Persistence

After six years, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are back on tour. I saw the show in Hollywood, FL and have a line up of tour dates to attend over the next year. For those who know me, I'm a major fan. I did not realize how much I needed to see them. Absolutely NEEDED to see them.

I've seen the band 107 times now since the 1980s. Every show has its own feeling. The set list may be pretty much the same each tour, but the audience really makes the difference. I saw all three nights at the LA Coliseum as it was being torn down and these were the last shows in the venue. The second night in LA last tour (the dump that jumped) was spiritual. I was transported with the crowd. We were in perfect unison, transfixed, involved. Bruce directs us and we follow. As an audience member, we have work to do. However, in Hollywood, the audience sucked. About a third were fully engaged, hard-core fans; a third moderately engaged; and about a third sat politely in their seats, not reacting at all. What a weird confluence of human behavior.

Bruce was not having any of it. He was determined to get the audience going. This was a small venue of about 6,500 tickets. The pit was small and was doing a good job of giving energy. Then came the people in sofas. Dead zone. Bruce worked the crowd, pulled out his tricks, and got the audience more involved. He kept persisting. No one here gets out without participating. Songs kept coming, the band kept rocking, and hit after hit, riff after riff, slowly and surely, Bruce had the deadbeats up, fist pumping, and hollering back to his commands. I think even the amateurs figured out the words and were able to participate. He was relentless. By the last ten songs, the place was rocking. Our work was done.

Notice how he did not give up? The duds in the audience did not deter him from his mission. We were there to hear the "heart-stopping, pants-dropping, love-making, earth-quaking, Viagra-taking" E Street Band! and he was going to make sure we never forget the night. Song after song, Bruce kept pushing. Hold the mic out, shout a lyric, we shout back.

In your business, would you have persisted? Would you have given up after the first couple songs, seeing deadbeats sitting in their seats politely unengaged? Many people would. Those with excellence as a core value hold out the microphone, flirt with the audience, yell out lyrics, spin around the microphone stand and bring over Steven for a close up duet - - whatever it takes to change the course. One goal. Singularly focused.

Its easy to get derailed in business. A bad client situation, uncollectible invoices, problematic employees all add to the stress of being able to just do the work for which you were hired. That is why you started the business, yet every obstacle is put in your way to take you off track. This is not sustainable or permeant. You can decide to change the direction.

The bottom line is that when things are not going your way, don't stop. Make adjustments, give it your best, and keep on going. Those who are meant to work with you will and will be loyal. Those who are only window shopping may be engaged or may just not be your people. But excellence and persistence are rewarded.

I have my voice back and am ready to rock with you. Reach out at [email protected] or https://www.calendly.com/libby-coaching. And whatever happens, don't be a sofa person.