SING!: Business and Life Lessons from the Karaoke Stage - Softcover

Have you ever dreamed of taking the stage in life? What's holding you back from achieving your goals and pursuing your dreams? The answer for many of us is that we just don't feel inspired by or connected to the work we do. Job satisfaction levels are depressingly low. We are way too busy and constantly feel stressed out. We struggle to keep up with our responsibilities, and as a result, we hardly ever make time for what we truly enjoy. Maybe it's a time for a fresh approach to the daily grind. Maybe instead of working for the weekend, we can bring the benefits of our free time back to the workplace. Maybe taking our fun seriously can make our careers seriously fun. Are you ready to step in the spotlight to find out what you're missing?

The message of SING! Business and Life Lessons from the Karaoke Stage will stretch your imagination, challenge your routine, and inspire you to change your approach to both work and play. Each section is full of short, easy-to-digest insights drawn from the author's life experiences, career-built business savvy, and 20 fun-filled years of stepping onstage at karaoke night. The book's introduction explores the way we settle for dissatisfaction in our working lives (or vocations) versus the way our hobbies and interests (or avocations) make us "light up," change our routine, connect with others, and experience a wide array of other benefits. Karaoke is the focal point of this phenomenon as an activity that brings fellow enthusiasts together for the love of music, fun with friends, and a chance to let loose. The main sections—themed around the advice to Step up to the challenge, Inspire yourself and others, develop a Nexus, and Go forward—draw clear connections between the value of doing fun activities well and succeeding in your career. The alliterative maxims within each section provide readers ideas and motivations to guide them and set the stage for a new perspective. Examples include detailed suggestions for how to Stare down fears, Invest time in what matters most, Narrow their focus to the essentials, and continue to Grow over a lifetime.

Personal experience "spotlight" interviews with real-life karaoke enthusiasts are showcased throughout the book. Each individual’s story further illustrates the unique way karaoke can help even novices overcome their fear of failure, conquer stage-fright, build their confidence, boost their creativity, deepen relationships within their community, and go for goals they never imagined before. Practical business tips and expert advice will help the reader apply these lessons both to the workplace and to everyday life. The book incorporates numerous quotes and references to the works of leading thinkers, best-selling authors, business executives, comedians, entrepreneurs, creative professionals, entertainers, artists and musicians. Each section contains a list of questions for the reader's personal reflection and discussion opportunities, as well as goal-setting strategies and a themed "tracklist" to prepare for the perfect karaoke night.

Steve Dragoo is a trusted advisor and trainer to some of America's foremost companies. As founder and president of Solutions Consulting, Inc., he helps clients tell their stories and develop winning strategies. Steve speaks and blogs about business by day and sings karaoke by night. His book "SING!" brings together anecdotes and practical ideas for a richer life and better work performance from his 30-plus-year career and 20 years on the Karaoke stage. Steve and his wife Nancy live in Nashville.