Today will be another fairly quick post since this is another day full of meetings, but I wanted to take a second to talk a little bit about our field and how insular it can be.
When I was younger, I would go outside and play in the backyard. It was fenced in like all of the other backyards in Providence and everyone had their own little patch of earth where they played. This made it so that you were always in control of who was in the backyard. You had to ask your parents permission for anyone to come into the backyard and play and they would have to give you that permission. So, for the most part, who you met with and played with was regulated by your parents.
Our industry is a lot like that. Each company is a backyard and people ask permission to come over and play and some companies work well together and others take their toys and go home. Some companies have a lot of money and an in-ground pool in the backyard and some have less money and have a slip n slide, but all share similar interests and job descriptions.
Then there was the lot.
The parking lot of the Hostess factory near my house was a wide open space with no gate, Sure it was fenced in, but if you wanted to go into the lot, all you did was go. There was no asking permission. You juts ran in or rode your bike and kids from all over the neighborhood came. Some from really far away and others from next door.
Our industry needs more lots. A place where you can meet people who don't do the same thing. A place where you can meet a programmer, or an insurance salesman, or a fashion editor and still see actors and directors and stage managers.
I have recently been out there looking for more lots and it has proved incredibly helpful in getting things done. People outside of our business do things very differently and there is a ton we can learn from them.
So the next time you're thinking about inviting someone into your backyard...
Try going to the lot instead.
You may be surprised who shows up and what they can do for your business.
Excelsior!
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