Working Solo Minute - January 30, 2008 (#005)

Santa delivered several books under the Christmas tree last month, and I've just finished one that was particularly enjoyable -- Steve Martin's autobiographical account of his early years in show business, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life.

While I don't read every book with the intent of finding business lessons in their pages, Martin's insights in a few areas struck me as particularly pertinent for solo entrepreneurs.

* Blending Smart and Silly, Effortlessly
Martin has always appeared to me to be a very smart individual. Even when you saw him clowning with an arrow through his head or wearing bunny ears, you sense that he was acutely aware of every word and gesture in his comedic routine. My impression was underscored by the insights Martin shares in this book about his profession and his discipline to perfecting his craft.

"My most persistent memory of stand-up," he writes, "is of my mouth being in the present and my mind being in the future: the mouth speaking the line, the body delivering the gesture, while the mind looks back, observing, analyzing, judging, worrying, and then deciding when and what to say next." Many solo entrepreneurs -- particularly those who have done live media interviews or are professional speakers -- know exactly what Martin is talking about.

* Martin's "Overnight" Success
Martin's seemingly effortless ease on stage emerged from years of practice and thousands of nights on the road playing to audiences of all sizes and sensibilities. He writes poignantly of the loneliness of life on the road and the crushing challenge of exposing one's ego on a nightly basis to anonymous crowds. Through it all was the continual refinement of each joke and gesture.

"I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years," he says. "Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four years were spent in wild success." After nearly a decade and a half of relentless dedication to his work, Martin achieved "overnight" success.

* A Search for Originality
Martin shares engaging stories of his childhood days learning magic tricks and teenage years working long days at the magic shops at the newly opened Disneyland. Later, reflecting on the absurdity of the human condition in college philosophy courses, he was inspired to create an "avant-garde" comedy act, although he admits he had little idea at the time what it might be. His epiphany arrived walking across the Long Beach State campus one day, when he realized two things: comedy could evolve, and that his act had to be original. These thoughts both energized and terrified him, since he recognized that he would "have to write everything in the act myself. Any line or idea with even a vague feeling of familiarity or provenance had to be expunged. There could be nothing that made the audience feel that they weren't seeing something utterly new."

Martin recognized, in hindsight, that his act sprung from his personal quirky interpretation of his experiences, launched into the deep stream of comedy's centuries-old traditions. His unwavering commitment to originality, however, is what set him on his ultimate path to success. It took time for the public to catch up to his zany view of the world, but when it did, he was rocketed to heights of success unlike any comedian before him. Several years later he would walk away from stand-up entirely, clear in the understanding that he was at the peak of a roller coaster ride. Instead, he transferred his considerable talent and energy toward acting, writing, and directing.

Soloist Lessons
Soloists can glean many lessons from Martin's enjoyable recounting of his early years. Long-time solo business owners can relate to juggling multiple demands and knowing that it all comes down to delivering a product, service, or presentation with seemingly effortless ease for the paying customer. Reading a description of Martin's twisting career path leads to reflecting upon one's own solo journey, and to ask: Are systems in place to ensure continual refinement on my path to professional achievement? Lastly, Martin's quest for originality reveals the payoff for an unwavering commitment to a personal vision, even when cultural, political, or social currents are strongly against you.

I found Martin's book to be both entertaining and inspiring. It was intriguing to peer inside the mind of a comic genius and to see the inner gears of psychology, craft, discipline and vision at work.

Steve Martin's book, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life is available on Amazon. A 4-hour unabridged audio version read by the author is also available on Audible.com for listening on your iPod or in your car.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com