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Work Ethic

I literally just ran across a video on YouTube that I want to share with you.

I usually hate videos like this (here’s how a bunch of famous people did something that you should do if you want to become famous!).  The summation of this video is “if you want results, work harder and more creatively than everyone else”.

But I believe in a lot (not all) of this.

Let me share some thoughts and stats with you to give you a more accurate picture…

I started blogging regularly at the end of 2016.  In that time I’ve pushed out this much content all by myself:

I currently average at least 20 daily views on the site when I do nothing.  The number is small, but I consider the consistency a big win.

Most importantly is who accesses my site and products versus how many.  For example…

  • Instant-Take Suite is used by Sound Designers from Activision, PopCap Games, Sledgehammer Games, Oculus & Microsoft
  • Begin Audio Scripting with Reaper has been downloaded in at least 15 different countries, and by Sound Designers & Audio Directors of multiple major game industry companies

So why does any of this actually matter, other than it’s a bunch of numbers that you might be impressed with depending on your disposition to reading them?

A Road Map

The video above is looking to provide you a road map.  It also kind of insults your intelligence.  None of the figures in that video learned what they did in 15 minutes of sound bytes.  You won’t either.

What it does provide you, is things to think about.

  • The Rock is up 4 hours ahead of the time others schedule him for work, and prepares by hitting the gym hard and eating.  It’s unique to him, and when you pay for his services you’re going to get that work ethic.
  • Mark Cuban learned that he gets what he wants (winning as a businessman) when he provides value for others.  Which also means he’s good at deconstructing relationships quickly and knowing the core of what others want.
  • Colin McGregor literally outworks everybody, and he’s super proud of it.  He spends more time in the gym, and creates more content.
  • Henry Rollins uses his emotions and determination to put in enough effort that natural ability no longer matters

Where I fit in

This website exists primarily for two reasons:

  1. To showcase my products, some of which are tools and others are educational
  2. To allow you to get to know me a little bit

80 blog posts matters, because it means I’ve posted on Twitter at least 80 times to share content and ideas.  I may have hit your screen 80 times by this point, giving you opportunities to know and remember me.

The people who have used my products matter, because their opinion is valuable to the community I serve at large.  If one Sound Designer uses my product, they (hopefully) will recommend it to a colleague.  If an Audio Director uses my product, the net is potentially cast even wider.

All of these things are opportunities to build relationships and help others.  The more opportunities I have to do both – the more likely I’m to find success somewhere, and become skilled at that.  At which point creation volume matters less, and quality/focus become considerably more important.

All of this I’ve also done with a full-time job, an active eBay business (shared with my wife), and within the last month I’ve taken on a side contract as an audio programmer.

I love every minute of it too.

So work hard, be patient and put in the time.  Then rest.  Then work smart.  Do all of these things with more focus (and less social media) than everyone else, and you’ll move places really really quickly.

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