I’m in Chris Brogan’s Business Blog Talking About Female Freaks, And Ten Ways You Can Apply It To Your Own Career

Yep, I thought that title would get your attention. It'll make sense in a sec.

This morning I woke up to discover something I wrote is featured in Chris Brogan’s June 26 business blog post. Chris Brogan happens to be the author of one of my favorite business books for creatives, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators.

I’m incredibly honored, humbled, and-I-don't-know-what -ed. Wow...And holy crap!

For perspective, Chris Brogan is a respected business consultant and New York Times  best-selling author. He’s been interviewed for Forbes multiple times, he's written for many business publications such as Success, and he gives speeches about business stuff a lot of creative people don't like to think about. He's also consulted for Disney, among others. His latest book, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth, has endorsement blurbs from Seth Godin, Anthony Robbins, Amanda Palmer, and Steven Pressfield, who was on the Oprah Winfrey Network last week. (Which reminds me...Chris has also been on Dr. Phil.)

"Freaks," in Chris Brogan’s terms, are people who do things differently. Freaks are creative people who don’t fit into the usual corporate structure. Freaks stand out and are misunderstood by corporate types. Or, Freaks may look average, but they don’t fit into their particular industry’s neat little boxes.

As someone who was once told, “You think too much like a musician” by someone who represented musicians and then half an hour later was told, "You think too much like a Suit" by someone from the same company, I could relate. So, recently, after hearing Chris speak, I bought a copy of The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth.

As I was reading it I thought, “This is a fantastic book!” I liked Chris’s concept of monchu and his matter-of-fact advice. His step-by-step plans for people who didn't know where to begin were dead on. The more I read, the more I couldn’t wait to share it with you...

…until page 171, which included this sentence:

“I would love to see the first amazing female freak being her own weird self at a huge corporation in my lifetime.”

Huh???

I stopped reading, grabbed the green pen I’d been been using for underlining, and began scribbling names in the margin of the book. In less than five minutes I had a list of successful female Freaks spanning not only Chris Brogan’s lifetime, but his mom’s lifetime, and his grandmother’s lifetime:

(Photo: Randi Reed / MusicBizAdvice Blog)

I should add, the subject of "women in business" isn't something I'm comfortable talking about. While it’s true I’ve been one of “the first” or "only" several times in my career and have interesting stories about that, the idea of making a big deal out of being a woman in business baffles me. I’d rather be treated equally at work than singled out or “celebrated” for my chromosomes. After all, the guys don't refer to themselves as "male musicians" or "Men in Entertainment".

Exclusion is another matter, though. Just who the heck was this Chris Brogan character, anyway? Was he a sexist idiot? Or was he a fellow human being who, nearing the end of his book, maybe suffered writer’s fatigue and had a brainfart his editor happened to miss?

I decided to find out. So, I emailed Chris, giving him the benefit of the doubt. I also included the list of women I’d written in the margin of his book, with a couple of sentences about what made each one a “Freak” according to his terms of Freakiness in the book. Meanwhile, I wondered how or if I could still recommend Chris's book. Damn that page 171!!!

I fully expected no response, or perhaps a defensive one. A book is an author’s baby, after all, and who the heck was I to tell a best-selling business author what he’d omitted?

Chris couldn’t have been nicer about it. He emailed back with a friendly reply, and as it turns out, he liked my list. We had a nice email exchange, and I’d be pleased to have Chris as part of my monchu any day. 

Expecting that to be all, this morning I was pleasantly surprised to hear about this post:

Chris Brogan printed my list, word for word, giving me full credit. Then he went the extra mile by linking to my bio. (Thank you, Chris. That was really cool of you!)

So, fellow Freaks, what can you take away from this?

1. Be nice, but stand up for yourself.
2. State your case in a way that cuts the other person some slack.
3. Wait and re-read that email, Tweet, or Facebook post instead of just firing it off.
4. Be open to what the other person has to say in response.

5. Look for common ground. (Chris Brogan and I have the same "would like to meet" business mentor: Sir Richard Branson.)

6. Let go of the outcome.  

7. When someone shares something with you, be generous in giving them credit, as Chris did.

8. Go the extra mile: give a little more than might be expected.

9. When someone acknowledges you or something you've done, be appreciative and grateful, and use that to open the next door--even if you're a little uncomfortable promoting yourself.You've gotta eat, so work it.

