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What you’ll learn in this episode:
When we think about growth, we often look at the industry we’re in and try to leverage what’s being done and what’s working to ignite (or further) our own business growth. But instead of spending our time doing what everyone around us is doing, and lagging behind the crowd in most cases, one of the fastest ways to grow and to disrupt an industry is to look across industries to find best practices from another industry and to incorporate it into your own.
Most recently I attended a Dave Matthews concert (one of my favorite artists, and someone I’ve been following for decades), and it got me thinking about how Dave and his band have reinvented themselves over the years, kept their fans intrigued and loyal, and how many of these best practices are applicable to entrepreneurs and our businesses.
In this episode I take the fun perspective of what it might look like if Dave Matthews stepped in and ran your business. What would he do more of? What would he add in to entice your loyal customers to keep buying from you, and for new fans to come into the fold? What secret sauce would he use to keep your business growing and fresh?
Take a listen to the episode to find out what you can do today to keep your business rockin’ and growing this year and beyond!
Here’s a glance at this episode:
- Understand why it’s important to know what separates you from everyone else, and how to keep it fresh and unique
- Learn why quality and detail, and providing your customers with the best value around, is always a hit
- Discover why it’s important to stay true to your brand, but also move with the times and to give your customers what they want as you/they evolve
- Adopt the belief that knowing and speaking to your customers, and having that unique and strong connection with them so you understand their needs, their personality, and their desires, is everything in business
Mentioned in this episode:
Work/Connect with me:
Canyon Ranch Fall 2023 Retreat
Jessica Miller
[0:00] Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the It’s Your Offer Podcast. I’m Jess Miller and I’m so excited to be here with you this week.
Jessica Miller
[0:07] For today’s podcast episode, I am going a little rogue. So I don’t usually script out all of my episodes, but I do have a flow and an idea of what it is that I want to talk about, the different topics that I’m going to have each week. But recently, I attended the Dave Matthews Band concert in Hartford, Connecticut. And it got me thinking a lot about Dave, his band, his career, what he’s created, and his music and his career from the perspective of an entrepreneur, from a business perspective. And so I wanted to share with you today, some of the things that I gleaned from having followed him now for decades, not to date myself, following him for decades, and some of the things that I have witnessed from him in his band over the years that I just think is awesome. And it is a reminder to all of us as we are growing and changing, and for those of us that are in it for the long haul, it’s important to reflect on how to, you know, evolve your brand, and keep your business going over time, and what that looks like to continue to evolve and morph and change and yet stay the same.
Jessica Miller
[1:23] It also reminded me of all of the things that we need to think about in our business. And sometimes we sort of do them without thinking about it, and we sort of take it for granted, but that it’s really important again, just to reflect on what are the things that make a great business? And what are the things that allow us to really connect with our customers and leave a lasting impression, and how do we make sure that we keep doing those things? But not doing them in a way that feels like we’re phoning it in or that stale, but can be really fun and fresh and really sort of contagious, right? It pulls people in, and it makes our business feel like it is a respite from the grind and the norm, and you know, kind of the day-to-day things.
Jessica Miller
[2:09] So for many of you that know me, you know that music is a huge part of my life. And over the last 12 months, I will tell you that the appreciation for music, the intentional decision to incorporate it into my day, and now into my business, more of that to come, has been really top of mind. Music, for me, is one of those things that pulls me out of my head and into the present moment. It is such an incredible, I think, example of the beautiful things that humans can create, the incredible, incredible talent of different individuals, and even more importantly, the incredible thing that is created when a bunch of uber-talented, amazing people get together and form a band. I just think it is so awesome, and it just brings so much joy into my life, and I’ve seen it bring so much joy into so many people’s lives. Going to concerts and seeing live music, especially with my favorite artists, has been something I’ve done, since I could go out and do it on my own.
