Celebrities

When I heard about "Celebrity Inc" by Jo Piazza, I was doubly excited. First of all, I adore business books, and I couldn't wait to peek behind the curtain at various facets of the entertaining sector. Secondly, I was anticipating some escapism from the celebrity examples. As a career coach, my entire focus is on career stories, but stars have that aura of unattainability, of being different from you and me. However , after reading the book, I realized that, while the stories have an extreme, ludicrous quality you'd expect from celebrities, the career lessons still apply to everyday folks like you and me:

Compensation is situation-specific (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt). The opening chapter of the book concentrates on the run-up of prices in celebrity baby pictures, with a focus on the Jolie-Pitt photographs. The bidding war tops and then bursts, and the costs paid for pictures don't always follow a glaring logic. Even celebs aren't proof against compensation market trends. Do not compare what you make to other people, in other circumstances, during different time periods.

Know your allies and adherents (Tim McGraw). When Tim McGraw entered the perfume business, he selected his production partner and his sales outlets based mostly on his existing and target shoppers. He didn't just decide on the top-end stores. When you decide about your next employer or even your next project, do this within the context of the relations you wish to build. It's not solely about picking the brand or highest profile opportunity.

Being fired or downsized isn't the end of civilization (Taylor Hicks) .American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks, was dropped by his label after his first album, so he went on tour with the musical theatre production of Greaseand sold his very own albums at each stop, making several million greenbacks in the procedure. If your high-flying career hits a hindrance, you can turn it around with creativity, persistence, and continuing to put yourself out there.

A strong working ethic matters (Kim Kardashian). Yes, Piazza highlights Kim Kardashian's work ethic- reliably showing up at events, actively promoting, signing autographs and engaging with fans at every level. Even if a job doesn't look carefully, there's hard work behind it. If you'd like to succeed, put in the work.

Consistency matters (Lindsay Lohan v. Charlie Glaze). Piazza maintains that it's not Lindsay Lohan's bad girl character that is crashing her career, as Charlie Sheen is able to to get it working for him. It's absence of consistency in her imaging. For the non-celebrity professional, it's similarly vital to recognise that there is no one path to career success but it does take a little time to build a past history.

Don't play down the importance of likeability (Valerie Bertinelli). Celebrity weight-loss contracts can translate into 6 figures per lb. Weight-loss corporations select their celebrity members based totally on relatability, so Bertinelli is cashing in on her likeability. The non-celebrity professional can also exploit likeability. The decisions of who to hire, who to plug, who to give the plum assignment to, who to let go vs who to keep frequently come down to who is supported and liked.

Attune to a changing market-place by learning new talents (Ashton Kutcher). Social media changed the market for stars too , and Kutcher's eagerness and capability to embrace the new media has enabled him to jump in on the ground floor of lucrative tech company investments and build himself as a go-to person in this swiftly growing field. Pay attention to new trends. Be willing to meet new folks and explore different firms and networks.

Create assets that go past your working years (Michael Jackson). Piazza covers the "deleb" or dead celebrity market, with Michael Jackson being a shining demonstration of how moneymaking it can be when you make money even after you are not working. For the non-celebrity professional this underscores the seriousness of making an income stream for after you retire. For many it'll be a retirement fund, like a 401k. But the Jackson example shows how it can be extensions of work created years before and it's worth thinking about how you might extend this to work you are now doing.

Diversify your revenue streams (all). Every celebrity featured in the book had projects in multiple areas, if it is Tim McGraw with entertainment and retail or Ashton Kutcher with entertainment and social media. You don't have to be your real job. This might. Mean running a side business, actively setting aside money to invest, or consulting for industries outside your current one.

You always need to hustle (all). I see many professionals with great careers and 10, 20 or even more years of expertise, lamenting how difficult the market is even for them. There's this expectation that things should be easier now, after establishing yourself and assembling all of these talents and experiences. Celebs recognize how brief success can be so the best ones are always hustling. Whether it's the fired American Idol, Taylor Hicks, selling his own records or Valerie Bertinelli, using weightloss to transition into the acting attention, celebrities who succeed show a perseverance to come back, to try out some new things, to always try again.

These are important lessons from celebrities that are worth focusing on.