Evan Carmichael argues that blaming money or marketing for slow growth misses the point. He plays a clip of young Eminem calling into a radio show and impressing LL Cool J with raw skill, showing how undeniable talent gets noticed. The real work is becoming genuinely world-class at your craft.
Chapters
You need to be better. A lot of people write into me and they say, "Evan, I've got a great product, I've got a great service, I'm fantastic at what I do, but I'm not getting the momentum I need because, because I don't have the dollars, I don't have the resources, I don't have the marketing, I don't have the skills, the communication skills to do it." And what I would challenge you to think about is forget about that stuff, forget about the resources you don't have. Are you actually really great at what you do? Are you one of the best in the world at what you do, or do you just think you're great? Because there's a huge difference. And if you want to have tremendous success, then you need to be one of the best in the world at what you do, and you need to go home and practice and work harder and get better and be innovative to really stand out. Your talent should be obvious when people meet you. Your talent should be obvious, should be screaming off the page, "This person is really good." If that's not happening, then you need to get better. I want to share a clip of Eminem who called into a radio station. He crank-called. He said he was Jason from Miami. His mentor, his idol, LL Cool J is on the show and they have no idea who he is. He says he's Jason from Miami and he's calling in, he's rapping, he's doing his thing. He's doing what he's really good at, which is rapping. And they have no idea who he is, but they're saying, dude, you got talent. And if he called in to a couple of other shows, people would spot his talent and he would get picked up quickly because he was really, really good at what he did. He put the work in to become better. So if you want to get spotted, if you want people to notice you, if you want to build momentum around your business, stop blaming the lack of resources that you have. Stop blaming other people for not talking about you. Look in the mirror and get better at the product and service and skills that you're putting out there. I think you'll enjoy this clip.
Yo, we got LL Cool J. I really need my real fans out there to call up, man. LL is here, man. This is amazing. Yo, Shay45, you on the air. Call her. Who's this? Hello?
Yo, yo, this is Jason, man.
All right, Jay, where you calling from?
I'm calling from Miami.
What's up, baby?
Yeah, I just, you know, I've been a diehard LL fan, you know, since the first album. And I just want to know if I could play like a little Name That Tune kind of thing with LL, you know, if I like rap some of his lyrics and see if, you know, if he can guess what song they're from.
Woo, man, boy, you— I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do it. Try it, go ahead. I'll try, I'll play the game with you, why not?
Alright, check it out.
Bring on the moles in the wall.
Eat 'em up, L, chill. Yeah, that's eat 'em up.
Hold your nose, dead bodies all around. I leave scratch marks under the tears of a clown. I write rhymes that shine like lipstick. So much material, but not materialistic.
Imperial styles are used. Yo, that was crazy. That's Eat 'Em Up. Eat 'Em Up L. Yeah, that was crazy.
All right.
Yeah, that's crazy.
I got one more for you.
All right, let's do it.
The president woke and he called the Pope. Ah! He's trying to have an only golden rope. He asked the Lord to raise Michelangelo from the dead so he can make a fresh painting of my head.
Yeah, that was My Rhyme Ain't Done off the second album.
Damn.
Yeah, I got one more, I got one more. All right.
3 years ago in St. Albans, Queens, I was rocking in a park called 118. Little kids stood and watched as I rocked the spot. Didn't know years later I'll be standing on top. Little Farmers Boulevard, I was born in Bay Shore. Snob the rich and shake hands with the poor. And this is the story about a brother I know, Cut Creator on the fader. Now watch him go.
Yeah, yeah, let's go, Cut Creator, go! Damn, I can't believe you, and you sound good saying them joints like that. Sound hot. Like, I'm trying to sit here like front, but yo, you sound hot saying the joints. Like, damn, B, that sound like you need to write some bars, homie.
Well, you do sound good, man. Yo, where you calling from, man? Who's this, man?
This is Jason from Miami, man.
Yo, it sound— yo, sound good, baby. And definitely, you know, you brought back a lot of memories with those songs, man.
Good looking out.
One love, Jason.
I got a, um, I got a song I wrote myself. Can I, can I drop a little something?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's hear it. All right, go ahead, let's hear your joint.
All right, cool. This is one I wrote myself.
Um, his palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. This—
All right, man, I love it.
Ladies and gentlemen, Marshall Mathers on the phone, CEO of 45.
What's up, baby? How you, man?
What's up, man?
Yo, man, everything is beautiful, man. You sound good on there, man.
Yeah, everything Man, I've been a fan forever. Like, honestly, I've been a fan forever. I know we ain't really had a chance to like, you know, meet me. I know we met like one time in a Foot Locker.
Yeah.
And, uh, you know, that was crazy to me because I had just jumped on board with Dre.
Mm-hmm.
You know, so it was, you know, I was a little bit, you know, I was a little bit starstruck, you know.
Yeah.
You know, I had to be. It was you, you know. So, man, it's just, it's crazy.
