Idols, Mentors, Colleagues & Fans - Why It Takes a Village to Support a Creative Entrepreneur

Idols, Mentors, Idols, Mentors, Colleagues & Fans

Colleagues & FansWhy it takes a village to support a Creative EntrepreneurSteven Sparling – The Thriving Creative

www.thethrivingcreative.com

Where business and

creativity collidewww.the

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The creative path is often a very long, and sometimes a

very lonely path.


But it doesn’t need to be


You can make this journey more pleasant and more effective by assembling a

group of people to support you.


We are going to look at the four groups of people you

need on your team


Why you need them


How to find them


And what your relationship with them might be.


Team Member Number One:

IdolsPeople to look up to


Idols – Why you need them

0 We all need something to aspire towards

0 Idols are the people way ahead of you on the journey – the ones who have achieved amazing things

0 The ones who got you interested in this thing in the first place

0 They set the bar high

0 They show you what’s possible

0 We can learn from them and their successes and failures

0 They motivate us to continually try to be better


When the going gets tough, our Idols can help keep us

motivated.

If they can do it, so can I!


Idols – How to find them

0 Chances are your idols have always been there

0 You’ve probably loved them since you were young

0 Shut off your mind, and listen to your heart – that will tell you who your idols are

0 They don’t need to be alive. They can even be fictional characters.

0 Your idol doesn’t have to be from your own field – and you don’t even need to admire everything about them. Focus on which part of their achievements you admire.

0 You can chop and change from many different people.

0 There is no limit to how many idols you can have


You pick either one, or a team of idols, who motivate you, move you and inspire you.

Set them on the horizon in front of you and let them guide you like the North Star guided sailors through the dark night.


Idols – What the relationship might be

0 If your idols are alive, write them a letter, or send them a Tweet – you might get a response. (I have a treasured letter from Stephen Sondheim, one of my idols.)

0 Learn everything you can about your idols. Read their biographies. Study interviews with them. Seek out instances where they have talked about their work.

0 Let their greatest work inspire you. When you are down, or stuck, let them lift you up and make you want to try again.

0 Surround your studio or workspace with photos or images of your idols. Let them feed you.

0 When you don’t know what to do, talk to their photo, or write yourself a letter from them. What would they say if they could communicate with you? (the truth is we usually already know the answer – we might not like it – but it coming from our idol might make us commit to implementing it).


Team Member Number Two:

MentorsPeople to give you advice

As opposed to idols – who you will probably only have a one-way communication with - you are looking to find people at least one step

ahead of you on the journey who are willing to act as guides and sounding boards for you.

Teachers can fulfill the mentor rolewww.thethrivingcreative.com

Mentors – Why you need them

0 You can’t figure it all out on your own. Even if you COULD, you don’t have the time. It’s far more efficient to get advice or expert instruction from someone who has already done it.

0 Mentors are a source of information, advice and contacts – the three things you have need of as you make your way on the journey.

0 Your mentors form your ‘board of directors.’ You want to aim for 3-5 of them with different strengths and areas of expertise you can draw upon

0 They are there to discuss new ideas, to advise on twists and turns on the path and to help you deal with difficult or new situations.


Don’t assume all mentors will donate their time to you. If you want professional, high quality, on-demand information you may

need to pay in the form of a coach or teacher.

There is nothing wrong with this.

This is probably a fantastic investment in your creative career.


Mentors – How to find them0 Look around you. Who have you

worked with that you had a very good relationship with? Ex-bosses can make excellent mentors.

0 Family friends (or personal friends) who are more advanced in their career than you can make excellent mentors.

0 If you belong to professional organisations, look within them for possible mentors.

0 Previous teachers from when you were training might be willing to mentor you.

0 As might people you’ve collaborated with.

0 Identify possible mentors who would be good candidates for your ‘board of directors’ and ASK THEM.

0 It’s flattering to be asked to be a mentor, so don’t be frightened to do it.

0 If there are gaps in the knowledge and skills of your ‘board’ you may need to hire a coach or a teacher with those skills to fill in that category.


