If you grew up listening to indie punk and hardcore, especially on the West Coast, then you should know the name Billy Power. Mr. Powers made music with the punk rock band Blenderhead as the founding member, lead singer and bassist in the early 90s from which he wrote a memoir of their 52 day 1995 tour entitled Bottle Breaker. When he discovered that life on the road was not the destiny for him, Billy was recruited to in the executive levels of the Seattle based Tooth and Nail Records, where he made a name for himself as a man of relationships but after a 10 year run grew tired of the business side of the industry. If you want to get a bit more personal with Mr. Bill there are some great interviews where he shares details of his journey including Mark Solomon's (Stavesacre) Neverwas podcast (Episode 1), the Bad Christian podcast (Ep. 119) as well as many snippets within Billy's own Urban Achiever podcast. His character is evident throughout the interviews he conducts on the Urban Achiever show as Billy has a skill for making his subjects comfortable in sharing about thier past exepriences as well as their present perspectives. As is his podcast, so is he - a man of "love, loyalty, faith, friendship and music," so it is my great pleasure to share our interview with Billy Powers. IZ: Often where we end up is not where we initially intended to arrive. When you look at where you are now, what were you doing prior to taking the turn down this path in your life? Billy Power: I guess the main thing I never counted is how LONG life is. I always wanted to be involved in music. I started playing music at age 5 and have been playing and working in music for almost my entire career (30 years). But I still have many years to go and I've kind of already done the things I set out to do. Once I got the job at Tooth & Nail back in 1993 I was pretty settled that this is what I would be doing. But I definitely second guess it all the time. I've tried to get involved in doing non-profit work but I never went to college and I couldn't seem to get an interview without a bachelor's degree. I finally started college this year at the age of 48. So life is strange and has turns you don't always anticipate. IZ: It is one thing to dream, it is another thing entirely to be able to support yourself or supplement your needs by profiting from the pursuit of your vision. What are some key lessons that you have learned in turning your vision into something that produces monetary value? BP: I have had a tendency in the past to burn really bright and hard and then lose interest in various projects and companies. I think it's important to stick with something long enough for it to get going. I'm 80 episodes into my podcast and I definitely feel myself wanting to quit. But I know I'm so early on and need to just keep at it. So I think a big lesson is to give things time. I also think it's smart to do things that don't require carrying inventory and a low investment up front. I tried a couple of things in the past that required a lot of start up costs and that puts a lot of pressure on things. Starting out small and building organically is the way to go I think. IZ: Merging our values with our needs in the real world dynamics of entrepreneurship is often difficult. What have been some of the challenges you have faced in keeping your values intact while progressing in your business endeavors? BP: I don't really have those problems. I have kept full time employment for the entire duration of my freelance work. I'm not really in a position to risk it all. And I'm a fiercely independent person with a strong point of view. I'd rather not do something at all than compromise my values. IZ: Not everyone is comfortable with self-promotion, but hearing the success stories of everyday people gives hope to those who are aspiring to realize their dreams. Would you share some of the highlights in your journey? BP: I don't like self-promotion for sure. I try to just be real with people and share with them what I'm doing. I try to be as un-sales like as possible. "Hey, here's the thing I made." I don't know what insights there are beyond that. A lot of people are really into sales and marketing techniques on social media, etc. I have an extremely strong aversion to that. I place an incredibly high value on authenticity. I just do what I do and put it out in the world and let people who are interested know when things are available. Any time I find myself tempted to try anything else or do things differently (advertising, podcast networks, etc.) I just remind myself I'm just slowly building my thing and hopefully people will appreciate it and tell other people. So far so good! IZ: We don’t like to admit when we are wrong and yet failures teach us lessons that form many of our core beliefs. Would you share some of the stories of hardship in your journey? BP: When I was married the first time I was a few years out of the Army and my wife and I would share a Subway footlong from her shift every night for dinner and that was our meal. At one point we were so poor we had to go to a food pantry. That was sobering. We were living in a rent-controlled low income studio apartment. I managed to get a decent job and eventually got the gig at Tooth & Nail and things rolled from there. I once went 5 years without a car. I sold gear to eat. I had a car I had to drive without insurance. I've worked multiple jobs at the same time including Chipotle while managing a School of Rock. It's tough out there for a guy with a high school diploma! Before I got my current job I was unemployed for 9 months and down to my last unemployment check. I've definitely struggled and had my highs and lows. Things are looking up though! You just have to keep working and pressing forward and be willing to try new things and change. IZ: Mentorship has become a key word in business circles, who have been some of your mentors and what has that process looked like for you as you have progressed through your entrepreneurial journey? BP: Huh. I don't know. I really haven't had any mentors that I can think of. I am very much a self starter. I like to try things myself first even if it means failing. I do very much look up to my best friend Mike Lewis, who I worked for in Nashville. He's started many different businesses and has a great work ethic. He always just keeps going and always finds ways to give back which is personally inspiring. I look up to people who value people and ideas over money and hustle. I'm very put off by those kind of people who values are the opposite. IZ: Do you have any additional parting words for entrepreneurs? BP: Find meaningful work that you enjoy. That doesn't always mean doing your hobby or your favorite thing to do. Sometimes doing your art or music for money can ruin it. So use some discernment. Sometimes its better to work the job you can stand that pays the most money and then paint or be in a band for fun. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. If you LOVE music I don't think I'd suggest it as a career. The music business is very tough and unforgiving. 