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#38 | 3 Mindset Shifts for Greater Success

It’s all in your head. 

Welcome to Season 2!

Buying all the tools, books, and apps and still not getting ahead? It may be all in your head! Here are 3 mindset shifts that got me seeing results!

Here’s the thing – you’re NEVER ready. There will always be things you can’t predict or control. The only thing you CAN do is your best. Plain and simple.

You’re listening to Episode 38 of the Music-Preneur Mindset Podcast.


Hey there! You’re listening to our Season 2 Premiere Show, Episode 38 – 3 Mindset Shifts for Greater Success.


If you’re new to this podcast, welcome. I’m your host, Suz – a mindset coach helping music-preneurs build sustainable careers in music by improving how they spend their time and energy to discover their next steps.


If you were with me for Season 1, welcome back and thanks for sticking with me!


Last season I shared some stories about my journey in this crazy industry, gave some tips on working smarter, not harder, and had a few amazing music-preneurs come on and share their processes with you.


This season I want to go a bit more granular into some of the strategies I discussed last season. I’m also going to be highlighting specific apps, books and other tools that either myself or my clients have had success using.


But to start us off, after a season of spotlighting why mindset is so important, I want to dig into 3 specific mindset shifts that can lead to big differences in your work flow, productivity, and overall success.


They are shifts I myself have gone through and I want to share with you how the shifts came about and how different my life has been since changing my outlooks on how I share content, how I make money, and how I grow my message.


Often times we try to fix the tangible stuff, right? Get a better computer or hire a new team member or change our appearance or surroundings. We hope that making those changes will fix whatever’s broken and keeping us from our goals.


Sometimes those things do help, but sometimes it can be a simple shift in perspective and how we handle a situation that can make all the difference – and it won’t cost you a dime!


It will, however, require you to look inward and undo beliefs you may have been holding onto for quite some time and let go of poor habits you’ve developed into strong, established behaviors over the years.


If you can approach these shifts with a willingness to grow and let go you will have a much easier time making the transitions necessary to allow more ease and balance into your career.


If you listened to Season 1, you already know I am a reformed workaholic. I go into great detail in Episode 2 – How & Why I Quit My Job 5x and Episode 33 – Why I Laugh at My Lymes.


So believe me when I tell you I know how hard it can be to trust in new ways to attack roadblocks and stay motivated and on task. But first, let’s talk about what these new ways are.


The first for me was a shift from Perfection Paralysis to Actionable Education. I talked in Episode 3 about working with a business partner and our obsession with trying to get everything perfect before it saw the light of day.


Once I was on my own, I started reading articles and tips from other entrepreneurs and kept seeing the same phrase, “done is better than perfect.”


I kept thinking, “Who would want to put out a sub-par product?” Even my business coaches encouraged me to take action and stop worrying about perfection. It took a while for me to fully understand what perfection truly represented – fear.


Wanting to be perfect isn’t about releasing your best work. It’s about wanting to stay inside the creating bubble, safe inside your lab, always finding things to tweak and improve, and embrace your art away from public’s judging eyes.


I’m a big fan of planning, so much so I created my own planner, but there is such a thing of planning paralysis – you spend so much time planning and tweaking that plan not because it’s not ready but because you’re not ready.


Here’s the thing – you’re NEVER ready. There will always be things you can’t predict or control. The only thing you CAN do is your best. Plain and simple.

Perfection is fear disguised. It fools us into thinking we’re stalling for the benefit of how well we want serve others, but in reality we’re stalling because we’re scared that our best won’t be good enough.


I started to take the advice of my coaches. I started putting out more content more regularly, trying hard as I could to not obsess over it being “perfect.” I realized when I focused more on getting it done and staying accountable I stepped up my game.


I was putting out solid content. “Done better than perfect” doesn’t mean don’t try, it doesn’t mean put out sub-par work. It means stay accountable and don’t sweat the small stuff should things go wrong. Focus on serving rather than being perfect.


A newsletter with a spelling error or broken link isn’t ideal, and it’s not something we shouldn’t care about, however it’s not something that should keep us from putting the next one out, paralyzed that it too will have imperfections.


When I was able to embrace that and truly understand the phrase, “done is better than perfect,” I put out more content and made more progress in 4 months than I did in almost a full year previous to that.


I made the shift by setting time limits on how long I’d spend on something and then question if I was being held by fear whenever I went over the time limit on a project.


Constantly reminding myself to keep the true meaning of perfection in the front of my mind, and what it would keep me from, allowed me to keep going, always doing my best and trusting that that would be enough.


I also kept in mind that one newsletter or Facebook Live or presentation or launch did not make a career. There would always be factors outside of my control that could cause things to go wrong.