Jessica Miller
[3:12] I remember when my parents, actually before I could do it on my own, took me to see New Kids on the Block in the Hudson Valley when I was a kid. And I remember the show and I, you know, really like bless them for taking me and my four siblings to go to see New Kids on the Block. But we had a great time. And even though I was 12 years old at the time, I still remember it. And I believe that my parents actually had a good time too, because their music was really catchy, and it was fun, and who doesn’t like to be in a place with incredible music and you know, a bunch of people. And over the years, that is one of the things I have come to appreciate so much about what is created by these bands, not just their music. The music is incredible, and that just transcends all things. It’s really their craft, right? It’s their offer that they’re putting out into the world.
Jessica Miller
[3:28] But one of the most incredible parts about it is the experience that you have when you are at a live show. It is so much more than just the music, right? It is so much more than just the offer. Although the offer is what draws people into that environment, right? It brings them to the stadiums, it brings them to the concert hall. But then when they get there, it’s all the other stuff that surrounds it, right? It’s the vibe it is all of the people in the same place. It’s everybody’s singing the same music. It’s this escape from reality. And for me personally, especially now in the current climate, it is one of those rare and precious moments where people just come together in unity around something that they love, and they put all of their differences and all of the gripes aside. They are just in it, to hear great music, to connect with each other, and with the music with the performers, and to just come together.
Jessica Miller
[5:04] And I have witnessed so many cool interactions with other individuals, people that have also come there, so other customers, in a way I never would, if I was trying to do it alone, or if that band didn’t exist, and that environment didn’t exist. And so although, yes, we sort of take the concerts and the music at face value, from a business perspective, it really got me thinking about all of the pieces that were created during this Dave Matthews concert, and Dave Matthews in his just, his trajectory of his career and his brand and what he stands for, and what he’s doing, that makes him uniquely him, that makes the band uniquely who they are, and that connects us to their offer and their music.
Jessica Miller
[5:47] And so I wanted to share with you today, some of the pieces that I have seen over the decades of following him, loving him and so glad that he was on tour again. And for anyone out there who’s listening to this who is a Dave Matthews fan it, maybe you’ve been following them from the beginning. I remember seeing them in a tiny college gymnasium in like 19, I don’t even know, 93, probably, to now you know, when he’s been in, you know, these big stadiums to when he was in Central Park, and it was even a bigger thing. And just watching how he has really crafted this business, crafted his offers, and bought all of us along with him. And as much as we’re moving into the future with him, stepping into these environments, these concerts with him and his band is like a time warp. And it is so amazing. So I highly, highly recommended. That is my plug for Dave Matthews being on tour right now. So if you’re listening to this, go check out the ticket, but back to him and business and why this matters for all of you.
Jessica Miller
[6:51] So I think, you know, looking at this from the perspective of how has he crafted this offer, how has he thought about his business in his career, and taking those nuggets and applying them to our, our own business is a really important piece. So here is what I have gleaned from watching Dave Matthews over the decades. And here is my offer to you, every one of these things that I’m going to share is an integral part of your business. It’s an integral part of the relationship that you create with your customers. And with everyone around you. It is part what you put out into the world as far as your offers, and that is super important. And when it really speaks to your ideal client, it gets really sticky really quickly in a very positive way. It attracts people in but your brand, the brand of your business and your individual brand, carry that vibe out there. And that is equally as important as the physical offer and take, you need all of it to come together to create a lasting legacy business. So I want you to really reflect on some of these things. And notice how you’re doing it in your business where you might want to tweak it, how you might do it better, what things are lining you up and what isn’t, and really take this time to like through the lens of maybe your favorite artist or maybe just a cool band that you might, you know, hear Jess Miller likes, that you might be able to see some of this for yourself.
Jessica Miller
[8:23] Okay, so number one, the number one thing that I noticed when it came to Dave Matthews Band is the uniqueness of him, his band, and his music. They have done an incredible job as a band, really creating a unique sound. There is a certain way that those performers play together, the type of instruments they pull in, the vibe, and the feeling that you get from the music that is uniquely Dave Matthews. And he started way back in 1991 with that sound, and quickly gained momentum. And you know, stardom because of that sort of folky, eclectic, feel good, lay in the sun, love life kind of a feeling. And so many different generations loved him whether you were in college at the time, or maybe you’re older or younger. It was one of these sounds that was unique, but spoke to a lot of people. And I really thought, think that, that uniqueness has carried through his music over time. And it makes the band uniquely who they are in that music.
