Monday, September 13, 2021

A guest post. From Joel Simon

Editor's note: 
Joel Simon--the great "Music Guy," Joel Simon and I have been social-media-connected for probably five years. We don't really know each other but I've always admired his work and wanted to work with him.

Some weeks ago, Joel wrote an article that I loved. I sent him a note and asked if he's like to re-post it in this space. Fortunately for all of us, Joel said yes.

 

IMHO, there's a lot we can learn from Joel. About passion. About love. About work. And about working with people you like.

 

Last thing from me: Today is Joel's birthday. So send him a note at Joel@jsmmusic.com and say, "thank you for your wisdom and words." That will be a nice gift for all of Joel's gifts.

 







JOEL WRITES:

 

3 years ago today, JSM moved into its new home.
3 years ago today, I wrote the below about the move.
3 years ago today, seems literally, like yesterday.
Jesus. What an amazing, fortunate, and insane 3 years it has been.
-------------------------
I’ve been in this business a long time. So long in fact, that I have some employees that are younger than the number years I have spent in this business. Ridiculous.

I started working 2 weeks after graduating college and have not stopped since. During that time, I've seen and experienced it all: euphoria, despair, success, disappointment, and everything in-between. Through it all, JSM has been extremely honored and humbled to be recognized in our industry, thousands of times for our work, all over the world, by our clients, their clients, consumers, the unsuspecting general public and our incredibly talented and formidable competitors.
 
I have always believed that the work we create is only as good as our clients allow it to be. We always push for better and never settle for less. Fortunately, our clients have allowed us, and continue to allow us, that latitude. We get to work with the finest talent in the world, across every possible creative discipline, always creating something from nothing, reaching hundreds of millions of people with our craft and then, if and when all the stars align, we get rewarded with some shiny new hardware to put in a closet somewhere. If not, fuck it, as long as the work we create is stellar and meaningful. Mission always accomplished.
 
I promised myself from the beginning that I would stop doing what I do when it's not fun and meaningful anymore. When I don't wake up with it every morning or take it to bed with me every night. When some production we are a part of doesn't give me the chills, makes me tear up, makes me proud, laugh hysterically or positively affect our clients business or mission. Life is way too short to settle and I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon.
 
So, I’m still having fun and decided to build this, a new home for JSM. A modern state-of-the-art creative playground, naturally with my motorcycle in the lobby. Rather than taking any chips off the table, I doubled down. Maybe even tripled down. Maybe I need my fucking head examined.


I love this business, all the clients who have become such dear friends, the incredibly talented staff and talent all over the world I get to work with, 24/7.
 
So, come on over to the new spot. Hang out on one of the terraces over some cocktails, we’ll have a jam session and live a little. Most of you are responsible for all of this anyway, so it’s already kind of yours. So, thank you for your faith and trust in JSM and cheers to many more years and great times ahead.
 
Oh, and if I haven’t bored you all to fucking tears yet, here’s our new website...https://jsmmusic.com/

 

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TEN THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM JOEL.

(A CHEAT SHEET.)

 

1. The work we create is only as good as our clients allow it to be.


2. Work is euphoria, despair, success, disappointment, and everything in-between.


3. Work with the finest talent in the world.


4. Stop doing what you do when it's not fun and meaningful anymore.


5. Life is way too short to settle.


6. Rather than taking any chips off the table, double down. Maybe even triple down.


7. What we do should give me the chills, make me tear up, make me proud, laugh hysterically and positively affect our clients business or mission.


8. Thank people for their faith and trust.


9. Love this business, all the clients who become such dear friends. Love the incredibly talented staff and talent all over the world we get to work with, 24/7.


10. Cheers to many more years and great times ahead.

 


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