Let’s play a game. What do all of these things have in common?

• Lizzo playing James Madison’s flute? in the Library of Congress
• The Superbowl ?(the game and halftime show)
• Listening to Brene Brown ? talk about vulnerability

I’ll give you a hint…

Earlier this week on IG, I talked about how the SuperBowl halftime performers aren’t paid (and how some of them even end up paying their own money) to perform because they know that their appearance drives song streams, traffic to their beauty brands, and concert sales.

But…what about the question…how did they even get to a point in their career where they’re asked to perform in front of one of the world’s largest audiences?? And how do we as entrepreneurs get to our version of the Superbowl?

It doesn’t happen overnight.

In fact, the SuperBowl – whether it’s the game, the flute performance, or a bestselling book – is a byproduct of authenticity, consistency and a little bit of fun.

That’s the thread tying all of those events together.

Look at Rihanna…she released a full-length album every single year between 2005 and 2012, except for a one-year break in 2008. Of the 61 Rihanna songs on the Billboard Hot 100, 14 of them were No. 1 hits, and 31 of them were top 10 hits.

So not only has RiRi been putting in the work for YEARS, but Drake puts it perfectly when he talks about why all of her hard work sent her soaring to one of the most watched events in the world (and become the most watched halftime show performance of all time?).

“She succeeds by doing something that no one in this music industry does, which is being herself. We love the music, which can change styles from album to album, we love the videos, which change their artistic vision from year to year, but most of all, we love the woman, who hasn’t changed since day one.”

Drake

Of course, there is a valuable lesson here for us entrepreneurs who are on our merry way to our own version of the SuperBowl…

?We have to be original + YOUnique .

1100 photos are uploaded to Instagram every second! If our content doesn’t feel original or stand out, it’s going to get lost in a sea of other content. Lizzo is a rapper who plays the flute (and gave her flute its own IG page…ILYSM Sasha) and made a point to create positive music when she felt like it was missing from the scene. She’s just out there doing her own thing and the world loves it.

?Maybe we haven’t been doing it long enough to get good.

Brene researched and wrote for 10 years before she gave her first TedTalk! Rome isn’t built in a day baby. Don’t be afraid to be bad A LOT… quickly…at the beginning…in order to get better faster.

?The intention isn’t there.

You don’t play football at a professional level if you don’t love the game. There’s a constant worry of potential injury, a short career span, and a hectic life on the road or moving from team to team. Players and teams get to the Super Bowl because they love what they do, and they have fun playing the game.

In entrepreneurship, it’s one thing to love the idea of a successful business, a booming bank account, or a large social influence. It’s a whole other beast to love putting in the work every day, staying disciplined with finances, and showing up on social when you don’t feel like it.

When you add these three things together, you get the Rihanna Recipe? for success. Hard work mixed with ~you doing you~ mixed with having a little fun along the way.

If your business or marketing feels flat lately, start asking yourself these questions…

1. What would make this more me?
2. Does this need to be good or does it just need to be done?
3. What would make this more fun for me AND my audience?

Toodles✌, off to make dinner while blasting Desperado…

xo, Rachel Jeffries Murphy