Reminding myself I was more than my work and my career was more than one task was an effective way to keep me more action-based and less fear-based. I also would screenshot any and every kind thing someone said about my work, no matter how small and saved the screen shots in a folder. Whenever I felt the fraud talk popping up – that negative voice that tells us we’re not good enough, which I talked about in Episode 11 – I would look through those screen shots to remind myself that people were counting on me to produce more helpful content.


The second shift that enabled me to grow my career more quickly happened a few years earlier and was a shift in my mindset from Competition to Community.


Now I’ve never been one to compete with others. I was always someone who kept to myself and while I’d sometimes become jealous of another person it was never enough to sway me from not moving forward, nor was it something that motivated me to try to raise the bar either.


However, there were times where the wind was taken out of my sails if I saw someone getting an opportunity that I wanted or if someone posted content that was in line with what I was working on and hadn’t yet published – because I was busy trying to make it perfect.


I didn’t like feeling that way so I started looking for ways to shake it. I started looking at other industries, programs, and products out there in the world. I also started looking at the advice I would always give artists when it came to
competition.


We never listen to just one R&B artist or one metal band or one country singer. If we like a genre of music we have many artists within that genre that we’re fans of there’s enough room to like Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga. That’s why effective marketing targets audiences with things like “If you love so and so you’ll love this other person.”


It’s not like detergent where a customer is only going to buy one brand. You’re not rushing to get that one spot available on a fan’s playlist. There’s always room for more if it’s good enough and the listener relates and connects to you.


I started thinking the same way about coaches – I myself have hired more than one for different needs at different times. This mindset served me well after I started the Rock/Star Advocate as well 4 years ago.


Talking about self-care and work/life balance in the music industry was NOT something anyone wanted to hear back then. I had to work extremely hard to make my case for why I provided value, why I’d be a good addition to a panel, and why my topics were good for guest posts on larger blogs.


When someone else would start to share the same message people would ask me if I felt they were copying me. It wouldn’t serve me to waste my time to dig deep into their history to see who started talking about these topics first, plus I don’t own a patent on the topic of self-care. It was more important that the message was getting out there – whether through me or someone else.


I made a conscious decision to embrace other coaches who were about furthering the same or similar message and enjoy the community we could build together.


Ultimately we each bring something different to the table and multiple people pushing the same agenda is like the Care Bear stare any movement needs to take off and make an impact.


I much rather be on this journey with likeminded individuals than doing it all alone.


So next time you find yourself feeling stressed out by the other artists or bands doing the things you want to be doing, stop thinking of them as competition and start seeing how you could build a larger community of fans together through collaboration and cross-promotion.


Not everyone will be down for it, but the cream will rise and you will find the right people to Care Bear stare with, so keep looking for them.

The last shift was one that I only recently cracked the code on and was able to implement to successfully scale my business.


For yeeeeaaaarrrrsss I acted from a place of scarcity. I had a very bad relationship with money and I was always wondering about where my next paycheck would come from, even when I had a regular paycheck – I would find some way to worry about where all the money would come from and go to.

It took many years for me to shift from a mindset of Scarcity to one of Abundance.


So many creatives have this issue. This is because we’re conditioned to see ourselves as struggling freelancers or creatives. The ones who jump from job to job, chasing payments and always hoping people’s checks cleared.


On top of all of the stresses brought on by making your own way and being your own boss, the thought of begging people for money and hoping people will value what you’ve poured so much time, effort and skill into creating can be crippling.

I am blessed to say I’ve never dealt with a client failing to pay or disappear on me without handling payment, and I’ve never had someone demanding a refund for some ridiculous reason. I have friends who have had some real nightmares, many of which were completely out of their control.


However, I’ve certainly discounted my prices so low in an effort to attract more clients that it was impossible to make any money to keep the company going. I’ve also done an enormous amount of work for free in hopes that giving certain people deals would open up certain opportunities.


I’m not saying you shouldn’t pay your dues and scratch someone’s back when what you’ll get in return is more than worth the investment of your time – but I do believe that you should be fairly selective of those situations.


Years ago I was doing it too much with the thought of, “well ya never know when something could hit big!” But truth is, you do know. You can tell when something has a slim chance of being the return you’re hoping for and when you really should just shut up and work and be grateful for the opportunity.


That’s the difference between thinking in a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset. The scarcity mindset says that you never know when another great opportunity will come up so you better take what you can get (or not get if you’re working for free).


An abundance mindset, as Marie Forleo would say, tells us “there’s more where that came from” and we can therein make better decisions about the jobs we take and don’t take.


