Monday August 13th, 2012 – Fox Lake, IL
I’m making a concerted effort to improve my business acumen, and I hope it’s not too late. I’ve just never been interested in that side of things before, and it’s painfully obvious. It has created a big imbalance, and I need to develop it to at least a respectable degree or I’m never going to find what I’m looking for. My time is already strapped, but I have to squeeze this in. I really need it.
It’s kind of like a basketball player who only has a move in one direction. Developing the weak hand opens up all kinds of positive scenarios. It keeps the defense honest and it makes total sense to have a balanced attack. I think this will be the same with me, and I’m willing to pay the price.
The immediate price was $150 to sign up for an online marketing course designed to help artist types improve their business. It’s specifically aimed at comedians, and was put together by a guy who is a marketer by trade but loves comedy. He couldn’t have picked a better group to market a course on marketing skills to. It’s like selling ice water in hell. The demand is definitely there.
Not only that, I signed up to attend a free seminar put on this Wednesday by a well known guy in the marketing world named Dan Kennedy. He’s been around for years, and I’ve read some of his materials over the years and really enjoyed them. He’s coming to the Chicago area and I have reserved a spot and will see what he has to offer. I’m going with an open mind to check it all out.
Another course I’m going to take is by a guy named J.F. (Jim) Straw. He’s been in business for more than 50 years, and I have been turned on to his website and free newsletter. He wrote a new book called ‘How To Succeed Using Your Physio-Psychic Power’ and we just had him last week as a great guest on The Mothership Connection radio show. His website is www.jfjimstraw.com.
People like Jim Straw and Dan Kennedy and so many others are who I am going to be studying and modeling for the rest of my life. I’ve always been interested in the creative aspect of life, but these people are totally creative. They think about business and money and marketing and I have chosen to avoid most of those subjects or when I have tried I have been an unbelievable failure.
I mentioned this to Jim Straw on the radio, and he assured me I wasn’t the only one, and indeed some of the biggest successes ever have flopped countless times. He swore it’s not some mystery or natural gift, but you sure could have fooled me. I feel lost around business things, but I’ve put it in my head that I’m going to improve myself and be the best that I can be. That’s all I can do.
I will never be Donald Trump or Jim Straw or anyone else but me. I’ve been able to survive for decades as a comedian, and that’s no easy undertaking in itself. That’s a business, and although I made a ton of mistakes I’ve still hung in there and that gives me at least a tiny ray of hope for the future. I have to believe that surrounding myself with quality mentors will improve my game too.
It will also help make me a better teacher. I see comedy students come to me all the time and it takes about ten seconds to tell if they have any desire or not. That’s a key ingredient, and I never had it before as far as business goes. Times are changing, and so am I. I really need to improve.
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