Do this before you cut down that tree
| One of my favorite memories from my childhood was visiting my great uncle Bob at his property in Tenstrike, MN. It’s about a 5 hour drive north of the Twin Cities where I spent most of my childhood.
Uncle Bob’s property was very large, probably 10 acres or so, and he loved to garden. He had these raspberry bushes, and in the summer months we’d pick and eat until our stomachs felt like they were about to burst. Well, one visit while I was 14 or 15 years old, I overheard Uncle Bob having a conversation with a friend of his about an apple tree that hadn’t produced any apples for a few years. He was frustrated that this was so, perhaps because the tree was taking up valuable real estate that could have been used for something that actually yielded some fruit – like raspberries. Uncle Bob’s friend listened carefully to what he was saying, then told him that he had just heard about a new type of fertilizer that some of his acquaintances had used and had good results. That if he were to try this new fertilizer on the old apple tree for another season, it might yield some fruit. And if not, then so be it, cut it down. So, what happened to the apple tree? I have no idea. Actually, I don’t think Uncle Bob had any apple trees on his property. I used a story from the Bible, Luke Ch. 13 to be exact, as the model and simply changed the characters. The story in the Bible doesn’t say what happened to the fig tree after the gardener’s friend gave him the same advice. It ends rather abruptly, with no moral of the story. I guess what’s important is that if something isn’t working, or giving the results you want, do something different before you get rid of it. This is exactly what was going through my mind when I was pondering what to do with a couple of podcasts I started years ago, and just didn’t have the time to give them the necessary attention they need to flourish. It’s why I handed over the reins of the Musicpreneur podcast to Jim Lambie, who’s doing a great job and is learning the ropes. And it’s why I’m looking for someone to take over the Trumpet Dynamics podcast. Rather than simply letting them go into the memory hole that is modern media (i.e. the Internet) I decided I owe it to the brands and the communities they serve to at least give it another shot. You can check out what Jim is up to with the Musicpreneur podcast here. James Newcomb |