hand shakeThere’s a saying in life that i have become more and more convinced is true as time goes on. “Success is not about what you know, its about who you know.” Studies have shown that success in any field or endeavor is based on the quality and quantity of the relationships in your life. In fact I bet if you took the five people you spend the most time with and averaged their income, yours would probably fall right in the middle. Even your mom knew this when she said “You are who you hang out with.”

That all seems simple enough but why then are so many people failing to achieve the success they so desire? It’s probably because they have either not met the right people or they don’t have a strong enough relationship with the people they do know. These are a few suggestions to help you find and nourish the relationships in life that will push you toward success.

    1. Read books on people skills and leadership. Chances are you already know alot of the information and principles that can be found in these books but its good to keep that knowledge fresh in your mind. It is better to be reminded than taught after all. Reading is the single greatest habit that all of the successful people I know of have picked up. Here is a short list to get you started on your journey: How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie, How To Have Power And Confidence In Dealing With People by Leslie T. Giblin, How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling by Frank Bettger, Personality Plus by Florence Littauer and last but certainly not least, The Magic Of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz.
    2. Get out there and meet new people. This can be incredibly scary for most of us which is why it is so important to arm ourselves with the principles and knowledge found in books like the ones i mentioned above. Just remember to know and not to do is to not know at all. Knowledge alone is not power, knowledge applied is power. Go to clubs and meet new bands, go to instrument stores and get to know the staff and customers. Go where the people are and use what you learned from your reading to build new relationships.
    3. Cultivate relationships with the right people. I’m not saying to ditch your best friends, but chances are if they were the right people, you would already have the success you want. Find the people in life who can help you move forward toward your goals and dreams and spend as much time around them as you can. As you become successful you can become that “right” person for you friends. A rising tide raises all ships.

I will leave you with one final thought. You must be willing to take risks in life if you want to accomplish anything worthwhile. When meeting new people you risk rejection and ridicule. You will probably fail a few times before you start getting the hang of it. Take courage in the thought that every successful person has gone through the same things. Failure is a necessary step in the journey toward success. So go out there and meet the people who will help propel you toward your goals and dreams.

Cary Crichlow, Senior Producer and Engineer
RCR Recording Studios