Core Belief #3: Give.

Why business gets a bad rap.

We love all of our core beliefs equally, but this one is pretty darn important. 

When we talk to many of our actor clients about “getting better at their business,” whether by effective marketing or cultivating strong networking skills, something interesting happens: they hit a wall. Oftentimes they get incredibly negative and judgemental of the work we are doing, “This feels fake, inauthentic, slimy”. They associate targeted and strategic work on their business with being anti-artists, being false or untrue.

Sound familiar? We’re so afraid of coming off as needy, greedy or not a “real” artist that we’d rather denounce the idea of putting effort into our business altogether. In fact, most actors are so lacking in any business acumen that when they do decide to “hustle” they see that as emailing casting directors, agents, fellow actors invariably to ask for something.

There is another way.

Good businesses provide value to other people’s lives. Period. In order for any business to be successful, general freelancer, sole proprietorship or international conglomerate, it must always focus on what value it can provide to the marketplace. In other words, what it can give.

So nice, we’ll say it twice.

For the people in the back we’ll say it is one more time: a good business (you) must always focus on what it can give.

If you’re out in these streets thinking that good business means getting opportunities, getting money, getting connections, getting jobs or getting whatever, we’re here to tell you to HALT! After all,  everyone is always trying to get something from someone else, and people see right through it (I’m sure you can).

Why would anyone want to give an opportunity to someone who just wants something from them? 

We encourage you to stand out from all the other “getters” out there and put the time and effort into thinking how you can truly provide value to your network and your target audience? Don’t just reach out when you want something! Reach out to share a funny article, give someone a job opportunity, check in on someone’s family, just because. If you want to connect with a new person, give! Support their work, share something of theirs on social media, connect them to a potential collaborator. 

Our business can stretch us to be more considerate of others, to get outside of ourselves and think about other people. Any evolutionary psychologist will tell you that reciprocity and the quid pro quo was clutch in the surviving and thriving of early humans.

Give generously and selflessly at all times to as many people as you can. This is how we build a base of support. This is how we cultivate true advocates.

Make others feel special, heard and seen. Be a good business person and give!