Why Justin Beiber is More Successful than You

I came across this post by Mark Henson, Chief Imagination Officer of Sparkspce http://www.sparknewthinking.com/ HAD to share it.  I'm sharing it for two reasons; 1) I can totally relate to it because I took my daughter to see the movie on opening night and  we both walked away impressed and inspired AND 2) because I bought the DVD the day it was released and watched it with my husband (a succesful business owner) and my son (a very entertaining first grader) to inspire them both!   

"This week I wanted to share something with you that is short, yet very powerful.

His name is Justin Bieber. Perhaps you've heard of him.

Friday night, I kidnapped my daughter (a.k.a. "Justin's Future Fiance") and took her to see Never Say Never, the documentary about this pop star's rocket ride to fame.

As my daughter sat forward in her seat, completely mesmerized by this boy wonder and his music, I sat back, fascinated by the amazing business and success lessons I was learning. Yeah, I know, I was quite surprised, too. I thought I was going to sneak in one of those luxurious dad naps.

Here are the highlights:

1. There's no such thing as an overnight success. True, he went from complete obscurity to selling out the legendary Madison Square Garden in just two short years, BUT the kid has been playing music and performing for a decade or more. Do a YouTube search if you don't believe me and see how young he is in some of his "pre-fame" performances. He's been working toward this for a long time.
2. Do what you love to do & get really good at it. It is so obvious that Justin loves singing, playing music, and performing. He's not pretending to be a rock star like many of those Mousketeer-turned-pop-star wannabes. He IS a rock star. He really can sing. He really can play. He really can dance. He's the real deal. No auto-tune crap. Just talent, passion, and hard work.
3. Surround yourself with extremely talented and passionate people who believe in you and care for you. Are Justin's manager, vocal coach, bodyguard, tutor, musical director, stylist, band, and backup singers/dancers getting a decent paycheck? Probably. But they all took a risk on this unknown kid because they truly like him and they want him to succeed. 
4. Be likeable. This may be Justin's most amazing talent. He's nice. He's polite. He's friendly. He treats people well. He says thank you. Do this one thing and you will instantly become more successful, I promise.
5. Put your fans (you might know them as customers) on a pedestal. I was a radio DJ for almost ten years. I went to a lot of concerts and took many radio contest winners backstage to meet pop stars and rock bands. None of them treated their fans like Justin does. He connects with them. He plays with them. He even brings one lucky girl on stage in each show and sings to her. They didn't show this in the movie, but they must have paramedics standing by just in case some poor girl's heart explodes.
6. Get the biggest and best mentor you can find. Justin has Usher to thank for much of his success (and he does thank him every chance he gets). Who better to mentor you than one of the absolute giants of your industry? Usher has not just opened a lot of doors for Justin, he's provided guidance, perspective, and an occasional slap on the side of the head. All good, clean mentor fun.
7. Keep your friends and family close. Justin has the world on a string and millions of people wanting his time. So who was he most excited to see show up at his big Madison Square Garden show? His grandparents and his best friends from back home. 
8. Look in the mirror every day. This is related to item #2, but worthy of it's own number. Practice, practice, practice. Justin doesn't just practice in front of his choreographer, vocal coach, and manager. He practices in front of the mirror. How often do you look in the mirror to see how close (or far away) you are to performing at your best?
9. Never underestimate the power of good hair. I'm not kidding. Appearances matter. Just ask my daughter. Justin's hair is a big deal. Your appearance matters. As does the appearance of your employees, your bathrooms, and your marketing materials. 
10. Never say never. Yeah, it's the name of the movie, and it's a little cliché, but the idea is solid anyway. Justin and his team believe in themselves 1000%. Do you believe you can be amazing? Do you believe your business, team, or product can sell out Madison Square Garden, metaphorically speaking? 

People are always asking me for creative teambuilding ideas. Here's one: take your team to see the Justin Bieber movie, then talk about what you can learn and apply. Yes, you may use this article as a guide. At the very least, pass this article along to your team or talk about it in your next staff meeting.

Yes, you will get funny looks when you tell your team you're going to take them to see Justin Bieber. One final lesson from the movie: Take a risk. Do something different. Defy the naysayers. Who knows? Maybe you and Justin will run into each other as you are both laughing all the way to the bank."

Wow!  Never Say Never,