 …and lastly…

10.  Read Chris’s book!!! There’s great stuff in there. (No, this link isn't an affiliate link. Timing, people, timing.)



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Fake Reality? ABC Rising Star Talent Competition's "Surprise" Instagram Contestant Macy Kate Came to the Show Already Repped By a Major Talent Agency and Worked with Ludacris Producers

So, tonight I watched the premiere of ABC's new talent show, Rising Star...

And I'm crying "Foul!!!"

So foul, in fact, that I'm writing this post directly into Blogger instead of writing a draft first like I usually do.

Did the producers think no one would notice that the "surprise" Instagram contestant from the audience (Macy Kate) looked considerably more polished and put together for TV than the other audience members?

That was the first thing I noticed: unlike the audience members around her, Macy Kate had obviously been brushed and currycombed like a prized show pony.

"I wonder if she's insurance in case the amateur contestants fall apart..." I thought to myself. 

Then later in the show, we're shown her obviously expensive, pro-shot music video "Instagram Audition" entry that supposedly "won" her a place on the show. Even host Josh Groban commented on the obvious professionalism of it. Hmmm...

"I guess she could have Kickstartered it," I said aloud to my sis, trying to find some benefit of doubt left for the 16-year old contestant. (Ragging on an adult is one thing. This is a teenager, after all.)

Still, it looked a little pricey for a Kickstarter video. Maybe her parents were off the charts wealthy? Or maybe she used to be signed to a label that dropped a bunch of artists in a merger? She did look kind of familiar, and dropped artists appear on talent competitions all the time. (Rules usually state that you can't be "currently" repped).

Or, maybe she's actually a current client of Paradigm Talent Agency, a major talent agency in Beverly Hills.

If you're not familiar with Paradigm, while they're less-talked about than they once were thanks to mergers that turned William Morris into the now-behemoth WME, Paradigm is still big, and their huge roster boasts some current hotshots, as well as legends. (Ed Sheeran, Toby Keith, Solange, The Lumineers, Stevie Nicks, and Aerosmith all come to mind.)

Paradigm also has on its roster at least one American Idol alum: Taylor Hicks. As it happens, Rising Star Executive Producer Ken Warwick also executive produces Idol.

Did the show not stop to think that while we have our devices in our hands ready to vote with the Rising Star app, we're also Googling the contestants--especially the ones we suspect are seasoned pros?

Did the show not realize that before we'd even finished wondering aloud about the pro-shot video, we already knew Macy Kate is on the Paradigm roster, repped by a fairly well-known booking agent, has recorded with Sean Kingston, has a You Tube partnership with Sony/ATV,  and has endorsements for Uber,  Samsung, Jewel Mint, and others? 

(While we're at it, is she 16 or 17? Rising Star and Macy Kate's talent agency can't quite seem to agree.)

And wait a minute...What's this?

According to her agency website Macy Kate "is currently working with" Rock City, the songwriting /production duo, who's worked with a host former Idol winners, and major artists...

...including--ta da--Rising Star judge Ludacris.

Wow. Just wow.

At least judge Brad Paisley said he and contestant Sarah Darling have mutual friends...

That, I'd actually expect and would be OK with: Sarah Darling's been kicking around Nashville since moving there straight out of high school. She's now 31 and was signed to a label at one point but got dropped. Nashville's a pretty tight clique, but if you've been around long enough and have been working your butt off all that time, you're probably going to be just a couple of degrees of separation from most people in the industry there. If you do it right, that's how the business works.

So, that didn't bother me enough to Google.

Besides, by then, there was already enough to make me question the validity of this "reality" competition that I didn't need to. A currently repped contestant was more than enough for me to cry foul. 

Anybody got a copy of the rules for this thing?

And is it just me, or are "reality" shows starting to get really sloppy about details?



Edited to Add: I Googled Sarah Darling, and she had a single that went to #34 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart two years ago. She's also a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry.

