Taking a Page Out of These Musicians' Playbook

Taking a Page Out of These Musicians' Playbook

Last night, it was my turn to decide what my boyfriend and I would do: dinner, movie, pool, the State Fair (where Bob Dylan was playing), etc. Not a big Bob Dlyan fan, the State Fair didn't really interest me and, uncharictaristically, I didn't have much of a backup plan. Now John is a former musician whose rock heroes are The Who and Bruce Springsteen. So imagine my surprise when he suggested that The Commodores and Kool and the Gang were in town. He told me he'd found tickets on craigslist for $20 each, so we decided to go.

Wow - I am so glad we did!

I love live music of all types - but the best live music in the world happens when the performers are enjoying themselves onstage. You've just got to figure that after performing the same songs again and again, night after night for years on end, it might get a little boring. But you couldn't fake the enthusiasm that the members of The Commodores and Kool and the Gang brought with them to last night's concert at US Airways Arena. These guys formed their bands in 1969 and 1964, respectively! That means they've been playing music for my whole life! I remember listening to their hits in junior high school - and more than 30 years later, they were still energetic, enthusiastic, friendly, and absolutely infectious!

Not to mention that for old dudes, they can MOVE!

The members of The Commodores met as freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1967 and signed with Motown in November 1972. They originally called themselves the Jays, but had to change their name because of the similarly named The O'Jays. According to Wikipedia, to choose a new name, band member William King opened a dictionary and randomly chose a word. "We lucked out," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to People, "because we almost became The Commodes!"

Watch The Commodores perform Night Shift.



Kool and the Gang got their start in 1964 in the Jersey City projects. They were teenagers studying Miles Davis albums and James Brown singles and jamming in basements, who formed an instrumental band called The Jazziacs. They changed their name to Kool and the Gang and were signed by Gene Redd to his new record label De-Lite Records in 1969. They first hit the pop charts with the release of their eponymous debut album.

Watch Kool and the Gang perform Ladies' Night.



All I've got to say is that I hope I'm still this enthusiastic about my work after a lifetime of it! What would happen if we all brought this kind of energy and life to the job, day in and day out?

No, it's not especially realistic - or necessary - to sing and dance like these Motown greats ... but what does your version of that look like? Do you love your clients? Is your first goal to see them go away happy and telling people about their fanstastic experience? And if you don't still have this kind of enthusiasm for your career - perhaps it's time to either make a plan to regain it ... or find a new line of work.

How can you take a page out of these entertainers' playbook and begin applying it to your business today?
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