On the Way2the Top (or Back)

About a year ago I worked with some other community leaders in Roanoke to restart a small non-profit music venue (visit TheSpotonKirk.org) and over that chunk of time I’ve observed some interesting things.

One pattern has surfaced pretty consistently.

We get some extremely talented musicians to play in the 120-seat listening room two doors down from our advertising agency. Generally, they are performers who are routing through town and on their way to building their music careers. Some appear talented enough to have very, very successful careers. We’ve also had our share of performers who’ve likely lived some of their lives in the spotlight of some pretty big stages. Let’s just say they’ve had their play on the radio and now they play for the love of music (and to answer the call when audiences ask for that one special song).

Either way, our mostly-volunteer team works really hard to give all of the performers and traveling musicians a welcoming, high-quality experience.

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The Lesson4Business

Profound lessons are often found in simple observations.

I will often judge how much we’ll enjoy an act at The Spot based on one natural interaction: I watch how the artist treats our magical, kind, and helpful sound engineer, Travis. If they care for him and treat him well, their performances are almost always extra enjoyable. If they come off as short or unappreciative, it's not as good.

Guess what? People are watching how you interact with others, too: The receptionist, the assistant, the nurse, the salesperson, and everyone else with whom you cross paths. It’s a good reminder.

In business, just like in life these days, we can use a little more kindness and care.