The Real Deal Holyfield by Nick FuriouStylz

So if you fancy yourself an entertainer/musician/performer in this world you’ve got to work 24/7 to make sure you’re always ready to accept the next challenge, to attend the next party or get-together and make sacrifices to further your career while all the while staying humble and communicative. Your image, your future and your livelihood are all important to keep in mind.

What a lot of people don’t understand is that you cannot just say yes to everyone and that you should not do everything for free. Also I believe there are a few simple rules to follow to help us be productive and also respectful of those we work with it.

6 Rules to Enhance Productivity

Rule #1: Don’t do everything for free

It’s fine to do a freebie, to help a good cause or to put yourself out there for a friend every once and a while but generally speaking you should are worth something and you need to know and believe that when you’re dealing with promoters or agents in your field. That is not to say that one should consider themselves the best ever or have an attitude, it is to say you should work with others but always know your worth.

Any collaborator that understands “true value” will understand that you are worth it and that asking for something in the realm of reality is expected. Don’t set your sights too high and don’t overdo it, but always understand you should get something for your efforts.

Finally, those musician/performers who do not take money or request payment for services unfortunately have a tendency to water down the talent pool. In other words those willing to do it for free make it easy for promoters agents to pay less for less quality and those who deserve it and hard work for it are not getting paid because others would be willing to do it for free. You’re not doing anyone else including yourself any favors by accepting free gigs or free work on a regular basis.

Rule #2: Do what you say and say what you do

Quite often we get caught up in making promises that we can’t keep, but we want to make everyone happy so we agree to do things. If you decide to overextend yourself things may spiral out of control. If there is a moment that you realize you cannot make these things happen or follow through you must act proactively. Be honest with yourself and the other parties and communicate this. Give them a call, let them know at the earliest point if you have to bail. Never don’t just show up, one must communicate and own up. And that does not mean to send an email or a text message it means call that person or speak to them directly and share with them what is going on. Sometimes it’s hard but Saving Face in the long run is what matters not the short-term.

Rule # 3: Be realistic and be honest with yourself and others.

Again, sometimes unexpected  things come up and sometimes we are unable to fulfill our promises but your best bet is to always be honest with yourself and then communicate that with the other parties involved. We all make mistakes, over book and we get ourselves into things we cannot always look good in but we must remember not to jeopardize the overall integrity of the event and or job. Have accountability for yourself and your promises.

Rule # 4: Grease the wheel

If you make money as a promoter always make sure to share it evenly with all the parties involved. Granted you should take your money out for flyers or for promotion costs but one should ALWAYS be honest and forthright and try to share the wealth with everyone involved even if they don’t expect to get paid. The reality is everyone is there, using their resources, working together and you cannot complete any event by your lonesome. As a musician, tip and compliment your sound person. The last thing you want to do is piss off the guy bringing you your steak, if you know what I mean. Always compliment the bartenders and wait staff and always be courteous to those involved. Honest compliments and positive reinforcement is a must especially in high stress, fast paced situations.

Of course don’t be a pushover if someone is being irrational don’t be a doormat.
You may put them in their place on the microphone and make them feel stupid 😉

Rule # 5: It does matter. EVERYTHING matters always big or small.

I can assure you that everything does matter including decorum and respect. You should know your audience and always understand to try to be respectful even if you think you’re compromising your art in some way. No reason to be vulgar in front of children,  making blanket statements etc. Sometimes we must be the bigger person and understand that we are representing more than ourselves and that people will remember the little things  and the big things that you do. Nobody’s perfect but it is important to remember how you portray yourself will last for years to come in people’s perception of you. Also make sure you do it the correct way the first time, no half measures, don’t cut corners, don’t lie and or don’t do it the easy way. Spell check documents and social media posts, proper grammar is important to not come across like a newbie.

If it takes a little longer, costs a little more it’s ALWAYS worth it to come out looking like a professional. Every-time and in every situation.

Rule 6: The final straw

Actually this last rule has nothing to do with the negative connotation of the final straw but rather a final note to always remember like having a piece of straw in your mouth and sitting on the porch in the sun after a long, hard day. Relax a little, settle in and be comfortable. Be yourself have some fun and allow yourself to be free. Remember to be professional and always respect others. If we’re not having fun and it’s not authentic it won’t go over well with your audience. You’ve got to be free to be the best you that you can be! This can be a tough rule to navigate because being yourself still means you will need a filter. Assess each situation on a case by case basis.

As always I appreciate you tuning in to another installment of the BlogBomb, blowing your mind every time with a unique and explosive take on the modern hustla. If you want to get it, go get it just remember to always remember where you came from and respect those who paved the way to get you where you are because we never do it alone and we never get there by ourselves.

That’s a drop the mic moment, peace and I’m out.

505-515-4458
a.k.a. Nick Furious
www.furious.bandcamp.com
www.bandwidthnoname.com
Emcee/Performer, Actor, Public Relations, Event Promoter, Radio Personality,
Voice-Over Talent

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Nick “Furious” Meyers is a longtime veteran of the New Mexico Music scene. Nick has worked with Community Publishing in the past, having served as the Audio Engineer on the multimedia children’s book, Fiona the Funkadelic Freckile Fairy. Nick is currently working working as the Audio Engineer on the Animated multimedia book, Bella the Caterpillar (written by 7yr old Marisol Paramo) to be published in the late Fall by Community Publishing: From the Community For the Community!

Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia books (available in digital and print) while promoting literacy in our communities.
We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market and the Monte Vista Fire Station.
#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org