create a bridge between two or more minds using a tool.  This blog uses the written word, as a medium, to communicate what’s inside my head to you.   I’ve never been a great writer, but I’m working on getting better. Writing every day helps! However, what percentage of what I see and feel within gets transmitted to you? How much do you receive?  As defined by Scott McCloud in his book, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, “The mastery of one’s medium is the degree to which that percentage can be increased, the degree to which the artist’s ideas survive the journey.”  We master the medium by acknowledging a simple fact, to “master a medium” is to be an artist. We are all capable of being artists.  The “be a better artist,” mini-series starts today.

You are not a mind reader.
Others cannot read your mind.

You must see others to understand their needs. You must speak to show others you understand.

To see means to be empathetic.
To speak means to communicate through a medium.

Empathy is placing yourself in the situation of another to understand them better. Go a step further; it means to tell yourself the story of another person as they would say it to you.

To market is to change the minds of others to hope for something better.The hope you create for others is your brand.  Your brand is a promise of a better.You serve the promise you make.Make something remarkable.Be remarkable:Go against the grain.Recreate memories.Race to the top.Be the right type of safe option.Be yourself.Create the right quality.Create clarity for your customers.Be passionate. Define success.The inspiration for the marketing series comes from Seth Godin’s book, “Purple Cow.” I highly recommend a read!

To market is to change the minds of others to hope for something better.The hope you create for others is your brand.  Your brand is a promise of a better.You serve the promise you make.Passionate people want to believe that what they do matters. What you do does matter.  Passionate people want to believe that what they do matters and leads to success. What you do matters, but what’s your definition of success?Success means different things to different people. I’ll share a bit about what success means to me.Every day, waking up and doing one thing that mattered. I write my blog.To see what I do help another person in a meaningful way.In times of stress, to be present and self-aware.To create something that will help someone have a better tomorrow.To work in a way that enables me to support my family.My definition of success does not include increasing my followers, nor does it involve maximizing profits. I have a job that enables me to survive. I don’t do what I do to be an influencer; I do what I do because I want to help at least one person to see something more in themselves. Maybe they’ll help or share with another?  If you haven’t guessed, I am passionate about helping others. MarketingIf someone were to read my blog, because they hoped for insights that would inspire them to do something better for themselves and others, and then make that change, I would feel successful.  How do you define success?  Are you passionate about it?OH! If you’re like me, you probably have friends who are passionate about making their lives better through their work. If you’re like me, you want to help them. If you find that this information might help people like our friends, consider letting them know about our mailing list. One email each day. No spam.

If you’ve been following along the marketing mini-series, you’ll have seen a few trends.  Importance of clarifying your message;Choose to be different; andTake steps to see the world from another’s point of view.I write on these themes often because most service providers struggle with the above; empathy is in short supply for much of the world these days. But there’s another reason that makes these points important.  When you practice these strategies, you’ll cut above the rest of your industry; you’ll be different. In other words, you’ll stand out. Being visible is important because customer confusion is not good!Everybody doing the same thing the same way means every provider is the same. That’s boring! It’s also confusing for the customer.  How do they understand who’s quality and who’s not?How do they know who meets their needs?How can they tell this up-and-coming group is better for them than the group that’s been around the longest?It’s difficult. In these situations, safe choices always win.  But you can do something to cut above the confusion.You can:Serve the smallest viable audience. Find an underserved niche group and serve them.Don’t say you’re “all things for all people” - you’re not. You’re a big thing to a specific group of people (see above).Use different types of photos, colors, and words that resonate with your target audience. Your taste doesn’t matter; think about your customer.Create a product/service that’s unique. If you’re in the party band scene, find a way to be remarkable.If everybody uses the same videos to get noticed, employ a different strategy.Un-confuse the confusedCreate a simple, singular, different, and empathetic message.  No one likes to struggle to find the answers.  Make it easier for others.  Serve them.

The quality of what you do is more important than the quality of what you do.  You (sarcastically): “Thanks, Brady, for being so clear.“I believe there are two types of quality.  The quality of what you do, as it matters to you.The quality of what you do, as it matters to others.A great marriage forms when you reconcile the differences between what matters to you, and what matters to others, and make something better from both. However, this is not often the case.  What matters to youThe other performers who share the stage with you.The repertoire you perform.To execute the repertoire in a way aligned with your style.To receive what you believe to be a fair wage for the work performed.The time it takes to get to the gig.The clothes you’ll need to wear, do they align with your style?Any extra tasks that take time away from what important to you.To be treated fairly.To receive what you perceive to be equitable treatment.What matters to others (customers)Do the people who are performing look like they love what they do?I want my guests to be impressed, does the staging area look professional?It’s important to me that my guests are not disturbed, are the performers set up before anyone arrives?Will the music performed resonate with my crowd?Will people walk away talking about how this was the best party of the year?Years later, will people still talk about my party?I’ve got so many other expenses; I hope the music doesn’t become a huge line item.Do I have the right lighting?Did I leave the oven on?What matters, mattersUnderstanding how others define quality enables you to understand how to demonstrate it.“People who believe what I believe, do things the way I do things.“You need to be able to see the world from your customer’s position. When you can see the world from their eyes, you can show them that you believe what they believe.When you demonstrate that you believe what they believe, they will work with you.They will work with you because you are safe.Creating the MarriageBefore starting any new project, determine a few things upfront.Who is this for? Create a specific picture of the customer.What do they believe? Empathetically project yourself into their hearts and minds.What do they fear? What are their problems? You don’t have the right to be the answer until you know the question!For my customer, what’s the impact if things go right? How will you improve their lives?What will make people want to share the experience with others?What will they share?When you take steps to understand how your client/customer defines quality, you’ll find more clients that want to work with you.  Go a step further, when you adopt their definition of quality and execute your work in a way that matters to them, you’ll find satisfaction in what you do. Why?  Because you’ve served someone else, they’re happy because of what you did for them. Your customer will share with the others. You’ll thrive.  Quality matters.  Others matter.Serve them.

