Although this article is not directly Pro Tools related I feel that this subject is important and that I want to share my thoughts with all of you on how to get along in the audio industry and most other places too.. 

Learn The Difference

Life is not fair and people are mean so don´t always let other people's opinion dictate who you are and affect your self esteem. As we have discussed in this article and on Podcast 21x there is a BIG difference between constructive criticism and bullshit. Once you learn the difference and learn how to filter all the hate away you should find things are a lot better.

You Don’t Need Everything

Learn the difference between need and want. Some people will have more than you, and others will have less. Learn to appreciate what you have and try not to worry about not having that cool preamp or sending big invoices to cool clients. Work hard and you will get there. Try not to be jealous of others. Instead use that energy to learn new stuff. 

You Will Make Mistakes

Everybody fails sometimes, I promise you. The key thing is what you do about it. If you screw up, hold your hands up and own up. Don't try and blame the equipment or other people. Accept responsibility and then go the extra mile to put it right. Then move on and strive to be the best songwriter, producer or whatever it is you want to achieve. Failing can often being a good thing - as long as you learn from your mistakes.

Pick Good Friends

Surround yourself with people that support you. People with ambitions that have the same drive and passion as you and who are there for you in the good times and the bad times. The test of good friends is how they respond when you need help. Fair weather friends are likely to take advantage of you in the good times and be nowhere to be seen when things are tough. 

Be Nice

Be nice to everybody. Not just the cool people, to everybody, from the cleaner and the person who makes the tea to the mega star and CEO. People will remember how you treat them and today's intern could be a hotshot client tomorrow. Take pride in yourself and have a good character. A good reputation is very valuable.

Do The Right Thing

Do what's right and not what's easy. To follow the crowd is easy but standing up for yourself is hard. Choose what's right for you and follow that path. Don't be afraid of hard work. All who have succeeded in life have put a lot of time, energy and hard work. Just look at our Pro Tools Expert founder Russ Hughes. He started Air User Blog in 2008 and now 8 years later Pro Tools Expert is the largest independent Pro Tools community in the world.

What About You?

There are my tips. Do you agree or disagree with these?  What are your tips? Do share in the comments section below...