What Being a Drummer Taught Me About Running a Business
I’ve been playing the drums regularly since I was about 14 (on and off before that). I always thought the drummers were cool, it’s a fun instrument.
And as a drummer, my most crucial job is to keep the beat.
Ringo Starr (drummer for The Beatles and one of the best) says, “You don’t have to do anything fancy — keep it simple.”
But anyone who’s watched blink-182’s Travis Barker knows it can get more complex.
You have fills, solos, different counts and timing. Sometimes I sing (poorly).
But sometimes I sit down at my drum set and know I’m not feeling it that day.
When I feel out of step, it makes playing the drums hard. I feel like I can’t keep up, even on songs I’ve played dozens of times.
So I start to simplify.
I stop singing. I cut out fills, starting with the harder ones.
And if I'm really just off the rails, I'll reset.
I Get Back to the Basics
Instead, I remember Ringo’s advice: keep it simple.
I play the simplest beat I can — usually just the snare, high hats, and bass drum.
Then, when I feel the beat again, I start layering in the fills and flourishes.
When you start to feel out of step in your business, it’s crucial to do the same thing: keep it simple.
We All Get Out of Step Sometimes
Maybe you’re in a particularly busy season, or starting a new type of project. Maybe it’s summer break and you’re not working as much because the kids are home, or you’re traveling a lot.
I think a lot of us are inclined to “power through,” trying to do everything you normally do at the risk of burning out. We’re told to “hustle” and “grind.”
But what you really need to do is simplify. Look at everything you do, and determine what the simplest version of that looks like.
Take an hour and:
Prioritize your most urgent tasks. No saying, “everything’s a priority.” Make decisions.
Block off 3-4 hours on your calendar. Move meetings if you have to.
Use that time block, and work through the task list, starting with your number one priority.
Build Space, then Build Systems
As a drummer, my main job is to keep the beat. Fills and flourishes are extra.
Once you create some space — once you find the beat again — you need to figure out how you can better manage your time.
Solopreneurs usually end up wearing too many hats (or, to keep with the music analogy, become every member of the band).
Luckily, what you need to do isn’t too far off what you did when you simplified; you just add one more step:
Prioritize
Time Block
Document
Document — the first step in my D.A.D. framework (Document, Automate, Delegate) for a better solopreneur business — is the key to staying in sync.
Once you document what you do, you can start making better decisions. Decisions like:
What’s your most crucial work?
What steps can you automate with tools like Notion, Zapier, or Make?
What steps should you delegate to a Virtual Assistant or Contractor?
What can you completely remove?
Everyone’s business goes through cycles of smooth and flux. But being able to get to the basics — the simplest tasks we need to do in order to do our best work — is how you get back on track.
It’s how you build a more spacious business.
Are you in a state of flux right now? What’s something you can do to simplify?
Write back and let me know.