His dad gave him two unorthodox pieces of parental advice – “Never get a job with benefits”, and “Go to where the action is”. He didn’t want his son to end up trapped in a dead-end job; hanging in there for the promise of lower health insurance premiums, a mild annual cost-of-living raise, and a once-a-year paid vacation. He also knew that, for his son to realize the dream of being a country music performer, being in the right place, would put him with the right people. On the show, Chad Jeffers, is the man on dobro and guitar for Carrie Underwood’s band.

Mistakes for entrepreneurial rookies to avoid: Viewing people in the same field (in his case, musicians, authors, and speakers), as competitors.

Business advice: 1) Have an abundance mentality – realize that there is more than enough to go around; 2) Create alliances with people in the same industry and business; 3) Play with as many people as you can; 4) Push yourself to be better than you were yesterday; 5) Be willing to become part of the fabric of your community.

Immediate action steps (If he were starting over from square one tomorrow) – 1) Keep creating; 2) Find ways to help others and be of service; 3) Make new friends; 4) Create new opportunities.

Get Chad's book - 25 Notes for the Successful Musician: The Ultimate Guide to MAKING IT in the music industry

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