Look around and you will see many businesses “selling out.”  You read it all the time.  Some well known historical cases: Ben & Jerry’s, Stonyfield Farms, Tim Ferriss’s BrainQuicken, Seth Godin’s Yoyodyne, Derek Sivers’ CDBaby, Coran Capshaw’s MusicToday and on and on.  I haven’t gotten to this point yet with any of my businesses but I do wonder… if and when the day comes, will I sell out?

The guys at 37signals made an interesting comment when they mocked a small software company for selling out.  They believe that life after selling out isn’t better than they currently have it.  They don’t want to work for someone else or spend their time in meetings.  Their point was that you shouldn’t sell out to the big, old guys… you should just “kick their asses.”  It’s an interesting thought.  But what do they mean by this?

From what I’ve observed on the outside looking in, those who have a business that expresses them completely don’t tend to sell out (ClifBar as an example).  Many of the people listed above have sold their businesses and gone on to other projects that seem to be a more complete expression of their personalities for this time.  Seth, Derek, and Tim are all speakers and writers of some sort and Coran has a powerhouse roster of management clients.  My conclusion is that we can only “kick the old guys asses” if it’s really something we believe in, something that we feel expresses what we want to do in the world.  I think this is indicative of the era we live in.

So my advice for future Me or anyone else in this situation is to sell out if you feel you can’t do your best work through your business any longer.  But think hard about this before doing it, because you without a larger expression of yourself will be a big change.  Be certain that there is something more complete waiting to be nurtured on the other side.  Lastly and most importantly, continue to create deep value for yourself and thus for the world.  That is all I want for you.

It could be argued that offering free streaming of your music is a replacement for radio.

Consider that radio played music at no cost to the listener.  In most cases radio had tremendous reach into the community.  If your song happened to get on radio and was successful, your song was heard for free by thousands of people every week.  After getting to know a band’s product (i.e – the song on the radio) a listener may be compelled to become a customer of the band.  But it took that exposure to the free sample to sell the product.

Streaming your music for free isn’t really a new concept then.  The web is just replacing the radio as the broadcast medium.  You stream your music with the hopes that enough people will hear it, get interested in the free sample and like it enough to buy the product.

What’s different is that radio served as a brand, a broadcaster, and a filter.  There was a symbiotic relationship here between bands and stations.  Cool new music strengthened the radio brand and the radio brand strengthened the clout of a band in that market.

By simply streaming your music away on your site, you lack a branded filter.  In other words, each band is like it’s own mini-radio station.  But with hundreds of thousands of them across the web.  Hoping a new consumer finds your band is like a finding needle in a hay stack.  You aren’t identifying with a symbiotic relationship.

The web is wonderful for its ability to distribute content at low cost.  But the power of a branded filter is still real and needed. Look to all of the great blogs as an example – they become filters for content on certain topics.

If you’re reading this and thinking of how you can be involved in music – consider the act of being a filter for a genre or your local market.  The medium of broadcast has been the only definite change.  The need for branded, broadcasting filters is still real indeed.

Update: A reader rightly pointed out to me that I didn’t provide any advice on how to act here.  I reread the post and clearly see their point.  So… there are two action items here.

1.  If you aren’t an artist but you are interested in getting involved in music in some way here’s an idea: become a web-based filter.  The benefit of the web is that it’s less expensive to start a hub there than it is to start a radio station, it’s less regulated, and you can play whatever you want.  This last point is a benefit to bands as well because many great artists aren’t “radio friendly.”  That’s no problem on the web if you become a filter for your specific genre niche or your market.   Artists and managers still have a need for filters to associate with but there aren’t that many out there.  Go start one and drop me a line when you do or drop me a line if you already have one.

2.  If you are an artist or manager – I’d keep your eyes out for the local filters that aren’t radio stations, especially if you aren’t a “radio friendly” band.  When you come into a market, drop a line to your best fans in that area and ask how they find out about shows.  In most major markets I have found underground message boards, blogs, and connectors through communicating with our hard core fans there.  These connections can be more effective than traditional broadcasters for the power of “Word of Mouth” they offer.

