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Ever have that feeling that you might never be satisfied with the success you’ve had? That even though you may sell out your hometown shows, enjoy a successful first tour, or experience a fan telling you that your music changed his or her life that it’s still not good enough?
In an industry constantly filled with the “next-best-thing” syndrome, it’s difficult for the perfectionist in all of us to truly be happy with those accomplishments we’ve made. The first step is acknowledging how ludicrous it is to hold ourselves to such impossible standards. If nothing makes us happy on the path to our perceived view of success, then why are we really doing it at all?
So, today, I want to talk to you about how to turn your so-called small wins into major successes. Let’s learn how to take those small triumphs and use them to create your path to victory.
1. Define your view of success
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of it, it’s important to define what success truly means to you. Is it hitting a certain income goal? Is it touring four months out of the year? Is it being able to pay the bills solely from music? Signing to a major label? There’s no right or wrong answer here, but it's important to make sure you’ve defined your personal view of success. If you just leave it up to the universe to decide what success looks like and take what it throws your way, you might not be so happy with the results.
[The Most Important Metrics of Success for the Modern Musician]
2. Celebrate your successes
One of the best things you can do for yourself and your career is to celebrate the successes you have – and broadcast them to the world. Did 50 people come out to your show? That’s awesome! Maybe it didn’t sell out like you’d hoped, but there’s a band down the street that’s pulling in half of that and wishing for 50 people. Did you get a small press clipping but feel like it’s not worth bragging about? Of course it’s worth bragging about! You’ve done something that someone feels is worth investing their time in to write about. That’s cause for celebration.
Everyone starts somewhere, so don’t ever negate the success you have. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to show off a little. In fact, a little gratitude with your successes will go a long way.
3. Pay attention to your failures
Equally as important as celebrating your successes is recognizing your failures and learning from them. If we don’t learn from our mistakes, they just become wasted opportunities. So when something goes awry, ask yourself, “Why did that happen? How can I ensure that doesn’t happen next time?”
One of the most difficult parts of chasing success, especially when you have dreams as big as most of us in the music industry, is that it requires a lot of difficult self-reflection. As painful as it might be to truly look inward and ask yourself the hard questions, it’s a crucial part of your personal growth, as well as your career’s growth.
[3 Important Lessons You Learn When Your Band Fails]
4. Pay attention to what works, then capitalize on it
One of the best things you can do for your career is to pay attention to what works and learn to capitalize on it. For instance, if you notice that a certain unreleased song is gaining a lot of traction at shows, make that your next single. If your demographic is mainly females, why are you just selling a giant unisex shirt? Take the time to really examine what’s making waves and what isn’t.
Again, this is going to require some self-reflection and a little bit of asking yourself the hard questions, but if you’re willing to listen to your audience, your craft will succeed. Pay attention to your core fanbase – they’ll tell you what they want; you just have to be willing to listen.
5. Make networking a habit
You know it had to be in here, right? Still one of the most important things in the music industry, who you know inevitably drives a lot of your success (or lack thereof). One of the hardest parts about networking is not just getting yourself in the same room as those you need to connect with, but maintaining those relationships.
You may have made a fantastic connection at the last major industry conference, but if you don’t follow up, or only follow up once and never again, you’ve just lost a huge opportunity to turn your small win into a big success. Consider making a database of those you meet, what city they live in, what they do, etc. It’ll come in handy next time you’re passing through their city and can connect for a drink. Keeping in touch over time and building genuine, lasting relationships is the key to good networking.
Angela Mastrogiacomo is the owner of Muddy Paw Public Relations and Infectious Magazine. She has also founded several chapters of the free weekly music industry meetup Balanced Breakfast. Muddy Paw specializes in working with up-and-coming artists on personalized campaigns designed to bring their careers to the next level. To date, they've secured placements on sites such as Noisey, AbsolutePunk, Substream, Property Of Zack, PureVolume, Anti-Music, and many more.
