Dobie Maxwell's 'Dented Can' Diary: Hump Day Business

Wednesday December 18^th, 2013 – Gurnee, IL

   I’ve talked about it before, and I’ve even taken action and done something – but I need to carve out a few quality hours at the very least one day a week to work on my business. Wednesday is a perfect fit, and that’s what I’m going to make happen not only in 2014 but for the rest of my life.

   There are no more excuses, but there never were any. I’m a flighty ‘artiste’ type, and business has never been a priority because it never interested me. I was totally lost in the creative process that I enjoy, and let my business slip through the cracks. I’m less than thrilled with those results.

   I’m looking to totally revamp everything for 2014, and it’s off to a super start. I can already see improvement, and it’s not even 2014 yet. I’m getting a plan and a team together, and that’s what I should have had years ago. I didn’t, so all I can do is look ahead and control the things I can.

   One of those things is how I choose to spend my time. If I don’t make time to work on business things, I’ll keep getting the results I’ve been getting. And not only do I have to make time, I have to actually DO something during that time. I don’t think I’m going to be able to handle it alone.

   I’m putting a team together to make myself accountable to somebody else. That’s the only way I see as viable to make any real changes. I’ve talked about making Wednesdays my booking day before, and I’ve done it…once in a while. From now on, it has to be every week without missing.

   For the last few weeks I’ve been meeting with my ‘pit crew’ Eric Feinendegen. I don’t mean it as an insult, but that’s what his role is. He’s behind the scenes taking care of important details as I’m out there trying to win the race. No races can be won without having both of those in place.

   The best driver in the world can’t change his own tires and pump his own gas, and the best pit crew won’t win if there isn’t a quality driver out there on the track. It’s a team effort, but I have fought that concept for years because of my trust issues. That’s comes with being a dented can.

   If I’m going to ever accomplish anything worthwhile, I’m going to have to make a tremendous leap and learn to delegate to others. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been badly scorched before – and I totally have – it only matters that I change my ways if I expect to attain the results I’m going for.

   Eric is in place in the role of pit crew chief, and he brings a lot to the table I don’t. He’s from a corporate background, and is comfortable on the phone making cold calls. I’m none of that, but I do understand the entertainment game and I can teach him a few things there. We’ve been trying to get a plan together for a while now, and I see it coming together. We’re teaching each other.

   As we grow as a team there will be others added. I can use all kinds of help, and I know a great circle of people that I can call in two seconds if I need anything. Eric has his own list of contacts, and we’ll cherry pick those we want to connect with to get things moving in the right direction.

   Wednesdays are the ideal day to devote to this, as I rarely have shows to do or classes to teach. It’s a perfect day to send out my avails, do interviews or work on a newsletter – something I will be starting back up in 2014. If you’d like to be included on my list, send me your email address.