In the modern world I must say it boggles my mind that we are still selling-and worse still buying the traditional career development route without additional consideration…

I'm not ragging on teachers or the "educational system," or the "stupidity of people…etc."

I think most people are honestly trying the best they can with what they got… And of course we still need doctors and lawyers to go through extensive filters, "credentialing" and facilitated training before practicing professionally…

But for Artists and Musicians as well as for entrepreneurs-you aren't going to find a better Business education than simply starting and running your own Business. In this case, Music Business.

What you need is not another degree or certificate or even more knowledge…

What you need comes down to two irreplaceable things…

Experience and skills.

And the good news for modern artists and content creators...

You've been developing those two things your entire life.

Sometimes i'll hear the question about which school or program to take to become an artist-or learn how to run a music business which immediately leads to the same question first about the specific educational content they seek...

Are you trying to develop your artistic crafts or are you trying to start, launch or grow the business?

If your intention is the latter-than you're in luck, Grassroots Career Development is how we do it in the modern world, without accumulating any debt.

In virtually any form of Content Business (Music or Content of any kind) life and experiential knowledge remain the best teacher and classroom that i'm aware of.

Modern Music Career Development

What skills do you really need to succeed long-term as a content creator or Artist in the modern music business?

When i started running my first website and content business 10 years ago I wasn't exactly sure. I just started writing and learning each next thing that i needed to do to develop and grow it.

Several years later i had much more clarity on exactly which parts of my music business were CORE and which were mechanics. I knew what things i liked to do and i mapped out the set of skills that i would continue to laser in on and develop mastery of. Through each project and initiative i continued to target the development of these key skills and develop the processes that logistically broke things down into steps and moving pieces. This allowed me to separate the core from the mechanics and give me greater perspective on my overall career operations.

Modern Music Career Development is 3dimensional. It's not necessarily linear, and it encourages you to find your own roads. To pave your own way, and to carve out your own niche. One thing i see many artists gloss over or overlooking entirely is the core development and definition of their internal message and mission. Truly connecting to greater purpose and passion really does something magical for your inspiration, direction, and your confidence. Born out of this understanding and commitment comes the external narrative and a greater resonating frequency. When you think about it, you're putting out signal from your soul. This is magnetic and the force that will allow you to attract true fans and followers instead of having to promote to the anonymous masses.

I harp on this "building a 3D Brand" stuff because it's the central piece to stepping your game up-on every level. Instead of just the WHAT you do, Complete Artist Development addresses the WHY and the HOW you are doing what you are doing as well. In my opinion, this is the most powerful aspect of Modern Music Career Development, and something i'm not seeing many Artists and Content Creators embracing quite yet.

The reason why adopting this stuff and following my advice can elevate your career is because you are simply going through the process of making all 3 dimensions of your Brand more valuable. Thus, in a world where there is so much me too, mediocrity, you get right to the core, nail your message and in turn show up for the fans who're looking for you like no one else. Show up in full color HD, in a world of black and white tv's playing "the fuzz." You are able to connect on that emotional level, provide the unique moments and experience that they'll remember and that's what people are really looking for in the modern world. Unique, relevant, timely emotional connection. Something that truly speaks to them and takes them on a journey. Instead of admiring you from a distant stage-you are giving them multiple access and experience pathways so fans can truly come alongside and travel with you at different levels of engagement-which they choose based upon how you setup your FEE Structure.

Modern Music Career Development isn't a straight shot through several "course requisites" for some quota of credits and standardized curriculum testing. It is the beautiful, fulfilling, exciting adventure of your life and the development of your artistry, your personal and professional identity, as well as the unique combination of skills, habits, and philosophy that come together over a long period of time, practice, and patience.

Grassroots Career Development is the long-term, built solid from the ground up-music career growth strategy that we use and recommend because it's a natural process of living your life as well as identifying and targeting the specific skills you'll need to develop in addition to your crafts and Main Moves.

Oh, and if you are wondering what might those skills you should be acquiring are... Don't worry, we've already figured those out for you. Collectively they are the 10 skills known as the Entrepreneurial Skill-Set.

One especially important point i want to make-at the risk of sounding redundant-is the fact that modern career development isn't conventional in that you can apply your life experience and transpose relevant skills and expertise in very creative ways. There is no perfect path. No age limit. No expensive barrier to entry. There is only desire, commitment, follow through, and mastery. However, where-ever, or whatever you choose taken throughout the 4 stages of Grassroots Career Development: Foundation, Optimization, Acceleration, Maximization. You don't don't have to look, sound, speak or think a certain way. You just have to do the work, and pay to play for the long haul.

