Who doesn’t love a little bit of Rock n’ Roll? Perhaps its the brash attitudes or the contagious energy from the front man. Whatever it is that draws us in, there is something more we can learn from the rock n’ roll legends that hit the big time while they were still young enough to make some proper mistakes; and not just the best way to destroy expensive instruments either. So what can these leather-pantsed, big-haired legends teach us about business?
Keith Moon
He achieved success by the time he was 20. This famous drummer for The Who brought a style that could only be described as ‘sloppy’. His timing seemed off, he zigzagged around his drum kit and his tempo was determined by his mood. Yet today, thirty-five years since his death, the music world is still talking about Keith Moon’s drumming.
To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson: nobody remembers the people who follow the common path, it’s those who go where there is no path and leave a trail that get their names in the history books. Your business needs to stand out and embracing the things that make you unique, even if they are glaring imperfections, are the very things that give you value in the eyes of a consumer. Keith Moon certainly had his share of critics and so should you if you’re doing it right. Force people to use a new adjective when they describe what you do, find your own ‘sloppy’ style.
Jimi Hendrix
Voted the Greatest Guitar Player of all time, Jimi left use too early. By the age of 23, he had 3 Top Ten hits in the UK. Famously ambidextrous, he had arguably more technical skill than any other rock musician before or since. He invented his style and constantly challenged it’s boundaries, redefining sounds and genres in the process.
A business owner who dreams of great success ought to work hard to be an expert in his field. He should have intimate knowledge of how his industry works, what the markets want, and how best to give it to them. On their blog, Gryffin Media points out the importance of understanding hashtags. In spite of being a relatively new young innovation, a business owner who utilizes social media for marketing should know the ins and outs of all available tools and exactly how to make the most of them. Your technical skills should outshine everyone around you; not for the sake of competition, but for the advantages it provides in staying ahead of the curve and even shaping the curve as you go.
Les Claypool
A giant who still lives among us. Les became famous for his bass playing with his band Primus in the early nineties when he was 28. Aside from his quirky offbeat style, masterful musicianship and penchant for animal masks, Les has something special that we can learn from: He was afraid to be the lead singer because he hated his own voice, and was afraid to even approach a microphone. He conquered his fear by simply forging ahead, in spite of it.
You can’t really have a business without being a little bit crazy. There are plenty of risks, plenty of opportunities to fail, and innumerous obstacles that are unknown until you hit them. Fear of failure is paralyzing and the enemy of anyone looking to build something for themselves. You will make mistakes and you will have to fix them, but you will always learn more from your failures than your successes. Forging ahead in spite of your fear is the best way to take it’s power away, so think about the fears holding you back and then challenge them head on.
Camille McClane is a writer, researcher and editor, who frequently blogs about about web hosting and social media. Her favorite subject to focus on is emerging technology trends and its overall effect within business expansion and relations. She hopes the readers of Under30CEO.com enjoy this article as much as she enjoyed writing it!
