I heard someone talking about Ariana Grande the other day. They were saying how she may have the same range as Mariah Carey.

People seem to like to do that. Compare new people to living legends.

Love or hate her, Mariah Carey has a legendary voice. But before we go comparing all the newbies with great range to someone with an established career, I want to remind everyone of a lesson that is near and dear to my heart.

It takes a lot more than talent to become a standout success in any career.

I’m not knocking down Ariana Grande. Nor am I trying to build up Mariah Carey. I just want to make it clear that people talk a lot about talent as if the best talent will always shine through. But truth be told, you’ve gotta work your ass off and have talent in order to break through. Then you’ve gotta continue to work your ass off for years in order to continue having a great career. In my example (that I’m not super proud of at this point), Mariah Carey is extremely talented. No doubt. But she also has worked her ass off to become a household name and near-legend. And she’s done it for years. So could Ariana Grande be the next Mariah Carey? Time and her work ethic will only tell.

I’m not writing this because I care anything really about these people. It’s really a reflection of my own work and my own ambition. I know I’ve got talent. And so do tons of people around me. Which is spectacular because they challenge me to be even better. But in order to really stand out and have the type of career and success I want, I have to be willing to work hard and work for a long time. And that means actually doing the work.

Which reminds me, I gotta jet to a meeting where I have to go show someone who might be able to help me that I’m talented. Likely they’ll just say “thank you” and and move along. So I’ll have to do even more work. And that’s ok with me. I’m ready, willing, and able.

Let’s do the damn thing.