Eminem. Slim Shady. Marshall mathers iii. Love it or hate it, no one can deny that it leaves an indelible impression, nor can its staying power be disputed.
Of course, he is not the only child who comes from a poor and broken home, or who has changed schools every few months, or who has failed the ninth grade three times. There are many like him who cannot; But, make no mistake, Eminem has earned everything he has, fair and square, and there are inspiring life lessons to be learned here, for every dream-chasing entrepreneur.
When the going gets tough, Eminem kicks off (and something else):
Eminem is a fighter. He has overcome struggles, both physical and mental, when most would have collapsed from overwhelming exhaustion. He has taken on challenges that are not suitable for the faint of heart (battling the Goliath of hip-hop as a young white man). He had little emotional support from his family (his father abandoned him when he was 18 months old and he was raised by his mother on welfare); the only positive influence in his early life, his uncle Ronnie, committed suicide in 1991. A few years before that, Eminem himself nearly died after being beaten up by a bully in high school, leaving him in a coma for ten days. Eminem is just 20 years old and has a daughter. To top it all, rap labels continue to reject him because of the color of his skin, regardless of his rap skills. The odds were against him even before he was out of the gate. Juggling the responsibility of a parent with an unstable career choice, for example an aspiring white rapper, is enough to drive any sane person insane.
The fight, for Eminem, never really stops. Despite his stardom, he still struggles with internal and external demons. In 2006, his best friend Proof was murdered. There was concern that tough Eminem had finally reached his breaking point. It almost did. Amid deep depression, the death of his best friend, and an elaborate cocktail of prescription pills, he collapsed from an overdose in 2007; They later told him that if they had found him only two hours later, it would have been too late.
Eminem doesn’t pretend to be Superman or act like it’s been a smooth ride, and in that humble honesty, it’s yet another layer of his unique toughness. He has an uncanny ability to emerge from some of the most traumatic circumstances, even as his own inner voice drives him to further self-destruction. This is not trivial, this requires some serious guts. It is this “signature” drive from Eminem that every entrepreneur should pay attention to.
He has always genuinely believed that “you can do anything you put your mind to.” If your life story isn’t an endorsement of this in and of itself, I don’t know what is.
Hard work pays off:
14 years of hard work, to be exact, before you get your first real shot, signing with Interscope Records. Eminem discovered rap at the age of 11. At 14, he was doing amateur raps with a group called Bassmint Productions. He wrote rhymes every day, read the dictionary (he had a deep affinity for language and this was his toolkit for the countless hip hop battles he participated in – look for an old Eminem vs MC Juice video). He immersed himself in all of hip-hop: from studying classics like LL, Dre and NWA, attending and competing in rap “battles,” trying out streams and sounds until he found his own voice. He worked various minimum wage jobs to make ends meet, the income of which went to caring for his family and his dream. In 1996, he released his debut album. infinite, which only sold a handful of copies. There is no break in his career in sight, increasing drug abuse and relationship problems lead to the suicide attempt. But then again, that inner voice somehow activated in the eleventh hour. The following year he released Slim Shady EP, which would sell even fewer copies than infinite. Yet another blow to his aspiring career. He just couldn’t take a break. But, he kept at it. He was not satisfied.
Then in 1997 his hard work paid off in a rather bizarre twist of fate: After a heartbreaking loss at the Rap Olympics (he came second, again, with MC Juice), he left the facility in utter disgust. , but not before “releasing” a copy of his EP to a boy who, unbeknownst to him, was working for Interscope Records. That day would change the rest of his life. 14 years of hard work finally paid off.
Embrace authenticity:
Eminem has a unique brand signature. His drama-filled real-life upbringing is the secret sauce he mixes into each of his songs, creating the ultimate loyalty card between him and his audience. Eminem’s advice on drug abuse, depression, and suicidal tendencies reminds us that he is not a robot. He is human like us, creating an incredibly identifiable person. He channeled his anger into a “unique value proposition.” It keeps you cool and taunts your competitors by staying committed to trends, new acts, and your fans. Eminem’s brand is bold and authentic, yet vulnerable. He is a very public figure, but there is still a mystery about him. You see him in interviews, he barely breaks a smile and speaks in a rather sedate voice. The intellectual property of your brand is carefully protected. How many Eminem commercials have you seen? Just one: the 2011 Chrysler Super Bowl ad, promoting Detroit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmNzZZUmW9E. Perfect brand synergy. To date, very few brands can match Eminem’s more than 12 million followers on Twitter. The authentic Eminem brand has been on the mass market for over 15 years. He will turn 40 in October.
Hell has its privileges:
Eminem has literally been to hell and back, but had he not experienced that journey, it is highly unlikely that he would be the iconic figure he is today. If you are an entrepreneur, there is no doubt that you can relate to parts of Eminem’s life experience. How are Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Andy Grove, and so many other inspiring entrepreneurs different in their determination? Life is not easy and it should not be covered in sugar with golden stars. There are bullies, haters, manipulators and liars everywhere you look. It’s okay to get discouraged, want to give up, and question everything. We must embrace these moments as a necessary and important rite of passage. The lesson here is that there is a way out to the other side, and it can produce amazing results, let alone develop character. Everyone, children and adults, should remember this. As you get older, kindergarten becomes a bigger playground that carries greater risks – think lawsuits (a fight Eminem is not immune to), office politics, defamation, etc.
As an entrepreneur, you will hear many detractors tell you that you will not be successful, that your product has no market, and that you are wasting your time; it’s only a matter of time before Google or Microsoft crush you; Also, who are you to push the boundaries of the establishment, which, of course, for most, is never a good thing.
If everything gets overwhelming, take a break and find a YouTube video about Em or read his lyrics. I guarantee that it will return you in the right direction. You will find that inner fighter again.
You have a world to change. You don’t know what work-life balance means. Like Eminem, you practice your craft every day, relentlessly and with discipline; You are not easily swayed by those around you and you are driven to prove everyone wrong. Yes, indeed, this is the stuff from which inspiring leaders and legacies are born.
For everyone with a little bit of Eminem.
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