3 Things Beyonce’s Latest Album Release Taught Us About Our Careers

by Solange Lopes | Dec 23, 2013 | Career

www.becauseiamfabulous.com

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and even the rocks heard), you heard about Beyonce’s latest visual album release. For days, the entire mediasphere reeled over Queen Bee’s latest “boss move”. No marketing, no pre-release, no gimmicks and advertising schemes, just the sheer power of one of the oldest marketing mechanisms: word-of-mouth! Once again, Queen Bee delivered, and showed us that in show business as in pretty much any other field, a solid career can be built on some of the oldest, at times much controversial, albeit still highly effective work principles:

• Have Guts! Even Beyonce needs an extra dose of self-confidence to pull a “boss move” like this one! As established as one is in their career, there is still a certain degree of risk appetite that comes into play when making an important professional decision. Whether it is to release a new album like Bey, or to put your own twist on an otherwise traditional product presentation, or even to anticipate the company’s needs by taking a high-risk, high-reward approach, you’ve got to have guts and not be afraid of taking risks! And in order for us to find the confidence and courage of our professional choices, we need to trust in our instincts, and in our dedication, commitment and love for the work we do…

• Build Your Network! Apparently, it took hundreds of  collaborators, participants, and colleagues for Beyonce to turn this surprise album into the marketing shock it turned out to be. An entire network of qualified, competent, and most importantly, uber-discreet partners, committed to her success and to working with her on her terms. Hence, the importance of building a solid, reliable network committed to one’s professional success as much as they are to theirs! Whether formal or informal, professional relationships and networking are crucial to one’s success. Most professional paths are carved through networks of influential people and organizations, and many a career is built (or un-built) this way as well. A big corporate sister of mine once told me “Networking is like building a savings account. The more time and effort you invest in it, the more it’ll pay off in the long run.” And I’m sure Beyonce would agree….

• Remain authentic! One of the most attractive things about Beyonce is not just her music, or what she does, or even her curves (some of our guy friends would certainly beg to differ), but her authenticity. Despite her undeniable star status, there is a genuineness about Bey that makes her relatable. No wonder that her latest album was dubbed by many a feminist as THE most female-empowering, generation-marking album of our times! In her words, through her life, through her career, Bey is still the no-nonsense, Texas-bred girl who grew up nurturing the dream of a great singing career, and working hard at it! Before our very eyes, she became a mom, a wife, and an extraordinary artist. We can relate to her, and it’s this connection that is the very foundation of success for anyone! As long as your audience, whether in the concert hall or in the office, can sense your authenticity, hard work and determination, and that you can show how much of a difference you are bound to make, you are one step closer to incredible professional new heights….

Would you agree that Beyonce’s latest album release can teach us to be more successful in our careers?

The Corporate Sister