I Gotta Have More Cowbell…Putting More YOU in Your Brand

by Danielle on March 27, 2013

On my home from the store today I had one of my classic rock CD’s in and Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” came on.  This song always brings a smile and a giggle as it reminds me of one of my favorite Saturday Night Live skits ever.

You may know which one I am talking about:  The band is in the studio rehearsing the song and Gene Frenkle aka Will Ferrell starts really getting into his part of the song…the cowbell.

The skit begins with what is said to be film from the 1976 recording session that produced the band’s biggest hit, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”. Bruce Dickinson, the producer, aka Christopher Walken tells the band they have “what appears to be a dynamite sound.”

The first take of the session begins soon after. The recording seems to be going well but the band stops playing after a few moments because the cowbell part is rather loud and distracting. Dickinson, to the surprise of most of the band, asks for “a little more cowbell” and suggests that the cowbell player, “really explore the studio space this time.”

Frenkle’s exuberance in following this advice causes him to bump into his bandmates as he dances around the cramped studio, gyrating wildly in all directions, and the band stops another take. Dickinson enters the studio exasperated at wasting “two good tracks” and says that the second one “was even better than the first.” Frenkle sheepishly agrees to tone down his performance in order to keep the band happy. Dickinson warns Frenkle not to tone it down too much, as they’re “gonna want the cowbell on this track.” The rest of the band expresses annoyance, but Dickinson is grooving on the cowbell.

Frenkle then makes an impassioned speech to the rest of the band.

He declares that Dickinson’s stature lends a great deal of weight to his opinion about the cowbell part and that the last time Frenkle checked, they didn’t have “a whole lot of songs that feature the cowbell” and therefore he would be “doing himself a disservice, and every member of the band” if he “didn’t perform the hell out of this.”

At the climax of the sketch, Dickinson exclaims: “Guess what? I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!”

What can we learn from “more cowbell”?

Too often we turn down the volume our own cowbell. Giving yourself permission for ‘more cowbell’ also empowers others to “explore their studio space”.

We all need to be validated and heard.  Your circle should include mentors and those you trust to encourage you to use more of your ‘cowbell’.

We do ourselves a disservice by downplaying the sound of our cowbell in the spirit of getting along, not wanting to show off, and not wanting others to be uncomfortable.

I’m here to tell you if you don’t perform the hell out of you are, not only do you cheat yourself, but you deny those who want to hear more cowbell…specifically your cowbell.

Your brand is the cowbell. Know it, embrace it, and perform the hell out of it.

Want a strong brand…add more cowbell baby.

Your music is beautiful…Rock it out Superstar.

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Reinvention-Five Questions You Need to Ask Yourself

by Danielle on February 15, 2013

It starts with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction or discomfort.  The feeling that something is not right somewhere. Sort of like having a toothache and your tongue keeps poking at it. And then full on pain happens. The signal that something needs to change intensifies.

REINVENTION

Reinvention happens all the time.  Whether it is in your personal or professional life, you will want to reinvent (rebrand), evolve, or do things differently from the way you are doing/being now. It is a natural evolution of life and business.

It can be as a result of a life changing event or experience…or it can be simply waking up one morning and deciding that something needs to change.

It can be big…going from being an accountant to a life coach

It can be small…changing the colors on your website

REINVENTION=CHANGE

Whatever it is, it is a shift in perspective for both you and those who see you a certain way (which can be difficult for all parties).

While these big and small leaps may seem perfectly logical to you, to someone else ‘looking in’ it might be a stretch for them to connect the dots and see the same picture you do.

And then there are times when it’s even difficult for you to connect the dots…what do you do then?

Here are five questions to ask yourself when you’re thinking about reinventing whether it’s on a large or small scale.

 

Why do I want to reinvent?

Everything starts with WHY.  WHY gives you clarity, it gives you direction, it gives you a starting point and a destination.

Your WHY drilled down is simply how you want to feel.

Maybe you feel powerless and you want to feel empowered

Maybe you feel overwhelmed and you want to feel more flow

Maybe you feel uninspired and you want to feel spark and sizzle

Maybe your values are different than they were 5 years ago…3 years ago…1 year ago…yesterday

Think of answering your WHY as the compass point that starts you off in right direction

What is going right? What isn’t? (a too-fer question…my gift to you)

In other words…what gives you energy?  what drains energy from you?

Most of the time it isn’t necessary to throw the baby out with the bathwater (what a terrible expression!) which can be overwhelming and paralyzing.  Looking at what is going well gives you a foundation on which to build upon. And while it’s important to reframe and focus on the positive, it is equally crucial to look at what isn’t serving you anymore.

What strengths/talents/gifts are you taking for granted?

We overlook so many of our talents and gifts.  Time and time again I talk with cients and we uncover some strength and I will hear “But no one is going to pay me for that, everyone can do that”. No, no they can’t and they can’t do it like you.  You have a secret sauce that is all yours and whatever it is I can guarantee you that you have been downplaying it.

Now is the time to bring it front and center.

Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone? How far? (again the 2 part question)

Facing change big or small is scary, uncomfortable, and challenging. It requires a vulnerability that we would rather not expose ourselves to. It is equal parts thrilling + terrifying.

I ask this question a lot with clients because until it’s out in the air…you don’t know. Until you start actually steppin’ and bumping into resistance + uncertainty…you don’t know. And that’s ok, just know that what you truly desire is usually on the other side of the discomfort.

Approaching stepping out of your comfort zone as an experiment can be one way to manage your energy around the reinvention process.

And progress is progress, whether it’s baby steps or or big giant leaps.

Are you ready to own your power?

You’ll hear many voices when you reinvent. When you start really leaning into the fact that you have more power than you originally thought, the voices will get louder. Outside voices are bad enough, but it’s the inside voices that will send you off course faster than you can imagine.  These voices include doubt, preconceived notions, other’s expectations, and imposter syndrome, just to name a few.

Here’s the thing: you can’t stop the voices…you can’t, so stop wasting your precious energy in trying. Better to acknowledge the voices and then unceremoniously boot them out the door. They don’t have the power…you do.

 

One final question: Are you brave enough to get started?

 

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If the Label Fits

January 13, 2013

We love labels.
We hate labels.
label: a descriptive or identifying word or phrase
When I worked as a full time special education teacher, labels were a double-edged sword.
Useful when writing IEPs (Individual Education Plans), developing specific goals and objectives and measuring progress (or lack of). This child has a learning disability; let’s develop strategies and tools so [...]

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Going Small to Play Big

October 22, 2012

During a recent conversation with a colleague and dear friend about evolving both personally and professionally she asked me,
“So how big do you want to go?”
Initially I thought (and immediately said)
“you know dude…BIG”
as in”big” meant bigger numbers, bigger exposure, bigger credibility, bigger authority…you know…BIG.
She said, “I can help you do that, but my intuition doesn’t [...]

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