As a strong personality (Enneagram 3 and also the D in DiSC), when things get complicated and I get stressed, I tend to turtle up and hide. I do this because I’m afraid… mostly of failure or judgement. I have this subconscious belief that in order to be worthy, I have to be successful, or at least perceived as successful.
I recently finished reading Glennon Doyle’s latest book Untamed, and one of the quotes that stuck with me was, “be messy and complicated and afraid, and show up anyway.” I thought OMG - I can’t do that. That’s like showing up and DJing… on stage… naked. Being exposed like that isn’t something I could ever do.
But would you agree with me that the world is already kind of messy and complicated right now? Our businesses are turned upside down. It takes extra caution and care to tend to clients, and every situation can easily get difficult. We’re unsure when the next event is happening or if they’re all going to cancel. Sales - what even is sales nowadays? The way we make our living by DJing doesn’t even exist for some of us anymore. Everything we know or have learned is no longer standard. Even how to DJ is evolving.
We have to keep putting the blocks on the building. In the midst of this complicated unknown, there is one piece that’s never waivered - the world of DJing is not going out of business. We’re going to have to get used to chillin’ in the uncomfortable. We have to be messy and show up anyway.
Who would have ever thought that there would be an app where we could stream for hours and fans could subscribe to your channel and pay to watch you? Now is the time to get over your fear of using services and apps like Twitch. Just jump in and do it! Know that you will probably fail the first time and that’s okay. Be afraid and complicated and mess, and show up anyway. (Just don't go on twitch naked, please!)
If streaming isn’t where you need to focus, then maybe it’s time to up your social media game. Show your face more on IG Stories - be messy, be authentic, use a fun filter, and show up for your clients. If you’re solo, show people how you’re doing, what it takes to make things happen for you right now, and the not-so-pretty back end of your operations. If you’re running a larger multi-op, things right now are just... complicated. Some of that you can definitely share, and some you can’t, but guess what? It’s time to be your authentic self. When you show up to your next leadership meeting or networking event, and someone asks how you are - share with as little or as much discretion as you feel comfortable. You aren’t the only one experiencing this. So be messy and complicated and show up anyway.
Honestly, in the game of sales and marketing, pulling back the curtain to show what’s going on is the only way we’re going to be able to stay top of mind with so many other businesses closing and new ones coming into the market. And it’s going to get messy and be
So I challenge you. Be messy and complicated and afraid, and show up anyway. This month I did just that. Well, I didn't show up and DJ naked, but I did show up messy and complicated, and I was definitely afraid. And you know what? It wasn’t as scary as I thought.
Here is my feature in Disc Jockey News - October E-dition
