Taylor Swift has revolutionized the music industry with her innovative approach to success, shunning the traditional model of waiting years for a single monumental release. Rather than spout bland marketing speak, though, she responds with a story of unceasing involvement – following which she makes weekly and monthly reports public. This strategy has the added benefit of making her a very active, very public presence. It creates buzz with her followers and reflects the reality that success is built on a foundation of regular work, not one miraculous step.
Over the last five years, Taylor Swift has brought her devoted fans a whopping nine glorious studio albums. This fantastic retrospective includes re-recordings of her entire back catalog. Her prolific output is testimony to her commitment to ceaseless movement forward. Thanks to this dedication, she’s become the most successful musical act of her generation. She has put out a concert film and thrown the government-mandated global tour that notched her several verified world records. In doing so, these accomplishments have only served to deepen her shadow as a cultural icon.
Swift’s approach is a reflection of what the most successful companies do, favoring small updates often rather than a massive one rarely. By regularly releasing fresh material, she has built a dedicated audience who wants to see where her aerial artistry goes next. This approach contrasts sharply with the outdated notion that one should wait for the perfect moment to unveil major projects.
“Don’t wait years for your ‘big break.’ Start dripping progress — in your work, your projects, your life — consistently and visibly,” advises Sinéad O’Sullivan, author of “Good Ideas and Power Moves: Ten Lessons for Success from Taylor Swift.” This philosophy is at the heart of Swift’s strategy, focused on transparency and ongoing change.
Swift’s ability to break down large goals into smaller, manageable steps has garnered her immense trust and anticipation from her audience. Through her journey mile by mile, she writes about each step she takes, showing us how every increment of progress is a progress toward the bigger dream. This strategy has not only continued to deepen the engagement her fans feel with her, but has fostered a productive community among her work.
The recent success of Swift’s “Eras Tour” — grossing over $2 billion— is evidence that her strategy is working. By taking ownership of her music and consistently delivering new experiences to her fans, she has created a business model that others in the industry can emulate. Having regained control of all of her pre- and post-law music, this goal is just one step away from further emboldening Swift’s artistic brand and creativity.
Perhaps most importantly, Swift’s career trajectory goes against one of the oldest tenets of the music industry: that success is tied to a single breakthrough “star making” moment. As she continues to release content and engage with her fans, she illustrates that ongoing effort and visible progress are crucial components of achieving lasting success.
“Drip, not drop” has morphed into a career-opening ethos for countless young artists and creatives across industries. Focusing on that one big opportunity you’re looking for isn’t going to lead to success. It’s about sustaining that momentum, forming the habit by never letting yourself go.