by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 3, 2023 | Entrepreneurship
Most projects begin with the best of intentions.
“Let’s serve independent musicians.”
“Let’s help independent course creators and coaches.”
“I want to help independent filmmakers get the money they need to make their projects a reality.”
Some of us follow through on these intentions, creating products and services that may not reach the mainstream but are valuable to the hundreds and thousands of people looking to get their creative ventures off the ground.
Many entrepreneurs, however, cannot resist the allure of the big name. One big name client, one big name interview, one big name testimonial, whatever it may be.
And it shifts the trajectory of the venture forever.
No longer satisfied with the five views here, 20 views there, the entrepreneur begins catering only to the big names. Some of these big names do not offer superior quality coaching or products, some aren’t even experienced, skilled, credentialed, or legitimate. No matter, they bring more views.
Just because someone has more reach doesn’t mean they are better. Just ask Stevie T.
One big name doesn’t have to sacrifice the purity of what you’re doing. I’ve had the likes of James Schramko, Richard “Younglord” Frierson, Andy Seth, and Miles Copeland on my podcast. They may not be A-list celebs, but their names mean something to a lot of people. Make no mistake, though. I could have bigger names on my podcast. I’m just not one to hang my hat on one big name for the rest of my career.
If this sounds judgmental, it’s not. It’s about optics. What do you want to create and for whom is foundational to the structure that goes on top. The occasional, well-timed pivot may be par for the course. But switching from independent to influencer is a seismic shift. It should not be done carelessly. Don’t be surprised if it raises the ire with the people who’ve been following and supporting you.
Before you know it, network marketing structures are being layered in, altering the business beyond recognition.
The pastures may appear greener on the other side, but rest assured there will be problems to solve on either side.
Stand for something. Or you’ll fall for anything.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Nov 18, 2021 | Creativity
I recently got to interview The Police’s former manager, Miles Copeland, and that conversation is going to stick with me for a long time to come.
One of my biggest takeaways from that interview is simply this:
Trying to get people to listen to your music is an uphill battle. First, you’ve got to grab their attention!
Think of Lady Gaga and all her early day antics.
Her talent isn’t in question. Lady Gaga is classically trained. She’s a great pianist and singer. She probably has other talents I don’t even know about.
The point is that by treating every occasion like Halloween, she got our attention. We’re all drawn to the bizarre, even if some of us don’t stick around to watch the whole train wreck.
And I’m not saying Gaga is a train wreck. I’m saying that only a portion of the people who come to check out the freakshow are going to stick around. Not everyone will be your fan. But some will, and those people will become your advocates long-term.
So, we need to be thinking about what we can do to grab people’s attention.
Slipknot has the masks, Marilyn Manson has a knack for the grotesque, KISS has the makeup…
And while these are more extreme examples than anything, what they have in common is that they’re successful by practically anyone’s standards. They got our attention, then delivered music that matched their esthetic.
You don’t necessarily need to go to the same lengths to get noticed. But chances are you will need to do something. Because you need to get feet in the door. Once you’ve gotten people to listen to your music, the battle is as good as won. Getting to that point is the hard part.
So, go back to your identity. Your brand. What are you about? Why do you do what you do? And within that context, how can you grab people’s attention? What would it look like to be the extreme version of yourself?
by David Andrew Wiebe | Nov 6, 2021 | News
I love my team. They’ve helped me brainstorm of a lot of great ideas for you over the course of the last few months. And so, what I’ll be sharing with you today is just such an idea fully implemented in the real world.
As you may know, we launched our premium online academy for musicians, Elite Players: All Access Pass a few months ago. This includes access to a members forum (and personalized coaching), all three of my courses (which are continually updated), The Renegade Musician System, Music Licensing School training interviews, weekly Members Only Audios, tools and resources, shows, and archived training. And we’re adding new content and support to the community weekly.
And we really want everyone to be able to see just how amazing this is. It’s a premium membership, and hundreds of hours have gone into it. That being the case, we can’t just give it away. But like I said, my team came up with a great idea. They suggested creating a trial membership.
And so, today marks the launch of the $1 14-day trial membership. Just $1 to access everything for 14 days to see whether the online academy is for you.
It should be said, of course, that after the 14-day trial, if you want to continue to access the membership, you will be charged $100 USD per month. We’ll send you a reminder email before renewal, of course, in case it’s not for you. But again, we’re convinced of its value, and if it’s the right fit, you’ll be compelled to keep your membership.
The quickest way to access the $1 14-day trial is through this link. But if you’d like to see what you get access to inside the community before committing, you can go to the new landing page. There’s a link to the $1 trial in the header, just in case.
And yes, this also means we’re accepting applications for Elite Players: All Access Pass again (see previous link – new landing page). And you can still gain access to it at the original price (one lump sum payment of $1,439 USD or 12 payments of $169 USD). This is the last time you’ll be able to get access at this price. After this, we will be going to a subscription model.
So, I invite you to consider this opportunity before it’s gone.
New Value-Packed Blog Posts & Podcast Episodes
Mission critical updates and resources to help you grow superfast. It’s time to get your read on!
Must-Have Resource
The short film, The Nobody Prayer, has been awarded Best Original Score by:
- Hollywood on the Tiber Film Awards
- Vesuvius International Film Festival
- New Jersey Film Awards
I had a lot of fun putting together the score for this short, and I know that you’ve been having a lot of fun listening to it too (I’ve seen my streams skyrocket)! But whether you’ve listened to it already, or haven’t had the opportunity yet, I want to invite you once again to listen, share, playlist, etc.
The original soundtrack was released at the end of October on all major music streaming sites and online stores. You can listen to it anywhere you listen to music.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for your creativity and generosity. I’m rooting for you.
