Last evening we went to hear a group of songwriters at the Bluebird Cafe here in Nashville as part of the Folk Alliance (their website is folk.org, which seems to be down this morning as I write this post). One of them performing last night, James Lee Stanley, is one we first heard over thirty years ago — I blogged about him a couple of months ago.
What a wonderful evening of music and an affirmation that the music industry is alive and well. The three featured songwriters had all been writing and performing since the 1970s. Are they rich and famous? No. Have they been making a living pursuing what gives them passion? Absolutely.
There is a good lesson here for entrepreneurs in any industry.
Too much attention is given to celebrity and fame. We see it in entertainment and more and more we see it in the world of entrepreneurship. The vast majority of our economic growth is coming from order topamax online entrepreneurs working in small businesses across the country. It is hard work. It is not very glamorous. But, it has created economic independence for these entrepreneurs and the people working with them.
The same is true in music. There are thousands of songwriters and performers toiling away out there. Many are fortunate and have become successful enough to make a living at it.
The vast majority of entrepreneurs will not reach the heights of Gates, Dell, Jobs, and others whose little ventures grew into empires. In fact, most won’t even make their local list of “leading entrepreneurs” in their community.
But, most entrepreneurs don’t really care about fame and recognition. That is not what drives them. That is not how they measure their success.
What a blessing it is to be able to share in real success — the songwriters who continue to hone their craft — the entrepreneurs who pursue their passion and find fulfillment in the businesses they create.
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