P.S. Macy Kate is a apparently a veteran of other shows on the "Reality" Competition Show circuit. None of this is her fault, by the way. She's very talented. But whomever's advising her seems to have a lack of foresight and creativity. If they're trying to work a publicity angle, it's the wrong one. She's a teenager, people. [Shaking My Head...]


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MusicBizAdvice.com To Accept Bitcoin As Payment For Services (And Becomes One of the First Music Business Consultancy Firms To Accept Bitcoin)

Los Angeles, CA 5/31/14— MusicBizAdvice.com will accept Bitcoin virtual currency as payment for its music consultancy services starting in June, MusicAdvice.com Founder Randi Reed announced on the MusicBizAdvice Blog on Friday.

The move places MusicBizAdvice.com in position to be one of the first, if not the first, music business consultancy firms to accept Bitcoin virtual currency, as well as one of the first music business service providers to accept it.

It also happens just as many independent artists on the road at the height of concert season discover the hazards of attempting to manage themselves, or realize the cousin they hired to be their tour manager doesn’t know what he’s doing after all.

  

Says Reed, “Creative people need a variety of solutions. Bitcoin is a great option for Indie Musicians who don’t have a lot of immediate cash flow but need urgent advice about how to market their music or manage their band when something goes wrong on the road. A lot of them have Bitcoin they bought a couple of tours ago but never used because the services they needed didn’t accept it. By giving artists the choice of using Bitcoin, MusicBizAdvice.com helps them bridge that gap, which frees up more of their traditional cash for other things they need.”

Bitcoin will not replace other forms of payment MusicBizAdvice.com accepts, says Reed. “Bitcoin is one more avenue to make it easier for artists. We’re all about creative solutions, like the consultations I do through Clarity.fm (which does pro-rated per-minute billing for telephone consultations). You have to make it easy for clients in a variety of situations.” 

Why haven’t more businesses embraced Bitcoin?  “They’re nervous about the fluctuation in value. But we don’t see it that way. As an ex-musician, it’s very important to me to make things easy for musicians, not harder.”

MusicBizAdvice.com will use Coinbase, which converts Bitcoin into U.S. dollars, for processing its Bitcoin payments. On Friday, DirecTV also announced it will accept payment from its customers via Coinbase.

###

About MusicBizAdvice.com: MusicBizAdvice.com is a resource for indie musicians, songwriters, self-managed bands, and new managers and tour managers. Established in 1997, MusicBizAdvice.com has resources including a free website and online magazine by music industry professionals experienced in booking, artist management, and concert promotion at the Platinum level, as well as offline short-term consulting services.

The MusicBizAdvice.com website launched at its current URL in 2003 and has been utilized by Volunteer Lawyers of the Arts, Song U, and E! News. It’s also been featured on the News page of Bon Jovi’s official website, and its This Month in Music History was displayed at the entrance to the Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise.

About Randi Reed: Randi Reed is an independent music business consultant who has worked in artist management, booking, and concert promotion from the local to Platinum level. She developed MusicBizAdvice.com in 1997 while battling a chronic autoimmune disease, CFIDS (sometimes known as CFS).

MusicBizAdvice Announcement Just For Loyal Readers Before the "Official" Announcement

Pssst...Hey, you! 

Yeah, you!

Because you're loyal readers of this blog and MusicBizAdvice.com, I'm telling you something no one else knows yet. I'm telling you even before the "official" announcement goes out:

Starting in June, MusicBizAdvice.com will accept Bitcoin virtual currency for our consultation services. 

Actually, me personally, because I'm the one insisting on adding this form of payment. That's only fair, right?

It's something we've been wanting to do since 2010, but the market wasn't ready. So, we had to put it on the back burner until I felt enough merchants were on board to make it worthwhile.

DirecTV's announcement this week that they're accepting Bitcoin through Coinbase is exactly what was needed, because Coinbase is our chosen Bitcoin payment processor, too.
 
Details to follow soon.


Risky from our end? Yes. But accepting Bitcoin for consultations is just one of many ways MusicBizAdvice.com is making it easier for bands to manage themselves, and for managers who are new to the industry to get better at it. Bringing good, client-centric managers into the industry is very important, because, who needs a stinkin' bad manager who doesn't care about their clients?

