One Producer in the City

Want to grow? Find new conversations.

One of the most common concerns I hear from clients is that they feel they can't get beyond their existing customer base. Whether it involves raising money and they are trying to get beyond  friends and family, or trying to get to a new base of clients for a business, the issue always seems to be the plateau. 

My answer: 

Find new conversations. 

One of the best ways to gather outside interest in a project is to talk to someone new, but rather than just go and randomly tell people about you, find an existing conversation and get involved. For step by step instructions check out Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk. 

Right now there are tons of conversations for you to get involved in. If you comment on this blog today and I comment back, you've started a new conversation with me and my readers for one example. 

Some others: 

Like a Facebook page and comment

Support someone on Kickstarter or Indiegogo and comment on why you're supporting them

Respond to a forum post 

Attend a gathering of people outside of your business

The more conversations you become involved in, the wider your reach will be. 

So start a conversation today. 

Excelsior! 

P.S.- One seat left for Finding Center! 

Where the big deals happen (It's not where you think)

This memorial day weekend a whole slew of deals were made. 

And I'm willing to bet very few of them were around a conference table.

They happened on boats, at barbeques, and most likely by swimming pools and here's why:

If you are working on a big deal, the other person needs to feel that they trust you. What better way to decide on this, than spend some time with you and your loved ones? 

Makes sense right?

All too often we turn down the opportunity to go out because we feel we must stay in and work, but if we do that all the time, then we're actually missing out on the opportunity to strengthen some of those major relationships. 

So the next time you get invited out by someone who you are working on a deal with or someone who you are developing a business relationship with, don't just write it off. 

You could be discussing that big deal and just not know it. 

Excelsior!

P.S.- Only 2 seats left for Finding Center! 

What NCIS can teach you about success

One of the shows that I enjoy watching when I have some precious downtime is NCIS. It's one of those murder mystery military things that ends up doing marathons on cable every other weekend. While I was meeting with one of my consulting clients, I realized that there is something they do in every single episode that actually makes a lot of sense if you want to be successful. Are you ready for it?

Return to the scene of the crime and look at EVERYTHING

It seems really simple, but take a moment now to think about the last time you had amazing success. I'm willing to bet that there were factors that lead to that success that you could probably find again. If you got an amazing client who has transformed your business, wouldn't it make sense to ask where that client came from? If they are from a certain referral, wouldn't it make sense to go back to that referral?

Now let's think about it in more depth. Who else worked on the project that you loved? Have you asked them what other projects there may be? Where you could look?

Return to the scene and you may find something you missed the first time and catch that gig. 

So the next time you are wondering where your next project is going to come from, take a second and go back to the project you just left. 

Who knows? Just like those NCIS folks, you may have missed something. 

Excelsior!

P.S.- Only a few early bird seats left for Finding Center. Grab them HERE! 

 

How to survive bad gigs

We all have them, especially in an arts related field.

Bad gigs.

Someone asks us to come on board with a project and it looks pretty good from the outside, but once we sign on, it turns into a nightmare. 

It's easy to despair in these situations and to blame ourselves. We ask how could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I say No? Etc. 

But none of that is really helpful. 

So from someone who has had a lot of bad gigs in his life in the arts and beyond, here are my top five tips for surviving them.

1. Assess honestly- When I realize I'm in the middle of a sh%# storm, I take a moment to ask how bad things really are and I'm often surprised to find that they are not as bad as I think. Whatever the gig is you're on, ask yourself what the worst thing is that can happen. Once you have that answer you know how deep you're in. If you're not in that deep, there may be options for making things less tough or easing the burden in certain places. If it's really bad and you're in deep, you know what you're dealing with. The worst thing is to not assess honestly and call something really bad not that big a deal. Remember, the most dangerous words in the English language are "Maybe it will go away" 

2. Consult a mentor- If you're gong through hell, chances are someone before you has also gone through it. Ask them about their experience and what they did in that situation. You may get some really good advice or hear about something you may not have thought of. They may be able to connect you to someone who helped them out of the problem in the past. They may also be able to talk to the person managing your project and get the full picture. My mentors have helped me get out of a number of bad gigs. If you don't have a mentor, start looking for one. 

