They Tried to Put Me In a Box…

PIN IT! My first in-person Ryan Leslie encounter in 2008-ish. He was so gracious and kind. I’m pretty sure this was Take #9.

PIN IT!

“They tried to put me in a box. It’s impossible!!” via @RyanLeslie

This mantra is one of my favorites from the talented, creative entrepreneur Ryan Leslie aka R. Les. I attended his Black Mozart concert stop in Atlanta and am still energized from the performance. He mentioned how at one time he wasn’t able to fill up the Center Stage theater and how thankful he was for the SOLD OUT audience.

It’s true. I remember around 2008, when a Ryan Leslie Atlanta stop meant an awkward performance in a DJ booth at Sutra Lounge. He spent most of the night chatting with fans and taking multiple pictures with people like me, as the champagne sat idly on ice. There was no bottle-popping–outside of water.

Later in 2009, he opened for Jazmine Sullivan at the Tabernacle and I couldn’t wait to finally see him live on a real stage. He rocked it OUT, but the crowd reaction was lackluster. I remember my friend and I saying: Man, these people just don’t know Ryan Leslie.

I’ve been in love with Ryan Leslie’s artistry and entrepreneurial spirit since stumbling upon this YouTube video:

And this gem.

While on-stage he talked about how people tell him he’s underrated. Yes, goodness!! As I anticipated the concert, I told anybody that didn’t even ask what I was doing this weekend. Most of them were curious, “Who’s Ryan Leslie?”

Even though he’s produced for some top stars and consistently delivers high quality albums, I can’t remember the last time I heard him on the radio. I don’t think any of his albums have went gold or platinum. Despite being multi-talented and hard-working, R. Les has yet to meet these hallmark measures of success.

R. Les in his element. Do you really need mass popular appeal to feel like this? To get this crowd reaction?

Ya’ll know it’s easy for me to get business inspiration from anything, so NATURALLY while rocking out to his language-barrier breaking song Gibberish, I thought about Seth Godin and tribes. Our participation throughout the entire set made me a happy member of the R. Les tribe. My friend and I felt like we were part of a movement, something special.

Who cares if everybody doesn’t know him? Does it really matter if he doesn’t get those spins on the radio? He seems quite fulfilled on stage. I know I’m a very satisfied tribe member fan. I buy his stuff on blind faith, simply because I KNOW he’s going to make sure the experience is worth my time and money. I’ve attended every show in Atlanta knowing that he’s going to pour it all out whether the audience cheers or not. And I do things like I’m doing now–I GUSH about how great the dude is to any and everybody.

I love offering and having THAT KIND of support for artistry and innovation.

I’m not gonna lie, I look at the bestsellers lists sometimes and part of me wants to be on it–heck it’s even on my vision board. I wrote about how I thought maybe I should make my work grittier, sexier, do SOMETHING that would hopefully lead to more sales. Maybe I should tweet/Facebook more. Perhaps I should just jump on this Young Adult, wait no, New Adult genre/subcategory bandwagon and brand myself better. Add a vampire or zombie?

Seth’s blog post on organizing the first 1,000 changed my whole perspective.

…instead of yelling at strangers all day trying to make a living, coordinating a tribe of 1,000 requires patience, consistency and a focus on long-term relationships and lifetime value. You don’t find customers for your products. You find products for your customers.” via Seth Godin Blog

Sometimes I read so many articles and talk to so many people that I’m left thinking: If it takes that, I don’t even want to do this anymore! Some of these ideas and theories push me to go further away from what I LOVE doing and who I do it for. Chasing after trends and tweaking what I do to make everybody happy takes time away from focusing on those who already like my stories. Creating for 1,000 people who genuinely like my style seems like an efficient and effective approach; it’s a win-win for me as an artist and the recipient. 

Interestingly enough, R.Les recently talked to The Wall Street Journal about how he went from a Harvard student (at 16) to a music entrepreneur. And guess what he talked about?

I think the music industry is going to shift to people who are playing to the audiences that are genuinely interested in them. We’ll be able to build a sustainable lifestyle even if you just have 1,000 fans. If you just have 1,000 fans that are willing to pay you $100 a year  for all of your music, plus a couple of tickets to a show, you’re living a middle class American lifestyle.”

In this writing journey the fear and weight of trying to relate or connect with all audiences is overwhelming. I have big dreams as a creator, but I don’t have to be a millionaire. The peace and AMAZING feeling of doing what I love, encouraging others and being able to care for myself and my family, that’s priceless. Technically all I have to ‘worry’ about is the doing what I love part. I’ve talked about how God OWNS the process and what happens to the book after completion. He’s also already promised me He will provide food, shelter, clothing and my children will never beg for bread.

And yet people will tell you to do a thousand random things that they think will make you more money. They’ll measure your success by followers, fans, rankings and page views in an imperfect formula. Don’t let them put you in a box. They don’t have your purpose, talent or vision and there is no template for fulfilling YOUR destiny. You definitely should learn from mentors and seek advice, but you have to consistently and courageously follow your own path. Consider the FULL picture and legacy of your efforts–not just the immediate dollar signs.

Make money, don’t let that money make you {always wanted to say that, LOL}.

I’m curious, have people tried to box you in? How do you stay on your own path in the pursuit of your dreams? Add your two cents below.