Do you enjoy your work? I bet it depends on the day.I’ll also bet it depends on what you’re playing and who shares the stage with you. How does your customer know you enjoy your work? Do they care?I used to work as a talent agent. I positioned myself as representing the interests of the purchasing client, not the musician. The benefit of taking this position was that I got to see what truly mattered to my client without thinking about selling my band. It didn’t matter if the group I sold was mine; it just mattered that I sold the “right” band. Determining the “right” ensemble started as a nerve-wracking journey. For many prospective clients, I produced a slate of the best musicians between Milwaukee and Chicago. I would have been privileged to perform alongside some of these folks. Imagine my surprise when the weekend warrior bands consistently got picked. My clients were not professional musicians. They were “professional humans” seeking to share a feeling with their guests. This feeling came from a memory of a time when they first experienced music in a meaningful way. My clients wanted to rekindle that feeling for their guests. To make this happen, they needed to find people like them who believe what they believe. The weekend warrior may have a full-time job working outside the music industry. In my experience, often they do. In spite of how they spend their day, they love making music with their friends. For them, nothing brings greater joy than playing cover tunes with their friends and sharing that experience with others. As a result, they look like they enjoy their work because they enjoy their work. People who look like they enjoy what they do are like people who want to share a sense of enjoyment with others. As a result, showing enjoyment wins. Go a step further, showing that you are like the people you seek to serve “wins.” If you are a serious musician making high art, represent yourself that way. Find others who want serious music and high art. They will gladly pay you for you to share your craft. But then, in the same way, don’t represent yourself as the party musician. That’s not you, and to be what you’re not is fake. Don’t be fake. If you want to improve the conditions of your industry - showing enjoyment, no, sharing who you authentically are, wins. Do you enjoy your work?

You operate a string quartet. You are one of ten string quartets in the area, and it’s reasonable to assume you’re all proficient. You all charge, relatively, the same amount with a few dollars difference. As a customer, who do I choose?  I choose the safest option.Before today, I’ve written on the concept of safety and threats. As it relates to my example, I’m going to translate what “safety” means to the marketplace.  ACA, a provider in my market, has a long-established and good reputation. They’ve been around for a long time, and the community recognizes them as a safe provider.Mark Davis, a well-respected jazz pianist, not only has been a Milwaukee staple in the jazz scene as a performer, but he’s also an active educator.“The Wayouts,” they’ve been entertaining in the city since before I was born. They are safe because of their longevity and appear accessible to the consumer.Dream City Strings, a newer player on the scene but have the awards to back up their claims. Accolades show us, the consumer, that others like us liked people like them.I’m not endorsing the above groups. I know many of them, and I know them to be of quality. What I’m trying to show is how “safety” looks in a marketplace.  If you want to be safe for consumers, do the following:Stick around and show up.Show me, the consumer, that you are someone like me.Show me, the consumer, that others like me like people like you.Educate. People who teach our kids, or ourselves, are trusted.So what makes these groups different than the others who are similar:Lacking longevity in the marketplace.Lacking a specific audience - “I am all things to all people” does not work.Unable to show that other consumers trust their product.Experiences difficulties in positioning themselves as trusted individuals.Are you just starting?Are you all things to all people?  Do you have specific customers you want to help?  Be safe to the smallest group of people.  These people need your services.They’ll tell others about you.You’ll start expanding.Safe wins.

Seth Godin, on multiple occasions, talks about the “Race to the Bottom,” or a race where providers vie for position as the low-cost provider. The problem is, they could win, and hurt everyone else along the way.  Take pianists. In the pianist marketplace, there’s a relatively standard hourly rate of $100.00 per hour for a solo pianist gig. Typically there’s a minimum charge of 2 hours. Some pianists charge $125.00/hour, while others might cost $75.00. What happens if a Milwaukee pianist started charging $65? Then another started quoting $60? Then another, $50? Do you see where this is going?Wedding/function/party bands. I’ve seen a similar pricing trend. Milwaukee providers will often charge lower as DJs become more and more popular alternatives to larger bands. For the Milwaukee consumer looking for a cheap option, this is great. However, Milwaukee consumers also hire groups from Chicago, ones that charge a heck of a lot more than the groups from Milwaukee. Why?Chicago is a premium. It’s not, they’d like to think they are, but they’re not. But, in the minds of our customers, they are. Chicago is at the top. Interestingly, Chicago bands treat their clients differently than most Milwaukee groups.  When a bride buys music from a well plaid Chicago group, they feel as if they’re part of an enterprise. Many of these groups not only have bands, but they contract string quartets, jazz groups, they play continuously, it’s a network. They feel too big to fail. They’re quality, and they’re safe.  Stop racing to the bottom. If you win, you’ll do it on the backs of others, you won’t enjoy your work, and it won’t sustain you.  Race to the top. Be different than the rest. Create quality over quantity. Focus on what your customer needs. Deliver on that need better than anybody else. People will gladly pay top dollar for someone to meet their needs.  But for the people that don’t want to pay, they’re not for you.  They’re for someone else.  Focus on others like you.Serve them.