3. Know your rights- If you have a funny feeling about a project you are working on, then there may be something to that. I have been on a number of gigs in the past where someone asked me to do something that seemed shady and sure enough, when I asked around, I found it to be illegal or have significant repercussions. Sometimes that person I was working for wasn't even aware of the repercussions. Before you do anything that feels strange, make sure you know what is legal. 

4. Vent to those not involved- It's going to be tempting to complain to someone on the team, but it's also really easy for that person to go back to the boss and have a conversation as well. If you aren't happy about something and need to vent, find an outlet that is not connected to the gig. It keeps everything in perspective and those who aren't working on the project will often offer different viewpoints which are incredibly valuable.

5. Take notes and decide what you won't do in the future- This is the most important thing. If something frustrated you, take notes and in the future, add a clause to your contract so the thing that is happening doesn't happen again. Take note of what you loved doing and what you hated doing and when a new project comes along, ask yourself honestly how many things will you be doing that you love and what will you be doing that you hate? Choose the project based on that information and you'll be in good shape. 

I can't promise that you'll be offered good projects from here on out, but I can promise that you'll make more informed decisions about what projects to take on. 

And being informed will always lead to better work.

Excelsior! 

What to do when you're stuck in the mud

We've all had those days where we set out to get something done and without warning everything seemed to go wrong.

The file took too long to download

We got stuck on the subway

The paperwork took longer than we expected

Someone's feelings got hurt

The copier jammed

The list goes on an on.

The way I look at project setbacks is the same way I look at getting stuck in the mud. There are a few things that you should NEVER do when things are not going your way.

1. Get mad and step on the gas- When you have a setback on a project, it's very easy to get really angry and push as hard and as fast as you can to get everything done. Much like a car in the mud, if you do this you will only sink deeper and get more frustrated. When experiencing a moment of failure the best thing to do is calm down and slow down. Staying calm and moving slow will help you assess your situation.

2. Ignore your suroundings- When something isn't working, it's your natural inclination to look at the road ahead and want to move forward, but sometimes you need to look behind you, see the situation and make an informed decision. When in the mud, sometimes moving backwards gets you to a point that is less muddy and provides more traction. You may also find opportunities on either side of you that you can turn into.

3. Do it all yourself- No one wants to ask for help when their car is stuck, but sometimes you need someone to give you a push. If you find yourself slipping on one of your projects, think about who else you know who might be able to give you a little push while you gently push the gas. 

It's never fun being stuck in the mud, but you don't have to stay there forever. Take the time to slow down, look around, and ask for help and you'll be on the road again in no time. 

Excelsior! 

P.S.- Find someone to give you that push at the next Solving for X!

What cleaning your room and producing have in common

Old habits die hard.

When I was young I hated cleaning my room. As a result, it would often get so messy, you couldn't even get in there. (Sorry, Mom) 

Once it got to be so ridiculous that it was unbearable, I would set aside an entire afternoon and just dig in. Once I got into the flow of things, I moved pretty quickly and eventually got everything cleaned up and the room looked great. The problem was that I would start the cycle all over again once it was finished and eventually end up with a messy room again. 

As I moved on in life and got involved in teaching a similar thing happened. I would wait forever to grade my papers and after a while I had a mountain of paperwork waiting for me and I'd have to spend an entire Sunday in the faculty room grading until I finally got through it all.

Producing has a similar cycle in the fact that there are many elements of it that you may not be excited about: Filling out paper work, working on your budget, having tough conversations, etc. but much like the room which got messy and the papers which piled up, the producing tasks will not go away. They will likely just pile up. 

So here are some things I have done recently that have helped me with my room cleaning. 

1. Early morning face the music- I now make it a point when I get up to get the things done that I am dreading. Whether it be paperwork, certain phone calls, or filing I make sure to tackle it early so I can't put it off. Sometimes I do a great job at this and sometimes the old habits creep in, but everyday is a new day to break an old habit. 

2. Daily routine- This one saves me so many times and keeps things from piling up. It is also one of the toughest to keep because the day can change on a dime. One phone call and 2 hours of free time can turn into two hours on the phone or at a location. The one thing that helps though is making sure to do certain things every day and giving them a time. It's actually proven that it takes 30 days to break a habit or to form it, so if you're like me and feeling frustrated, just remember once you've made it through the task once, you only have 29 days to go. 

