Brady Helps

A few days ago, I had occasion to speak with a talented soloist. She was sharing the struggles she and others were experiencing as they were navigating a new market.

The challenge is that the new market is tightly controlled by a few chokeholds - agents and an industry organization similar to the Tavern League.

Artist: "I either have to get an agent to represent and show me, or I need to pay a ton of money."

Me: "Who says you need to play by those rules, why not start your own agency with other soloists?"

You don't have to play the game the way it's always been played. This artist has a shared experience with others like her... others who are frustrated by the chokeholds. So, instead of complaining about the chokeholds, get rid of them by creating a cooperative of others like her - the economy of scale.

I hope they move forward with the idea. I know it would work. If she got 4 or 5 other artists together, their investment would be less than $200.00, compared to $1,000+ if it was just her. Also, because they would operate as a cooperative the customary 10-20% commission could go back into the general fund and be used to help other artists. It’s a win-win.

Next time you're stuck by the way the game is traditionally played, see if there's a way for you to leverage others, bring them together, and change the game.

If you're looking to break out on your own, spread an idea, make a change - don't play for the short-term wins, play the long game. Short term wins are low hanging fruit, quick contracts, getting a job so that you can have a job - it's checking the boxes. The long game involves strategy - constantly evaluating failures and making better decisions in the future. It's doing things because they're the "right thing to do," focusing on creating something better, and never losing sight of "why" you do what you do. Our world is a bit different today than it was a month ago, and it's easy to frustrate. But don't lose hope. Focus on your long game.

You don't work for your job. A job works for you! Yes, I also recruit for people looking to hire people for their jobs.Yes, I am confident that my clients would agree with me. Yes, even if they didn't, I don't care - the job works for you.I can tell you that, at least here in Milwaukee, there's a shortage of qualified talent for certain types of roles. With that said, employers can't afford to disengage their employees. With that said, it's a job seeker's market in many ways. I can tell you that I have met thousands of job seekers that don't know what they want in life. They look for a company with attractive values, but they don't know how to assert their values. People are looking through hundreds upon hundreds of job descriptions, but a job description won't say, "This is the job for people like you. Who wants to make the impacts you want to make." I can tell you that there are recruiters who don't care. They won't ask you about your mission, they won't ask you how you see yourself in the world, they won't directly tell you - "this isn't the job for you, but I know someone who might have the type of work you need to do." It's time to turn the table and give yourself permission to say, "I don't work for a job; a job works for me." Then begin asserting your values - how do you want to impact the world? What's the quality of work you want to perform? You've only got your life to live. You are responsible for the impacts you make on others. A job is only a vessel to help.

You could, but it might not help.  Ever been to these large gatherings where you're supposed to go and meet as many people as you can?  Walking around with a name tag, saying "hi" to people, sharing your elevator pitch, hearing theirs, trying to act interested, maybe setting up times to get coffee - the social formalities of meeting people. Done that before? For me, a shy (yes - I am shy) person, to do it is a fate worse than death.  Do you need to talk to everybody in the room?  I say no because not everyone matters.  In a room with hundreds of people, you can't be all things to everybody. You can be a meaningful specific, HT to Seth Godin and his influences for that term, to the ones who care about the work you do.  Recently, I attended a LinkedIn Local event about creating content. Because the invitee list was on LinkedIn, I took a moment to see who would be attending, and I made a few notes about the people I'd like to meet. Then, I reached out to those people in advance and asked if they'd like to connect.  Did I end up working the entire room? No.  Did I end up talking to a few people that actually cared about my work? Yes, and I also learned how to support the work of others.Also, if you’re in Milwaukee, consider checking out LinkedIn Local's next event.

Perhaps this topic is too soon, but hear me out.  Lately, colleagues of mine have been laid off, artists are seeing their tour schedules blown up, and stores are being raided for their toilet paper. I actually think the "fear" from the virus is causing more pain than the virus itself.  "Fear" is a primal emotion that creates action. It's easy to blame the "media" for creating the fear; however, the media was just a "carriage" that brought the emotion to us. We, the people, create the actual stories that are then "carried" to the rest of us via the media. Remember the series about "art"?  Idea: a threat to our existence.Form: a virus.Idiom: A virus for which there is no cure.Structure: It spreads by people in the same space with people.Craft: Someone, or an animal, created it.Surface: The media takes the idea and shares it with everyone.Art: we respond to the message with the emotion "fear."  If you want to create an idea that spreads, start with an idea that threatens our existence - consider the coronavirus.

I've not been writing too much lately. The reason is that I felt I said all I could say - perhaps I have? The minimum viable audience for this blog was musicians. But since I've moved back to Wisconsin, I've been focusing more on my immediate community and less on the global cruise-music industry. Lately, most of my work has been networking with local leaders, learning my new industry, and learning how to be a meaningful contributor to Milwaukee. As a result, I'm making a few changes to this site.Moving forward, you'll see more thoughts on life, job searching, recruitment, and Milwaukee. You won't see as much about music. If you've signed up because you wanted cruise insights, I won't be providing those via the website anymore. You're welcome to message me, and I'll do my best to help! If you'd still like to join and follow along, be my guest.

