The Six Lessons I Live By
October 02, 2012
1. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and move out of their way.
If
you feel like you know everything, you’re wrong. I know what I don’t
know and then I find partners who can teach me. A perfect example is my
partnership with Patrick Whitesell, my co-CEO at WME. While we take on
different roles at the company and focus on different things, we share
the same goals and at the end of the day, we’re working toward the same
end. That’s been the key to our success.
2. The only constant in business is change. Get comfortable with it.
When
I started in the business, there were four broadcast networks and 19
cable networks. Now there are five broadcast networks, 117 cable
networks, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, HBOGo, iTunes, Amazon Prime, VOD – the
list goes on and on. Next year there will be more distribution
platforms, and in ten years the landscape will have shifted another 180
degrees. The business is changing quickly, and the only way to succeed
is to change with it. I always tell my colleagues, there is no such
thing as a traditional talent agent anymore. It’s about pushing beyond
that 10% commission and finding opportunity where it didn’t exist
before.
3. Fail often, fail quickly.
Nobody
fucks up like I do, but you’ll never succeed unless you take risks. Big
ones. In 2009, we took Endeavor, a company that was doing incredibly
well, and merged it with the oldest talent agency in the world. From a
cultural and organizational standpoint, it was a big risk. People had
their doubts. But we had a vision and a lot of help from very smart
people (see #1.) Three years later, our business is stronger, our bench
is deeper and smarter, and our deal-making is more innovative. It’s a
better company – period. You have to lead by example if you want to
promote a culture where risk-taking is rewarded.
4. Your schedule makes you dumber.
Force
yourself outside of your daily schedule. Be curious and take time to
learn about worlds outside of the one you live in. Watch the news, read
the paper, educate yourself. Don’t be afraid to call people you don’t
know, start a conversation, and ask for things you need. At the very
least, you’ll be more interesting. At the most, you’ll take your
business in new and bigger directions.
5. You only get one shot – make it count.
I
learned this the painful way. After being hit by a car and lying
face-down in the middle of Wilshire Boulevard, I was confronted with a
whole lot more than my mortality. Take advantage of each day that’s
given to you and do something to move the needle on your business, even
if it’s just an inch. You’ve heard it before, but life is not a dress
rehearsal. Don’t waste your time (or mine.)
6. Good ideas rule all.
In
the end, it’s all about creative ideas and content – it’s the lifeblood
of our business. I’m fortunate enough to work with the writers,
directors, musicians and actors who are defining culture with their
voices. It’s why I come to work in the morning. In 100 years, when the
world looks different, and we communicate in new ways, and we have more
devices and platforms and distribution methods, I believe great artistry
will still matter most.
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