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 CreativeEntrepreneurSteven Sparling – The Thriving Creative
www.thethrivingcreative.com
Where business and
creativity collide
www.thethrivingcreative.c
om

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:
Idols
People 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:
Mentors
People 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 role

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 them
0 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:
Colleagues
People 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:
Fans
People 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 them
0 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 them
0 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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