You can never have too many mentors so be on a constant lookout for new people to add

to your team.

The more mentors you have, the more specific you can be about tapping into their expertise.

Also, you will likely require less time of each individual mentor.


Mentors – What the relationships might be

0 You must always RESPECT your mentors. If you treat them poorly, they will withdrawal any offers of assistance.

0 When you ask someone to be your mentor, set some parameters – let them know how you might call upon them and how often. Ask their preferences: how would they like you to connect with them? How much time do they have available? And then be sure you respect these limits.

0 When you want something from your mentor, be as specific as possible. Do you want to run an idea by them? Do you want to present them with two options and get their opinion? Are you looking for a phone number? Be specific about how you want them to help you.

0 If they tell you they are too busy to lend support at that particular time, you must respect this. All the more reason to have multiple mentors.

0 If possible, see if you can sit down with them face to face every few months (buy them lunch) to give you longer time to discuss. At other times your contact might be a short email or phone conversation.

0 Assume that everything they tell you is CONFIDENTIAL unless they tell you otherwise.

0 Never blame them. If you ask for, and follow, their advice, and things don’t turn out, it isn’t their fault. You must never blame. You must consult and then make your own decisions and take responsibility for their outcome.

0 Always give thanks. Be appreciative. Soak up what they say.


Team Member Number Three:

ColleaguesPeople to share the journey

Even if you are a solo artist, look for fellow artists on the same path as you.

From time to time, everyone should collaborate – it shakes up your work and introduces fresh ideas.


Colleagues – Why you need them

0 A healthy sense of competition between you and your colleagues is good – it makes everyone work harder and spurs us on

0 No one can offer you support or commiserate when you are down quite like a colleague.

0 No one can celebrate the successes with you quite like a colleague.

0 Colleagues are great for referring work to when it doesn’t exactly fit you or you have too much on your plate (and hope they will refer back to you).

0 Often it’s more cost-effective to share resources with colleagues – whether rehearsal/studio space, equipment or even an assistant.

0 Search out opportunities to help your colleagues. Give freely. Not only will it make you feel good, but there’s a very good chance they will feel compelled to give back to you.

0 Earning the respect of your colleagues feels great. Make sure you choose colleagues that you respect.


As a solo artist (solo-entrepreneur) you might think you want to do everything

yourself. That’s ego talking.

It’s okay to do some solo projects but collaboration makes you better


Colleagues – How to find them

0 Colleagues are everywhere. You just need to open your eyes. They are in the studio down the hall, they are in your classroom, they are the people you see at every audition you go to. Say hello. Just because they are ‘the competition’ doesn’t mean you can’t also be colleagues.

0 Join professional organisations which are relevant to your area. Here you will meet like minded colleagues. Attend events. Take business cards. Pluck up the courage to speak to people.

0 Join some groups NOT related to your field. Here you will meet colleagues who are not also competitors. It’s healthy to have a mix of both.

0 Coffee was invented for meeting colleagues. Saying to someone ‘would you like to have a cup of coffee sometime?’ is a great way to start to find some colleagues. (yes, you can substitute tea, beer, wine, organic dandelion juice – whatever your beverage of choice)

0 Know the difference between colleagues and friends. This is not the relationship in which to discuss your marriage, your children or your crisis of faith. Keep it professional.

0 Be clear about confidentiality. Don’t reveal trade secrets. Keep what you learn to yourself. Colleagues don’t gossip.


Take an interest in the other artists around you.


Colleagues – What the relationships might be

0 Once you have a colleague, make a point of keeping in touch with them on a regular basis. You will find what the right rhythm and timing is for your meetings but aim for at least once every couple of months.

0 Between face-to-face meetings you might touch base with them via Twitter, Email, Facebook, telephone or old fashioned post.

0 Find reasons to get in touch – send them a funny cartoon or an interesting article. Invite them to come with you to hear a guest speaker relevant to your industry or to join you if you are having lunch or drinks with some other colleagues.

