I built a business based on my passion...yikes

[Andy Daniels]

This thread is for those who have been told to "go out there and do what you love, build a business around that!"

Listen up, and listen good:


Before TMF and UNSCRIPTED came into my life, I was just a college student looking to find what I wanted to do with my life. I was big into live music and playing with various bands. I loved gigging and the entire process of booking a show.

I was approached by an old friend, who had an itch to start a business. He too was passionate about the entertainment business, and offered up an idea. Since you love to play shows and do bookings, why don't we start a business around that? And here's where it gets interesting.

I start reaching out to local musicians, and of course they're interested. Booking is a huge endeavor, and here are 2 college kids looking to do all that work for them, who wouldn't be interested in that? (Oh, and don't forget our business cards with our super fancy titles on them. We were totally a legit business now! )

Shows are being booked, I am inundated with new music business lingo that I'd never heard before, so I'm learning a lot on the fly (which is pretty fun). Here's this excited soon-to-be college grad passing out business cards, feeling on top of the world.

And here's where shit hits the fan.

I've got most of a tour booked. I am exhausted from emailing talent buyers and industry people. All of a sudden, the band tells me they can't do the first part of the tour because of a time conflict. Now, I know what you're thinking. Don't you guys have contracts that keep both parties accountable? That would certainly be the sensible thing to do! Nope. No contracts. (Mistake #1)

So now looking like a complete idiot, I have to reach out to about a dozen venues and try to re-schedule. Some of the venues work out, but some totally black-list me. I was shell-shocked. What did I do wrong? It wasn't my fault the band flaked on me? Well guess what, nobody cares. Business is war, and those venues only cared about their own profits, which were slipping away. I had been permanently black-listed by some venues, and labeled as an idiot by the others.

All because I wanted to start a business based on my loves. And business kills your loves.

@MJ DeMarco said it best right there. He is absolutely right. Eventually, after your business takes a choke-hold on you, your reasons for doing what your love, will eventually become what you hate. Entrepreneurs hear ye, think long and hard both about what the market needs, and what value you can bring to the table. Leave your hopes and dreams completely out of it.


Hit me with any questions!

All the best,

Andy

 

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[The-J]

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