Life’s Interruptions.
There’s a lot of conversation going on in the world about learning how to harness our own minds. I swear to you, if it’s not one person it’s another who mentions they’ve been trying to figure out what the heck we learned last year that we can do different in 2023.
Seems Everybody’s Wrestling With Themselves.
I was having this conversation with my buddy Paul Lambert. He’s a Broadway Musical Producer living out in California. He’s a guy who I’ve been talking to on the phone for 20 years. We talk about a lot of things that you wouldn’t necessarily hear talked about on the radio. We talk business, life, whatever. He brought up this topic on the phone. “What the heck have we learned this past year?”
I thought it was a good topic to bring to the radio, I invited him to talk about that on my live radio show and talk as if we’re on the phone and nobody else was listening.
Paul is working on some great upcoming musicals. In addition to the Four Tops Musical “I’ll Be There” the other show I always hear him excited about working on is called, “Can You Hear Me? I know from talking often to Paul this show is fantastic, a winner, and a very special thing in his life. I knew that recently related to it, somethin’ just didn’t quite go as expected that he had high hopes for. I figured he’d be totally bummed. But he wasn’t. Wow.
I think a lot of people can relate to having expectations that fall through and getting bummed out when what they hoped might happen doesn’t happen. How you deal with those moments is what Paul I and talk about because we are wiser having been there multiple times.
Rather than falling down and getting all disgusted and depressed when things that you hoped would work out don’t…Paul shares some good ideas about how we’re not going to do that anymore. He makes his point by sharing an honest and personal story.
The Investor Showcase ‘No Shows’
Paul Lambert spent weeks and weeks and weeks preparing for what the theater industry calls ‘an investor showcase’ for a musical called “Can You Hear Me”. Word is it’s a fabulous hit in the making, upcoming musical and thousands of dollars have already been put into it. Some of the best performers in the world were asked to do a favor and invest three or four days of their time for this showcase. The most brilliant creative team was assembled, including their conductor whos done over 20 Broadway shows. Their music arranger has done 8 Broadway shows and the Kennedy Center, the White House, etc. Paul was in his glory about all the work and the who’s who’s that were coming to this big presentation being held at J Lo’s former nightclub in LA. One of the greatest days of his career he’ll tell you. This is also the day if a show presentation goes as planned and the show is great enough, people write the checks necessary to help produce it.
However, on the morning of this big day, the most important people that Paul wanted there who write big checks, and have big influence in the industry were calling one by one to say, “I can’t come today”. Four or five people he was really excited were coming, cancelled that morning.
One key person Paul was hoping to talk to was a board member from the La Jolla Playhouse, one of the best ‘Pre Broadway’ playhouses in America. They’ve sent many shows to Broadway, including Jersey Boys which started right there. Paul got a message at 7 a.m. that day saying, ‘Paul best of luck to you. I’m sorry I’m going to New York tomorrow and I have to prepare for my trip so I cannot make your presentation.’ Paul called that moment, ‘the gut punch’.
Nobody owns the market on having things they hoped and wished and prayed for and kind of counted on, fall through. Learning how to deal with those moments mentally and emotionally is what is important.
To the point of dealing with emotional ‘gut punches’ Paul said, “Well, I think what’s important is you take a deep breath because these things are going to happen. And whether you’re producing musicals or producing your daily life or anything else, the I hope, I hope, I hope, is going to get derailed by something you had not expected. What I learned this year more than ever, is to get past it and get to what I call ‘a pivot’ as fast as possible. It isn’t going to change. It isn’t going to go away. It’s all about the pivot. I say to myself, Paul, pivot don’t dwell. Don’t get resentful. Don’t get down into the briar patch. And it’s so important because everybody has those emotional blows that are unexpected disruptions that happen in their lives, across the board, guaranteed there are going to be unexpected disruptions.”
“I say Okay, breathe. You don’t want to dwell too long on these kind of moments. Let’s get to the next possible positive thing as fast as possible. When you pivot emotionally and every other way that you have to, you realize, hey, what I just heard is simply information. It’s not going to change the world. It’s not going to stop any thing. It’s just information. I’ll take that information and move forward.”
It all turned around for Paul that day by the way, but out of another left field direction. That’s often what goes on. One door closes, one door opens or one door closes and the whole corridor opens.
“Okay, Paul said, so I looked out in the crowd that day and I said to myself someone here is meant for this day that I don’t know about, and something very good is going to happen. I can’t foresee what is already in the universe going on that is perfect for what is supposed to happen next.”
So two things happen. All of the Four Tops creative teams, the big Motown musical people and more luminaries are in the audience. Aretha Franklin’s music director is sitting in the audience. Eddie Holland, and Brian Holland who wrote all the songs with the Supremes are there and so is Mickey Stevenson of Motown. This amazing crowd and all their friends are there to see this presentation. There was excitement and people loved it.
Sure enough! Someone who came with someone, thought of someone ,who would just love the show and thought he’d call that someone to set up a meeting with Paul to talk about investing in this.
Paul says, “I have to tell you within two days I’m back in LA. I’m being picked up in a Ferrari. and we’re driving around. He pulls up to his big beautiful house in a Ferrari and on the other side of the garage is a Porsche. And of course, when I got out, I said, well, for heaven’s sake, we’ve got to be successful because I hope you can afford a car big enough that I can get in and out of in the future.” (Paul’s very tall and these fancy cars are very low. lol )
And the other thing good that happened? That Board member from the La Jolla Playhouse who had to cancel and go to N.Y. called Paul from N.Y. to say, that while she was there she met with the former managing director of La Jolla who has a very big position now in N.Y. at the New York City Theatre and told him all about the musical and told Paul should call him on Monday to tell him everything that’s going on.
Opportunities are going to find you and the right people are going to show up.
Paul and I talk all the time about unexpected disruptions. These things are going to happen anyway so how fast you get past them or learn to get past them is really important. Surprises come from different directions you have to be open for those and dismiss the dark stuff mentally before resentment sets in and you get stuck. You’ve just got to keep moving where your gut is telling you, and don’t don’t talk yourself out of what’s meant for you.
You’re going to fit in where you’re needed and appreciated and your struggle is not where your story ends what stopped you in the past will not stop you in 2023.
Let’s Roll!
Enjoy the whole podcast conversation including more fun honesty of what would typically be a phone conversation between Paul Lambert and myself about ..Life’s Interruptions. Goodness Knows More Are Coming.
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