3. Systems- My life is saved by systems multiple times a day. When you create a system for yourself, you can then just follow the system to get things done and it takes you less time. For example, if there is an email you get all the time, like someone who is asking you to read a script, having a set of rules to go to as to how you engage with them makes things so much easier. With systems in place you never feel overwhelmed because you've already chosen what all of the next steps will be. 

And there you have it. A couple of quick things you can do to clean up that mess. 

What are your tricks for getting things done? Feel free to comment below.

P.S.- Solving for X is coming up soon. Grab your tickets HERE. 

It's easy to change the date.

 

In looking back at a lot of the work I've done I've discovered something interesting that I wanted to share with all of you.

When something is a few months away, it's really easy to see it as being a life time away. This was especially true in school. If the paper was due in a month, that seemed so far away when it was assigned, but sure enough it came faster than I could have imagined. 

When working on projects, the same thing can happen and has happened to me. I have had projects where I felt I had plenty of time, so I dragged my feet a little and took it easy. 

This really did not work out for me and I'm pretty sure it won't work out for anyone else either. 

So what is the reason for this?

It's easy to change the date in our minds.

A project is like a storm. It often seems really far away, but before you know it and when you least expect it, it's at your door causing you all sorts of headaches. 

So this begs the question: How do we combat this?

Accountability. 

If you set a date for something, write it down and then call or email someone you trust and ask them to put it in their calendar too. 

Have your friend check in on your progress week to week. 

Suddenly there's someone watching over you, so you are more likely to get things done ahead of time. 

It's easy to change the date when you're alone

But not when someone else is watching the clock.

What tips do you have for holding to deadlines? Share them in the comments below.

Excelsior!

Solving for X is coming up. Grab your tickets HERE. 

 

It's all Legos

When I was a kid, I loved legos. There was something about building a car or a helicopter, or a castle that made me smile. What was the most fun was when I would take a batch from the castle set and a batch from the car set and make something cool like a tank. 

What was so exciting about that was that the same blocks for one thing could be used to create something entirely different. 

So why would I take the time to talk about this? 

Because it occurred to me that Everything is Legos. 

Stay with me. 

The idea of legos is that you have multiple blocks that come together to make something and they are interchangeable. 

So if you look at a business, show, or a project the same idea applies. Every project has multiple parts and if you break things down, you can create new projects, businesses, and shows. 

Makes sense right? 

It would also stand to reason that you can fix problems using this system as well. 

Let's say for example, you have just opened a show and nobody is showing up. (I know, that NEVER happens right?) Now let's say you look at it and break it down. What are you actually doing? What happens online? What happens off line? What happens via email? Etc. Now you look specifically at one of those and decide what's working. You focus on that and all of a sudden you start solving the problem. 

The same thing happens with business. I often tell early stage entrepreneurs to break a business you admire into three chunks: 

1. What you love

2. What you hate 

3. Who the business serves

To start your own business take these answers and do the following:

1. Add more of what you love

2. Eliminate as much as you can of what you hate

3. Serve a different community

Many times I find the answer to some of the biggest problems with my projects are staring me right in the face, they're just hiding amongst the blocks.

So take a little time today to look at an existing problem you have and break it down.

Think legos.

Nuff said.

Excelsior! 

Don't be afraid to change lanes

Many folks say that Life is a highway and some even sing about it.

I also think it's important to view your career path as a highway and to recognize that there is more than one lane. 

You may make the decision that you want to be a screenwriter and you go to school for screenwriting. You take all the classes, attend the events, do some internships etc. and you get out of school with your shiny new diploma and you are on the open road. 

Then all of a sudden, another screenwriter pulls in front of you and another in back of you and then three more up front, and three more in the back. You slow down to a crawl and stare at the bumper of the guy or girl in front of you. 

Meanwhile, you watch a bunch of other people flying by you. 

That is one career path. 

One lane. 

Now let's say you happen to also love cooking, but because you love screenwriting you make these really cool 10 minute movies about the journey that food takes when being cooked. Your reservoir dogs-esque egg cracking scene, becomes the talk of the internet. You get offered a deal to write silly scenes for Food network. 