Here are a few examples of various size and style:

1. Charlottesville Indie music – http://www.nailgunmedia.com/blog/
2. San Francisco Indie music – http://www.playinginfog.com/
3. Orlando Blues music – http://www.meetup.com/roadblockbluesjam/

——————

If you liked this post please let me know your thoughts below, share it on twitter, subscribe to our feed or email list.  Thank you!

Imagine a circle drawn in the dirt and you standing in the middle of it.  Your goal in life and work is to stay centered (balanced is another term for it).  Here are some scenarios you may feel at the work place.

Pulled/Pulling – As an employee sometimes you are pulled into work that you don’t want to do.  Inside you resent being asked to do the work or you disagree with the method of how to go about the work.  First, fearlessly question (to yourself) what you don’t like about the work.  If you think there is a better method, find a way to express this to your boss.  If you just don’t like the work but you have to do it, find what piece works for you.  Recognize when you feel pulled and try to find how to define and practice your center.

As an employer you know the feeling of pulling an employee into work when they clearly don’t want to do it.  When you become aware of it, mention your observation and without emotion or ego, ask them what they like/dislike about the assignment.  Opening the conversation is the start of helping your employee be centered.

Chasing – When you chase an opportunity this implies that all of your momentum is going forward.  What happens if you don’t win the chase?  You’re exhausted.  Possibly you trip, and fall flat.  There is no need to chase.  It’s better to stay in the center of your circle, know what you do really well, and then announce that and converse from this centered position.

Driving – This implies control while remaining centered.  From the center of your circle, observe yourself.  What work do you choose to drive.  What really motivates you?  What do you really excel at and enjoy?   As a boss you can observe this of the people around you as well.  In work and life, empower those around you by recognizing what they choose to drive and passing work to them that fits within their circle.

If you feel yourself being pulled out of your circle, chasing an opportunity, or being pushed off balance, step into the driver’s seat and steer yourself back to center.  The center is where you will find true power.

David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails (a programming framework) and a partner in 37signals (creators of Basecamp and other popular web applications).  In 2008 he gave a talk which was sent to me recently.  There were a few good ideas in it that I want to pass onto you now:

1. He feels confident in setting a price for a good application as they do with the 37signals products.  He also believes in releasing some things for free.  He released Ruby on Rails to the world for free.
2. In our world we are conditioned to think that the ultimate success is the big hit.  We dream of being the next Facebook, U2, Michael Jordan, Pixar, or Apple.  The odds of becoming that next thing are very small yet the irrational hype drives us to desire it.
3. Combining the above 2 points, what if you charge $40/month for a subscription to your business (as they do).  Then you only need 2000 customers to be a $1M business.  Not bad.  His point is that having a business of this size is good and he doesn’t need to have the next Facebook if he has a business that is profitable and he feels good about.
4. They found that making products for businesses rather than end consumers was better business.  The businesses showed less turnover and were willing to pay a higher rate.  In other words, they found their ideal client.
5. At a certain point, having a “lifestyle business” – one that can sustain itself and makes good money – is more rewarding than the idea of making the company bigger.  Calling your own shots, being your own boss, not being in meetings all day, setting your own pace – this is a definition of wealth and a way to enjoy your own life.  Bringing in outside money to make a bigger company would take away many of these benefits.
6. Most start-ups are narrowly focused on growing a business then selling it off.  The idea is to work real hard, then sell it, make a lot of money, and live the good life.  Is that really the good life though?  What about the idea of finding something that you believe in, and working toward that?  A quote from Craig Newmark who started craigslist says “Finding a good cause is incredibly hard and time consuming.”  We all want to believe in something bigger than us.
7. There is plenty of space for loads of businesses.  There are thousands of nice Italian restaurants around the country.  It’s not like there has to be just one winner in business.  You can solve a niche and have a good business.  You can build a business that does the same old thing but better than the other guy (look at Zappos and selling shoes – people have been selling shoes for a long time but these guys just do it better).
8. Don’t be in a hurry.  Most great companies are not built over night.  Starting up businesses takes time.  Also, take it easy.  There will never be less work.  Set up your practices to have a good life.  37 signals recently reduced their work week to 4 days, about 8 hours of work per day.  Employees can work from anywhere.