You have had relationships that have needed to end. We all have.  

When we experience that time, the path ahead is clear - "I'm sorry, this isn't working out, it's not you... it's me."  

Do you know what to do when the way out looks like this?

"This Agreement may be terminated prior to the 350-day period only under the following circumstances: (i) if I want to terminate the Agreement in my sole discretion and I let you know about it, the Agreement shall be terminated upon your receipt of the notice; (ii) if you and I mutually agree, in writing, to terminate this Agreement, or (iii) if, after you have completed at least 180 days on board the ship I've booked you on, you send me a written notice 30 days in advance of your intended termination date. You can't termine while on board in the middle of an assignment, or if, at the time of the proposed termination, the you have a future gig that I've confirmed with the cruise line. If you decide to terminate this Agreement as provided in (iii), you will pay me 50% of the commission you owe me for the days remaining on this Agreement in a lump sum, which will be calculated at your current salary, no less than two weeks prior to the proposed termination date. Also, because I'm upset that you left me, you will be unable to re-hire me for two years."

Remember that yesterday's contract would last for 350 days. So, to get out of this contract, we'd have to wait for that period to expire. If we want to get out before, the above terms apply. Here's what we'd need to do:

• I, the agent, can terminate my contract with you for any reason. Also, I may terminate the relationship at any time, as long as I inform you in writing, and you indicate you've received my notice.  
• If you and I mutually agree to end the contract. What's the likelihood of me letting you go from such a lucrative deal?
• After you've worked 180 days onboard, you may end the contract provided you've given me a 30-day advanced notice.  
• You may also not end the relationship while you're onboard a ship. Or if,
• I have booked you on another assignment with the cruise line.  
• If you decide to end the relationship, you will pay me 50% for whatever is owed to me. If you have 180 days left to go, you will pay me 50% of the 10% you owe me for the 180 days you have left on the gig. You must also pay me that money in a lump sum. The money is due no less than two weeks from the termination date.  

Is this indentured servitude or what? Keep in mind, this is inspired by an actual contract that musicians, like you, sign.  

Questions I have for the agent:

• Why would I pay you 50% of whatever commission you feel is owed for work you did not do?  
• If I hire you to provide me with a service, find me a job, why are you making it more difficult for me to quit than you? Shouldn't this be the other way around?  
• Who are you working for? Me, the person paying you? Or yourselves?  

What if we created a legal defense fund, a non-profit, to negotiate musicians out of these agreements?  

Or, better yet, created a free, direct, and commission-free way to get to an employer?  

The possible future appears inviting relative to the grim present: what will the musicians who work under these conditions do when they want to get out?

A 3-month free trial of anything usually requires you to submit your credit card information to get started. You're eager to get started, so you happily give your credit card for 3 free months. Four months later, you notice less money in your bank account. What happened to your money?  The answer, my friend, is the 3-month free trial, and your paid subscription becomes active. There's no way you could have missed an email informing you of the upcoming charge. How come no one told you? Did you read the fine print? I'm sure it's there.Your, or your friend's, agent has a contract; in it, you'll find terms that look like the following example."If, after 350 days, you are satisfied with my agency's services and would like to continue working with me, you will not need to sign a new agreement. This Agreement will roll over to cover your new contract until you give me notice that you would like to negotiate new terms. "This clause is the free-trial!  After 350 days, if you are satisfied, our contract rolls over - the "trial" period is over!If you are not happy, you are required to notify me in writing, and then we can negotiate. There's not even an option to get out of the contract!  Would you start dating someone without the option to break up?Would you start a free trial of something knowing that you couldn't stop?Then why would you enter a contract that doesn't give you the option to leave?  For the agent, this is a great model. It protects their most valuable asset - you. Is that fair?

Imagine entering into a romantic relationship with someone that asks you to sign a 5-page contract before your first date. Would you do it? If you wouldn't allow this from a romantic partner, why would you let your agent? Folks, not many of us musicians, have experience writing or reading contracts. Some of us didn't grow with up lawyers in the household. For many, English is not the first language. Look, you've gone to an agent because you needed a job. If not you, I'm sure you know someone. In exchange for the gig, you pay them a commission - that's fair. So they can protect their work, they ask you to agree to an agreement - also appropriate. However, their contract is littered with terms that only benefit them and hardly benefit you, Tomorrow - I'm going to review a few clauses with you. Stop by and educate yourself. There are agents, hoping you don't understand the language in your agreement - your ignorance is the price you pay for your loyalty and exclusivity. But, is this really loyalty?

If we're going to change an industry, we need to change how the industry operates. To do that, we need a new idiom. Thinking about agencies for a second, they're a dime a dozen nowadays. No offense, to agent friends of mine, but there are a lot of you. Therefore, to create a new model that does what agencies do, but better, we need to create something different. What if we were all agents for each other? If we created a community of musicians, that invested the time to help each other grow, share the best tips for landing jobs, and then we marketed that community to employers - cruise lines, hotels, etc.? What if that community didn't charge you a commission for the jobs you get? What if that community didn't charge employers a fee for hiring you? The community and employers win. But, there would be challenges - ourselves.