Still with me?

Two lanes. 

Now let's say that in all of your spare time you like to paint. You're pretty good and some people have even bought your art. They haven't paid much, and you're a little embarrassed that you accepted a gift card to Staples as part of the payment, but nonetheless you made some money. 

Three lanes. 

So here's the money question:

Which lane do you pick? 

(insert jeopardy music here. Or rock out to this guy) 

Your answer:

The lane that you can move fastest in. 

Why?

You can ALWAYS switch lanes. 

There is nothing that says you have to stand in line with everyone else waiting for things to work out with your dream. If you see a new market or an opportunity to stand out, you should take it and step on the gas, because you can always switch back over to what you want to do. 

So what might this look like with our fictional example? 

Screenwriter gets out of school and starts taking meetings with producers, while doing so, he decides to keep making his funny food movies. He's offered a job at Food Network and changes lanes. While in the food industry he meets a bunch of producers, one of whom is an art collector and offers him the chance to do a show, he takes it and changes lanes again. The show is a total bust (I mean come on, he can't win all the time) and he has drinks with one of the few people who liked his work. Turns out this guy knows a film producer looking for screenplays , he switches back into the lane he started in but he's way ahead of the other guys. 

Will this always be the case?

Nope.

But it's way better than just sitting around. 

So the next time you are feeling stuck in your career and you feel like you're in this video, stop and ask if it's possible to change lanes. 

It may end up being the one move you need to move forward. 

Think about it.

Excelsior! 

Two more days left to win five free books! Check it out HERE

Have you checked out Solving for X yet? 

While I'm away....

For those of you who do not know, I am out of town for the next couple of days and as a result of this, I will not be at a place where I can get to a computer easily. I managed to get the chance to hop on one briefly and will be reposting some of the most popular blogs from the past until I get back in on Thursday. I hope you all enjoy them!

Below is my most retweeted blog post: Why NOT to Start a Theatre Company. Enjoy! 

Excelsior!

Why NOT to start a Theatre Company

Recently I have met with a number of people who have wanted to start their own theatre companies.

Many of them really did not realize what that meant and after having a conversation decided not to start their own companies. 

Wow. That sounds negative right? 

Actually, I think it's a positive and here's why:

If you are planning on starting a company that is a responsibility. If that company grows that responsibility is to many people including yourself and those in the theatre community, and frankly, many of the folks I meet are not interested in that responsibility and it causes a heck of a lot of aggravation for those that are serious about it. 

So today I am going to give you some reasons why NOT to start a Theatre company

1. My friends and I are not getting the roles we want- I understand the frustrations of missed opportunities, but if the only basis for creating the company is to create roles for a few people, then it's better to do a showcase of scenes with that group of friends and save the time and money it takes to develop something that is long term. 

2. No one will pay attention to us unless we have a company- Um. Ok. My question would be what magic is there in that logo or image that suddenly draws all the press to you like you're the one ring? Plenty of people get press every day without being a part of a company because they find established companies to work with or they strike out on their own. 

3. I want people to know my work as a playwright or a director- This is one of my favorites because it's counterintuitive. If you are going to be spending all of your time running a company, how much time can you really devote to your writing and directing career and if it's only about you, it's going to be very difficult to get the organization to grow. 

4. All of my friends started one- And if all of your friends decided to jump off... Well you get the point. 

5. It's the only way I can get funding for my projects- Nobody gives because you're a company. They give because they believe in the work you do or they believe personally in you. No one invests in companies, they invest in people. 

There are plenty of others but I'm sure by now you get the point. If you want to start your own theatre company that's great and I applaud you for it, but please don't do it for one of these reasons.

Do it because you have a vision of the future that you want to share with others.

Do it because the company will serve a community that hasn't been served.

Do it because you want to help other people and make an impact. 

Do it because you love that mission and will pursue it far into the future and are willing to be at the helm of the ship.

We don't need any more generic companies, because we have too many already

We DO need companies that do work that matters, that change the game, and that want to serve theatre as a whole.

So please think before you make that baby, because just like a real one, you'll be responsible for it for a long time. 

Excelsior!