Sunday, July 3, 2011

If you keep missing, find another target

I hope you watch the CBS Sunday Morning show – it’s always a great exploration of people and places, and unfortunately one of the few decent programs on network TV.  This morning they did a piece on Katy Perry, and as usual there is so much more to her story than you would think. She started out as a Christian singer (then Katy Hudson) after being raised by born-again parents, but after one album in 2001 her career fizzled and she left Nashville. She began to reinvent herself as a pop singer, and after a number of starts and stops finally recorded a hit song, seven years after her first try, and the rest is history.

As entertaining as the story was, I couldn’t help commenting (once again, while Ronnie rolled her eyes…) on the direction the road to success often takes. Of course being cute as a button is a big plus in her business, but that wasn’t enough to launch her career. She had to reinvent her offering, find a way to stand out and head back into the market. It's also another great example of the adage “it takes a long time to be an overnight success”.

Talent is becoming an accessible commodity in our fast paced digital world, so you need to find a way to focus your skills to meet the needs of the market – by not just working hard but working smart.    

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