0 Find people to introduce your colleagues to. Share your network with them. They will likely return the favour.

0 When the right project comes along that you think they could add value to, ask them to collaborate with you. Define what the relationship will be, get it in writing, determine who will own what or how you will share the finished project and discuss how you will wrap up the project or exit it should things go wrong. Discuss it all up front and get it in writing. Then put it away and get on with the collaboration knowing you have covered both of your interests.


Team Member Number Four:

FansPeople to take an interest in your work

Many of these, though not all, will probably be (or become) customers. But don’t treat them as such! Treat them like guests at a

party you are hosting.


Fans – Why you need them0 It’s like the old saying; if a tree falls

in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

0 We are in the job of creating. But we need to be creating FOR someone.

0 It’s no good to create it and throw it out into the universe and HOPE that someone will hear it.

0 You need to be creating with a specific fan, or group of fans, in mind. (in business terms, this is targeting)

0 Kevin Kelly says we each need 1000 true fans to create a sustainable microbusiness. I think he’s probably right. (Google Kevin Kelly and 1000 true fans to read more)

0 Ultimately if you want to make a living as a creative entrepreneur or practitioner you need people to either hire you, come to your gigs or buy your work. These are your fans. The more fans, the more work you can get, the more likely you are to be able to live off your creative pursuits.


You have to woo Fans.

You have to win Fans 1 by 1.

And then keep them.

The way to do this is to

treasure each and every one of them.


Fans – How to find them0 Give them a compelling reason to

follow you.

0 Do amazing things. Create amazing things. Constantly get better at your art.

0 Share widely. Share freely. No one is going to find you or your work if you are hiding away in your studio. It’s no good to hide your light under a bushel.

0 Don’t expect to make money off of everything. In fact, in order to win fans, you are probably going to have to give work away – for a period of time. Once they become a fan, they are far more likely to buy something from you.

0 Make it easy for fans to find you – have a website, be on Twitter/Facebook/Etsy/Pinterest etc. Get your work into galleries and showings. Do open mic nights. Publicise your events. Give out business cards.

0 Once they’ve found you, make it easy for them to keep in touch. Have a mailing list. TREAT IT LIKE GOLD! Don’t spam them, don’t give/sell your list to others, if they ask to be removed, do it promptly. Have a newsletter. Keep a blog. Tweet. Look for contact with fans across multiple touch points.


You can never have too many fans so be on a constant look-out for new people to add to

your team.

Wherever possible, and practical, get to know your fans. In order to keep making work that is RELEVANT to your fan base, you must

LISTEN to them.


Fans – What the relationships might be

0 Can you use small groups of fans to test out new material? Their feedback and reactions will help you to shape your work.

0 Ask them to help you spread the word. People that like you and your work are happy to share a Twitter link or to ‘like’ something on Facebook – but you have to ask them to do it.

0 Give them a ‘heads up’ about your upcoming projects. Fans love to know about things first.

0 Give them access to your world. A studio visit or a backstage visit can mean the world to someone who follows you. It costs you nothing and the good will it buys will come back to you plenty.

0 Gather as much information about your fans as you can. START A DATABASE. A well-managed database, which you can add to as you learn more, will fuel all kinds of future business. Capture different contacts: email, postal, etc. so you can be in touch with them across different mediums.

0 You want to be personal but not overly friendly with fans. Know the difference between a friend and a fan. Be friendly and civil without telling them about your troubles!

0 They may not buy from you everytime – but that doesn’t mean you strike them from the list. You are looking for lifetime customers. Don’t obsess with short term.


Now that we’ve outlined the four groups


It’s time to take action and start assembling your team

Start by making lists of any existing people you have in the four categories.

Then list possible sources for more.


Set yourself a timeline and some action steps and write

them in your calendar.Your team of people will be built one at a time, but the investment of time and energy to create it will come back to you many times over.

You are only ever as good as the people around you.

Make them count.


Idols, Mentors, Colleagues & Fans - Why It Takes a Village to Support a Creative Entrepreneur

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