My theme for this week is tech. Tech as a support for your business as an artist. As you bring your business online and the importance of using tech even if your business is 99% offline. Because you still, no matter what, are going to have to have an email service provider, whether you have an online or offline business. Now the majority of you listening are consciously working at building and bringing your business to the online space but there are a few of you who really conduct your business offline. All of your clients, even if you are always face to face, live in person, have and use email. The bottom line is that email is still, to this day, one of the most effective ways to connect with, nurture and sell to your most ideal clients. Those past clients and potential clients who are on your list right now are the ones who are in your world and want to be hearing from you.
I have a great number of artists, right now in the Psychology of Sales course who are really making the most incredible progress in terms of whipping their businesses into shape. Getting their websites optimized for a better client experience. However, the biggest question I've been getting from all of them is about email. They're nervous about inundating their clients and potential clients with emails. Email lists can be the most annoying and disruptive part of our email boxes. Now if this is something that you feel when working on your email list then this episode is for you!
To get the Top 4 Artistic Tech Essentials Checklist just go to bit.ly/artistictech
I have a really special topic to cover today and that is simply tech. I have a number of artists taking the Profit Canvas course right now and they're in the phase of the course where they've gone through all the course material. They are well on their way to getting their businesses, not only to the next level, but some of them have leap-frogged several levels ahead of where they anticipated they could ever be when they started the program. It's very exciting to see this whole process take place right before my eyes. Some of the artists have continuity programs going that are going to bring them six-figures before the end of this year. Other's have made just incredible progress in terms of confidence, sales and in knowing exactly what they need to do next. There has been much progress in terms of building their lists, bringing in new clients. It is just so incredible.
The biggest problem that I believe about 90% face as they are moving through all these new systems, thought processes and ways of approaching the plans for their business is tech. This is not surprising because tech is ever evolving faster then we can ever keep up with. It is not natural for us to understand right out of the gate how all the tech pieces work. It's not possible, in the beginning, to understand how all these different software platforms work together to keep our businesses alive and functioning online. It also really hard to tell in the beginning what software platforms you actually need for your business. Artists, if this something you struggle with your business then this episode is for you.
Sarah Naughton is an actress, singer, writer and voice-over artist living in New York City. She lives to devise exciting new theater pieces with diverse collaborators and has been lucky enough to get to do so a lot. From a musical adaptation of Romeo & Juliet at Lincoln Center to the world premiere of a World War I verse tapestry at the Sheen Center, to her own one-woman musical about her work narrating audiobooks.
In our discussion, Sarah shares several anecdotes about how she built her voice-over business in the closet of her apartment by taking advantage of her connections and the small wins that enabled her to stay clear, focused and completely spot-on in her decisions. Artists, if you are just starting your business with your art this episode is for you!
I discovered something really early in life about my personality that is undeniable. I am a bit of a loner. I absolutely love people, I love my relationships. The deeper my relationships get the more my life feels full and complete and rich with wisdom and knowledge and I don't take any one of them for granted but I can only spend a certain amount of time around people before I have to sort of retreat into my own world and process and take everything in and spend a good amount of time alone. I, as a writer, prefer being alone when I'm working on my art. I know a lot of artists feel this way too in my community obviously, a lot of fine artists feel this way. We've spoken about this time and time again. I bring this up though because it causes an issue when you're building a business with your art because even though you're alone as a business owner. I actually thought, when I was just finishing NYU grad school and was out in the real world and I was oh so excited about my career, I was working with the best of the best performance artists, writers, actors just unbelievable reward in the work I was doing here in New York City. And I thought to myself I just hit the mother-load. I get to indulge, I get to immerse myself in this work I'm doing with these wonderful people and then I get to go away, be by myself, take it all in and write alone. Because I was writing my own shows, I was editing books, I was writing shows for other people. So this was a wonderful feeling and when I really looked at what the next step I wanted to take, which of course was to build a business with my art that was fantastically sustainable, profitable, for the long-term and then I wanted to help other artists do the same, I thought 'you know what as soon as I figure this out it's going to be incredible' because running a business is pretty much a solo act especially in the beginning. So I know, myself, and other artists are going to be just in their element as we take these steps to do this. But as it is with life and as it is when you actually take action to do something rather than just think about it I discovered that I was actually wrong. Artists, if this is something that resonates with you then this episode is for you.
As a woman artist who owns a business, by default, because I am an artist, all artists are business owners by default. We just are all not always aware of that because there is zero to little emphasis placed on the fact that as artists in our society at this point in time we are business owners. We are looked at as freelancers by the IRS, we have write-offs just like business owners do and we are expected to figure out on our own how to create and maintain a career that is sustainable otherwise we have to fend for ourselves by getting other jobs, by finding work that takes away from the career path we know we're meant to take. Now there's somewhat of an illusion that people who make it to the "top" meaning "spotlight" there's a perception there are very few spots available at that "top". When really when we sit down and look at the reality we realize in our heart of hearts that that is just an illusion. There is no such thing as the top of the top, there's simply where we are, our own space and how we choose to fill that space that we are meant to fill in this world and that in of itself can lead us to equal levels if not more so success then those at the "top" that we perceive are doing so well and so much better then everybody else.