—

These are excellent ideas for our 2.0 World.  There are more ways to measure wealth than just money.  David mentions several of those measurements above: working for yourself, “working” less, working for a cause, working in a comfortable environment with a flexible schedule.  And mostly just being mindful of your desires and ambitions.  A great life can be had by living simply.

Thanks David!  You can watch the presentation here.

The word “business” carries a definite meaning for many people.  By definition it means “the occupation, work, or trade in which a person is engaged.”  I hear people say: “I could never run my own business” or “I don’t like business.”

The way I see it everyone is in business.  Everyone.  You are in the Business of You.

As an employee, you think you have a job.  Here’s another way to look at it: you have a client, not a job.  You have one client that supports your whole business.  Like any business, you had to sell your service to that company to get the contract.  In the Business of You, there is monthly income and expense.  If you lose that client (i.e. get laid off) it hurts the bottom line.  The nice thing about this business is that in the macro view it never fails – it just is.

Running your business is challenging but it can also be great fun.  In your business you get to decide exactly how you want things to run.  You’re the boss in the Business of You.  Remember that.

In my dream last night, I was standing by the Pacific Ocean in Northern California.
Smooth rocks greeted the ocean, while the waves patiently tapped the earth.
To my right, in the water I saw the white face of what appeared to be a polar bear break the surface.
Two young guys reached down to pet the bear’s head.
I thought:  That’s dangerous. Those guys are crazy. Polar Bears eat people.
What’s a polar bear doing in Northern California? It’s not cold enough here.

Next scene, the bear had climbed out of the water and was on a large boulder next to and above me.
The bear was very large and now I could see it had dark fluffy fur, with a white face.
I thought:
Is that a panda bear? I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s big and looks threatening.
My friend next to me informed me that she thought it was a brown bear.
We backed slowly away because great speed would alarm it and perhaps provoke an attack.

Next scene, behind the boulder an SUV was parked.
The “bear” had climbed into the back seat and was leaning into the front, happy and licking its owner in the driver’s seat.
“What is that?” I asked to the owner.
He explained the breed of dog – large like a bear, but fluffy like a poodle, and harmless like a stuffed animal.
I petted the dog, enjoyed the friendly exchange, and said goodbye to the owner.

End of dream.

–

In life we encounter all sorts of new and strange creatures – a new boss, a stranger on the street, new environments. We have the tendency to approach these strange creatures with a mix of fear and curiosity.  Fear can be good because it keeps us safe from obviously dangerous situations. It keeps us from petting the polar bear.

The curiosity in us asks the questions about what we are seeing that we don’t completely understand. The curiosity inside us asks “Why are those guys petting that thing on the head?”  Curiosity is good, it’s the thing that keeps us learning and growing.

The problem comes when the fear trumps the urge to vocalize the question. When this happens, we keep our curiosity inside. We ask the question inside but we are afraid to externalize it.  Our thirst for knowledge (our question) goes unanswered.

What I propose for this new world we’re building is Fearless Questioning. Fearless Questioning is when the urge of curiosity trumps the fear we have inside.  Fearless Questioning leads us to ask questions out loud because we are not afraid of the answer, or afraid we will look stupid or silly.  Fearless Questioning makes us yell across the rocks “Hey, What is that Strange Creature you’re petting?”  Fearless Questioning creates the opportunity to learn something new, to start a new conversation, to make a new connection.  In short, Fearless Questioning creates.

In context of your projects, your life, your business:

Statistics and data offer an analytical view of your actions.  This is the black and white view.  Analysis is important since it provides a factual (not emotional) view of your efforts.

Critics by definition, judge both the merits and the faults of a work.  Approach criticism from your position of power: you are the creator, yet you are balanced enough to learn from someone else if there is something to learn.

“Doing it for you” is the most important aspect of these three.  This should be the core of every iteration.  When you choose to take on a new project, a new line of work, a new exercise – find your reason for doing it for you.  If you are assigned a certain task by your boss that you don’t want to do initially, reframe it in such a way that you can find the opportunity in it.  Make the project yours, take ownership of the reframed perspective so you see your benefit from it.