Jessica Miller
[9:35] The second thing that I’ve always noticed is that they have a very, very high attention to detail and quality. So although they’re jamming and they’re coming together and they’ve had some band members move in and out, they are very serious about their music. And I know you could say like, okay, just they’re professionals. Of course they’re really serious about their music, but not just like they’re professionals. There’s a certain sound that they have, and there’s a certain quality of, you know, talent that they’re looking for. And they bring that together, and they honor each other, and they put it together in a way that is really like sophisticated and incredible. They also do this with everything surrounding the music. So when I was at this concert, the lighting, the imagery, the way they pulled it together, their presence on the stage, they did not skip a beat. They were absolutely incredible. And as a result, it felt super intimate. You were really there with them and with the music, and it was really powerful to watch how high quality and how talented they were. And they did that also through allowing for some flex in the way that they played. So there was a lot of jamming, and kind of, you know, going rogue and those solos that were controlled and high quality. And it was really, really positive even the way that they presented themselves up on stage. They were super professional and high quality, and they want to give you a great show. And it was amazing.
Jessica Miller
[9:35] The third thing I noticed is that even though we’re talking 30 plus years here that they have been playing, they continue to keep it fresh, and they have changed with the times, and they have moved with the audience’s evolution. But they still stay on brand. They haven’t gone off course so much like some musicians have. And I know we’ve all seen this, where they’ve started almost in one genre, and then they’ve kind of slingshot into this other genre. And although that’s awesome, a lot of times these things go so far off brand, that they lose people. But Dave Matthews Band hasn’t done that. They’ve kept that same feel. But they’ve evolved and they’ve gone out and tried new things, and they’ve put in new sounds, but you can still see where they are on the mark for who they are and what their brand is. They also at the concert, which I loved after being a fan for so many years, and I’m wondering if many of you love this too, is, although they have a new album that just launched and they played some of that music, they absolutely went back to their roots and catered to the people that were in the audience and played a lot of the old hits, a lot of those old songs that I listened to in college and all the things that never get old. And they really catered to that.
Jessica Miller
[12:22] He even made a joke at the beginning of the show, like, okay, we’re all older now, we don’t need to like set the parking lot on fire kind of thing. And just really connected with knowing what the audience wanted to hear, and really catering to that while keeping it fresh and moving us into what their newer stuff was, so we can love that too. And that’s also just good business, right? He, you don’t want him just playing all the old music and never, you know, allowing people to really understand or hear the newer stuff. You want people to fall in love with that newer stuff too. And there’s no better venue for that, than to hear it live. So we did that great thing of moving with the times, but yet, still being on brand and still giving the crowd what they needed.
Jessica Miller
[13:05] Which brings me to my fourth point of connecting with the crowd. When you go to a Dave Matthews concert, you feel like you’re sitting in somebody’s living room, and they are playing for you. I cannot tell you how many times he talked to the crowd, he made like funny comments, and he really bought you in there. And again, the things that he was saying and the way that he was saying them were the things that I’ve heard him say for 20 years, not maybe the exact words, but the sentiments, you know, he kind of just goes off says like random things. But it again, it’s on brand and it’s who he is but it’s a way that the audience expects to receive him. And so he’s connecting to the crowd, talking with them, you know, really bringing them into the music, and that makes it feel like that was made for you. And there’s nothing better than you as a client, as a customer, feeling like your interaction with a company, or somebody in the company.
