Career and Business Lessons from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
I am not a Taylor Swift fan; however, I did watch a series called “The End of an Era” that recaps her latest world tour. I watched it because I was intrigued by how a tour of this magnitude is put together and how a company like this operates. Artists at this level are not just performers; they are businesses. How they handle this segment of their career can shape their long-term success. That is why I am writing this blog. There are many lessons to learn from this kind of endeavor, and I believe they can help readers with their careers.
Musicians and bands are in business and can be considered companies. Their core product is music or art, but like any other business, they also offer additional products and services such as merchandise and tours. Producing these products requires capital investment and a strategy to generate a return on that investment. It is corporate.
A successful business requires leadership, passion, and quality people committed to producing a good product. These are essential ingredients in building a good company. This blog speaks to entrepreneurs and ambitious professionals, outlining elements to consider in building an enterprise or developing a career. In doing so, I hope readers can see what a well-run business looks like and how they might model aspects of their careers accordingly.
This article addresses four themes—Leadership, Passion, Know Your Industry, and Know Your Worth—that contribute to a successful venture and a meaningful career. There is a conclusion with some final thoughts. These topics and their use in business will be illustrated through guests from my podcast, “The Career Guy,” who have shared their experiences in their endeavours. In addition, I will add my own career and educational experiences.
Leadership
It is clear in watching this series that Taylor Swift is a leader. She is the head of her company and has the final say in everything. This does not mean she is a micromanager. There is autonomy; she enables the creative people, directors, and technicians to do what they need to do to produce a great show. The trust she places in the people she has brought on board allows them to meet the expectations she sets for the tour.
She recognizes all the elements of the tour and her career. She understands how each contribution, logistics, staging, musicianship, choreography, and marketing, adds to the collective result. It is this ability to hold the bigger picture while respecting individual roles that is leadership. My interview with James Elian, CEO of Air Sprint, is an example of this https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/climbing-the-corporate-ladder.
James started as a pilot with Air Sprint. His career took a turn into administrative roles, in which he has held an array of positions, including his current role as CEO. It was these experiences that have enabled him to have insight into all facets of this business.
It is this knowledge that allows him to see how each segment contributes to the business. And it is this that enables him to focus on the business as CEO. As he points out in the interview, leading a company of this size (400 employees) holds challenges different from his previous positions. In essence, being a leader, his perspective has changed, and with it come new issues and new responsibilities. So, he cannot operate at the same level he did before. It is the ability to recognize issues, and learning to delegate is the key.
A leader is knowledgeable about the factors that contribute to their business. They know they have brought on the appropriate personnel and trust them with their job. When issues arise and adjustments are required, the focus is on the final product.
Passion
Watching “The End of an Era,” it is also clear that Taylor Swift is passionate about making music. On her journey to success, she was passionate about writing songs and performing them. The dancers are passionate about dance. The musicians in her band are deeply committed to their craft. The lesson here is simple: find the thing you like or love to do. Making the art or doing the craft comes first. In other words, try not to get so caught up in whether you can make a living at it. These are distractions that can pull us away from why we wanted to do it in the first place. However, the dilemma of making a living does exist. Some do figure it out.
Being a dancer or performer is difficult and has many challenges. Trying to balance making art with making a living can cause us to lose sight of our passion. My interview with Scott Ivers https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/being-true-to-himself-lessons-from-a-life-in-it-and-music explains this well. In his words, it was a compromise.
After graduating from college, he was honest with himself about where he was in life and what he wanted at this time. He wanted a stable life, so he went into the corporate world while continuing his music. Later in life, music grew into something larger.
Scott is an example of how many creative performers live. They take on jobs and positions to pay the bills while continuing their craft. They do this because they love what they do. Opportunities like working on a massive production, such as the Eras tour, are rare, and some may never get them. And sometimes when such opportunities do come up, they do not feel right.
For example, Corbett Frasz, in his interview with me https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/street-smart, talks about walking away from a record contract in Nashville. It did not feel right. He admits that he and his band would have become a machine producing music. Whether the music was good or not didn't seem to matter; what mattered was putting songs on a record to sell. The Eras tour, by contrast, had purpose and intention. Know your art, know why you do it, and know what you want to do with it.
We all go through phases. Sometimes we have a job simply to make money. Sometimes we have a career that is more than a job—something we are willing to put extra effort into and we actually like doing. At that point, it is more about the work itself than the money. Then there is a vocation or calling where we feel we are fulfilling a purpose—something bigger than ourselves. Not all of us get there. It is not that we are not capable; often, we are not paying attention to the signs.