30 years and I'm still trying to figure out a way to get out! ha ha IZ: Where can people connect with you online? BP: billypower.com has everything listed I'm involved in and a contact form to hit me up. I'm on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @GetAtBillyPower. IZ: Any upcoming events or projects we should know about? BP: Urban Achiever podcast comes out Saturdays. Sunday Nights I DJ radio show Make America Punk Again at URBQ.fm (online streaming). I'm working on a Spoken In Tongues record and a book. I released a tour journal you can download for free by going to bottlebreakerbook.com. That's about it! For those like myself who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, raised in a church environment and were limited to "Christian" music, the work of people like Billy and organizations like Tooth & Nail Records came down like Thor's hammer shattering the grip of the Frost Giant's who had convinced conservative parents that only the mediocre melodies of the Christian music industry were healthy for their impressionable offspring's consumption. Billy's work on Urban Achiever provides a peek behind the veil for many of those 90's and early 00's bands that created the music which still inspires the adulting youth of my generation who carry their rawk fists as they infiltrate the culture. Mr. Power is transparent in his views on life, his journey of faith and his genuine character is a magnet for those who are working through many of the same challenges of applying faith to life in a crazy world. Chase your dreams, create art and live a fulfilled life. To Billy and those like him - keep #DoingGood things!
0 Comments
by Jon Isaacson A new market can feel like a new planet with new customs, languages and people groups. If you are going to survive your new assignment and build thriving business relationships, whom do you need to know? First Who of Whom You Need To Know – Know Yourself Bring on the psychobabble, right? Yet, the reality is that sales interactions are relationships. If you know yourself then you will have a firm grasp of at least one player in the game of life as it turns the bend towards building new partnerships. If you do not know yourself then you have at least twice the work of native salespersons as you are chasing the unknown you while you also explore the topography of the unknown market. “You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don’t do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it.”– Gary Vaynerchuk The ability to be honest with yourself about your strengths will enable you to operate from a position of confidence when approaching others. What makes you unique as an individual is often aligned with what creates a brand stand out as you colonize new territories. To the contrary, if you don’t know who you are it will make it that much more confusing when engaging new clients as they will be unclear about where you fit into their needs. Second Who of Whom You Need to Know – Know Who You Want To Work With If you don’t have hunting gear, a trail plan and a target list, then you are not a hunter. Every individual and organization has their target client list. A salesperson empowered by the confidence of knowing oneself and armed with the clarity of what they are offering to the marketplace is able to identify clients that they would like to engage in commerce with. Whereas those who are lost in the forest of self-discovery continue to wander through life unable to identify nor capture their opportunities. Trust is the currency of relationships of mutual value. When entering a new market the battle starts with getting the opportunity to build brand awareness and churn that into organizational momentum. In a new territory with unknown clients there are no introductions, they all have to be initiated. Initial branding strategies are essential as there is only one shot at making that first impression and getting the word of mouth train whistling down the tracks. Third Who of Whom You Need to Know - Know of Whom Knows Who You Want To Know We don’t always control how our opportunities come in and therefore when entering a new market any invitation to the dance may at first be the only invitation to the dance. Like a bird in the hand, a customer who is willing to give you an opportunity and will pay for services/products is worth more than all those clients who aren’t yet paying attention. Strategic partnerships with community leaders that will build an organic presence in the circles that you want to operate in are important to long term success. Leverage the strength your brand has and partner with those that can fill in the gaps. Like minded marketers and brands can do incredible things. – Kurt Uhlir In most communities, large and small, word of mouth is the key to the city. Discerning who’s opinion matters, or at least who’s opinion can help you build your brand momentum is an important exploration benchmark. Seek opportunities to create win-win situations where assistance is mutual and the momentum is beneficial to all parties involved. Learn what is important to the community and find ways to engage with those values. Third Who of Whom You Need to Know – Know Who You Don’t’ Want To Work With Nearly as important, if not even more important, than knowing who you want to work with is identifying those clients that you don’t want to work with. Whether your values do not align or for various reasons the relationship is not a good fit, everyone deserves at least one dance but that does not mean that we will form a partnership with everyone who expresses interest. As noted in a prior article, Marketing Step One, There is no substitute for meeting people and sharing who you are and what your company does. Listen for opportunities. Observe those whom you do and do not want to do business with. Be clear in who you are, what value you bring and with whom you want to partner with. Bad relationships can be costly, do your research to ensure that you only enter into partnership where your values and vision are aligned so that you are not confusing your brand. Risk and rewards are always measured in relationship to opportunities, knowing which ones to pursue and which ones to pass on is the reason you get the above average dollars. Keep your eyes and ears open, try new things and don’t let fear be the reason you don’t take steps to explore the new territory. Learn the nuances and customs of the new market so that you can align with what matters to the community. Engage people from a standpoint of confidence in yourself as you embrace the community, create beneficial partnerships and build a brand of value. Go and do good things! If you need assistance with ideas, let us know. Jon Isaacson is the director for Local Facilities Manager's Connection (LFMC) which is a peer-to-peer networking group started in Eugene, Oregon. Jon has been working in business development, systems optimization and team building with organizations large and small for nearly 15 years. He has been writing, speaking and assisting teams with creative business solutions, helping those organizations bring their vision into reality.
