Lessons From the Symphony
I recently heard an old Ted Talk by author and entrepreneur Seth Godin where he tells a story of going to the symphony as a boy. The way Seth tells it, he took clarinet lessons for eight years, but after hearing a clarinet solo at the symphony orchestra, he realized that he had never actually “played” the clarinet. Godin highlights the difference between rote and mechanical note production, which any musician could produce following the sheet and making music that people are willing to drive an hour or two to hear. He gives two partial explanations for the difference.
The first reason that he had never “played” the clarinet, he concluded, was that he didn’t care enough. He didn’t care enough to throw himself headlong into the clarinet in a way that would touch another person. The second reason was his environment – one where, like all of us, he learned that parents, teachers, coaches, and bosses will always ask for a little bit more from you. So you hold back. You keep some reserve in the tank for when that extra effort is asked of you. To be clear, his point wasn’t to compare a novice player to an experienced one, but rather a merely competent and even educated player to a true artist.
Making True Music
Riding along in my truck listening to Seth, I was dumbfounded by the parallels and insight into my own path as a professional. Without a doubt, there is a clear dividing line between everything before the formation of Provista and everything after. My team and I knew very well the mechanics of financial planning “note-production” and could even produce a full song from beginning to end, right on cue. We had a lot of practice. We knew the rules and the theory, and we felt confident in our ability to handle the songs assigned to us. But to be honest, we still had a lot of reserve in the tank. We played it safe.
I often find it difficult to accurately convey to folks the difference between what our team did before Provista and what we do now. I can sit down and demonstrate the new tools we use, and those are pretty cool. I can explain the mechanics of independence in our world and the advantages that it carries, which is also pretty compelling. But until I heard Seth’s childhood story, I could never quite put my finger on it. We’re not just mechanically playing the right notes in order. We’ve thrown ourselves headlong into it. We’re not keeping any reserve in the tank. We’re finally making music that people will want to hear.
Provista Wealth Advisors in Greenville, SC, provides peace of mind through personalized asset management, expert estate planning, and retirement planning. Navigate your financial journey with confidence. Rest Assured, We Have A Plan. Give us a call at (864) 696-2410 or send us a message to schedule your free introduction meeting.