Kent Polines discusses this in his interview https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/a-champion-in-the-making. He describes how trust and faith bring people and circumstances together and how this is often how we find our calling. The key is understanding the phase we are in and what we want. What do we like to do? What do we want to do? This is self-exploration, and it is time well spent.
Know your industry
There were segments in the “Era” series exploring Taylor’s past, including how she developed her musical career. Her parents took it upon themselves to learn the business side of the music industry. It is a family-run business. They know this industry. For an entrepreneur or someone looking for work, knowing your industry is an asset.
Kurt Villanueva, co-owner of “The Audio Room,” knows the audio industry. He knows the equipment, people, and other businesses within this realm. It is this knowledge that contributes to his longevity, success, and leadership, as he explains in his interview with me https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/leadership-by-building-communities-in-audio-and-more.
As an employee or job seeker, understanding an industry helps you see what attributes you bring to a business. Romayne Ebanks, with her background in human resources, explains this in her episode https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/a-journey-of-being-tenacious-and-adventurous-and-believing. She has read many resumes and sees applicants who have only a limited understanding of what they are applying for. When a person applies for a position and understands the company and the industry, they can clearly explain their strengths and why they would be a good fit. When we understand someone else’s issues, we are better able to serve them.
There is always something new to learn. Murray Emery, a leader in the Calgary music scene, emphasizes this in his interview https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/a-leader-in-the-local-music-scene. Ongoing learning is also a powerful way to connect with others and build a network. We never know where new leads or relationships might take us. The Eras tour featured musical guests and collaborations with other artists, illustrating how interconnected the music industry is and how collaboration is often more valuable than rivalry. Try not to see competitors only as rivals; instead, view them as learning opportunities.
Know Your Worth
The Eras tour was successful in many respects. Fans walked away happy, and the band played to record-setting crowds, creating enormous revenue. The tour and Taylor’s company made money. An important point is that she shared that wealth. Reports indicated that everyone was paid well, with very generous bonuses. In addition to bonuses, everyone received personal notes emphasizing their contributions. Everyone was important.
Everyone received a bonus with a personal card emphasizing their contributions. Everyone is important, and in a small company like this, it is noticed when an individual does not fulfill their duties and responsibilities. It is less likely for a person to hide. When looking for work or applying for jobs, this is important. Fewer elements feed bureaucracy in a smaller firm.
Everyone contributes, and it is noticed. However, it is worth noting that some personnel are easier to replace than others. In essence, some will have a more direct contribution to the final product. For example, the skills set by the musicians and dancers are more specific. The personality, chemistry, and talent are more challenging to find than those of the truck drivers, even though every role matters. This is what is meant by relative. And this is what is meant by this heading, “Know your worth.”
A person needs to understand their specific contribution to a company. This is difficult to do if it is driven by ego. There will always be some level of differentiation in how employees are treated and compensated. To overcome resentment and polarization, as suggested earlier, it helps to know your industry and your company. Develop an understanding of how the organization operates, what factors contribute to success, and most importantly, how you personally contribute. This process is humbling and can build confidence.
It builds confidence because, once we are clear on our roles and we stop comparing, we will do better as individuals. This is something to look for in an organization. Are people being treated properly and are genuinely acknowledged in their roles? This minimizes drama, which is a good thing, as drama distracts us from being productive, creative, and joyful.
Conclusion
In the series, Taylor emphasizes the magnitude and impact of her tour. I do not think she is being arrogant; she understands the implications of her work. The series shows that as the tour was being put together, she had a clear vision for the experiences she wanted fans to have. To achieve this, she broke with the norm when assembling her dancers, choosing people audiences could relate to rather than simply following the usual casting formulas.
In essence, she understands her impact, capabilities, and her desire to accomplish what she wants. We, too, need to know what we can do, what we want to do, and, importantly, to approach this with humility and confidence. Be realistic, but do not play small. This is difficult, but here is an example.
My interview with Ronan Kennedy https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/discovering-coaching-to-building-a-business-for-helping-others discusses this in detail. Finding something we enjoy doing is important. Sometimes we are simply in the wrong organization, and that alone can stop us from enjoying our work. The real task is to understand our passion and to ask whether the organization we work for supports it. If not, can we find one that will? Can we build a career around our passion? For some people, the answer is yes. For others, the answer is no, or “not yet.”
If we cannot build a full career around our passion, maybe what we need is a job that supports the rest of our lives. If we can, then we are talking about a career or even a vocation. There is no right or wrong answer. The key is understanding ourselves—where we are and what we want to do. This is not static, which is why Ronan suggests revisiting these questions regularly. Think about what you want, where you are, and what you truly want to do. This has been a long blog. I have put a lot of information into it, and I hope it helps. Thanks for reading.