Perhaps the only way to build young entrepreneurs, dreamers and summit trekkers is to treat them like such from the time they are young and incubating in your home.Everyone wants money but so many of our money trees just aren't growing, no matter how often we water them. Our kids express their desires to purchase things, we share means through which they may possibly earn money by assisting with tasks around our home that we would rather pay dollars than time to complete. As such, our kids understand (to varying degrees) that money requires work. At times the work equals money relationship becomes and expectation and other conversations or reality alterations occur. Parenting is always a cycle of challenges. Recently, we had a unique opportunity and decided to experiment with something we have enjoyed from television's offering of educational entertainment. Our eldest son, currently 10 years of age, had a an opportunity through friends and family connections to create and distribute a naturopathic allergy remedy. It's a quirky industry but one that many people have an appetite for and thus there is an opportunity, especially for an eager young entrepreneur. Rather than hand over a fully funded business opportunity with zero strings attached, a scenario that would be a set up for disillusionment with future ventures, we decided to dabble with micro investing in our own home. The Opportunity Summer is the start of allergy season, thus Summer is a prime opportunity for Caiden's Natural Remedies (CNR) to distribute a product in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that is notoriously brutal to allergy sufferers. The Urgency Caiden is still in grade school, which is not an obstacle to entrepreneurship but rather provides him the most direct path to initial sales as this is a focal point where those who are familiar with Caiden congregate. For Caiden's Natural Remedies this community creates access to the Lowest Hanging Fruit in his entrepreneurial ventures. But, school is almost out which both creates a need for urgency in getting products to market. Caiden's Natural Remedies needed an influx of cash immediately. The Pitch $100 initial investment for immediate purchase of product and materials. 50% of initial investment as a loan which had to be paid in 60 days to retain zero percent interest, then 20% of each sale in perpetuity (yeah, we made a Kevin O'Leary deal with our son). The Plan With the $100 cash flow distribution, our son was able to purchase his initial stock for creating his initial offering of Caiden's Natural Remedies, an allergy oil relief in a roller applicator. In addition to Caiden's deal with his initial investors, Caiden decided to reach out to those whom he felt could be key business partners, and without sharing the details of each deal, he made offers of generous commissions for those who would be willing to assist him in selling his product. The Process If Phase 1 of Caiden's Natural Remedies was to acquire funding. Phase 2 would be acquiring materials for the creation of initial product offerings. Caiden was so excited to get his hands on his product and brand the Caiden's Natural Remedies Allergy Applicators. He will be hitting the streets to get his products into hands and make his first series of sales. We will post updates as the story develops, you can find the young entrepreneur working his grind @caidenvents, if you suffer from allergies and are looking for a natural remedy, Caiden would tell you, "I'm your man." |
AuthorThoughts on personal and professional development. Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is a contractor, author, and host of The DYOJO Podcast. The goal of The DYOJO is to help growth-minded restoration professionals shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. You can watch The DYOJO Podcast on YouTube on Thursdays or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
<script type="text/javascript" src="//downloads.mailchimp.com/js/signup-forms/popup/unique-methods/embed.js" data-dojo-config="usePlainJson: true, isDebug: false"></script><script type="text/javascript">window.dojoRequire(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us5.list-manage.com","uuid":"b9016446bd3c6a9f0bd835d4e","lid":"83282ffb9e","uniqueMethods":true}) })</script>
|