Spence Smith

Ahhh…in the midst of family, work, travel, friends and training for triathlons-life at times can seem just a hair out of balance or slightly crazy. I’d like to think of it as slightly crazy. But whatever you call it, there is always a need for true balance in life and to make sure the things we do in life are for the right reasons.

Living a healthy life is very important to me, but it’s not just about physical health. It’s mental, spiritual and social. It’s a very holistic approach but when it’s all working right, the balanced life is sweet. But know this… I’m not always living a balanced life… why? Because life sometimes is Slight Crazy.(see first paragraph)

One of the guys I swim with is Richard Baker. Richard is an encourager, motivator and triathlon coach under the name of TriSwami. What you will read below is an article he wrote that has balance written all over it. This can really be applied to life in general…not just the physical side of being fit or healthy. I read it in an email update from our swim coach Ashley Whitney and it’s such a great reminder for me. I’m hoping you will be able to learn from it as well.

Being Fit vs. Being Healthy:
Recognizing when you have crossed the line.
Richard Baker, aka Triswami

Some people have no idea what we are saying when Randy Elrod and I start talking about Search Engine Optimization(SEO), and having a presence online…and simply the ability to be found online! . Sure… you might have an easy dot COM name that is simple to find if you Google it (spencesmith.com). But that’s just one part of it. And it’s one part of what we teach at LifeWork 2.0.

If you want people to find you because of the products you offer or because your content is of a particular subject matter, then learning how to optimize your site so that the search engines (google,yahoo,etc) recognize what you are about is crucial. This is a huge way to create traffic and key to creating a conversation online with your fans and clients.

There are a lot of SEO (search engine optimization) experts out there who are getting paid a lot of money to get a company to pop up on the first page of Google.  In fact some of these people are on monthly retainers. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as you are getting what you want.

At LifeWork 2.0, Randy and I teach you ways to do this on your own in such a simple way that YOU can do this yourself and save YOU and YOUR company a lot of money in the process.

We consulted one company who had misspellings in their keywords. They were paying a guy who was an “expert” thousands of dollars a month for good SEO and in a matter of minutes Randy and I showed them how they had been wasting their money. For them it was like paying a mechanic to fix their car but for some reason they had to always get their car fixed. HMMM I wonder why? Job security maybe?

Google makes it very easy for us everyday-non-programmer-types to do this well. But in order for a person to learn how, there are a few valuable components that you must know in the process.

So… During a LifeWork 2.0 seminar we teach Search Engine Optimization that anyone can do. But it’s just one part of the day.

If you so choose to come to one of our seminars, you will learn all about online reputation, blogs vs. traditional websites, social networking as well as twitter from beginning to advanced uses.

Come join us and let us teach you how to create a two-way conversation with your fans and clients. It will be fun… I assure you… and you will leave with your head-spinning full of refreshing new ideas for the future of you and your brand.

The next LifeWork 2.0 Seminar is July 30, 2009 in Nashville, TN and it’s hosted by our friends Michael Hyatt and Lindsey Nobles from Thomas Nelson. You can follow them on twitter too. @michaelhyatt, @lnobles, and  @thomasnelson.

Click here to register for LifeWork 2.0.

We’ve added a date to LifeWork 2.0 Seminar. May 14, 2009 in Orlando, FL. The following day we will also have another seminar in Franklin, TN. These dates are filling up so if you plan to attend please sign up soon! You can sign up by going to www.lifeworkseminar.com

Randy Elrod and I are extremely excited about the growth we are experiencing and the feed back from those who are now alumni of LifeWork 2.0. Tomorrow afternoon Randy and I will be giving a one hour overview with Q & A at the Gospel Music Association’s Indie Impact Track for Indie Artists. You must be a registered attendee to GMA Week in order to attend.

I’m excited to see the music industry start to get more excited about the possibilities the digital world has to offer. You would think that this industry would be more on top of the digital game but actually that’s not the case in most instances.

