J. Michael Dolan gives the best advice to musicians!
By J. Michael Dolan | Nobody has ever made it in show business without the helping hand or support of someone else (stop and think about that). Therefore our degree of success is largely dependent on who we know, who we listen to and who we hang out with.
— Those friends we call friends either encourage us to become the best versions of ourselves or they lock us into a version that works for them.
— Those folks we work with; in the studio, on the stage, behind the camera or in the office, either encourage us to do our very best work or validate our deepest feelings of unworthiness.
— Those people we are related to either acknowledge us for who we are now and support us in where we want to go, or continuously try to show they know what’s best for us.
Important because the people we hang with the most are the ones who either raise or lower our standards. Therefore, in addition to our old friends, family friends, funny friends and marginal friends we should really spend the lion share of our time with these three extraordinary friends:
1) A friend who is wiser and more grounded: to learn from, confide in and consult with.
2) A friend who’s at a similar place in life as we are: to laugh with and kick around crazy ideas.
3) A friend who needs our support & coaching: to remind us of the essential benefits of selflessness, empathy and generosity (especially with our time).
(Re-thought, re-edited, ripped apart and rewritten from a blog I wrote a few years ago.)
P.S. Please consider adding a friend to my blog list. When they confirm, everybody wins. Thanks for doing that.
J. Michael Dolan is the former CEO of MCI publishing corp., and the founder of Music Connection and Songwriter Connection magazines. He is also a best selling author, beloved blogger, and private consultant to artists and entrepreneurs.