If you can trust in the fact that there’s money out there for you, there are great opportunities out there for you, and there are great collaborators out there for you, you will be able to better vet propositions that come your way and not settle for something that’s not worth your time or talents.


I am sure there are some young people out there with the confidence to embody this mindset from the get go, but I do believe this mindset comes only with time for most people.


It takes time to fall on your face, get taken for a fool, and get a few dreams crushed sometimes before you start to say, “Not today, Satan!”

What I mean by that is that it takes a certain amount of belief in what you offer and who’s out there that wants it before you can start to tell people, “No thanks.”

If you DO happen to be able to step into the abundance mindset fairly quickly good for you! But if you’re not there yet don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep working on the other mindset shifts and this one will come with greater
confidence in what it is you offer the world.


I will say, when you’re able to make this shift – when you’re able to take on only the clients who are worth your time, when you’re able to say no to the shows that don’t serve you, when you’re able to collaborate with people who will support you as much as you support them – it’s a GAME CHANGER.


Last January, thanks to the teachings of Pamela Capalad and her company/podcast Brunch & Budget – I made the scary but necessary decision to pay myself FIRST, before any other bills for the company were paid.


I decided on a certain percentage of all income that I would transfer 2 times a month into my personal account. I decided on the percentage by coming up with a number that felt good, but also frightened me a little. This number will be different for everyone and you have to experiment and see for yourself what works.


But once I started doing that I started walking a little taller. Rather than living off of credit cards and savings and scraping by living on peanut butter & jelly and canned soup, I started to feel valued for the work I do.


I started to feel as if my business was growing because I finally had money to spend on me. I could meet friends for happy hour, I could go see that movie or I could go to that new restaurant I wanted to try.


Sure, other bills took longer to pay off, but I needed to feel fulfilled as well. For years I had suffered thinking that was the only way. But once I started taking some money for myself my energy changed around my work.


I was attracting more clients, selling more books, and getting booked for more events. No one new what I was doing differently behind the scenes in my business, they were simply reacting to my energy and how I presented my work.
This October I finally made what I made in 1 year at my first corporate job. I never thought that was possible. But I stopped worrying about it and focused on doing the work. Letting go can make a BIG difference!


Here are 3 things that helped me make that shift:

1 – MarieTV – Marie Forleo has some amazing episodes around Money Mindset.

I’ve liked to a few of those video episodes in the show notes so be sure to check them out! Her most effective money mantra is, as I said before, “There’s more where that came from.” Say that to yourself each and every time you spend money and I’m telling you it will forever alter you.

2 – You’re a Badass at Making Money – Jen Sincero’s best selling book was so helpful in taking the power out of money for me.

It’s a tool, plain and simple.

It doesn’t define me and it doesn’t control me. If you’re struggling to think you can have a better relationship with money go buy this book! I bought the audio version so I could hear her telling me these wonderful nuggets to keep in mind. If you’d like it I’ve listed the link in the show notes.

3 – You Need a Budget – Another thing I needed help with was demystifying budgeting.

You Need a Budget is a great app and the founder’s book of the same name 100% took the mystery out of creating a budget and helped me stop judging myself. My biggest take away (also a lesson Pam taught me) – your budget
reflects what matters to you so don’t try to make it look like someone else’s. If that daily scone makes you feel good but you need to save money, find somewhere else to shave off those few bucks. Don’t deny yourself what you
value.


And there you have it. Those three shifts have made it possible for me to live my life on my terms, building a career I love. It’s not always sunshine and unicorns and it’s faaarrr from perfect, but I call the shots and I wouldn’t have it any other way.


I hope this has inspired you to shift some of the ways you look at situations. The mind is a powerful thing and that’s what this podcast is all about.


I hope you enjoy today’s Season 2 premiere and if you did and want more out of it, go to the show notes and download my Mindset Checklist. It’s a free download I made to help you stay focused on what matters.

Head on over to the show notes and download it today and let me know in the comments what mindset you’re committing to shifting!

Thanks so much for tuning in. If you’re looking to figure out your next steps, find time to balance everything on your plate, or gain more accountability & guidance, let’s talk!


Email me at anytime: suz@therockstaradvocate.com


Until next time, Rockstar! Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you back here next week so we can get grounded to get rising! Take care

Key Highlights

  • What’s in store for Season 2 [00:52]
  • The first mindset shift [02:31]
  • The true definition of perfection [03:33]
  • The second mindset shift [05:25]
  • Competition & Care Bear stare mentality [06:11]
  • The third mindset shift [08:01]
  • 3 tools to help you with shift #3 [12:25]

Links/Rocksources

Learn how to get in the right mindset in order to make REAL progress towards your goals!

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