Are You Aiding & Abetting E-Myths?

Let’s take a minute to talk about what an e-myth is. An entrepreneurial myth, or e-myth, is an assumption that anyone can succeed at business with: Are You Aiding & Abetting E-Myths?

Have a killer day - Jantzen Fugate

Jantzen Fugate: My new blog post

Jantzen Fugate: My new blog post

Jantzen Fugate: Influenced by the Rap Industry

Jantzen Fugate: Influenced by the Rap Industry: Shameless self-promotion. Ya, that’s right, I said it! Shameless! After all, I’m talking about being influenced by rap.

Influenced by the Rap Industry

Today I’d like to talk about shameless self-promotion. Ya, that’s right, I said it! Shameless! After all, I’m talking about being influenced by the rap industry.

It’s all about self-promotion! Self-promotion comes in a ton of different forms and you can use these tactics to get your name out there. Just take a look at some of the top rap artists of 2012.  All they do is self promote. Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Jay-Z, just to name a few. Talk about self-promoters, it’s not in a discreet way either. But, seriously, think about the majority of the content within their songs. It goes a little something like this.

“I’m a badass, the music I make is badass, the amount of money I make is badass and I am way better than you.”

But you know what?! It works and we believe them.

We all self promote! Oh, you didn’t raise your hand in elementary school to show the teacher you knew the answer?! Yes you did! That’s self-promotion. This is the kind of self-promotion I am talk about; self-promoting with the knowledge to back it up. If you self-promote only to prove you don’t really know what you’re talking about, you’re going to lose.

Natural self-promoters are the former and I want to tell you about the three major traits I’ve been able to identify that Rappers use to build themselves as a brand and their businesses.

1. Positioning. You need to position yourself around people who can make a difference in your life. Kanye West is considered Jay-Z’s protégé, following his every step. Drake sings about his gratitude and allegiance to Lil’ Wayne. To take it even one step further, Lil’ Wayne contributes his success to Bird Man. This quote is pretty fitting. “Birds of a feather flock together.” Surround yourself with people who want to be like. You need to wake up every morning and ask yourself “Who am I going to socialize with today that will make a difference in my success?” In fact, go a step further, write your passions in a blog and set up your online profiles to connect.

Consider: Who can help me achieve my goals?

Don’t settle for interacting with the same old people you’re already friends with on Facebook. You need to reach outside your comfort zone and once you do, you’ll find like-minded connections that will bring you motivation and success.

2. Style. No, this doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy an Armani suit to bring you more success and business (let’s be honest-it wouldn’t hurt.) What I really mean by this is how are you different from other people? What about your competitors and others in your industry?! What makes you memorable?

If you meet a lot of people but they can’t remember your name once you’ve left the room, you have a problem! But good news! You now have the opportunity to improve and better yourself in a more memorable way.

There are lots of little subtle changes you can make.

• Personal message
• Company message
• Your health
• Your vocabulary

Maybe even, your car (of course, now I’m back on the expensive suite tangent, but it really works!)
You get my point. There are lots of little ways you can work on making your image and business more successful. Also, consider your vocabulary skills as you greet people on the phone, at meetings or other events. Think about your 30-sec elevator pitch.

3. The third trait of self-promoters is repetition. You can’t just say it once. Successful self-promoters say it as many times as they need until they get the point across or at the very least, a response. Would you remember how great Lil’ Wayne was if he only told you once, no! He tells us over and over again until eventually we head to the store or iTunes to buy his great songs.

You, also, have to make multiple and lasting impressions on those you network with to build brand awareness. Repetition is in directly connected with positioning. Once you find like-minded groups, networks and people, reach out and connect with those who can help in your success..

Regardless if you like rap music, these concept still apply. I use rap music as a motivational tool and find it relatable as an entrepreneur. They say they’ve struggled, worked hard, fought for what they believed in, had multiple rejections and have multiple “haters” but they continue to persevere until they’ve made it happen. They make it happen. They don’t just sit there because they believe in themselves. That’s motivating to me.

Now it’s time for my shameless self-promotion (please tell me you saw this coming?!) The following sites allow me to network, promote and connect with like-minded people, entrepreneurs and groups. You can find me at the following sites..

LinkedIn - Facebook - Twitter - Blogspot

Kill it! - Jantzen

Jantzen Fugate - My First Audio Recording - Friday morning

Jantzen Fugate - My First Audio Recording - Friday morning