Everyday the online world adds another resource, a faster way, a better technology and a new way to brand yourself online. It’s our goal and mission to provide you with the most up-to-date way to meet your goals in engaging with your clients and fans.

For more information on attending the next LifeWork 2.0 Seminar click here.

I haven’t written much about my Ironman training lately. Quite honestly, it’s been a bit tough. Between the cold weather for the past few months, travel and work, I’ve had a harder time sticking to the scheduled task at hand. But now that the weather is getting really nice, that will all change.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the process of what I am going through. Each week I get a work out plan from my coach, but it’s up to me to make it happen. I’m very thankful for the friends I train with and the encouragement we all bring to each other. Especially when most people think this is something I’m doing alone. I’m not sure i could handle this alone, which is why I love training with friends. There’s a core group of us, I would say at least 20 that are connected together. Whether it is swim practice, bike class, weekend rides and runs… we all are trying to do this together is some form or fashion of a schedule.

There are two things I’m learning in this process. The first is learning to prioritize life to make life simple. I have a lot going on and it’s all by choice. So you might wonder what is simple about that? There’s a lot I want to do and in order to get it done, the process has to be efficient. Compassion, blogging, ironman training, etc… it all has it’s place in my life and some of these things are starting to run themselves with a little attention. But in the end… the desired result is to simplify.

The second thing I’m learning is to be mentally prepared. The ironman event is physically taxing, but the real challenge is going to be… can I mentally get through it? There is every opportunity to quit and say this is enough. But… if you learn to think the process through, then the finish line is always in sight.

With these two truths I have learned about myself I have come into a process of planning and preparation. These play a huge role in my training. But it begs the question though .. doesn’t planning and preparation speak true of most things in life? You have to plan and prepare if you want to do well. Especially if you want to hit your goals and realize your dreams.

The more I focus… the more I get done. With everything in my life…

So… as you go into your weekend. What is it that you could plan and prepare for more in your life that would make what you do more focused and more productive?

Greetings!!! For the past week I’ve been rebuilding my blog. I’m not one to settle in on any one thing for too long so I decided to shut it all down and start over. Hopefully you will find my new blog easier to read and easier to interact with. There are a few things that will still change on it and more links to add to my link list below, but… aside from that…. it’s ready to go online. So thank you for being patient and that you for always reading what is going on in my life. Let the blogging begin again….

Spence

Yes...That is a really yellow jacket.

Recently I was in Colorado with Ken Davis getting ready for his conference called DCW. We were at a place called the Glen Erie. The property sits in a box canyon and has a trail you can hike that takes you back to these incredible waterfalls.

As we hiked back through this trail I was taken back to hiking up canyons as a kid at summer camp in New Mexico. (I have a deep love for the mountains and New Mexico because of my camp experience.) As we hiked, Ken and I talked the whole way up.

Finally we came to a waterfall. It was beautiful and the setting around it was amazing. It’s hard to believe that we were standing 15 minutes from the nearest Starbucks. After we took it all in from, Ken lead me to the top of the waterfall by going up a very steep, rocky slope with a lot of loose gravel. Going up is pretty easy with the gravel and all.

Going down hill is another story.

We hung out up top for a bit then decided to come back down. As we started down I couldn’t help but think about a couple of things.

1.We generally think walking or running down hill is easier to do because gravity is on your side in a big way. But going down hill is where many runners and walkers can get hurt. The pressure on your knees and the impact is sometimes greater therefore making your knees potentially more unstable.

2.Because going down hill “seems” to be easier, we are less likely to pay attention to what is ahead of us. Sometimes the unexpected can happen when things seem easy and if we aren’t careful-we will slip up. In the case of running or walking, it could mean slipping literally and falling.

As Ken and I made our way back down, I noticed how much loose gravel there was and how very little places there were for sure footing. Every step had to be well placed and thought out. One bad step and the gravel could send us tumbling down about 100 feet which would be a very bad thing.

