Back on July 24, 2015 local artist Joseph Gallant was the opening act for Granger Smith’s concert here in Portland Maine.
Before Smith took the stage, he and Gallant had a brief five minute conversation. Gallant confided in him that he was strongly considering quitting music entirely. His career just wasn’t progressing at the pace or in the way he wanted it to. And Joseph was just about ready to hang it up right then and there after that night.
Smith had some very sage advice for him. Telling him:
“You don’t have to make it your life, but if you love music you should keep it as PART of your life. It isn’t an all or nothing proposition, you don’t have to give it up.”
Fast forward a little over four years and on September 14, 2019 Joseph Gallant opened for Granger Smith again at the very same venue he played four years earlier.
Joseph was there for one simple reason: Because he took Granger’s advice to heart, and continued music as a passion project and in the process honed his craft.
And fittingly, between songs during his set Joseph shared the story of that very timely, much need five minute conversation Granger had with him back in 2015.
On stage he credited Granger with being the reason that four years later he was still “in the game” as a singer and songwriter.
After that night fateful in 2015 Joseph essentially took a step back in order to take a huge step forward…
A little over a year ago Joseph decided to sell everything he owned and move from Maine to Nashville to pursue a career as a full-time singer-songwriter.
And now just a year later he’s released his own new music and returned to Maine as the opening act for the very same artist who gave him that sage advice four years prior.
I share this with you because I’d be willing to bet that at some point we’ve all felt like Joseph Gallant did back in 2015. I know I have. And we all need someone to encourage us not to quit.
Often we spend so much time chasing something that we forget to simply enjoy the pleasure of running so to speak.
I also share this with you because we often underestimate the power of a short conversation. It can clarify your thinking, shift your perspective, and serve as the creative spark that changes your life.
We might feel like we are a million miles away from our goal but quitting won’t get you there any faster. That would be like slashing your other three tires just because you got a flat.
I’ve been fortunate to have a few people at critical times in my life, take the time to stop and have those five minute conversations with me.
Which is why Fridays are a special day for me. I get to have those same conversations with the members of my inner-circle. As a membership perk, every month I host “Call-In Friday” where my members can call me and spend up to ten minutes via phone or video. They tell me it’s one of the most valued aspect of their membership.
The calls are often take the form of brainstorming, getting feedback or some coaching. But sometimes, like yesterday for example, that conversation is actually a pep talk with a little perspective mixed in, much like Smith gave Gallant.
You can take advantage of call-in Fridays by joining our community right here: