Starting a small business can sometimes feel like pushing a snowball uphill. People say that it’s a journey filled with ambition, creativity, and resilience. But the reality is it’s not always easy. Sales can be up and down with one month when you’re celebrating new wins, the next you’re wondering why it’s gone quiet.
Getting to the next level often take longer than planned, and the pressure to keep moving forward can feel relentless. Money might feel tight and looking at social media you see everyone else posting success stories. How do we keep your mojo when you feel like the weight of the world is our shoulders and the road ahead is quite daunting?
In those moments, motivation matters more than ever.
My solution: Music!
Music has a unique ability to lift your mood, take you to other times and places, sharpen your focus, and remind you why you started this journey in the first place. A powerful playlist can turn frustration into determination, helping you push through the tough days.
When music isn’t just background noise – it can completely transform how you feel. From a high-energy track which lifts you out of a slump, to a calm, melodic tune helping you refocus when stress levels rise.
This emotional shift can make the difference between giving up and pushing through. When you’re facing challenges, the right song can remind you of your resilience, spark creativity, and even help you rediscover the passion that started your journey.
When I started up my own company back in 2003, I didn’t go looking for songs to give me energy, positivity or confidence – I happened to hear songs being played particularly when things were tough, and these stayed with me…ones I still play and get the same positive feelings today.
Here’s my Keep On Keeping On track list – it is fun, but with a serious intent.
Now think back to your younger days…it’s Thursday evening…you’re watching TOTP on BBC1…and then the Top 10 countdown starts….(use you best DJ voice in your head – here goes!)
10: Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds
People buy from people and customers buy from people they remember. When I don’t feel like making many follow-up calls, creating a post or write some marketing, this song gives me that push. It reminds me that I need to keep going even when I don’t feel like it.
9: Tainted Love by Gloria Jones
‘Eh !’ I hear you say – that was Soft Cell. They did get it to number 1 in the charts, but not many realised it was a cover. And even though I’ve seen Marc Almond in concert three times, I still prefer the original Northern Soul track. You cannot beat a bit of Northern Soul to lift you up…so it would be rude not to put it in any top 10. Having said that, the Soft Cell version still does it for me too – the high of finishing exams when I was leaving school…oops – giving away my age now.
8: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves me) by Whitney Houston
Why this track? I saw Whitney in concert in the late 80s. I was 5 rows from the front, and the entire show was just amazing. When I hear this track I am straight back there, having the best time, listening to the lady sing live, taking it all in. A great way to take myself out of the moment.
7: Bella Ciao by Manu Pilas
If you’ve seen the Netflix series Money Heist, you will remember this iconic track. It has a modern-day symbolism of freedom and resistance. I find that when things are going slightly pear-shaped or having to do mundane admin (or tax return), this track just helps me feel like a bit of a rebel….sticking it to the man!
6: Millionaire by Travie McCoy
The opening line says it all ‘I wanna be a millionaire so £#%?ing bad’ (I cleaned that up a bit!). You can sing it at the top of your lungs, (in privacy of course – you don’t want to upset the neighbours). Surely everyone who starts their own business has the idea of making it big with money just rolling in!
5: We Will Rock You by Queen
Great for having a stomp and chant – it is energising, giving a lift when things might not be going so well. It also helps with mindset when I need to be creative, work on a new strategy or sales calls. If ever you’ve sung this in a group, you can feel the collective energy uniting everyone together.
4: A Night to Remember by Shalamar
I love this track. It reminds me of when I was in my early teens and hadn’t heard much R&B. There was something about it that lifted me up then, and still does to this day. I also remember being amazed watching Jeffrey Daniels perform the back slide/moonwalk for the first time on UK television. Apparently, he went on to teach Michael Jackson the back slide afterwards. The messages in this song are so positive too, so it’s a win all round.
3: We Are the Champions by Queen
Of course, we all are – otherwise, why would any of us decide to run our own business, spending all this time and energy to be successful? It reminds me to celebrate all the small and big wins, and that it’s worth striving to be the best at what I do.
2: Yes We Can by Allen Toussaint
When I first heard this track, I just loved how the lyric made me focus on succeeding and giving me the belief I could get there. It really did make a difference. It was difficult to find on a CD back then as there were no streaming or digital downloads – but that’s all changed now so find it and have a listen.
1: Everything’s Gonna Be Alright by Bob Marley
This was my first-ever go-to track when I started my own business back in 2003. It’s not easy learning to run and grow a business when you first start out. Sometimes the day-to-day grind makes you wonder if it is worth it and you made the wrong choice. Listening to any Bob Marley relaxes me and helps the negatives go away, and this track says it all.
It was difficult getting my list down to just 10 tracks. This list is what motivates me, but music is deeply personal. The songs that inspire one person might not resonate with another – that’s the beauty of it.
Your own playlist might look completely different, and that’s okay. What matters is finding the tracks that speak to you and keep you moving forward.
I’d love to hear what songs make it onto your motivational playlist.
Which tracks give you that extra push when times get tough?
Share your favourites in the comments – let’s build a community soundtrack that keeps UK business owners inspired and unstoppable. It’s always great be told about new stuff you’ve not heard of before. Go on…share…
Keep On Keeping On… Gary, Innovation Director at The EpiCentre.
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