![\"\"](\"http:\/\/chrisguillebeau.com\/files\/2012\/04\/stack-o-books.jpg\" "\\"stack")
<\/a>\u201cSo many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.\u201d\n\u2015 Mitch Albom<\/a>, Tuesdays With Morrie<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n
It’s time, friends. It is time to start envisioning how your life looks when you take the risk to build the career you want. In yesterday’s post<\/a> I gave you the top ten reasons why every operapreneur should have The $100 Startup<\/strong><\/a> on their bookshelf, if not their nightstand. With summer knocking on our doors it is the perfect time to step back and take a personal inventory. Are you following your passion? Are you following that passion to the bank? If you need a little help in this area, do not fret. We’re giving away three copies of The $100 Startup<\/strong><\/a> to help inspire you again.<\/p>\n I enjoyed reading Guillebeau’s thoughts and was so inspired not just for singing but for the Sybaritic Singer and the Federal Hill Parlor Series. There are tips and resources spilling from each chapter. I especially enjoyed the One-Page Business Plan<\/em> and the Thirty-Nine-Step Product Launch Checklist<\/em>. I was able to learn from the real-life examples and apply them to my own circumstances. Take the story of Jamila Tazewell for example:<\/p>\n Jamila Tazewell followed a common path after graduating from art school: She waited tables in New York City while dreaming of something else. Fortunately, waiting on tables was the only waiting she did — she also took action to start a business. She started by making “outlandish handbags” and unique wallets. “I was convinced I would magically become an accessories star overnight,” she says, initially assuming that a fashion house would see her products and offer to distribute them. “Then I saw I could actually sell my handbags and wallets myself. That’s when I decided to purse the opportunity further.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you simply substitute “conservatory” for “art school” and “opera company” for “fashion house” this story doesn’t seem so foreign, does it? There are many outstanding musicians out there that could benefit from seeing the bigger picture of their business and taking those opportunities further.<\/p>\n