The New Product Launch From Earthworks Audio — A Case Study in Effective Networking

Whenever I give a talk about networking and specifically about Why Nobody Likes Networking, I always start off by mentioning why networking feels like a dirty word and all the reasons that it feels fake, phony, and awkward. Why the whole concept feels like strip mining or clear cutting or any other resource exploration. What Can You Do For Me? 

I then go on to explain that networking deserves its bad reputation since almost everyone does it wrong. And that networking in its truest form is generative, collaborative, and the path you must take in order to get things done. 

NETWORKING IS SIMPLY WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE & TEAMS IN ORDER TO TACKLE THE BIG CHALLENGES THAT YOU CAN’T DO ON YOUR OWN IN ORDER TO CREATE LASTING VALUE.

Nothing exemplifies this philosophy and approach to networking like a product launch. And I’m going to use the new live vocal microphones from Earthworks Audio as an example and as a case study in general.

You may notice that I never post about Earthworks on any of my social platforms — even though Earthworks is the project where I devote the most time and energy. But my reasoning is simple. My public personas and my social platforms exist to represent the industry at large, not any one single manufacturer — not even the one who pays the bills. You are more likely to find me amplifying posts from #Shure and #Sennheiser or sharing success stories from JH Audio or Ultimate Ears than boosting my own work. Great ideas and great products are NOT EXCLUSIVE to any one manufacturer and my social platforms are not monetized extensions of any one single brand or interest. And this philosophy cuts much deeper. 

I am equally apt to help other manufacturers in our space and to pass customers and partners alike along to friends at other companies who can better serve their needs. And this goes both ways. I can’t tell you how many times that I (and by extension, Earthworks) have been helped by friends at other competing companies. 

My success is because of the success of my entire network. Everything that I have ever accomplished can easily be traced back to the favors of others. I am not an island and I do nothing alone. At best, I am a puppet on the stage or figurehead that speaks for and enables the work of many many many talented individuals. 

Earthworks is a perfect example of this. When I came onboard at the start of the pandemic, it was a small boutique mom-and-pop shop at best. The measurement mics had decent penetration and the brand was solid and well respected amongst those in the know. It was a niche of a niche company. But it had amazing technology that punched well above its weight-class and it had a lot of fans-in-the-wings wanting to root for its success. 

And it is to those fans and boosters that I dedicate this new launch. Without all of your help, we would never be here. Friends that I have made from working in the space for nearly 20 years instantly rallied to the cause — always asking how they could help and pulling in favors of their own on my behalf. My teammates and employers from the past all jumped on the bandwagon and offered unwavering support. (Jerry — I’m talking about you and KG and all of your extended networks!) 

Over the last few years — and because of all of your collective help — Earthworks has earned permission to move from front of house to center stage. It started with the drum mics and how each of you helped move them from the drum tutorial YouTube channels to the top global tours. With the help of friends, we’ve seen the existing vocal mic pop up on festivals, televised productions and album covers (and oh yeah, that bit with Verse and Larrabee —thank you Manny!) 

When we first launched the streaming and broadcast line, the creators thought we were a knockoff Chinese manufacturer. Today we’re working with the best-of-the-best. None of this would have been possible without the collective help of the industry. 

And all of these wins have just set the stage for what comes next. In talking about networking, my favorite bit is to break down the rules of playing the favor game. I’ll save the details for a later post or you can come and hear me speak at NAMM — or any of my talks. But essentially, it goes like this. Never ask for anything unless it’s an easy ask — unless you already know that it's a forgone conclusion requiring minimal effort. Otherwise spend your time giving, offering, opening doors, enabling, creating, generating, and delivering. 

I like to think that I’m a living example of this networking philosophy. I have spent my entire career building and helping others. And I delight in watching my friends and networks succeed. Nothing makes me happier than being able to connect dots and create opportunities. And now, because the time is right and the price is right and the product is right — and because we’ve already done the hard lift these last 3 years to set Earthworks on the right path — for this one launch, I’ve actually asked for a lot of help and cashed in a lot of owed favors.  A lot!

What’s coming next is the foregone conclusion. And for me and for anyone watching in the know behind the scenes — especially for each of you who has been a part of it all — this is the art. This is the show. This is what happens when great products help great people. And this truly represents what is possible when people and teams work together to tackle the big challenges and to create lasting value.

This is going to be fun. And I am so grateful that we’re all along for the ride. Thank you!