“Leaders must ask themselves whether they want survival, success, or significance. The best leaders desire significance….If you had anything you wanted — unlimited time, unlimited money, unlimited information, unlimited staff…, what would you do? Your answer to that question is your dream. Acting on your dream adds significance to your life.” John C. Maxwell, “Developing the Leaders Around You”

Saturday night, Scott and I went to Luke’s Inn in Warren, RI for a 20-year reunion of the band Enforcer, a metal band Scott was in when we were young, and life was stretched out before us in an endless path of dreams to pursue. Enforcer had big dreams, enough great songs for an album, and the connections to open up for some major acts back in the late 80’s, including Fate’s Warning and Vicious Rumors.

Dave Pimentel, Enforcer’s drummer, was a machinist by day back in 1990. He ended up moving to LA, where he started Spaun Drum Company.  Ten years ago Dave married Lizann Warner, a singer who Saturday night told me a fascinating story – a story about how a change in perspective changed her life.

Liz told me that like most struggling musicians with a dream, she had spent years working “day jobs” to pay the bills while pursuing a music career at night. But a day came when she realized that by seeing her “day job” as so important, she was treating her singing as if it were a hobby rather than a career. Her dreams were getting buried by the expectations of others (e.g., “until you ‘make it,’ you need a day job”). Liz decided to change her perspective and begin putting all her time into pursuing paying gigs. Restaurants, nursing homes, bands – whatever work she could get singing, she’d take it!

Her focus became making a living singing, and if a big break came, great – but if not, she was still going to be a professional singer.

Her change of focus: She wasn’t going to be a cashier hoping to become a professional singer.

Since she changed the way she saw herself, Liz has gone on to enjoy moderate success, singing tracks for video games (including on Guitar Hero 3), karaoke demos, and commercials, as well as gigging with bands (including a Heart tribute band called Dog ‘n’ Butterfly), singing at nursing homes, and entertaining at restaurants. She’s not financially wealthy, but she makes enough to pay the bills and have money left over. She’s better off now than she was working what she calls her “dead end day jobs,” and she’s getting a lot of exposure.

Lizann Warner as Barbra Streisand, singing “People Who Need People.”

Liz’s wealth lies in doing what she knows she was born to do, and she’s not allowing others’ expectations to discourage her or distract her. She keeps her eyes and ears open for new opportunities, and seizes them as they come. She had no qualms about asking us to check out her videos on our Smart phones right there at the restaurant. She graciously took requests for vocal impersonations (you should hear her sing Alanis Morrisette and Cyndi Lauper!), singing out loud, even though she was hoarse. While she’s busy working (and working at keeping her calendar booked), Liz is creating a Las Vegas show with a partner, to pitch to investors. And now, because he heard Lizann’s astounding gift for imitating vocalists,  Scott has asked her to work with him on some songs he wants to pitch to a well-known artist.

Liz is my new hero. She’s added significance to her life. She’s doing what she loves rather than slaving away at a job that has nothing to do with her gifts, and is pursuing bigger dreams all the time.

So — What dreams are you setting aside and treating as hobbies while you work your “day job”? Are you limiting your opportunities by refusing to take jobs you consider “beneath you” financially or professionally because they’re not exactly what you want? Or do you have a “success story” like Lizann’s?

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Michelle handles all Social Media for New England Multimedia, an internet marketing team specializing in web design, True HD Video production and Wordpress blogging/social media consultation. You can contact her by email, on our Facebook, through LinkedIn, or on our Twitter profile.