My Full-Time Job: Thanking People

If I wrote a blog post for every person I needed to thank on a day-to-day basis, my database server would catch fire.

I like to complain about how much stuff I have to do as a one-man operation and how much time it all takes. There’s a lot that goes on behind the music that most people really don’t care about; Facebook page management, booking shows, writing, website design and maintenance, digital distribution management, etc. I can tell you with all certainty, though, that I could spend a full 40 hours a week thanking the people that make my existence possible.

The Marples and the Parkers in Ohio for flying me out to their homes, housing me, feeding me (oh my God did they feed me), and letting me play some music for their friends.

All of my Believers at the now defunct Sellaband who put up with the bankruptcy bullshit, Paypal issues, and double-talk from the management only to take their hard-earned refunds and send them straight to me.

Jeff Pulver for bringing me out to the 140 Characters conference this week in New York. He didn’t just put me in a hotel and give me a place to play, he put me onstage with guys who swing heavy bats for the major music industry.

Lynette and Dave Young for all kinds of support, not the least of which was hosting a house concert and introducing me to New Jersey as gently as possible.

Tim Ferriss, whom I got to meet briefly at the conference this week, for clarifying some ways I can streamline my business.

Brad Hunstable at UStream for giving guys like me a platform to entertain our fans that are too far away to reach by tour bus.

Chris Penn for not killing me. And, of course, trying to turn me into a new media ninja.

The staff at FWA who keep bringing me back to play the best-run convention I’ve ever seen.

Steve and Andreas in Belgium and Germany- two guys in particular that I have never met in person, yet they keep sending their support every time I hit a road block or a speed bump. Talk about above and beyond…

Like I said, I could keep going like this all day long, all week long. I’ve left people out of this list because there’s no freaking way I could include everyone I need to. It’s not just that people help me out once in a while, my fans and my friends keep offering me their support like its a hobby of theirs. I don’t understand what it is I’ve done to elicit such goodwill from damn near everyone I meet.

All I know is someday I hope I can do the same for them.

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