I guess, this made me think about how many times we find ourselves in what seems to be an easy place only to get caught of guard by something we would normally see coming.

I’m not one who is waiting for the other shoe to drop when times are easy and nice, but I am reminded that it pays to be on my game a bit more and take notice of where I’m headed and what I’m doing.

So as the down-hill-easy-times come, think about where you are, what you are doing, and where you are headed. Make each step count and enjoy the journey along the way.

By her….

…Enough said

You should really sponsor a child now…compassion.com

Photos by Keely Marie Scott

I’m always having conversations with people about having a job that you enjoy. When I tell people about my job, they always look at me and go…You have such a fun job. True…I do. I love my job. If you were to spend 5 minutes with me you would see that I love my job. Oh sure…there are struggles that come with this job, and as with any place you work, there are going to be issues and situations you have to work through. BUT…I do love my job and it shows.

Loving my job though isn’t quite the big picture for me. It’s just a small part of the plan. What’s the plan? Pretty simple. Enjoy life as it comes. Deal with the tough times and be thankful for the what’s been given to me. Savor life’s sweet moments…and make a good living.

My job means a lot to me. I see the good the organization does and lives that are changed through it. I love showing people what this is all about, but what surrounds me and my job plays a big part of how this all works. It’s about finding a balanced life between work, family and play. Now I’m not married but I wanted to throw that in for all you married folk.

I have several activities in my life I do outside of my job, like training for triathlons and blogging. All of these things I do are connected to each other in some way. As if one leads to the next.

The part I love most about all of this is being able to share it with others. Because even though my job is to work and influence entertainers to speak on our behalf, who I am at the core is an influencer. I’m not just an artist relations guy, I’m not just a guy training for triathlons, I’m not just a blogger or teacher. I’m an influencer.

If I’m not having fun with what I’m doing, I’m not going to do it. My job doesn’t define me, but it does help me to bring others into another world outside of themselves. Triathlons don’t define me, but people see the change in my life and they want that. Blogging doesn’t define me, but people around me see the value in it personally and professionally.

If you love something enough and believe in something enough, eventually others will see it and will want to have the same experience you are having.

So…if you are in a place where you are unhappy with your job or unhappy with where your life is in general, then YOU can do something about it. Stop waiting for the right moment and start your change now. Start looking for a way to make a living with what you are passionate about. Do something for yourself that you know WILL make you happy and get you into a healthy place. Start small and enjoy the little victories as you go. If you have a good paying job but you’re unhappy with it, don’t just up and quit. But take time to find something else and transition yourself wisely into that new job.

Keith Richard’s of the Rolling Stones was once asked about what he thought about retirement. He said “Why should I retire from something I love to do?”

Life is precious and we have been given the ability, knowledge and will to enjoy it.

Take a moment and check yourself. Are you doing what you love? Do you love what you do?

Life is precious. We hear this all the time but do you really know how precious your life really is? Our bodies can take a lot. We can push ourselves to the limits and still live through it. We can hike to Mt. Everest and still survive. Our bodies are amazing. But then again, over time what we put into our bodies and our minds eventually takes its toll. Sometimes health issues come up that are inherited and other times its because of our own doing.

Our country is one of the most over weight countries around. We live in excess and excess is everywhere. We also live in a society that dismisses one problem for another. For instance…in my case, going through a divorce, I heard a few pastors preach against divorce and the sin of it while these same pastors were visibly over weight. So when I hear an over weight person come down on us divorced folks, I want to look at them and ask them how they feel about the sin of gluttony.

I feel like most people dismiss who important health really is. We are all given the opportunity to live a healthy life and yet so many of choose not to. I’m certainly guilty of this in the past. But also, there is something to be said for having good mental health. The physical and mental side of our lives go hand in hand. It’s our minds that help us to feel younger or feel like we can conquer the world. It’s the mind, I’m learning that gets a runner through those last few miles of a long 26 miles that gets you to the end.

Mind of matter? Absolutely. Matter of the problems you face. Yes!!! The way you think will play a huge part in decisions you make.

