Every breakthrough comes from someone you know
When I was promoting my music, I used to look to the big wide world for opportunities.
Only later, I realized that every great thing that happened in my career came from someone I knew.
When you come to an opportunity through a connection, you have an advantage. You’re not anonymous. You’ve already passed through a filter, and passed a test. You’re treated special because it’s a personal referral.
Does this mean you should stop looking to the world for opportunities? No! Of course not!
Take some of that searching time, and spend it on keeping in touch with your existing contacts.
Then also keep looking to the world. But when you find an opportunity, don’t just toss your music in with the rest. Get to know the people behind it. Set yourself apart. Get personal. And now this is someone you know.
Every breakthrough comes from someone you know.
So true. Also emphasizes the importance of touring.
This is the thing to which I attribute my lack of success (in any field).
I don't know anyone. I'm a social recluse.
It just emphasizes for me how much I have to work on that to get where I want to be.
I'm a total introvert. You don't have to be a socialite. A deeper friendship with a few good people is more rewarding in many ways. — Derek
....and I do agree! :)
That may be true in a big city in the US. I live in Italy and I taught programming myself, and the only way I was able to work on ruby was by knowing someone (as you said) but online.
There simply aren't enough people here, and even if they are, I have better chances of knowing them online.
It's true. I felt dirty about it for so long because many people would say "It's not what you know but who you know." I think that's a false choice. I think it can be both.
nicely interpreted :)
I've been focusing on building more valuable connections with the people in my life. Online, offline, etc. Strangely it has been my focus on minimalism in my life that has brought out this edification. The challenge is that I still want to learn and discover all the new (and old) info.
That's true. I totally agree.
very true, and i think it will help that the someone i know should know a genuine granule of that extreme version of me
For Rab at #2, (and others)
I am an introvert too. What helps me to get help from others is that I am sincere, including being sincerely introverted.
I don't do the latest popular fashions, but I can try to dress nicely. I don't have the popular mental fashions, but my ideas are true to me.
I have steadily gotten away from wearing hide-in-the-background colours. I am still not trying for attention, I don't wear crazy colours, but I can wear pretty colours for the sake of cheering other people up. From Maya Angelou, I realize that people won't remember what I said, but they will remember how I made them feel, so I try to be kind. Even very successful people, in my experience, still appreciate kindness.