You never know what you are in store for when you attend a concert, especially when the act has been around for 40 years. Sometimes the original band is intact, other times the only original member is the triangle player.  Last weekend, we were blown away by  REO Speedwagon. The band took the stage and immediately electrified the air with excitement, nostalgia, and passion; sending the nearly 20,000 concert goers into a frenzy.

As they hammered through their musical catalog of more than four decades, they were making it very clear to the audience that their success in the music industry happened at a time when you actually had to possess great talent. When REO was formed in 1966, there were no “boy bands”, there was no correcting an off-key note with the click of a mouse, there was only hardcore dedication to their craft.

Here are 3 simple lessons that will help you grow your business, pursue your goals, and hone your craft:

1. Principles never change. While it is amusing to watch a person jump off their roof to squeeze into a spandex outfit that was in it’s prime twenty years ago, it is usually rather painful to look at. (Why do they make size 14 spandex anyway?) Fashion, technology, and marketing must remain flexible and relevant, but foundational principles of hard work, integrity, and dedication to success are cast in stone.

2. It ain’t always pretty. The two hours that a band spends onstage doing what they love, they endure countless hours of travel, practice, and sacrifice. Larry Winget wrote a brilliant blog on loving your job and paying the price.  I realize that we live in an era of instant gratification, but the true growth that occurs when someone achieves a goal is not the achievement of the goal, rather it is whom they become in the process.

3. Gotta love the fans! I love it when bands take a moment to share that they wouldn’t be anything without the fans. Your business is the same way. Far too many salespeople and entrepreneurs focus on gaining new customers while ignoring those people who already love doing business with them. I discussed this premise in a previous post titled Rock Star Customer Service. Invest in your fan base!

If your business was a band, which band would it most closely resemble?