For me, as I have written in the past, exercise keep my mind sharp, clear, and focused. The exercise massages my brain. My brain helps me through the exercise. My body when it is tune with life, takes me to that next level. That level of saying I can get through this time in my life or I’m ready to do something completely different because I’m in a healthy place and I can handle it.

There are a lot of you I have talked to who have felt motivated to run or do triathlons. I’m thankful for that and am encouraged to have played a small part in you taking your life to another level. But for those who don’t run or do triathlons, you can still do this. You can make your life healthy and take yourself to a whole other place.

Find some physical exercise that you know you can attempt and go do it. If it makes you feel good after then do it again. Find others to do this with. Create some friendships with those who like to do it as well…and do it together. Create little goals for yourself and take it one step at a time.

One day you will look back and see where it all started and you will think…i used to think I couldn’t do this…and now I know differently.

If you know me, you know when I get excited about something, I want to share it with others. Health is not about a diet or what not to eat. It’s a life style and for most a lifestyle change.

Take a moment for yourself…do something healthy. It’s like milk…it does the body good.

Some times people will play and play looking for the one only to realize they need to work on themselves a little more to get to a place they feel centered and balanced enough to learn how to find the one. For some this comes with practice and maturity…but once they find the one…they know it.

There’s a saying musicians use sometimes…I need to find the one…

For those of you who aren’t musicians and know very little about music, the one refers to the first beat in the measure. Music has a cadence, tempo…a count so to speak. The count is either in odd numbers like 3 (very common like a waltz) 5, 6, (though an even number is divisible by 3, again waltz like) or 7, etc..or the count is  in 4. Which is what is most common in songs. So…if the count or time signature of the song is in 4, then what that means is there are 4 counts to every measure or also called a bar. Songs are made up of phrases. Usually 8 bar phrases. Phrases make up verses and chorus. Like a collection of sentences make up a paragraph.

So when some asks where one is, what they are asking is where is the first count of the measure or bar. Are you following me still?

The count then is played at a selected speed for the song which is called tempo. Tempos vary for songs. Slow songs, fast songs. Got it? Ok good. The part in music that allows musicians to play together is a very common thread that holds them all together. It’s the count, tempo and key. Still there?

For years musicians have been using a metronome of sorts to help them keep a steady tempo while playing together. We call this the click. We use the click in the studio so it gives us a reference point so we can record more accurately. With the addition to drums loops, programmed instruments, and vocals being played to tracks in a live situation as well as video on stage, the click is crucial to making sure everyone on stage knows where they are in the song…it makes it very easy for them to find the one.

Recently I played with a group of guys I had never played with. We didn’t know each other all that well and they didn’t know me at all. There were no tracks to play to and no video to play along with so there was no need to play to a click. Professionally its more common than not for a drummer to use a click to keep the tempo consistent for the band. It’s so common that most musicians expect it.

I have no problem playing to a click, but I’m a little old school these days. If you don’t need it…don’t use it.

I was amused at the look on the faces of the guys I played with when I told them I wasn’t using a click. For a moment there was shock on their faces and I saw them working a lot harder to keep their part together.

I feel like as musicians today evolve, one thing needs to remain a staple in our society of players. You MUST learn to play well without a click. Your internal clock should know where one is at all times.

Why am I explaining all of this?

Music is emotional. It can be happy or sad, mellow or dramatic. With the flow of emotion in music, sometimes parts of a song are going to speed up a little and slow down a little.  Some people pass out at the thought of speeding up or slowing down songs while playing. But here’s the catch…if it feels good…you really should do it.

I learned along time ago about something called relative time. It means the tempo may vary with the emotion of the song, but as long as all the players are on the same page with it, then what is relative will feel great to the music.

It’s like when Yoda was trying to teach Luke Skywalker how to use the light saber without using his sight. You have to feel it, move with it, allow it to breath and take on something different…you must…use the force.

