Is the guy sitting in the back of the room the one? After a show at the club, I was talking well into the night with Lil' Brian, the front man for the Zydeco Travelers. We were talking about performing, whether there are 2 people in the room, or 2,000. He has a very solid stance on this for such a young man. He said, "You never know when "the man" for Warner Brothers is in the house." That being said, Brian and his band put it all out, regardless of the city they are in or the size of the crowd. This got me to thinking. How many times have I "slacked" a little? Was "the man" that could make or break my business in the crowd? Lil' Brian's point was well taken. We should be on top of our game at all times, even when we've had too little sleep, or too many spirits. I became aware of this many years ago, yet I'm sure that I let myself down from time to time. One of the best examples that I like to share, happened to me about 20 years ago. I was out enjoying the night and got a bit sideways in a local bar. I proceeded to make sure everyone in the place was part of my fun. I didn't damage anything or anyone, but still over the edge. I made it home safe, early the next morning. The next few days went by with no baggage, and I thought, "Cool, I think I got away with one." AHHH...but alas, a few weeks later I am making a proposal to the decision-maker of a local business. You guessed it...I walk into the man's office and much to our mutual surprise, we "met" in the bar a few weeks ago. Little was said about that night, but needless to say, our meeting was awkward. I didn't get the business, but I did get another lesson. Lil' Brian is right, stay focused, you never know when your future might be in the room.