As i've mentioned many times before my musical career development was a very strange progression. A non-conventional pathway that didn't really make sense in a linear or traditional sense until looking back on it at the end. The journey, in retrospect, indeed followed a natural evolution of grassroots career development, an organic development pathway guiding a progressive acquisition of skills, mindsets and expertise.

So don't worry if you're not the most academic, just make sure you stay thirsty and get your content in front of your audience, and learn how to shape offers, make promises and deliver on them.

Not knowing where you're going to sleep, or where your next meal is going to come from, people shooting rockets at you every day, trying to identify thin filament copper wires (often the size of a guitar string)-and more importantly-not run over land mines planted underneath unpaved roads-are all very good motivators. They will cause you to pay close attention to detail and be especially precise about what you are doing. Both mission and performance-wise.

The more you take this to heart, the better off you'll be. As we used to say in the Infantry, Complacency Kills.

I can't tell you how important a non-traditional education like I had was for me.

How to survive with nothing more than a backpack of essentials, how to fit 10 lbs of crap into a 5 lb sack, how to listen, how to fully utilize all the elements contained within an MRE, how to write and get your thoughts out of your head and on paper, how to maintain a weapon system, how to write a song, how to mop a floor, how to rely on your self, how to survive when people are shooting at you and trying to kill you, how to operate a gun-truck, how to operate a digital audio workstation, how to set and achieve a goal…

Don't get me wrong-I love books and audio programs for sure, but these are skills one must learn through experience, and trial and error.

As we always talk about around here, your content business consists of 3 dimensions. The Artistic dimension, the craft and passion for the content you create is the part you're most familiar-but there are indeed two others to complete your 3D Brand...

The entrepreneurial and personal dimensions are the business and leadership development dimensions, and are vital perspectives of your content business. They require focus and attention as well.

Though artistically, we can learn and study music theory at the community college, hone guitar chops with youtube, learn music production online as well as with a growing array of indirect instructional formats... no avenue i've ever seen can substitute for life and business experience when it comes to the other two dimensions.

Rough Starts and Late Arrivals

After dropping out of high school, sometime around the two year mark of my illustrious development and strategic rise as pizza delivery man, I had recognized a weird feeling that i've experienced before in earlier years throughout high school.

It was the subtle feeling of just not quite being on track.

Like you are not where you are supposed to or should be.

Have you ever experienced that feeling before?

It was as if I could recognize two trains simultaneously running on different trajectories, and i simply wasn't on the right one.

I didn't know where or how to get on the other one, mind you, and i didn't even know where the other train was heading to… What I did know is that the dudes i was hanging out with at the pizza parlors weren't exactly models of where I wanted to be 20 years from now.

Of course, it wasn't personal... It's not exactly something I could bring up and get advice about... I did know that i wasn't exactly satisfied, and I didn't know what had to be done yet… But i certainly knew that somewhere, somehow there had to be a more engaging, more fulfilling, more enjoyable way to both live and work.

In retrospect, 10 years later, everything that happened was pretty practical, a naturally developing sequence of events. Although it was one hell of an adventure, the entire development of how i started out as well as ended up here with you, as the Music Business Architect, was an unfolding series of experiences that both shaped who i am, taught me the skills i needed-as well as showed me what I was all about and here to do. The foundational stages of my career development showed me what i did and didn't want, who I did and did not want to be, and for that i will forever be grateful.

I do feel like there was something looking out for me, for sure. Intuitively guiding at some level and giving me a first class education on how the world works, and teaching me the skills I would need for later. At times it is both surreal and nostalgic when i think of each little phase, each little battle, and each little victory-or yes even failure. I've had more than a couple.

Isn't it crazy to think about how far you've really come? To connect the dots for the impact each of your life experiences has really had on you...

If you have yet to do that, i encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Doesn't have to be all at once. You don't have to pull your hair out over it... But just casually begin time-lining the big events out and start from there. Think about all the meanings and problems and challenges and events that truly shaped who you've become-or are becoming... This is such an important process for taking your brand and music business to the next level that it's a requirement built into the Academy and all our coaching based programs.

Have you already done this exercise for your Content Business? I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this, add your voice to the conversation below.