Biz Advice from the Beatles

Do you want to remain relevant for the next 50 years? Then take a few lessons from the band, The Beatles. The Beatles were international superstarts but they only had a TEN year career. They broke up in 1970…Yet in 2006 – almost 40 years later – they had THE top selling album of the year, LOVE. How is that possible?! My friend Bill Stainton, the preeminent Beatles expert in the world, talks about this phenomenon in his book, The Five Best Decisions The Beatles Ever Made. In his book, Bill explains the reasons for their longevity. #1 They had a single shared vision. Ever decision had to serve that goal. #2 They played into their strengths. Paul and John were great songwriters and they didn’t depend upon Ringo and George to write the songs. #3 They all shared the spotlight so that everybody felt like a real contributor.  #4 They shook things up by changing their style AHEAD of the times (Sgt Pepper wasn’t like any record before or since) and #5 They worked harder than any other band –producing 12 albums and 22 singles & 1,400 Live appearances in just a five-year period.  Bill’s book is a fun read and powerful for any manager who wants to inspire relevance in the team. Oh, I almost forgot, The Rolling Stones are also still relevant. Their last tour grossed over $550million dollars….still a very sustainable business model since their first show in 1962 at the Marquee Club…..50 years & 59 albums to date! Ross Shafer for the Relevant Report.