Movie Lessons: Never Say Never teaches us sweat equity and teamwork

I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t heard an entire Justin Bieber song. I grew up listening to music like this, this, and this. However, after a long discussion with my friend Jeff about Justin’s story and Scooter Braun, I knew I needed to check out his documentary, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

As a marketer I could go into the roles social media, content marketing, and  word of mouth played in “Bieber Fever”, but there is a larger story here. My two biggest takeaways from the film (apart from learning how incredibly talented of an artist Justin is) was his work ethic and the incredible team that supports him.

Sweat Equity:

No doubt Justin, Scooter, and the rest of the Bieber crew put in the hours. Hundreds of shows, thousands of miles traveled, and hours of practice and training have been invested into producing the success they have experienced. He is only 16 and has already hit the magic 10,000th hour. What I liked also, was to see he bravely took chances and backed up his work with the guts to put it on the line, despite all the doubters and naysayers.

You are going to have to work. It doesn’t guarantee success, but the lack of it guarantees failure. Work gives you the opportunity to earn your expertise. Embrace it.

Teamwork:

Talent alone isn’t enough to become a superstar. Hard work isn’t enough either. Today, collaboration is the key to rising to the top. Everyone in the Bieber camp has a skill set that  is top notch and specialized. Justin is just one of the pieces. He has a role and understands it. The same goes for the rest of the team. Together they maximize on each others’ strengths to create a remarkable product and unstoppable force.

Surround yourself with people that have complementary strengths. Let iron sharpen iron and be unified around a common goal or purpose.

These are just two of the lessons from this movie. I encourage you to give it a watch. Get past the hype, catchy hooks, and teenage fans. You will see there is more substance than just a teenage boy with good hair and a great voice. They say success leaves clues, two of those are sweat equity and teamwork.

What say you?