In the book Talent Is Overrated, Jeff Colvin, Senior Editor at Large for Fortune Magazine, suggests that he has found a missing link – the difference between being mediocre and truly achieving greatness. And it’s not talent.
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An excerpt (paraphrased for space):
‘Look around you. Look at your friends, your relatives, your coworkers, the people you meet when you shop or go to a party. how do they spend their days? Most of them work. They all do many other things as well but how well do they do what they do? The most likely answer is that they do it fine. The odds are that few if any people around you are truly great at what they do-awesomely, amazingly, world-class excellent. Why?’
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There a few things this book suggests that I don’t agree with – like the fact that clinical psychologists have had a hard time defining what ‘talent’ is, therefore it must not exist. In a recent conversation with my stage manager Tony Lepore (who happens to have a degree in Philosophy) we decided that talent is a combination of experience and intuition combined with one other element.
This element is something the book touches on that I actually agree with. Deliberate practice.
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Cirque Du Soleil
Whether you’re on stage or off, a job requires performance. Great performance requires practice that is hard, and it hurts, but it works. Deliberate practice. When I toured with Tops In Blue we had to rehearse 18 hours a day for six weeks – through stressed fractures, minimal sleep and unbelievable stress – before we set foot on stage in front of an audience. But the finished product was undeniable and continues to wow audiences worldwide.
The best and most visible example of deliberate practice is Cirque Du Soleil. When I got selected as a performer with them in April (after a nine hour audition) I had a new appreciation for how to rehearse. Then I was invited to watch a rehearsal for KA at the MGM Grand and the precision and intensity of their rehearsal knocked me off my feet.
The result of their deliberate practice? The most successful live entertainment company on the planet.
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Can rehearsal alone replace talent? Is there a way to achieve greatness through repetition or are you born with an innate ability to do certain things better than most?
The people you surround yourself with can keep you from reaching greatness or they can be the one thing that keeps you grounded. Here’s what happens if you don’t know
the difference:
Duffy went from a film deal with Harvey Weinstein and gracing magazine covers to has-been in record time.
His downfall? 1. Smelling his own piss. (Believing his own press)2. Mixing friends and family with business.
The problem with hiring family or friends in the entertainment business is two-fold:
Emotional attachment:It is impossible to make smart creative and business decisions when emotion is involved. You need to be able to step back. Separate yourself from the situation and look at things objectively and make the call without flinching. If your mom is managing your career and is obviously in over her head how do you tell her to buzz off? Answer is don’t hire her in the first place. I’m a parent. If my kid is kicking butt at something I’d want him to have the best person possible to make sure he’s on the right track. Doesn’t mean I can’t check in on them here and there. There’s a fine line between concern and interference.
Family and friends want to protect you. I get it. But the ‘you’ they have known all these years will have to evolve significantly in order to face the temptations and challenges of succeeding in this business. Learn to separate the ‘old home you’ from the ‘work you’. They need to let go of the old you and give you room to grow. Your past can either propel you to success or hold you back. My past is nothing to brag about (it’s actually pretty horrible) but it is also my biggest advantage because to hide it is fake and won’t hold up in the long term. Keep your eyes on the prize.
NOTE: If you happen to hate your family’s guts then consider yourself at an advantage. Chances are they won’t be working for you anyway so skip this bit.
Maybe your family gives you useful input. Great. But you need to know where to draw the line. If you are among the lucky few who have a competent team of professionals with your best interest at heart working their butts off for you there is no need to jeopardize that relationship by second-guessing their guidance. The very nature of growing your brand and an intricate part of any major career evolution is that it has to be broken down in order to be built back up.
Expectations:I am closer to my friends than I am with most of my family. My buddy from Tops In Blue was the best man at my wedding. Would I hire him to manage my career or affairs? Nope. And he doesn’t expect me to. A lot of the business decisions you’ll have to make may be what’s best for your career but not in the best interest of your friendship. The phrase ‘we started this together’ is a slippery slope so beware of people who are hanging on to your coat tails with this sly form of guilt. You don’t owe anybody a damn thing. And the world doesn’t owe you anything either. When you hire an industry professional who may not know you but is passionate about your work everybody starts on even ground. Someone who doesn’t know you takes you at face value and all their decisions are clear and transparent. They’re not afraid to piss you off, and you’re not afraid to give them a piece of your mind. This is how business relationships work, as long as you don’t start talking about each other’s mamas you’ll make lots of money together and enjoy a successful career.
With success comes a lot of guilt which we’ll cover in another post. Remember that the sacrifices your family and friends have made to support you on your journey don’t come with strings attached. Thank them by being successful and never forgetting where you came from. And mention GigSmacked.com in your awards acceptance speech. (kidding)
It’s Showbusiness. Not ShowFriends.
-Kahlil Ashanti, GigSmacked.com
I know there are some successful family/friends situations out there but it’s very rare. Agree or Disagree? Is it working for you? Share your secrets! We’re here to shed as much light on this subject as possible. ReTweet, Facebook, and share this post. Let’s keep the dialogue going!
There is no reason you can’t serve your country and follow your dreams at the same time. Many veterans have gone on to incredible success making real money in the civilian world by taking advantage of some of the opportunities the military offers to show your talent to the world in their spare time. JAWS Composer John Williams (Air Force), Drew Carey (Marines), Clint Eastwood (Army), Bill Cosby (Navy) are just a few of the many celebs who served their country while realizing their dreams lie in other places.
In 1955, at 18, Morgan Freeman signed up with the U.S. Air Force and worked as a mechanic until his five years ended in 1959.
The demands on today’s military are brutal. Deployed here, stationed there and if you don’t have an outlet you’ll lose your mind. We realize that spare time and the military don’t always go hand in hand but that’s the way dreams work, gotta give something up to get something better. The most prestigious and well traveled of these opportunities is an all active duty performing and touring show with musicians, singers, dancers and comedians called Air Force Tops In Blue www.topsinblue.com.
In the book Talent Is Overrated, Jeff Colvin, Senior Editor at Large for Fortune Magazine, suggests that he has found a missing link – the difference between being mediocre and truly achieving greatness. And it’s not talent.
