On Trophies & Turnkey Media

The title that makes no sense yet makes all the sense.

You might remember this post I made last year about Lil Wayne and his obscene ego, and how that tracks to his success.

Today, I'm here to talk about Drake, his journey into hip hop, and what smart folks in business can take into their own lives to see success.

Doing Good Business

Let's start with some lyrics from the song Trophies

// This for me, though
I'm just tryna stay alive and take care of my people
And they don't have no award for that
Trophies, trophies
And they don't have no award for that
Shit don't come with trophies
Ain't no envelopes to open
I just do it 'cause I'm 'sposed to //

That's good business.

What do I mean by that?

Good business is doing the right thing, every single time. Even perhaps when it isn't the most quick route to revenues of profits. It brings to mind the term "festina lente" a Latin phrase that means to "make haste slowly." To me, this means to take a sustainable route to success.

You can still act with urgency in your business without taking shortcuts.

Trophies Compared to Turnkey Media

In the second verse of "Trophies," Drake paints a picture of the larger purpose behind his hard work: "I'm just tryna stay alive and take care of my people."

This sentiment resonates deeply with the mission-driven approach that drives our team at FlexDealer, and myself in all of the work that I do. For us, success is not solely measured by individual achievements but by the ability to make a lasting impact on the lives of our team members, clients, and communities.

Turnkey media (essentially, automated and mass-produced advertising collateral) often has a somewhat opposite approach. Turnkey media is often the shortcut to getting campaigns out there and running to meet immediate needs. This is done without realizing the full scope of what needs to be done to obtain long-term success. Turnkey is typically the opposite of a trophy.

The Journey is the Reward

In Drake's Trophies chorus, "This is your moment, own it, y'all," we are reminded of the unwritten rule of entrepreneurship – success is often a journey rather than an immediate destination.

It's about embracing the process and deriving satisfaction from each milestone along the way. Celbrating the small wins.

The notion of "owning the moment" aligns perfectly in emphasizing the importance of celebrating small wins and finding joy in the daily, unsexy actions that lead to profitable results.

The chorus also hits on the idea that true rewards come from recognizing the value of the work itself. In business, if we solely focus on external validation and monetary gains, we risk losing sight of the intrinsic worth of our endeavors and the people + partnerships that make business enjoyable.

It's this mindset that allows us to keep pushing forward when the immediate "trophies" may seem elusive, knowing that the real victory lies in our good business. I promise there's enough business to go around and enough wins for us all to realize success.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

All that to say, Drake's Trophies serves as a powerful anthem for entrepreneurs, reminding us of the value of perseverance, dedication, and the ability to see beyond immediate. This is one of the single most powerful skills I've developed over the course of my career, perhaps beside undying ownership.

It will take you further, and help you realize more success than shooting in the dark or chasing short-term wins.

What do you think?