Are you a rock star at work or a backup singer

Are you a rock star at work or a backup singerAre you a rock star at work or a backup singerIn the workplace, we often call someone who is a huge success a rock star. But that also means they wouldnt have reached their true success without their backup team. While theres merit in each ort depending on yur skillset, its just a matter of finding the one that works best for you.I decided to ask someone who is both of these things simultaneously to help us understand the differences. Chef Austin* is cofounder of Bennetts Butter Co. His day job is at a large tech company that feeds their employees breakfast, lunch and dinner from scratch every day across the world.Backup singer at work, rock star side hustleI help design and build out their kitchen and cafe spaces, Austin said. I get to look at the latest equipment and trends in food and work with local chefs to design the most state-of-the-art kitchens.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, P roductivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAnd thats what inspired his side hustle. I decided to get started on developing compound butters when I welches in culinary school a few years ago. Id come home and cook for my family with the butters I was creating, and Id leave the leftovers with my family to test out. They would tell me how much cooking with the butters instantly improved and elevated the flavor of their meal while cutting prep time.Austins first production run was in November 2018, but as far as recipes and packaging, its always a work in process as we work with new vendors and flavors. I am always looking for the next best thing. And hes always doing it while totenstill working at a more traditional job as well.Rock star takeaway Pay attention to what people are telling you to improve your product. Even if youre the productThe benefits of eachAustin said he loves his day job where, for all intents and purposes, hes a corporate backup singer because of its inc redible culture, opportunities, ability to constantly learn, network, and grow. Although I am in a supporting role, I still take pride and ownership of my day to day responsibilities and feel like I can be incredibly effective and successful.And while he wears many hats in his corporate life, Austin said Its nowhere as many as compared to the different roles I need to play at Bennetts Butter.Backup singer takeaway Even when part-time, its fine to take pride of ownership in your group accomplishments.Managing your professional personalitiesAs a food entrepreneur, Austin recognizes just how much of a team effort it is producing, marketing and bringing a new product to market. While it is very much a team effort, its a much leaner team and operation spearheaded by myself and my co-founder and sister Bess, and we both bring different strengths and talents to the table.During the day Im operating from a position of power because of the size of and resources at my company, while my side h ustle is very much a startup within an industry thats incredibly challenging to break into.Rock star takeaway Garage kapelle or arena headliners, you still need your backup crew to make you shine.Being a rock star isnt all its cracked up to beFor anyone whos dreamed of being in the spotlight, Austin thinks you need to know that Its unbelievably humbling. I am constantly putting myself out there, working until the wee hours of the morning and not always seeing instant gratification.Sometimes things dont go as planned, and its all about problem-solving, being nimble and getting partners and vendors to adjust to the needs of a growing business and not getting discouraged. You have to work through it and persevere.Rock star takeaway Being the person who represents a brand also means the added hassles and headaches involved in perfecting your product.Its all about teamworkWhether youre producing hit singles or gourmet butter, you cant do any of it on my own. Austin said My sister Bess is an integral of the success of Bennetts Butter. We work as a team, and both have our strong suits, recognize what they are, and divide and conquer accordingly. For example, as a trained chef, I own recipe development and food production. Bess has a sales and marketing background which has been instrumental in handling those aspects of the business.And more than that, even if theres a single face to any brand, Austin reminds us that theres a lot more to Bennetts than Bess and me. Were fortunate to have an amazing network of people weve met through both our professional personal lives who have been integral in growing and scaling our business. This ranges from our packaging and paper guru and finance experts to our sales broker, graphics and web designers, photographers, and PR rock star.Rock star takeaway Remember the backup singers. Theyre the ones who support your time in the spotlight*Since hes still employed at a global tech corporation, for the purposes of this article well only use his first name.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people