CREATIVE FIELD NOTES: Ain't No Lie...By By Byproduct For Success

SUCCESS AS A BYPRODUCT

When you hear someone say “By-Prodcut” what does that mean to you? Do you just blow past it? Have you ever really wondered how to take advantage of the “By-Product?”

I didn’t know what it truly meant for a while until I realized it’s a key to success, but how in the world do I get to the by-product?

Well…It’s simple: produce more of “the product.”

A byproduct is a secondary product that is created during the production or destruction of something else.

What are we usually looking for when it comes to success? Most of the time, we’re seeking a specific outcome.

For example, you might think, “Once I get 50,000 followers, I’ll be successful,” or “Once I can buy my parents a home, I’ll be successful.

When I first started writing sketches in 2011, I had never written a sketch before. I had written plenty of poems, short stories, and so on, but the format of sketches was different.

At the time, I thought the only way I would be successful was if I wrote a monumental script that won an award and received recognition at a ceremony. Can that happen? Sure. But is it the only path to success? Not at all. (It also did not happen yet…damn you oscars)

The byproduct of my simply continuing to write was the success. My channel grew, which led to more live shows, which led to fans, which led to network meetings, and so on.

Just showing up and doing the work led to external “success,” but internally, I was gaining confidence along the way.

Another example is when I did the 75 Hard challenge. Before starting, I thought completing it would be the success because, after all, it’s a challenge. However, the true success was the change in my mental health and habits. The physical transformation that occurred because I showed up every day for 75 days was great too. But doing 75 days of something in a row built my self-trust through being a by-product of the actions that were taking place.

A byproduct may be unintended, but not necessarily unwelcome. For instance, grapeseed oil is a byproduct of the winemaking process. The grapeseed oil represents a success you didn’t realize you were looking for during the process of showing up for yourself.

We used to release a video every Sunday for four years. This was our main process of creating something. The byproduct of that was, in 2013, our content became a library of videos that we licensed for nearly $30,000. This money allowed us to move across the country to California.

Were we making videos for that purpose? Not consciously, but the byproduct always reveals itself in one form or another. It can also manifest negatively, so be careful.

That’s why it’s important to guard your mind and actions daily. Take eating junk food every day, for example. The main product is consuming the food, but the byproducts are dangerous: brain fog, diabetes, high blood pressure, fatigue, and overall poor health. Or consider not flossing—its byproduct could be cavities, tooth loss, or a root canal. You get the idea.

You want your main product to set you up for a great byproduct, which is truly the success. The main thing is the external output, but the byproduct is the internal growth—that’s how I see it.

Start working on that product today so the byproduct can actually change your life. 

Rome is the Co-Founder of Heye Frequency. He is a Creative Director, Writer, and Content Creator on a journey to serve the masses through Creative Wellness.