Have you heard of the EVO Planner? I use one, love it, and recommend it to all of those like me - the ones that need an effective tool to help them “do” life amidst a crazy schedule. Yes, I could use Outlook, Gmail, or another digital planner - but I don’t. I don’t because I enjoy the mindfulness of writing out where I’ve been, where I am now, and where I’m going. Writing out my plans on a piece of paper makes my thoughts real and concrete in a way that no other device can. For me, there’s a “calm” seeing a “blank page” that’s ready for me to imagine what life will be like later in the day, this week, this month or this quarter. I’ve written before about the mental GPS. Using tools like a planner, a pencil, and a piece of paper helps my GPS not only know where I’ve been, but where I am, and where I need to go. What do you use?
Back in the 1930s, David Butler produced a movie-musical entitled, “Just Imagine.”
The movie describes a man that was struck by lightning in the 1930s, kept unconscious, and then revived 50 years later in the 80s! In this film, we see how people thought of what the future would appear.
Airplanes have replaced cars, people no longer have names - instead, they have handles, such as J-21, and meals come as a pill.
“I didn’t know the food was yours,” or,“I didn’t look to see who the food belonged to.” “I can’t do it,” or,“I will learn how to do this.““No one told me,” or,“I didn’t think to ask.“The language you use to admit your faults matters. When you say, “I didn’t know…” we are not acknowledging our inaction. Instead, saying, “I didn’t look to see who the food belonged to,” clearly shows our self-awareness and suggests what we can do to better ourselves in the future. Don’t limit yourself by using vague language. Be specific. Be accountable.
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.”
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.”