“Fear nothing and you shall succeed”, Curtis 50 Cent Jason builds on this message in “Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter” by getting personal on this journey from tragic personal loss to thriving businessman and cable’s highest-paid executive.
50 Cent never ignores social media.
He doesn’t just meet and greet his fans, he routinely uses social media to connect directly with the public. If someone poses a picture of his product, he would repost it on his page. On one hand, doing so dramatically increases the followers of that person. On the other hand, 50 Cent is training his fan base to see the incentive in supporting his brand. Eventually he managed to create an online movement without spending a single marketing dollar.
“The internet is making the gatekeepers much less relevant. For instance, back in the day, if you had a great idea for a film, you had to pitch it to a studio. Because you needed access to their money and promotional potential, the studio was the gatekeeper that confirmed whether your idea had any value.” He added, “Today, you can literally shoot the movie with a smartphone, edit it on your laptop, and distribute it yourself on YouTube. If your work is good enough and speaks to your audience, people will watch it. It might take time, but eventually the word will spread that you’ve made something of value.”
50 Cent would take an unpaid internship if it teaches him what he wants.
These days internships seem to get a bad rap. Many young people complain internship as exploitative. Some even want to make unpaid internships illegal.
“That’s shortsighted.”, said 50 Cent. “If you’re interning in an industry that you’re passionate about, you’re not being exploited. It’s just up to you to get the most out of the experience. An internship is an open door. Once you’re in, you must take it upon yourself to check out every room in the house.”
50 Cent wouldn’t trust anyone over a handshake deal.
Everyone seems to love each other in the beginning. That handshake agreement you’re about to take feels firm right now. But when jealousy and envy creeps in, you’ll be surprised by the person’s true nature. Protect yourself and put it on paper.
50 Cent listens for what people want.
Guess which rappers of the past are still relevant today? Outside 50 Cent himself, it’s Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Method Man and of course, Snoop. Guess why are they still relevant? Obviously times change and no musician would last forever. Method Man transitioned into acting, Cube into acting and the Big Three basketball league, and Dre hit the jackpot with Beats and Apple. Simply put, they’re smart and humble enough to realize the public can never be wrong.
“When people don’t respond to what you give them, they’re telling you they’ve moved on, loud and clear. If you don’t hear them, then you’re just not listening.” he wrote. “If one generation knew me as a rapper, there’s going to be another that knows me as a TV mogul. But only because I was willing to change with the times and audience.”
50 Cent is an avid reader.
These days a lot of people mistake ‘clicking’ for ‘reading’. They would Google a certain topic, skim the surface idea, maybe watch a short video and feel like they have put in the work. 50 Cent disagrees, saying a few clicks and scrolls won’t cut it. You need to learn multiple examples and scenarios before certain principles start to sink in.
“After you finish this book, you might only take a few principles with you. Even just one. That’s fine. That was the case when I read Robert’s 48 Laws of Power. Ask me today what that book was about and all I can really tell you is ‘As the student, never outshine the master’”.
50 Cent developed fearlessness out of his tough childhood.
Life isn’t fair. That person with the loudest voice and their hands always up is going to get promoted before you. They’re going to get a raise before you. Although you’re better trained and prepare, you wouldn’t let the world see because you’re feeling afraid. Fear of failure and rejection is stopping you from getting the most out of your work. Don’t let it happen. 50 Cent says “I want to show you that fearlessness is a strength you can develop, too. A muscle you can build, hopefully without having to experience the trauma that made mine so jacked. You don’t have to lose your mother, or survive getting shot nine times, to develop the belief that you can survive anything that happens to you. That the only thing you can’t overcome is never taking risks in the first place.”
On the other side of the coin is the yes-man who always raises his hand. He’s doing it because he’s fearful that someone else is going to get props before he does. So even if he doesn’t know the answer, he’s going to bluff his way to it. You also don’t want to be that man.
50 Cent works much harder than he plays.
His attitude toward his career is basically “whistle while you work.”. For him, every eighteen-hour day on the set sounds fun. Every all-nighter in the studio seems joy. Every four a.m. wake up call comes as a blessing. The signal that he’s getting another chance to do something he loves.
“I get bored easily when I’m not working. I have places I like to go on vacation but the first thing I pack isn’t my swimsuit – it’s always my computer. I know after the first day of jet skiing or hanging out in a spa, I’m going to be ready to get back to work.” He continued, “So, despite not being the most talented, best-looking, or most experienced, how do I keep finding success in so many different fields? I hustle as hard as I can, day in and day out… plenty of people might be willing to out-rap, outperform, or event outsmart me, but no one is ever going to out-work me.”
50 Cent knows the race never ends.
Give yourself the opportunity to identify something different. You’re going to find things you think you can’t live without are actually standing between current you and the best you. When you break those habits, you’ll be surprised by how much more you can accomplish in life and put everything you have into your work.
“There’s no happily ever after. No matter how many records I sell, cases of liquor I move, and hit TV shows I create and executive-produce, there’s never going to be a moment where I say ‘Okay, this is the end of the road. I’ve finally made it.’ and then take my foot off the pedal.”
What About You?
At the end of the day, you can bet on a lot of games, ideas and even people. But the only sure thing you can always count on 100 percent of the time is ‘yourself.’
So, believe in yourself and trust the process. If you don’t let the fear of failure hold you back, you’ll find yourself taking massive actions and risks you never thought you would before. But chances are if you remain humble and learn from your mistakes, the world will always show you where to go next.