Part 01 — Positioning Reset
If you want a seat at the table, build your own chair
When we first started the band we realized quickly that we'd have to be entrepreneurial about it and treat it like a business. We played a lot of shows where we had to bring all of our friends to a bar only so that the bar would keep all the money and give us maybe 2 drink tickets in exchange. We realized this was not such a great deal. We even had a joke that went, never forget that what we're actually doing up here is selling beer for the bar.
So we started hosting our own shows and doing our own press. We started a series in the backyard of our friends gallery (more on that later) and it was such a success that we went on to do it for 3 years in a row and even had sponsors by the end. Not only did it allow us to keep all the money and have more control over the experience and outcome but it enabled us to build a community which allowed us to grow something much more valuable than any one show.
So before we get into tactics, there's something we need to do first.
First, you need to stop thinking that someone or some thing, other than yourself and your team, is going to grow your business. No one cares about it as much as you do and no one has as much to gain or lose. If you catch yourself saying, 'If we just had X or access to Y…' shift that thinking to what you can do right now and what you have around you.
This alone is going to be a radical shift for most of you. You've probably been taught all your life to compete and that there is scarcity and you need to go alone to the top of the mountain. This is, for obvious reasons, false. Competition divides us where community helps us grow.
Second, you need to accept that marketing is vital to your career and business. When we say marketing here, what we mean is business development, brand credibility & reputation and relationship building. These are all positive things that are important for your career or business to grow. If you or your leadership team sees marketing as a bad word, this alignment step really matters.
As shorthand, anytime you want to say promotion or marketing, replace it with: community, convening, hosting, and partnerships. These are all positive associations you and your team can rally around.
Third. When we are scared and desperate for work or revenue we revert to isolation and transaction. Or we hold on to bad habits like grinding through our work or throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. We start scrambling and spiraling trying to do anything we can to get the thing we want or need. I know it's really hard to do in the moment, but you need to do the opposite of your instinct and lean into partnership and collaboration. The energy from leading with transaction is not the vibe and is rarely effective. Stay calm and have faith. Call a friend.
And finally, you need to accept that a lot of the process around work is fake. Job applications and RFP cycles are built to maintain an illusion of fairness yet often reveal the opposite. How many times have you heard, "They went with someone they had worked with before" or "They hired someone in-house for the role"? Let's accept this reality as truth and move on so we can start being successful despite it.
Now I know what you're thinking: Sure, that's cute for a band — but this is a serious business. Totally fair. Here's the thing: the mechanics of growth don't change just because the context does. People still hire people they trust and opportunities still move through relationships.
Your community is your growth strategy!
So when you're ready to stop working harder on cold outbound, endless RFPs, and hiring PR agencies hoping for miracles and start building smarter on your relationship pipeline move on to Part 2.