Did I Overpay for Cheese?

Two days ago, at a craft fair that was set up at an outdoor mall that’s a dozen or so miles from where I live, I bought cheese.  Talk amongst yourselves about a vendor being set up to sell cheese at a craft fair.  (And yes, I already know both sides of the debate).

This is where I tell you that I am quite the cheese eater.  Dare I say, I’m a big fan.  There is a difference, though, in that I would not necessarily say that I’m a connoisseur.  I don’t mind disclosing that every weekday, cheese (and crackers) is a part of what I consider to be my lunch.

The above purchase came approximately 24 hours after plunking down an obscene amount of money (365 dollars) for one ticket to the Rush concert here in Tampa, a little over a year from now (November 9, 2026, to be exact).

I can already hear the wheels turning in your head.  “Which one will he get more satisfaction out of?”  Or, “Will the satisfaction last longer for the cheese or the live show?”

What value do we place on things and how does our behavior reflect that?  Let me clarify that when I say, ‘things’ I challenge you to instead consider the word ‘experiences.’

A few years ago, a client told me that her family had shifted from buying Christmas gifts to instead spending money on a present that would be an experience.  You’ll remember a weekend getaway at a cabin in the mountains and appreciate it a lot more than a sweater that you look at three-and-a-half years later and wonder, “Where did I get this from again?”

On the episode of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast released last Wednesday, you heard singer, songwriter, guitar player Brice Long talk about – and I echoed it – the atmosphere in a listening room at a songwriter show.  When you’re there in the audience, even time itself holds its breath.  It’s a very special moment.

Some of you might say, “I don’t need it to be a listening room environment, but yeah, sometimes when I’m out seeing a performer at a local joint, nothing else is happening in that moment except me getting caught up in that song that they’re doing.”

What is that worth to you?  Just like the cabin getaway, there’s value.  Do you show it by putting something in their physical or virtual (Venmo, Zelle, etc.) tip jar?

I am so, so fortunate to be hosting the podcast, every week now since February 2014 without missing once.  Episode 611 comes out the day after tomorrow.  I do completely immerse myself in those interviews and I am so dialed into the conversation.  I know when the episodes are unfolding that are really and truly special.

Do you listen?  Do you find value in them – entertainment- and/or education-wise?  Are there some borderline pull-the-car-over moments?  I would ask you to buy me a coffee (or two) and let me know how the conversation(s) impacted you.

Heck, maybe you read this blog every week and find a lot of value in what gets published here at the start of each week and want to buy me a coffee (or two) with a note about your takeaway(s) from these posts.

The vendor at the craft fair said that it was fifteen dollars for a quarter pound of cheese.  Wow.  That sounded like a lot of money – just for a little bit of cheese.  He gave me samples of three different types of cheese.  He then gave my wife samples of two different types of cheese.  As I got excited about potentially taking some home, my wife remembered aloud that we weren’t going straight home, meaning the purchase probably shouldn’t happen since it would be sitting and sitting in the car in the hot Florida sun.  The vendor said, “I’ll give you an ice pack.”  Sold.

He sliced some off the huge mass, put it on the scale, and said, “Okay, that’ll be 23 dollars.”  Yikes.  Not fifteen?  Just for cheese?  Guess what?  He gave us five samples and an ice pack, was a really nice guy, and is local.  I know I'll savor the purchase.

I’m not here to say, “Don’t shop at big box stores” and/or “Boycott Amazon.”  Instead, I encourage you to look for experiences and how something makes you feel.  And then let that influence your actions with your physical or virtual wallet to express your appreciation for what someone is doing – with their hands, with their voice, with their talent.

Now a Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for over twenty years.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.