To Sing or Not to Sing

GROWING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS is a formidable challenge, a soul-bending, gut-wrenching, energy-draining dragon that has to be slain if you are to prevail in the competitive marketplace. That’s probably why most startups fail within a few years. Not many have a good enough idea to start with and the persistence and business skills to get past the early period of often devastating struggle and setback.

There’s no holding back, no safe place to hide, no easy way to build a business. You have to take chances. Say goodbye to your comfort zone because while you’re in the fray of the marketplace fight the shrapnel will be flying.

I was scared to death when I took that first business meeting to pitch the owner of a supermarket to sell our fudge. I’d stepped out on the business equivalent of Yosemite’s El Capitan’s ledge and survived. Little did I know that was just the beginning of the walk-the-plank business related activities that would be needed to continue the growth I’d begun at the supermarket.

God gives each of us special gifts and talents. To grow a business takes all of your commitment, and all of your personal, emotional, spiritual, and physical resources. You’re either all in, or your going to be all out before you know it.

During a series of Christmas dinners I’d hosted for my extended family over the years, I learned I had a special gift for singing. Not to brag, but I practiced and practiced until I was able to replicate a number of recording artists, singing their hit songs just like they did.

I’m not bragging, because I know this kind of a special gift wasn’t my doing, but a special blessing from God, just like my rare ability to run track. Lately, I’ve also picked up the harmonica and added that to my singing.

For example, I can replicate Neil Young’s, “Heart of Gold,” complete with the harmonica part. I don’t mean just the karaoke feat of singing along to a CD, but even without the CD playing you’d think Neil Young was in the room when I was singing.

I know this is a special gift, but do I have what it takes to mobilize this personal resource on behalf of growing our business?

I knew I had a knack for cooking up a pretty good batch of fudge a full 15 years before we started our fudge business. If I’m going to use my singing ability to gain some notoriety that could benefit our business, I’d better not wait another 15 years.

During a recent promotional event, we were at our usual booth at a farmer’s market. The venue always has some live entertainment. On this afternoon there was a singer, who also played the guitar, accompanied by a harmonica player.

Not to be sassy, but to my ear they weren’t very good. I knew my voice would have sounded better, and the harmonica player, his amateurish screeching actually hurt my ears. Yes, I’ve been given a gift, but I also know how to pay my dues. Hours and hours of practice have refined my vocals and harmonica playing.

So, the performers had announced they were going to sing the Neil Young hit, “Heart of Gold,” next, but I couldn’t bear to hear the harmonica player destroy that wonderful number, so I did a naughty thing and prayed that he would just let the singer handle that song.

To my surprise, my selfish, sinful prayer was answered! In the be-careful-what-you-wish-for category, or in my case, don’t ask your guardian angel to do things you might later regret, the harmonica player was silent during the Neil Young classic!

Did I earn a scales-of-justice backlash with my naughty prayer? Why, because now it’s time for me to be uncomfortable as I ponder whether or not I have what it takes to elevate my Gift for singing to entertain the public so as to bring some notoriety, not so much to me, but to our growing business.

Time will tell . . . I’ll keep you posted on my blog!