My basketball coach would say. Don’t let the play get in the way of playing the game. Sometimes things aren’t going to go as planned so you have to learn to move and respond as life ebbs and flows. Sounds like life huh. I guess it’s all relative to what your situation is, but having an attitude that is flexible usually makes life a little sweeter.

For you music types…learn to feel the music. The click can be a great asset…but it can also be your crutch.

For all you who thought I had found the one…I did, just not the one you were thinking of.

HT: Watercooler Wednesday

This past weekend I visited a conference in sacramento. I went to connect with a couple of people, but during my time there I sat in on one of Tom Jackson’s teaching sessions.

Tom and I go way back to my days in Big Tent Revival. You see, Tom is a live music producer and performance coach. If you don’t know what that is, he coaches artists and bands on their live performance. He’s great at it. When Big Tent hired him, we were about 3 quarters of the way through our career. We felt like we had a pretty good show going, but we were bored with our show and needed to spice it up. Enter Tom…

Tom has this ability to get you to do things you thought weren’t supposed to be done and yet teaches you to do things the top entertainers do. Sounds weird being in christian music and all but the reality is, people buy a ticket to not only be encourage by the artist…but they want to experience a live moment.

When I watched Tom give his seminar, I quickly remember all of the things he taught us. All the little things that make a show really work. (Tom has worked with the top christian artists in the industry and works with some of the biggest names in the mainstream world and he really knows his stuff)..here’s what’s interesting…Tom was teaching this seminar to worship leaders who are in charge of worship teams at church. He had a worship team from the host church of this event onstage showing them the ropes.

Worship pastors, worship leaders, and artists…pay attention to what I’m about to tell you.

Tom explained something he taught us years ago. Something we all seem to take for granted. The whole goal of a live show is to create moments not to play all the hits. There are exceptions to this at times, but a show isn’t about playing just the hits or the most popular worship songs. Let’s face it…there are some songs that will never go to radio and be a hit, but are incredible songs to experience live. Why is that? Because those songs help create the moment. The hits are just icing on the cake.

Just an example…Tom said, if someone tells you your time on stage is 15 minutes, then the first thing we as performers first think is…how many songs can we do in 15 minutes? When actually, what we should be saying is…we have 15 minutes to create a moment. Believe me…you can do this with two songs and leave people wanting more. The point…it’s not about cramming songs into 15 minutes…it’s about creating a moment in 15 minutes where people will walk away moved by the moment.

Tom will say “if an artist thinks that playing tight, singing correctly, moving a lot or being cool is what moves a crowd, they’ve lost an opportunity to connect with their audience. The goal is capture, connect and emotionally move everyone in the building!”

Example: We had a song called West Memphis Lawyer. The recorded version is 5 minutes long. It wasn’t a hit and never got released as a single but it turned into one of the songs that created a moment. Why? We got super creative with it and turned it into a 12 minute song. The end result was usually a standing ovation by the time it was over.

The live show is about the moment…however, where does this fit into leading worship at church?

People come to worship to experience a moment with God. The attitude, body language, and overall presence of the worship team will either enhance this or kill it. I watched Tom guide these players into some very simple things that ENGAGES the audience to go to that moment. I was impressed and at the end of the session I connected with Tom and told him how needed this information is for worship teams to learn. Folks…pastors…worship leaders…and not to be left out…artists…what you do on stage or don’t do on stage WILL not might…but WILL play either a positive or negative effect on the audience.

If you want to take your worship team to the next level…I strongly suggest hiring Tom to come work with you. Remember…this isn’t about the performance…if you are on a worship team, let’s assume you know it’s not about performing…but it is about LEADING people into a moment of worship that allows them to go to the next level.

What you do onstage matters…something else you will learn about is this…Seeing is hearing. When watching a live show, a small percentage of what is engaging about the show is how well the songs are played and how it sounds. But what people really hear is what they see you do while you play. Seeing is hearing.

You can check out Tom here at tomjacksonproductions.com