I’m hearing that attributed to several different business leaders; “What people say about you is your brand.”
It’s one of the most important questions you need to know the answer to. And it is something you have a great deal of control over.
Do people say you put on a great show, or do they tell their friends about the time you got drunk and started calling out people from the stage?
Do they say you show up on time or how they never know when, or if you’ll show up?
Do you take care of your equipment or always have breakdowns or missing cables?
These are all things you have almost absolute control over. You know your limits and how to stay sober – You have a clock and alarm. – You can go through your gear and plan ahead.
And if something does go wrong, you deice how to react. How you react will be remembered more than anything else. Get upset and start blaming, or have a sense of humor and resolve to do better.
As for me, I can truly say that whenever something failed royally, I had the opportunity to fix it – often several times, but put it off. I had to realize it came down to me.
So, young grasshopper, learn from the mistakes of others and take charge of how people remember you. It is a reflection of who you actually are. Be better and people will say good things – even recommend you to others.
That’s how you become successful or fail. It's up to you.