Meanwhile, here's a tip you can use now, regardless of where you are in the industry (or even regardless of your profession):

If something that looks cool and potentially helpful but the rest of the world hasn't caught on yet, take some actions toward implementing it anyway. Research it, do what you can without incurring much expense, if any, and keep it on the back burner. And tell no one.

If and when conditions are right, you'll be ready to act. If it never pans out, you're not out any money, and you've probably learned a lot.

Meanwhile, if you're about to head out on tour, rock on. :-)

RR



Follow me on Twitter @MusicBizAdvice .

What to Do When Life Hands You Lemons, and Why I Posted My Bio On This Blog Last Night

Longtime readers may be wondering why the heck I randomly posted my bio on this blog yesterday, because that's not usually done.

It's not even something I'd recommend you do. There are better places for that, right?

In short, blame the Richie Sambora supporter who's been stalking* me and hacked the website that hosts my bio because they're still pissed off about this post from way back in August 2013. (There's a post coming about this, but I've been slammed with work and haven't quite finished it.)

A member of the media wanted to see my bio, so it had to be visible somewhere. I chose this blog.

The irony is, I get most of my work through personal referrals and don't do many interviews because I believe people who work behind the scenes should keep the focus on the clients, so my bio's had more action today than it's probably had in six months.

When life hands you lemons, I highly recommend making a lemon tart and piling on the meringue. It's tasty stuff!

(If it's limes, make a margarita!. Confused? See this post.)

RR


*Yes, stalking. This person's actions have crossed over the line into the legal definition of stalking under California anti-stalking law. That's punishable up to five years in prison. If the person who did it impersonated me in any way to accomplish this, which they most likely had to do, that's identity theft, which is a Federal crime. 

My Margaret Sames Recipe Featured in "Best Margarita Recipe Ever!" in Latin Times Today, and an Example of How the Media Gets Things Wrong

An early version of MusicBizAdvice.com, had a recipe section (in our Lifestyle department) called The Starving Musician. It was popular but a pain to do every month, because I personally wrote out and tested each recipe in a kitchen space the size of a tour bus kitchen, to be sure each recipe worked.

In 2004, we posted my ""Margarita Sames' Original December 1948 Margarita" recipe. Being a fan of pop culture history and a collector of vintage recipes, I did some research on the history of the  Margarita and included my findings in the intro to the recipe.
Today, Latin Times posted that recipe, crediting me. That's very kind of them, and I thank them for thinking of the recipe when compiling their "Best Ever Margaritas!" article.

However, something was lost in translation. The photo caption in the article says I "claimed to have met Margaret Sames" in the 1990's. That is incorrect. I have never claimed to have had the pleasure of meeting Margaret "Margarita" Sames, and Latin Times never contacted me to fact-check the article or ask for permission to print my version of the Sames recipe--which is my copyrighted material.

When I saw the error, I immediately tweeted the Latin Times writer, Susmita Baral who wrote the Best Ever Margaritas! article, to ask for a retraction or correction.(Her email address is not on the Latin Times website, or I would have asked privately.) [Update 7/30/14: Ms. Baral never responded and removed my recipe.]

What I actually wrote in the recipe article in The Starving Musician section on MusicBizAdvice.com in 2004 was, "This recipe is from the notes I took when Margarita Sames was on a TV talk show in the early 1990's."

I was at home sick and saw her on TV!!! (She may have been on something called The Home Show, but don't quote me on that.) I was not at the taping, and never claimed to be.

MusicBizAdvice.com changed web hosts and servers long ago, and we removed that section for a possible return at some point, so the article is no longer on our servers. I do, however, have a text-only print out of that Starving Musician article sitting in front of me, which I've scanned it for you below. (I'd printed it out for my recipe box during data recovery after a computer crash, so you'll see a date of 2010 at the bottom.)


That, my friends, is how stuff gets twisted in the media, however accidentally.

P.S. I've tried a variety of tequillas in this recipe. My preference is 2 jiggers of Cazadores Reposado, and very little or to salt on the glass. (Need glasses? Margarita glasses didn't exist in 1948, so if you're setting up a bar with a vintage vibe, champagne coupes are the way to go. They're also versatile, so they save space.)