David Byrne and The Art of Being Extraordinary

In a world where everyone looks and sounds the same, how do you stand out as unique and better so others notice and choose you?

Every business owner I know ponders that riddle.

As does every artist.

So when I see someone who consistently finds a way to stand out, be unique, and create something new out of something common, I stand up and cheer.

I stood and cheered a lot last night for David Byrne.

He’s a rock star — the guy who founded and led Talking Heads — not a business consultant.

But there’s plenty for us business owners to learn from how he operates.

I saw him last night at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis.

I’ve seen 8 gazillion concerts in my day — give or take a gazillion. But last night’s concert was like nothing I’d seen or heard before.

Most concerts have the same familiar structure: Drum set, keyboards, mic stands, amps — all tethered in place. Musicians fixed to their spot on stage, playing their instruments, singing into their mics.

Nothing wrong with that. Just nothing extraordinary.

Last night, none of the performers was tethered to one spot.

It was a rock band, turned marching dancing band.

All of the musicians were in constant movement, carrying their instruments (the drummers and keyboard players, too). Dancing as they played.

Photographs and videos projected on the backdrop and floor turned the stage into a new set for every song.

One minute, the band played on the roof of a building, Manhattan’s skyline behind them.

The next, they were singing and dancing inside David Byrne’s apartment, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the East River to their right, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to their left.

Then they were standing on the ocean, waves splashing around them, dancing as if they were surfing.

These words don’t do it justice. You have to see it to get it.

All I can say is it was extraordinary. The music. The dancing. The staging. The whole thing.

And it was 100% unique.

So back to the riddle.

What can you do to stand out — to make your next email, video, social post, webinar, or other marketing moment uniquely YOU?

If you push the AI easy button and plop your name atop the content the robot generates, will you stand out?

Probably not.

AI helps you create something common — only faster.

Faster common is still common.

You can be extraordinary. But it will take more than just pushing a button.