This week started with a gig and ended with a broken elbow.
Somewhere in the middle, Pamela Anderson messaged me. Allegedly.
Let me explain…
I played a gig the other night. Not a busking one, no tips, no merch table. Just a paid booking, turn up, do the job.
But I still walked away richer.
I got 9 new 5-star reviews on my Google Business Profile. That’s over a 50% bump in one night – from 15 to 24.
Now if you’ve ever tried to get real reviews, you’ll know that’s not small.
It’s leverage.
It’s future bookings. It’s social proof. It’s a digital footprint that keeps working long after the show ends.
But the real lesson isn’t the reviews – it’s when I asked.
I didn’t wait till the end. I didn’t wait for the applause.
I did it in the middle of the set. Just pointed to a little sign and said:
"If you’re enjoying this, just scan this and leave a quick review. No money involved – just helps a brother out."
That’s it.
And people did it. Because the moment was live. The mood was high.
That’s when people want to give back – not later, not tomorrow, not after they’ve wandered off to scroll TikTok or argue about taxis.
Most missed opportunities aren’t missed because we didn’t ask.
They’re missed because we asked too late.
Pamela Anderson slid into my inbox..
Yeah. Got a message from Pamela Anderson on Substack.
Said she wanted to “reach out to her fans personally.”
Which was odd – because I’m not a fan. She followed me first.
Then she invited me to chat… on Discord.
(Because obviously that’s where international celebrities go to connect with five-subscriber Substack writers from Norway.)
I’m 99.9% sure it’s a scam.
But 0.1% of me is now wondering what I’d even say to Pamela Anderson.
I can honestly say that I have never seen a single episode of Baywatch or seen BarbWire or her home movie with Tommy Lee, so I am definitley NOT her biggest fan..that said I am intruiged to see how she fits into the new Naked Gun film and to see if Liam Neeson can actually do comedy.(remember that scene in Extras?)
Anyway, the whole thing made me laugh.
Maybe Substack is more powerful than I thought.
The rescue became the mission..
My mother-in-law and her sister flew all the way from California to Norway this week.
They were coming to help us out.
Support Sally with her PhD. Help with our little one. Just lighten the load a bit.
Except… within 24 hours, her sister tripped over a suitcase, smashed her elbow, and now needs surgery.
So now we’re looking after her.
She doesn’t speak Norwegian. Has never been here before. She’s jet-lagged, can’t dress herself, and needs full-on care.
And just like that, our house went from being “rescued” to being “rescuers.”
We were already stretched.
But here we are – more to carry, less help to carry it.
And yet... there's gold in this too
This might sound strange, but I really believe every apparent setback carries a seed of breakthrough.
Even in all this – the fatigue, the frustration, the extra work – there’s something being built in me.
In us. As a couple. As a family.
More patience. More clarity. A deeper reliance on eachother and on God.
And maybe most of all – a reminder that no one is coming to save us.
Not in the way we imagine.
And that’s ok.
Because that’s the moment you stop waiting... and start growing.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
— James 1:2-3
I’ve read that verse before. But this week, it hit different.
It’s not just about surviving hardship – it’s about mining it.
Looking for the opportunity buried inside the chaos.
The growth hidden in the grind.
Sometimes what feels like a slap in the face is actually a sacred invitation.
So yeah. This week wasn’t easy.
But I got a few more reviews.
Pamela Anderson may or may not be a fan.
And the people who came to help us gave us something more valuable than help.
They gave us a chance to carry more.
And carrying more – even badly – is how you get strong.
If this resonated, feel free to share it or forward it on.
We don’t need saving – we just need strengthening.
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Final thoughts
What’s your challenge as a musician trying to grow your audience?
Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to help you tackle it!
Remember:
Rejection is correction. Ridicule is fuel. Keep thriving.
Until next time,
Spence C