I’ve spent a good amount of time learning about business and the entrepreneurial world. One of the things I heard so many people talk about is figuring out your ideal customer avatar. To go deep and write down every detail you can think of for this imaginary person. Where they work, what clothes they like, what music they listen to, their hopes and dreams.
I did the exercise. If these people sold me on buying their course, then clearly they know something I don’t right?
But it didn’t feel right. I couldn’t connect to it.
In fairness, I’m not a Bitmoji user either. Avatars just don’t do it for me. I know lots of people enjoy them and rock on y’all! You do you because you are wonderful at it. I need something more tangible and I know I’m not the only person out there trying to turn their passion into some traction.
The thing I never stopped to consider about all those people selling me their courses and expertise is did I really want to do that? I’ve worked in commissioned sales. I wasn’t particularly good at it. I cared more about connecting with the person I was helping than trying to sell them shit. Don’t get me wrong, I still sold them stuff, but it was want they told me either directly or indirectly that they needed.
I remember watching the Shangri-La docuseries and hearing Rick Rubin say “If you’re open and pay attention, people will tell you what they need to say.”
That’s how I approach creating music and living life, and that’s how I think we should approach business too.
The greatest joy I have received from starting this blog and my podcast has been connecting with people. It’s one of my greatest joys in life. It’s amazing to me that a project can be so new and young and still be able to touch people. I have complete strangers that have become friends over the course of the last few months from Florida to Australia and I have connected with high school friends and old coworkers on a level I never could have anticipated. It’s beautiful.
All we’re doing is showing up for each other. Being honest when something the other says resonates with us. It’s how we help each other build momentum.
If clarity follows action then what better clarity can you get than actual people telling you their actual thoughts?
If what you’re doing isn’t getting at least one or two people to connect with you then I think you need to refine it a little more. Check yourself. Check your intentions. Are you sharing from a place of “business a building” or connecting? This goes for anyone in any field. Lord knows we musicians can slip into this mode all too easily.
We’ve all been sold to our entire lives. As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was acutely aware of the amount of commercials bombarding me. My mom made a habit of muting them when she was watching. It’s something I do to this day whenever I’m watching something I can’t click “skip ad” on. Do you have an idea how happy I still feel every time a show I have on TiVo auto-skips. Glorious!
My point is that we’re all fucking tired of being sold something!
I’m not going to buy your record because you sold it to me. I’m going to buy your record because I heard about it, listened to it, it was good, and I want to listen to it more. My money is me saying “Thank you for making this. I support you and want you to make me more.”
Try using that mindset as a consumer. I think if more of us spent our money this way we would be amazed at the progress we could make in bringing more peace into our lives and our collective consciousness.
All this is to say to focus on creating joy and connection in your life. Do what you love with passion and share it. If one person likes it, that’s a win. Take the win.
You’re fucking awesome. Do you. All the way.
Love,
Sarah