–

If you can successfully frame your work and life so that you are doing things for you, then you’ll see analysis and criticism as teachers leading you down the path of improvement.  This is satisfying.

Several years ago I was at a Phish concert in a large amphitheater.  If you’re not familiar, Phish is a band known for improvising significant portions of their show.  Watching this show, it became clear to me that the artists and the audience were engaged in a dance – an exchange of energy and attention.  The band circled through three stages:

Driving - At times, the band would crescendo (get louder and faster).  This would send the crowd into a frenzy.  At these moments the band was clearly putting out a big amount of energy.  The audience would absorb it and the music would drive them to dance.  Imagine the energy from the band getting injected into each person.  The band couldn’t sustain this for an entire show.

Cycling – Often times after a crescendo the band would pull it back down into a pre-scripted part of the song (this part not being improvised).  At these moments the energy exchange seemed about the same.  The audience knew the words, the band knew what to play.  This is like hitting even ground on a run or going through the fundamentals at your job.  It’s kind of easy compared to the hills.  Though it was an equal exchange of energy it appeared to be a more superficial exchange.

Absorbing – Then there were the times, often for extended moments and before the crescendo where the band would open up into an improvisational jam.  Often times these started slow and open.  The music created more of a landscape that invited the listener to step into it.  It was in these moments that the band clearly absorbed energy from the audience.  In this case, the audience was “paying attention”.  With the audience investing their energy it allowed the band to recuperate a bit and pull in more energy in preparation for the crescendo.

—

The best concerts are ones where both the performer and the audience walks away Refreshed.  This doesn’t mean they have more energy than what they started with.  It means that they spent a huge amount of energy but they got an equal and different amount in return.

These concepts are illustrated here with music but they are universal.  Your greatest interactions are no doubt the ones where you get as much back as you put into it.  Since we are all artists of life, you could ask yourself the same question performing artists ask themselves on a nightly basis: how to we increase the energy exchange?

If you want to walk around energized and refreshed, then work on getting your balance of cycling, driving, and absorbing.  Once you get it down, you’ll feel the applause all around you.

The most visible creators I know of
are those artists whose medium is life itself.
The ones who express the inexpressible -
without brush, hammer, clay, or guitar.
They neither paint nor sculpt -
their medium is being.
Whatever their presence touches has increased life.
They see and don’t have to draw.
They are the artists of being alive…
-J. Stone

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.”
-Michelangelo

—-

One definition of “artist” in Webster’s Dictionary is: ‘a skilled performer.’

In my view we are all artists.  We are artists of life.  Life itself is the art form.  Like the masters of any art form, it takes considerable practice to achieve grace.  Everyday is an opportunity to work on some aspect of the thousands that comprise our lives on earth.

No, it isn’t easy but then again most practice never seemed easy (think back to childhood sports or arts).  But in this one case, you don’t have the option.  You are an artist of life.  You can either embrace it, open up to your medium, and learn to be a graceful artist, or you can be frustrated.

One benefit of this medium is that there are billions of others out there to learn from.  Billions are on the same journey right now and billions have passed.  Many of these people have kept record of their journey and insights.  There are great books and mentors out in the world ready to teach or guide you in your endeavors.

Whether you spend your days as part of a large corporation, a small business, a non-profit, traveling, relaxing, panhandling on the streets, or performing art in the traditional sense – you are your own person and this grace is yours to own.

Like the great masters, approach your craft with a willingness to learn, adapt, and practice to yield the greatest results.  Eventually you will find that each moment of practice in itself is an opportunity to perform with the grace of a master.

This insight comes from my business partner.  Many of us speak using superlatives, myself included.  Examples:

• That was the best/worst movie I’ve ever seen.
• He/She was the friendliest person I’ve ever met.
• I’ve never tasted anything this good in my life.

Superlatives can be helpful at times for telling a story.  However, if you want to develop a reputation for truthful communication then ditch the superlatives.  Note to self.