In my procrastination post, I mentioned watching TV with a cat on my lap. I’ve always been a dog person. Our dog passed away the summer of 2015. Because I travel a lot, I didn’t want another dog. It wouldn’t be fair to leave it alone.

My wife wanted a cat. I did not. “Cat’s do not need as much attention,” she told me. I said “no.” She would text me every so often about a cute cat at the pet store. I would reply ‘No!’ Then one day, she texted me that there was a six year old female rescue from the Human Society in Petco. I replied “Okay?”  I didn’t mean okay – I meant “what about it? You already know my answer.”

We now have a cat. Meet Mayble:

The cat became attached to me. That upset my wife a bit – after all, it is “her cat.” I am Mayble’s best friend. It wasn’t my choice, but I’ve grown to really love her.

So what can Mayble teach us about showbusiness?

When Mayble first came to our house, she disappeared for more than a week. It was unnerving. There was this live animal hiding somewhere and I had no idea where. I figured it out eventually, but it was strange to me. Dogs come to you – cats stalk.

Showbusiness Lesson 1 –
Get to know the lay of the land. Don’t rush head first into something because it seems exciting. Understand where you are and where you may want to go. Take your time. It will pay off later.

When she came out from hiding, she watched us. Every time I turned around, she was there. Just staring. Trying to figure us out. She’d be sitting on a chair, or a shelf, or a windowsill or even on top of a cabinet. She kept her distance but at least we knew where she was.

Show Business Lesson 2 –
Observe your market. Study your potential clients and competition. Get to know things inside and out. This phase will help you determine if you really do want to move in that direction.

There are more lessons, but I’m saving them for next week. In the meantime, put these first two into action!

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