Career Advice: "Stability through Versatility"

SEATTLE, WA - Odds are maybe 0.02% that you're a drummer, and only slightly higher that you're a musician.  No matter!  Marketing careerists, watch this video.  There's great career advice here.

Rod Morgenstein is one of the world's greatest rock drummers.

With the Dixie Dregs in the late 70's and early 80's, Mr. Morgenstein became well known for his playing on songs like Take It Off the Top.  The Dreg's Grammy-nominated sound was like a southern boogie version of the Jeff Beck Group -- and as band's popularity grew by leaps and bounds, it never occurred to Mr. Morgenstein that it could all end.

Then the Dregs broke up, and after knocking around for several years as a session player, Mr. Morgenstein learned to simplify his playing -- and then became really famous with the often-parodied hair band, Winger.  Talk about humility.  He was totally amazing, but he had to DE-volve in order to succeed anew.  Now he's 55, and he's more relevant and vital than ever.  He's on to a new iteration, this time as a percussion educator at Berklee -- the Harvard of music.

As you watch the video, please make the following word substitutions:

• Band = Company or special department /team
• Rolling Stones = Apple or Google
• Guitar, keyboards = Alternative marketing medium
• Musician = Business man/woman
• Music = Marketing
• Tarantella = Direct mail

Lessons for marketers:

1. Prepare for the day when you are no longer cool -- or when you are looking for work.  I can relate to Mr. Morgenstein, who says "When the band was doing great and we had been nominated for a Grammy, it never occurred to me to promote myself as an individual."  Gentle reader, please embrace the idea that YOU are your own product.  YOU are a free agent.
2. Learn to diversify your skills.  The more you can diversify your marketing knowledge, the more career stability you will enjoy.  It's a paradox:  Be a passionate specialist, but learn other marketing media so that you can borrow them and adapt them to your own work.  I love Mr. Morgenstein's comment: "Anytime you think something is beneath you -- you just don't get it."  Beautiful.  How many marketing heroes do you have?  For 2009, your goal should be to DOUBLE that number and really pick apart your new heroes' body of work.  Get granular -- just like John Moore has done with his amazing IDB Project.  It's true: If you really want to learn something, TEACH IT to others.
3. Be open to new opportunities.  From a survival perspective, if your goal is to always do what you love (as opposed to flipping burgers), then be open to new opportunities.  24/7.  You never know where a part-time, interim, or consulting project can lead.  If an acquaintance asks you to work on a project outside of your regular day job, go for it!  Diversify.  Experiment.  Push yourself.
4. Always bring your A-game.  These part-time, interim, or consulting opportunities are not always about the money.  Use them to broaden your horizons and build your following.
5. Challenge yourself.  I like Mr. Morgenstein's advice to "Until your last dying breath, dig deeper to find another part of who you are.  It will keep your career exciting."

Looking at these five tips, there's nothing new here.

What I love about GREAT musicians (both the famous and obscure) is that they grow up dreaming about being musicians, practicing long hours and hardening their commitment to their instrument.  Then after they turn pro, they spend the rest of their lives evolving and perfecting their craft -- both mentally and physically.

It never seriously occurs to great musicians to do anything else for a living.  There's a kind of "marital bond" with their instrument, where the musician marries his childhood sweetheart (an oboe or whatever) and dies in her presence 70 years later.  Talk about passionate commitment.

How many marketers do you know like that?  (Besides Seth Godin and John Moore and Hugh MacLeod!)

Comments

[Harry Joiner]

Now that is a very insightful comment! I guess the only way I can address this is to point out that Morgenstein is one of the world's most versatile ROCK drummers. He has one specific area for which he is well known, but he can help his bands realize their artistic vision more truly by being able to paint in many different styles.

Likewise, I have always done B2B marketing with a focus on inside sales. That's what I do. I understand other marketing disciplines and can bring those influences to bear on my work as an inside sales manager.

But at the end of the day, I'm still an inside sales manager.

Everyone, thanks so much for your comments. They have been outstanding.

Harry

[Mike Lally]

Harry!

I think I'm confused. I think. "Learn to diversify my skills." You're still telling me to be a hammer, right? You're just telling me to add skills to that?

Not sure I could handle not being a hammer anymore. :) lol.

In all seriousness...stealing/adopting/adapting is the way to go. I am always trying to a) learn something new and b) find a way to apply it to my own hammer-ness.

Mike

[Hayli @ Rise Smart]

@ Kris - I agree that youthful arrogance (or perhaps redefined as unjustifiable confidence) can carry us far in our early years. Don't look back regretfully over your youthful arrogance/confidence, because it may have carried you far. It's just that when you're older, you've got different stereotypes to overcome - it's not a matter of proving you're experienced, but instead proving you're relevant. That goes back to continual skillset development and diversification. Very thought-provoking post and discussion.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Harry ... thanks for the mention and the link love. You nailed it. The reason I'm sharing snippets and takeaways from INSIDE DRUCKER'S BRAIN is to do exactly what you wrote:

"If you really want to learn something, TEACH IT to others."

[Harry Joiner]

Thanks for the feedback. Great comments.

Funny thing: When I first saw this interview, I didn't even register the musical aspects of Morgenstein's commentary. My brain just went straight into the marketing translation. It's almost like this guy is talking right at career marketers.

I totally agree with everyone's comments on humility -- especially Sarah's comments on cringing at the arrogance I displayed in my 20s.

Painful.

[Kris Bovay]

I think that in our 'early' years we need some of the arrogance of youth to carry us through some challenging growth and learning periods; as we mature, we hopefully develop the wisdom and learn the humility we need to continue to grow. I've worked in 'big' and 'small' business and made lots of contacts and connections. The ones that stay with me are the connections where I was willing to engage, not just take. Great post; and a very interesting video. You can see that Rod Morgenstein is passionate about his life, work and students!

[Dave]

Good stuff, Harry. Great take-aways.

I'd add just one that is implied in the video, but is central to how Rod has progressed. How many times did he mention his students in the video?

Rod is now a TEACHER!!! Teaching is such a great way to strengthen your skills and expand your world.

[Sarah]

I cannot tell you how much I love this post! I also think there is something of the maturation process at work here and that is something the "create your own brand" philosophy needs to emphasize more.

I often remember my own twenties and cringe at the arrogance I displayed. While many early successes came easily, maintaining the climb demands a steep learning curve and overcoming setbacks. All of us have to learn how to embrace that learning sooner rather than later.