As much as I loved teaching music lessons, it taught me some bad habits.

My approach was to meet each student where they were and support them in moving forward. I got really good at doing this.

The experience was entirely about process. There was no defined end goal.

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For many years, I was one of those people who was pleased to have grown my business solely through word of mouth.

However, as admirable as it may have been to earn new business based on referrals from happy clients, it left me in a difficult position.

If I wanted to grow, there was nothing I could do to accelerate the flow of new prospective clients into my world. All I could do was wait.

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When I was twenty-four, I drove around to people’s houses teaching music lessons.

The problem was, I felt really self-conscious about my car.

I was driving a fifteen-year-old Pontiac Bonneville that had a bunch of bumper stickers on the back that someone else had put there.

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One of the most important things that I’ve learned from writing my own songs is how to find “good enough.”

There is a set point that a song needs to reach in which it feels good to sing it, the music and lyrics flow in a way that makes intuitive sense as a player and a listener, and it tells the story I intended for it to tell. Then, it’s complete. Put your pencil down.

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Is Kendrick Lamar handy with a hammer?

How’s Saoirse Ronan’s volleyball serve?

Sure, David McCullough is a revered writer, but can he write funny tweets?

We really don’t care. These greats are valued for their contributions to our culture — we don’t need them to be good at everything.

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