Jessica Miller
[14:05] Namely, all of you listening to this have created something just for me. And in this day and age where there’s so much information out there. There’s so much generated information. There’s artificial type information, which I believe has its place, but it’s not you, it’s not fresh. It’s not something someone has created on their own, and it’s not made specifically for you. And in this day and age, that connection, that I am here, you’re here, and I’m making this for you, it is customized and bespoke, just for you from me, not from a computer, not from a bot, not from anything, is so valuable and powerful. And he and his band have such a way of doing that in a way that really just kind of brings you along with them, makes you forget you’re even in a concert hall with thousands of people, which I just always find fascinating. You feel like you’re sitting in your living room floor, but you’re really in a concert hall, which is remarkable.
Jessica Miller
[15:08] And then the last but not least thing which I loved so much about the specific concert is, I cannot tell you how many times they thanked us for being there. Thanks for coming out tonight. Thanks for being with us. Hope you love the show. Let’s make this the best night ever. We’re going to come out and do an encore, thank you so much. We’re going to bow, we’re going to wave, we’re going to so much gratitude. And from a branding perspective, if you follow Dave Matthews, you know, there is a deep connection and love that he has for humanity and people. And that gratitude just permeates everything. But to be in that concert with him and hear him say that over and over, Thanks so much for coming out tonight. So glad you’re here. You know, hey, Hartford, you know, all the stuff. Again, it just brings everybody together and it connects them with him, his band, the music, and the whole environment, the whole experience.
Jessica Miller
[16:10] So in summary of all this, here are the five things you want to be looking at, to keep your business on track, to grow, connect with your customers, and leave a lasting legacy. In the time of now, this is more important than ever: know your people, create a hell yes offer that connects with them, talk to them, be grateful for them, give them something that they care about, bring people together in a way that they will not get anywhere else. And I promise you, when you have that intention with your business, and you actually care about your customers, and you actually connect with them, you will create it and it will stand out from the crowd. Because a lot of people just want to phone it in. A lot of people want to use all the automation and all the technology and all the things to not actually be present. You don’t have to be that person. You can use all those things, and they’re amazing, but you can also knock it out of the park by really getting in there with your customers and creating that vibe, that feeling and the quality of things that you put out there that will always create a transformation for people.
Jessica Miller
[17:25] So first create something unique that is you. Don’t lose sight of what that is, don’t lose sight of what you stand for, don’t lose sight of the problem that you solve for your clients, and who they are and what they need.
Jessica Miller
[17:36] Number two, make sure that you always give high attention to detail and quality. It is everything. In my world, I believe the nuance matters. And frankly, that’s not just in business. In life, context and nuance makes all the difference.
Jessica Miller
[17:51] Number three, keep it fresh and change with the times, but stay true to who you are and your brand. People come to expect you when you make a lasting impression, and you are known for something people are looking for that. And they like things that are they like to expect things, you know, they don’t want to be surprised so much that it is like throwing them off course. So keep it fresh and make sure that you’re kind of growing and changing with your business., but stay on brand and stay true to your core. Regardless of what everybody else is doing around you. It’s your business, you get to be who you are. So don’t forget it.
Jessica Miller
[18:26] Four, connect with your customers connect with the crowd. These people are your fans. And it’s a lot to earn that trust. So really connect with them, find out what they need, and love on them as much as you can.
Jessica Miller
[18:40] Which brings me to the last thing, be grateful. Be grateful. Be grateful for what you’ve created. Be grateful for the opportunity. Be grateful for the people who have come into your world, some of which maybe may or may not be the best fit, it’s fine. Love them anyway. Let them go and love them anyway, and really be grateful for all that is coming to you and all that you’re creating for all of the people that you touch, and the impact that you have.
Jessica Miller
[19:05] As an entrepreneur, it is one of the greatest gifts we can give to the world is us and our brain and our love and our vibe and the quality of the things we put out there and fighting for people for the transformation that they want. It’s not a small thing, and it’s so awesome when you can just bring people together in that way and create something that really sets you apart from everybody else.
Jessica Miller
[19:27] So take a few minutes, go back through this list, you know, audit your business, turn up that music, go and check it out. And we would love to, as always, hear what you come up with. Until next time everyone have a beautiful week.
