Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="brian maddox" data-source="post: 97390" data-attributes="member: 158">Re: Money $$$$$Since the topic has swerved slightly to discuss the general topic of wages and what drives them, i feel like it&#039;s time for me to trot out what i call &#039;The 2 Magic Rules for Making Money&#039;.1.&nbsp; Don&#039;t do something that Everyone Wants to do.&nbsp; This rule explains why hanging dry wall, or plumbing, or mining for that matter pay fairly well and Acting, Singing, and other artistic pursuits do not.&nbsp; Yeah, Madonna, and Tom Hanks have done quite well for themselves, but they are just the exception that proves the rule.&nbsp; If you want to make a good living, do something that most people don&#039;t want to do.2.&nbsp; Don&#039;t do something where someone is paying you [directly or indirectly] from their own pocket.This little rule explains why businesses that cater to other businesses are somehow able to charge so much more for things than those that serve the actual public.&nbsp; Bookkeepers don&#039;t mind writing company checks, but feel pretty different about writing a personal one.&nbsp; If you want your checks to get bigger, start finding ways to get paid by a corporate check and not a personal one.These two rules show up in our world in a couple of ways.&nbsp; First, it is always going to be hard to make a living in this business because from the outside it looks glamorous and cool, and in some ways it actually is.&nbsp; What could be cooler than hanging out back stage with rock bands and going to shows?&nbsp; Now those of us that have done this for a while know that the reality is quite a bit more back breaking and unglamorous.&nbsp; But we still do it because we LOVE to do it.&nbsp; And there is an endless line of people younger, and more energetic that love it just as much and will do it for a LOT less money.&nbsp; Second, these two little rules also explain why Corporate Audio pays so much and Entertainment audio pays so little.&nbsp; In many cases the latter is more technically difficult, and requires a larger investment in gear.&nbsp; But nobody wants to do sound for taking heads.&nbsp; How fun is that?&nbsp; AND, in corporate audio, you&#039;re not getting paid by the band, you&#039;re getting paid by the accountant with a company check.&nbsp; Just another business expense to write off.&nbsp; As a corporate sound guy i made more than all but the absolute top-tier Touring Band guys just doing talking heads and video playback.&nbsp; I can&#039;t say i&#039;ve always done a great job following my own rules.&nbsp; I did get into audio for a living after all, which certainly violates rule 1 right off the bat.&nbsp; But i did apply them liberally when deciding which career paths to take along the way and they have served me well.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="brian maddox, post: 97390, member: 158"] Re: Money $$$$$ Since the topic has swerved slightly to discuss the general topic of wages and what drives them, i feel like it's time for me to trot out what i call 'The 2 Magic Rules for Making Money'. 1. Don't do something that Everyone Wants to do. This rule explains why hanging dry wall, or plumbing, or mining for that matter pay fairly well and Acting, Singing, and other artistic pursuits do not. Yeah, Madonna, and Tom Hanks have done quite well for themselves, but they are just the exception that proves the rule. If you want to make a good living, do something that most people don't want to do. 2. Don't do something where someone is paying you [directly or indirectly] from their own pocket. This little rule explains why businesses that cater to other businesses are somehow able to charge so much more for things than those that serve the actual public. Bookkeepers don't mind writing company checks, but feel pretty different about writing a personal one. If you want your checks to get bigger, start finding ways to get paid by a corporate check and not a personal one. These two rules show up in our world in a couple of ways. First, it is always going to be hard to make a living in this business because from the outside it looks glamorous and cool, and in some ways it actually is. What could be cooler than hanging out back stage with rock bands and going to shows? Now those of us that have done this for a while know that the reality is quite a bit more back breaking and unglamorous. But we still do it because we LOVE to do it. And there is an endless line of people younger, and more energetic that love it just as much and will do it for a LOT less money. Second, these two little rules also explain why Corporate Audio pays so much and Entertainment audio pays so little. In many cases the latter is more technically difficult, and requires a larger investment in gear. But nobody wants to do sound for taking heads. How fun is that? AND, in corporate audio, you're not getting paid by the band, you're getting paid by the accountant with a company check. Just another business expense to write off. As a corporate sound guy i made more than all but the absolute top-tier Touring Band guys just doing talking heads and video playback. I can't say i've always done a great job following my own rules. I did get into audio for a living after all, which certainly violates rule 1 right off the bat. But i did apply them liberally when deciding which career paths to take along the way and they have served me well. [/QUOTE]

Verification