Inspired by viewing Netflix’s ‘Narcos’
GENIUS TRIUMPHS
It's not something you learn in books, but an ability you're born with, that you believe in, that you exercise. Success in life is about analysis. That's what they teach in the elite institutions that those going to lesser colleges miss out on. Facts are irrelevant, you can look them up online. But how to put them together to create something new… That's what the stars know, how to hold two contradictory thoughts in their brain simultaneously and then 3-D model the future. Geniuses are one step ahead and are ultimately decried and hated for it. They have insight the rest of us lack. Or as Gretzky put it, skate to where the puck is going, not where it is right now.
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His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Rick Nielsen to Bryan Adams to Quincy Jones to music business honchos like Michael Rapino, Randy Phillips, Don Ienner, Cliff Burnstein, Irving Azoff and Tom Freston. Never boring, always entertaining, Mr. Lefsetz's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels. Bob has been a weekly contributor to CelebrityAccess and Encore since 2001, and we plan many more years of partnership with him. While we here at CelebrityAccess and Encore do not necessarily agree with all of Bob's opinions, we are proud to help share them with you.
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INFORMATION IS EVERYTHING
That's why superstars are on the phone all day, why they cultivate relationships. Life is war and if you want to triumph you need to know where all the bodies are buried, who is relevant and who is not. Once someone focuses on personal hurts by irrelevant people you know it's time to move on. Winners focus on the prize, and never remove their eyes. So, once again, collect information, and then synthesize it into a plan.
BEWARE OF ADVERTISING AND PR
The narcos hired a PR firm, which charged them deep five digits for a logo that accomplished little. Use your PR team to navigate media outlets, advertising firms can come up with ideas, but you're in the driver's seat, you have to guide them and make the final decisions.
LOYALTY IS EVERYTHING
If you've got no one you can count on, who'll take a bullet for you, you're lost. Life is a team sport, which is why loners end up on the sidelines.
SOMEONE'S GOT TO BE THE LEADER
Once you're ceding territory to another, not wanting to be perceived as aggressive, you're lost. Natural leaders want the power the same way LeBron wants the ball. If you're questioning yourself, if you're letting someone else go first, you're doomed.
LEADERS AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT
Gustavo gets Pablo to change course, but only after he hears Pablo out. He who speaks first often fails. Let others talk, and then gently nudge them in the direction you believe should be pursued.
THERE'S NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Not only in drugs, but tech and music too. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are not lovable teddy bears. Same deal with label heads. They need to make choices to stay in power and win, choices that you might think are illegal or abhor. You can quit, but if you won't do these same things you're never going to win. That's what they don't tell you about life… School teaches you to conform but rules are for suckers. If you don't believe everything is up for grabs, you're a loser.
PIVOT
Pablo Escobar didn't start out in drugs. Don't be married to who you are. A musician, a coder, a… Winners are always open to opportunities. If you're not willing to change your mind, change course, you're not going to win.
IF IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS
We want to believe, and therefore we give charismatic leaders the benefit of the doubt when we shouldn't. People are mindless sheep who will do anything if given attention, especially by someone rich, powerful and famous.
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING
There's a reason your spouse can't be forced to testify against you in court. Choose your spouse wisely and teach your children well.
EVERYBODY LOSES IN THE END
When you hang it out that far, you're gonna get caught. What did the DEA man say… "The bad guys need to get lucky every time. The good guys just need to get lucky once."
EVERYTHING'S NEGOTIABLE
If you don't have the chutzpah to ask for the unthinkable, you're not dreaming big enough.
MONEY TALKS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HAS A PRICE
And if they're reluctant to conform, just threaten their family, see above.
LADIES LOVE OUTLAWS, AND MEN DO TOO
We want to believe we've got a way out, that's why we lionize the renegades.
THE LITTLE PEOPLE DON'T COUNT
They're uninformed and stupid and can be manipulated and are expendable. Don't believe me? You keep the Fortune 500 alive, but do these corporations care about you as they pollute, overcharge and pay no taxes? The sooner you wake up and realize the game is rigged, the earlier you get on the path of success.
LOVE WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE
Following your johnson is the best way to be blown off course. If you can't say no to the little man, the big man may not survive.
WINNERS SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN
They know someone else wants their perch.
WORK IS BORING, THE SPOILS ARE INTERESTING
Just ask a banker. If money is the byproduct you're looking for, don't be surprised if the work is drudgery. Which is why fat cats are always looking to invest in the entertainment business. And are always ripped off by the lifers in it. Don't go where you don't know. At best you have one area of expertise. Nobody knows everything and no one wins it all. Life is a game where the board is wiped clean every generation and no one has a sense of history. Do you think they'll be talking about Pablo Escobar fifty years from now? Probably not, but we're intrigued by those who make it from the bottom on smarts alone, who are willing to challenge institutions and take big risks, because…we usually are not.
YOU WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM
That's where all the action takes place, where the story is hashed out. By time you read it in the newspaper it's usually wrong. If you want to win, if you want to be a player, you've got to find a way to get inside the room, where decisions are made and most of what is said never seeps out of the walls. It's all about uncovering the REAL STORY. And you can only do this by knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time. People love to talk, they'll tell you anything. As long as you can keep a secret…
DON'T WRITE ANYTHING INCRIMINATING DOWN
That's the mark of an amateur. Success is all about plausible deniability.
