Do You Have Musician Gambler Phobia?

by Cari Cole

 

 

Money!

The bane of your existence as a musician, right?

Thing is – you’re not in it just for the money. If you were, you’d have been a lawyer or doctor or accountant like Aunt Mary, right?

But you’re not a lawyer, you’re a musician. An artist. A creator. You make music out of thin air. An idea turns into a melody, produces a verse, finds a chord structure, reveals an arrangement, and emerges as the song you sing on stage or record for your audience.

What does money have to do with it?

Lots. As I’m sure you’ve figured out.

You can only get so far without it.

And — as a musician it’s waaaaay trickier to make a buck than working for someone else. There’s no “paycheck!”

Freelance is scary.

Which is why I’m telling you the truth here.

Because it’s even scarier to spend money when you’re not sure it’s coming back.

It’s like gambling.

And it is. (Gambling that is.) You are gambling on you.

Welcome to the world of being a musician.

And the stakes are high. You could lose it all. But — you could make it. And the sound of that bell ringing is pretty sweet. And today, with the internet at your fingertips (if you know how to market) you can make a living making music. It may not be super stardom (and that would be cool too) but – fact is – it’s really, really cool to make a living making your own music.

And it’s the next step.

But – here’s the tricky part.

Ever heard that old saying “You have to spend money to make money”?

Well – maybe it’s sad, but it’s true.

And there comes a time (for every musician) when you can no longer do it all yourself. You can only get so far as a team of one. (Come to my free teleclass TONIGHT and I’ll walk you through the 7 Myths of the DIY Musician – and why DIY is just that – a myth!)

So as I was saying – there comes a time for every DIY musician when you have to take that risk and break through your musician gambler phobia or you won’t get further – matter of fact you’ll start falling backwards or just plateau.

And I don’t know which is worse. Gambling or plateauing.

I remember when I reached that point – all businesses do. I had been working hard for many years. But I knew that in order to grow to the next level that I needed to take a risk. I had gotten as far as I possibly could on my own. And I was NOT going to plateau after all of that hard work.

Something in me called out for more. I was willing to take a risk – to invest in myself.

Because I knew if I did that I would – and could – step up to the plate.

I plunked down my first dollars on my first online business program.

Yeah, I was hesitant as hell. But I’d been following this lady for about a year online and something in me trusted her – or – I knew that she was speaking my language enough for me to make something out of what she was teaching.

It was $2500 for a 4 month program. That was a LOT of freakin’ cash! OMG.

But I knew I needed help – and I knew that she was going to teach me more than I knew – and I did it.

I invested in myself.

And that year I doubled my income.

And the thing is — when we invest in ourselves we step up. Because we don’t want to waste our money – we put ourselves to the test. It’s just the way it goes.

But it’s more comfortable to sit on the couch and stay in the safe zone.

There’s nothing like putting your money where your mouth is to get serious, and start working smarter, not harder. The financial struggle is real and I understand – but I’m not buying it. If this is your 1 life and you want to be a musician more than anything, you’re going to have to take risks to make it happen (and risks are sometimes calculated and sometimes not).

And yes, of course I want you to invest your money in my programs and coaching.

And do you know why? Because I’ve seen firsthand what mentorship and guidance can do for real independent artists just like you.

Artists I’ve worked with have gotten major licensing deals, secured management, been signed to labels, and are now building sustainable careers for themselves in music.

They’ve done that through private coaching with me and taking my Fast Forward Program + Blueprint. A 4 month online course for musicians looking to build their brand and make a living in music.

If you think you’re going to do it all DIY, you’re kidding yourself.

Ready to take a risk? Join me.

P.S. Want more convincing? Register for my free coaching call tonight on the 7 Myths of the DIY Artist. Find out what you absolutely need to know to grow your music. Let’s do this!