Turning Water Into Wine

My job as a marketing guy is to find ways to get folks to pay attention to the artists I work with and more importantly their music. I'm a big fan of the very cleverly written show Weeds on Showtime. Essentially the show is about a suburban mom named Nancy who has resorted to selling pot to support her family. At this point in the series, which is in its 7th season now, the show has evolved into a circus of antics by Nancy to find new and better ways to keep her dealing business thriving. While in the well to do area known as The Hamptons in New York, Nancy creates a back story that her Marijuana is grown in a lush ancient mountainous region in Europe. Giving the impression that it's a rare strain and only she has the inside track on distribution, she "invents" a high end packaging, delivery system and perception of her product, selling dime bags ($10) of weed for $500 to the ultra swanky and uber rich who just HAVE to have it.

This got me thinking. I started to look at all the foods that we consider delicacies that have their beginnings rooted in the “boorish” world of peasants, farmers and the poor. From sushi (raw fish) to escargot (snails), foie gras (duck liver) and caviar (fish eggs) to rocky mountain oysters (bulls testicles). The combination of a discerning palate and creative marketing have elevated these once noshable necessities into edible eccentricities that only a select few can afford and/or acquire.

So in these challenging times of finding ways to be heard above the noise it behooves us all to ask ourselves what we can do with our music, merchandise, performances and our perception, to develop a brand that meets a demand we know is out there just waiting to be found. There's plenty of thirsty folks looking for something new to taste. All you gotta do is turn water into wine!

SXSW...Be there!

I SWEAR!

So it's the new year and we all have our resolutions to maintain, our finances to rebuild and our goals to reach.  Through all the sacrifices that we make to further our careers the one thing we must never sacrifice is our credibility...our word...our honor.  A contract between two parties is an agreement to honor our word.  We say what we'll do and then do what we say we'll do.  Pretty simple.  However, more and more we see folks consider a contract as a guideline.  Something to aspire to but not obligated to.  Look at the rate of divorce.  I'm not here to argue the merits of divorce, but I know for myself, I take my vows very seriously and after nearly 20 years I can honestly say there are times I feel tested.  But nobody said it would be easy.  How many folks take on mortgages, agreeing to pay and then when it gets a little rough, walk away.  Our political halls are filled with empty promises and our response ...what do you expect, they're politicians.  We've learned to accept...or rather... expect broken promises.  We live in a litigious society and in the end the lawyers win.  How many times do we hear "the label ripped me off", "the promoter didn't honor the contract", "The manager didn't deliver".  But the issue isn't about what someone did to you.  It's what you do.  I guarantee you'll get ripped off.  It's inevitable.  Those are things that are sometimes out of your control.  But what you can control is how you treat others and how you honor your agreements.    Keep this in mind the next time you sign an agreement or the next time you make a promise.  You're only as good as your word. I swear!