I wish I had this book when I was starting out. Bought a second copy for my cousin who's just starting his music career and told him this book will be an indispensable resource. However, at the time of reading this book, I was starting out with my own personal website and writings and the lessons learned Derek describes in Your Music and People was easily transferable to my situation. It's a short read, to the point as are all of his writings, and well worth your time. There was lots of material new to me, and, as usual, well worth reading. It’s just the best parts, with a few brief stories here and there to add context. It’s relatively easy to apply this advice to any creative work. It’s a collection of life lessons that, while being brought together by a single theme, can each stand on their own. Loukas and Vasso are not native English speakers, and you can almost tell that Vasso wasn’t extremely comfortable speaking in English, but it was also so obvious how much effort went into making the course more accessible to people. So, this year, with all that’s been happening in the world that’s out of my control, I decided to focus on the things I can control, and put the time I have at hand into good use: growing and learning new skills - some related to my work, and many that are not.

As I retired from a full time job that consumed my life and embarked on a new journey of self employment/entrepreneurship, this was the book for me. When setting the base pay structure, determine where your company falls within your own industry as well as competing industries that may also offer job opportunities for your employees. This is one of the most practical, well written, concise books on philosophy I have read. Even though disguised as extremely useful advise, it is indeed a well thought out philosophy of life and how to navigate some of the turns on the way to wherever you may be headed. It's organized in a way that makes it easy to revisit topics as inspiration is needed. There is no one way and no right way. Derek has a way of getting you to realize all the things you could do be doing better. This book "Your Music And People" gives many people an opportunity to create better music, lyrics and build a foundation around their music business. As a member of a 'one-hit wonder' band, it's easy to be negative about the music business. It reminded me of why I play music in the first place, thanks for your perspective, Derek!

Expand your experiences regularly so every stretch won’t feel like your first. I first heard about Derek Sivers on the Tim Ferris’s podcast and now have three of his books. Employees have full control over their investments. It also lets you control how the money is invested and is not as expensive to administer as other plans. Some challenging and thought provoking questions around our money beliefs/taboos and promotion. I felt like I had paid that money to watch a celebrity talk about interior design, not to learn interior design. This year, I took two courses: a beginner’s course by a small design studio, good quotes about yoga and a "masterclass" by a "celebrity" interior designer. If the employee is less than 59 1/2 years old and hasn't contributed to the plan for at least two years, then withdrawn funds may face a 25% penalty tax. Derek reminds us that the artistic process is one of the two hard parts of being creative. One of the most loved and hated types of plans is the health maintenance organization (HMO). Would recommend this to creators of all types.

A compelling, pragmatic guide for musicians, writers, podcasters, programmers, artists, and creators of all stripes seeking to build an audience and make an impact. Great guide to connecting. A really good guide to review and shape your mindset about your craft, your art, your business, your lifestyle… I'm not in the music business, but I'm trying to get into the movie/screenwriting business, and a lot of things overlap in my opinion. I'm an IT guy but this book helped me a lot to understand customers and the business world. It has a lot to say, very clearly, with a lot of passion/respect and with merited authority. There is so much gold in it that I didn't want to miss any. This is a great book to read when you've finished making music, and need to get it out there. In my opinion, it's a must read for anyone wanting to succeed with music. What Derek writes about music applies to any creative venture. This book is written about music and musicians, but it really applies to any creative endeavor. Some tips in this book seem so obvious, but beginners to marketing may make those mistakes easily.