Week #06 (Feb.4-10, 2019)

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Week #06 (Feb.4-10, 2019) - KNOW YOURSELF!

So I don’t have a manager - not for the moment at least. That means, I have to do a lot of things myself. One such responsibility is negotiating. Yes, this job has a fair bit of negotiation involved. Whether it’s booking fees, song splits, contract terms, I find that nearly every week, I’m working through some nitty gritty details with some other sparring mate. Negotiating (especially when the stakes are high), is a dicy game. Knowing when to push, when to concede, when to propose an alternative, isn’t always clear. Admittedly, it’s not the fun and glamorous part of the job, but doing this properly helps fuel (and fund 😉) the fun and glamour parts. So it has to be done, and until such a time as I find a stand-in, it falls to my charge. This week I just wrapped up another round of negotiations, which yielded a  very positive outcome. Throughout the whole process, I was rather nervous because I wanted the deal to work out. There were things I wanted to change in the agreement, but was initially too afraid to ask. I was ready to settle for what I knew wasn’t truly ideal 🤦🏾‍♂️. Fortunately, a more experienced friend acted as a mentor through this process. He made some suggestions of what to ask, and how to ask.Sidebar: Mentors are ABSOLUTELY crucial in life! Get some if you don’t have any. I’ll dedicate a whole post to this another week.Anyways, we went back a forth for some time until we arrived at an almost perfect agreement. I say “almost” because towards the end, there was one more term I wanted changed, but was too afraid to ask because as I mentioned to my friend, “I don’t wanna over push and they just pull out altogether”. My friend graciously encouraged me saying “Nahhhhhhhh…you’re negotiating”. Such a simple piece of advice, but so true. So I went back to the table one more time, asked for the final change and that was that. They agreed and I got all the terms I wanted. When it was all said and done, I was amazed. In the past I have settled for worse deals with smaller players. A profound lesson emerged; You are worth what you’re asking for! 🤯🤯🤯You see, for many years I walked with a terrible insecurity. I always felt less than. I felt like a second rate artist, so when meeting with other artists or industry folk I admired, I shrivelled down to an anxious mess. I felt like, “I’m just happy to be here!” Some of that is normal, of course. There’s a natural excitement when you finally cross paths with someone who’s influenced you, or someone who maybe hasn’t directly impacted you, but is operating at a tier you aspire to.So that first “OH MY GOODNESS! I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M TALKING TO YOU!!!” reaction is perfectly normal. But what happens when your paths cross again, and again, and again? Well, if this is happening, that probably means you’re doing something right. The quality of your work and interactions are increasingly bringing into similar social circles. To put it plainly, while you may not yet be a veteran, you’re certainly no longer a novice. You’ve started experiencing your own wins. Would it be appropriate for that “I’m just happy to be in your presence” mindset to remain?It’s one thing to respect, NAY! admire someone and thus give them their due deference. It’s an entirely different thing to walk in trepidation around them as though you have absolutely nothing of value to contribute when in their presence. I used to fall into the latter category.No matter how I grew, or succeeded, or what I accomplished, I would always enter these interactions like the little bro. I wasn’t a novice, but I was thinking, feeling, and acting like one. This meant that when it came down to doing business with said parties, I was an easy target to take advantage of. After all, “I’m just happy to be in your presence”.There’s a lesson in that: Self-belief doesn’t come from your outside environment. Successes, can help bolster confidence, but cannot ultimately give it. They will provide a temporary distraction, but the insecurities will remain and continue to eat you up. True self-confidence is independent of your circumstances. So back to the present. With my most recent round of negotiations, I presented myself confidently, knowing who I am, and what I wanted. I was firm, but fair. And in the end, it worked out. In fact, this has repeatedly been the case recently. I still have some of these insecurities today, although to a much lesser degree. I know what I’m worth and am happy to walk away from “opportunities” that don’t meet my standards.The bottom line is this; people will carry you the way you carry yourself. If you carry yourself like the little brother/sister, you will be treated like the little brother/sister. Of course, there’s a measure of humility and self-awareness you have to have. If you have no prior experience or credentials you can’t walk around like you own the place. Your ask must match your skill and qualifications. Knowing your true and honest value takes a true and honest self-assessment. Once you’ve done the work and know this however, the rest is up to you. As we say in Toronto, “Know Yourself”.Until next week, #KnowItsRealP.S. Do you have a true and honest sense of your worth and value? 

BIG NEWS! BIG NEWS! BIG NEWS! 

I was accepted into the CBC Music #Searchlight2019 competition. This is a BIG DEAL because CBC is one of the largest media conglomerates in Canada and there are some amazing prizes up for grabs. First round is voting now open. Please support by voting a couple times (or once/day 😉) between now and Feb. 14 3PM EST. 🙌🏿 (and feel free to tell a friend or 2)...you don't even have to be Canadian to vote!

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