5 Hamilton Lessons to Incorporate Into Your Business

When you hear Hamilton: An American Musical what do you automatically think of? You’re probably thinking anything from the Revolutionary War to political controversy to its 16 Tony nominations, or are singing any of the musical’s catchy lyrics. But did any connections to the business world cross your mind? Okay, Lin-Manuel Miranda was probably not thinking about business or marketing when he was reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow at the airport or creating the first drafts of “Alexander Hamilton” and “My Shot”, but if you look closely, you can incorporate many of the lessons brought up in Hamilton: An American Musical into your business.

Get yourself a right-hand man

“Ayo, I’m gonna need a right-hand man”

George Washington: founding father, first president, commander, and delegate. Washington helped build our country from the ground up, but he didn’t do it alone. He found himself a right-hand man, Alexander Hamilton, to help keep his affairs in order, share his plans to other generals, and manage communication. Starting and managing a business is hard, so take some advice from Washington, and find yourself a right-hand man or develop a strong team. Not only does a right-hand man or a team provides a shoulder for you to lean on during hard times, but it also makes it easier to handle multiple clients and tasks. Not to mention, more workers means more brains which means more ideas. The more ideas you have, the more likely you’ll be on the path to success. As much as we would love to reach our goals individually, we need to realize reach them on our own; sometimes we need to accept help.

Make yourself indispensable

“From what I hear, you’ve made yourself indispensable.”

Alexander Hamilton basically made himself indispensable by becoming Washington’s right-hand man (something that made people like Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson just a tad jealous). Develop a product that is indispensable to your clients. That could be the physical product or the brand itself. Show your customers why they can’t live without your product or brand. You can do this in various ways like highlighting the authenticity of your product/brand, building a relationship with your customers, or by showing how consistent your product/brand is. Hamilton made himself indispensable by showing Washington how reliable he was, by writing strategically, and building strategic relationships with others, and your business can do the very same.

Don’t throw away your shot

“I am not throwing away my shot.”

That’s arguably one of the most famous lyrics of Hamilton: An American Musical: don’t throw away your shot. This is the motto of Hamilton sings throughout the entire musical as he works to build a legacy. It’s why he took the job as Washington’s right-hand man, why he went to New York, why he started practicing law, why he wrote The Federalist Papers, why he worked so hard creating the government, and why (arguably) he participated in the infamous duel. Be like Hamilton and don’t throw away your shot with your business. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Try writing different copy, try different media tools, expand your target audience, and try new advertising mediums. Don’t throw away your shot by staying in your comfort zone. Risks can distinguish yourself from your competitors and make you stand out to customers. Try something new, don’t miss out on possible opportunities, and don’t miss your shot.

Don’t stop working

“Got a lot farther by working a lot harder.”

Hamilton got to where he was because he kept working and setting new goals. He pushed himself when it came to reading and writing, so he could leave the British West Indies to get to America. He wrote more than half of the The Federalist Papers even though it was divided among three individuals. He wasn’t satisfied with the original government, so he helped lead the Annapolis Convention. Like Hamilton, as a business, you should never stop setting goals in order to keep growing. This could be trying to sell more of a product, reaching new target demographics, recruiting new hires, or building a stronger business network. Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal, write it down, take baby steps towards that goal, and keep working harder.

Write like you’re running out of time

“Why do you write like you’re running out of time?”

Hamilton is known for not only how much he wrote, but also for the content of his writings. His writings helped establish a foundation for the United States, and while your company might not be creating a new nation, you can still write like Hamilton. Hamilton’s writings were successful because he understood the importance of content. The content is what draws customers in, tells a story and describes the brand. The content you create helps create a relationship with your customer; it shows your customers why they should trust you and your brand. The more you write, the more you help your SEO optimization (shout out to keywords). Social media posts keep customers updated and involved with your business, while also providing a dialogue. Blog posts get customers thinking and invested with the business while learning new information. Creative copy draws in new customers and makes your business stand out. So keep writing content; write like you’re running out of time.