Bowie & Me – 26 years on

On 9^th January 1995, the day after David Bowie’s 48^th birthday, I started Barrett Consulting Group with $3,000 and a dream of doing something significant in the world of sales, service, human relationships, business, ethics, and sustainability, confident in my ability to sell, to learn, be helpful and find my way forward from there.

Each year I revisit this milestone in my career. Each year I reflect on all the things I’ve learned that have kept our team in business for all the right reasons.

This year in 2021, 26 years on, is no different, albeit with the backdrop of COVID throwing a set of challenges into the mix like nothing before.

One thing remains true, to stay in business over time, you have to know how to prospect and sell well, consistently, every day, and have a clear purpose and strategy guiding you.

You also need to know how to read the signs, listen, question, reflect, collaborate, innovate and adapt – all the time.

As David Bowie said, ‘The future belongs to those who can hear it coming.’

As one of the all time greatest musicians, innovators, trend setters and entrepreneurs, David Bowie became my standout role model and constant companion (metaphorically) in business and in life, especially over these last 10 years where I came to truly appreciate what he had created and achieved. The week following his death on 10^th January, 2016 I dedicated an article to him titled ‘David Bowie – a role model for entrepreneurs to celebrate his life and contributions, and to highlight how he was much more than a musician and entertainer. Since then, nearly every week, I post his image and one of his quotes on social media as a reminder. This has unearthed some fellow Bowie fans who send me lovely notes from time to time which is very thoughtful of them.

Yes, I am an ardent admirer, a fan, however, I’m also a student of Bowie. If you find the time to watch any of the numerous interviews with him which are freely available online – just type in David Bowie Interviews – you can hear that he was a true entrepreneur and innovator; someone who never stopped learning or collaborating; was very well read with deep insights into the complexities and idiosyncrasies of human nature, philosophy and culture; always looking to adapt, evolve and develop mastery in a wide range of mediums; and then incorporating all the elements he has collected into some new creative masterpiece to craft a universe full of ideas, innovations, collaborations, and relationships that made people, like me, very happy and inspired indeed. He never compromised his creative endeavour. Well not quite never, because he did lose his way in the late 1980s, attracted to the hollow siren calls of popularity and celebrity resulting in him moving away from his true essence leading to a creative slump and depression. Reconnecting to his true self in the 1990s brought him back to his genius, for which he was and I am eternally grateful.

As Bowie said: ‘I’m not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I’m living on.’

Please understand, in no way am I comparing myself to the wonderful achievements and creative genius of David Bowie, but I can relate, in my own small way, to his eclectic journeying and explorations far and wide that underpinned his continued evolution of self as he aimed for mastery and finding ways to contribute something worthwhile and positive to the world; something to be proud of.

I, too, have wrestled with the siren calls of popularity and celebrity, at times ready to sacrifice myself at the corporate alter, however, instead, I kept true to my vision and purpose and kept choosing to venture forth into the unknown, listening to the future, to others, and to myself, gathering much knowledge, as many insights as possible, and the various elements around me to assess, assemble and create something substantial and worthwhile, forging my own pathway while being true to myself, my values and standards.

Yes, my eclectic journeying and explorations, and quest for mastery, have come at a cost at times, but they have also opened up many new vistas of opportunity, learnings and relationships that I would never have discovered for myself if I had played it safe.

As Bowie said, ‘I feel confident imposing change on myself. It’s a lot more fun progressing than looking back. That’s why I need to throw curve balls.’

Ever since I can remember, life, to me, has and will always be about opportunity and throwing curve balls.

The opportunity to be adventurous and try new things; enhance our skills and capabilities; find our purpose; create, collaborate and work together; do good work you can be proud of; and find common ground for the common good in order to progress and make a positive difference to self and others in business and life.

I have endeavoured to stay true to myself throughout this eclectic journey and plan on doing so moving forward. Here’s to 26 more years of exploration, collaboration, evolution and mastery.

And in keeping with my inner Bowie guide, ‘I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring’.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

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Insights into why I started my own business part 2

A year ago (roughly)

Celebrating 25 years of helping people and businesses sell better