One Mindset Shift Doubled My Income
I had resigned myself to not making a lot of money despite my successful performance career. Then a simple mindset shift doubled my income.
Being a musician is part of my identity, and if you’re reading this, it’s part of yours, too. Like me, most of your life has revolved around practicing, rehearsals, and private lessons. Your closest friends are the people you hang out with after performances and who you want to sit next to at gigs. Being a musician may have even shaped your personality: it’s probably made you more detail-oriented.
Musicians by nature are technicians. We listen for out-of-tune notes or imperfect string crossings, then fix the problem by practicing. We spend hours drilling scales and excerpts, perfecting shifts and sixteenth note runs. But we often forget we’re more than just a member of an orchestra or the violist in a quartet playing wedding music.
All musicians are also small business owners—we just don’t tend to think of ourselves that way.
For years, I’d also accepted that not making much money from my career was tied to my identity as a musician. But a simple mindset shift changed all that.
I stopped seeing my career from a technician’s point of view and started thinking like the CEO of my own small business.
In his book The E-Myth, author Michael Gerber explains that the key to small business success is to work on your business, not just in it. This means taking a proactive approach to your career rather than simply reacting to opportunities as they come. It means taking a second to strategically examine your strengths and what type of work you most enjoy doing. It means taking stock of your physical and mental health before accepting every gig you’re offered.
By 2020, years of low pay and my deteriorating physical health had reached a breaking point. I was done being a starving artist. So I went back to school to study business. Then I started Aspire. But the real change occurred when I stopped thinking only like a technician and started thinking like a CEO. It only took 4 months to see the difference in my bank account, and more importantly, my health.
As musicians, it's time to stop letting the "starving artist" stereotype hold us back. If we want to succeed in the music industry, we need to adopt a CEO mindset. We can do this by:
Setting clear goals for ourselves that reflect our core values, strengths, and what makes us happy. Too often we think of ourselves as just performers or just teachers—but our careers can be as multifaceted as our identities are.
Managing our time and resources effectively. We don’t have to accept every student or take every gig we’re offered. Using the CEO mindset to prioritize which opportunities help us realize our goals will make us happier, healthier, and ultimately more successful.
Networking with fellow industry professionals. Making genuine connections with people in our field won’t just open up more opportunities; it will help us create relationships that sustain us through the tough times and fill us up when we’re down..
Taking initiative rather than waiting for opportunities to come to us. If you’re waiting for your career to change without taking action, you’ll be waiting until you retire. Don’t wait to seek out the change you want in your life.
Being adaptable in an industry that’s constantly changing. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the world can change in an instant. Don’t be afraid to course correct if what you’re doing is no longer working.
With the CEO mindset, YOU get to determine what success means.
Don't let the "starving artist" stereotype keep you from growing your career and your income.
I took control of my career and succeeded on my own terms. You can, too.