Jay Z might have 99 problems, but his bank balance certainly isn’t one of them. Neither is his musical or business reputation. As one of the most successful musicians and businessmen of our time, surely we can all learn a thing or two from him when it comes to our own brands and success stories. So this is our guide to having a Hey Tuesday State of Mind, a la Jay Z!
Don’t settle for second best
Master rapper Jay Z is not one for taking second best. This is the man who married Beyonce after all. To apply Jay Z’s life rules to business, it means when you set yourself a goal you must stick steadfastly to it until you have achieved what you set out to do. Jay Z has always been a calculated opportunist and a forward-thinker, consistently making music or business decisions which put him in financially favourable circumstances.To be like him in business, there’s no time for subtlety or holding back. Everything must be big, bold, and LOUD!
See yourself as a brand
Jay Z famously said “I’m not a ‘businessman’! I’m a business….man!” Now what this means is that Jay Z treats himself as a brand. Taking this approach is crucial if you are going to emulate his success. Everything about you needs to be seen as a part of your personal brand – from your business headshots, to your website, to the way you interact with people at events. (Although we reckon it’s not always going to be appropriate to rock up to business events in a Bentley…)
Don’t shy away from hard work
Jay Z’s is a classic rags to riches story – he started his music career by selling CDs out of his car. Now one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with his own record label, entertainment and clothing companies, he hasn’t got where he is without years of hard graft. As the man himself said, “I’m far from being god, but I work damn hard.” If you’d rather put your feet up and catch up on Game of Thrones than put the extra hours into your startup or business venture, then you’re not upping your game like Jay Z. You need to rethink your priorities, man!
Make good investments
Not only is Jay Z the owner and founder of several companies, he has made smart investments in other companies too. For example, he invested in taxi firm Uber before most of us had even heard of it. So to be like him, you’re going to need to have your ear to the ground, be an early adopter and know what the next big trends are going to be before they happen. And then look for opportunities to be involved. We know all about this at Hey Tuesday as our sister company is Hey Saturday, which basically invented dating photography.
Work in partnership
To be like Jay Z you need to master the art of working in partnership. Jay Z’s musical partnerships have helped to launch the careers of loads of other successful artists including Rihanna and Kanye West. You can apply this to your own brand or business venture by making smart decisions about partnership working. Whether it’s teaming up with another brand on a white label product, or looking for sponsorship opportunities, there are always other businesses out there who can help you achieve your objectives. What are you waiting for, foo?!