But that aside, it occurred to me and it occurs to me pretty much on a daily basis, with talking to and working with the incredible artists in the Artists in Business community and how blessed I am on a daily basis to be surrounded by such beautiful artistic minds and talent that there is, in fact, a disconnect between the confidence to take your business in your own hands and put that out into the world with a sense of empowerment and the actual work you do. Now, artists if this is something that you have experienced then this episode is for you.
One of the hardest points of my career in online marketing and as a consultant, so many of you know as an artist my goal was to learn how to run a successful business as an artist and help other artists to do the same because I knew in my heart of hearts, number one it couldn't be that hard and number two that we needed to do this. Because as artists we are business owners by default and then no one really teaches us the skills, the skill-set and the tools to understand how to run our businesses. So I was coming to a standstill all too often and working these day jobs that did not coincide at all with my business as an artist and I wanted to put a stop to that.
I had a short-lived career as an online marketing consultant because I learned online marketing, I started my own business online that failed miserably within the first 12 months because I didn't know what I was doing in terms of combining my revenue goal with my marketing plan. So I worked with a mentor who showed me exactly what I was doing wrong, how to fix that and I started consulting to practice what I had learned from him on his clients, who included, the American Cancer Society, Central Park & Servancy, Fund For Park Avenue, Lenox Hill Hospital. I was the online marketing consultant for those accounts that were his. I then segued into consulting for some of my own personal clients and as I did that and moved away from my mentor's business I realized I was now in position where I was going to need to negotiate my own contract and the best thing in the world and the worst thing at the same time happened when this hit me. Artists, if this intrigues you then listen to this episode to learn more.
Today, I have to address something that has been the biggest eureka moment in my life so far in this year 2018. Now we're only 2 weeks into the year so there is time for aha moments to occur but this one, in particular, I'm so grateful for. I woke up and thought "Oh my gosh, this is such an incredible feeling' and I really wanted to share this with you because it relates so deeply to growing our businesses as artists.
So right before the holidays, most of you know, that in the year 2017 I was faced with multiple challenges personally. Just on a personal level, my father passed away and enough said, there was enough there for me to deal with in my personal/family life and what that did was it forced me to pivot in the way in which I approached my business and in the way I approached my whole life in general. It was a challenging year. One thing I noticed was by the end I was pretty much kind of forcing myself to keep on going. And I had to stop for a second and say 'I know what the problem is I am completely and totally out of shape.' Now I know that sounds like "well you were out of shape so what was the big deal?' But I will tell you what the big deal is. I'm, as a dancer, usually in pretty good shape only because I constantly need to be moving my body. For me, when I'm moving and I'm in my physical body more so then my head that is the time where the magic starts to happen in my life. Now if this is something that resonants with you, Artists, then this episode is for you.
Today, I am really excited that we're starting off the year on the right foot. I've had so many artists write to me and say 'Thanks so much for the 12-month revenue plan'. If you did not get your 12-month revenue plan yet you can get it right now. Simply text artistrevenue to 44222.
Now, I have another surprise for you today and it's something I mentioned last week but I want to make sure that as many people in the Artist in Business community get this as possible which is the Artist 2018 Holiday Sales Guide. So, let's talk about why this is so important for a moment. One of the greatest challenges every single business owner has who's not as prepared as they should be is that when holidays come around they don't have an offer. They don't have a special offer to give to their ideal clients. Now, this becomes a problem because number one the holidays are the best time of the year to have special offers for your ideal clients. Not because you're trying to be manipulative or sleazy around the holidays. Not because you're trying to make a fast buck but because simply people are ready to buy from you at holidays. They want to give and they want to receive. If holidays sales is an issue in your business then this episode is for you.
So I have a question for you, have you been thinking about recently your relationship to money? And sort of coming into touch with what your relationship really looks like. Well, I ask this question because I know a lot of artists in my community are in the midst of doing that right now because the topic has come up time and time again. Mainly because I ask that question when we start talking about putting together a 12-month revenue plan for your business with your art. So there is a bit of a buzz in the Artists in Business community about your relationship to money, what that looks like, what your first money memory is and I'm really quite happy that a lot of people have been talking about it recently, in quite a bit of detail in my community.
Now the reason I find this so intriguing as well as extremely important as a business owner is because making money, as I've said in the past, as a business, is not as hard as getting over your own issues, fears and stories you have around money that are holding you back from actually bringing that money in. Now, Artists, if this is something you struggle within your business this episode is for you.
As a professional athlete and team captain 5 years for both the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints Levar Fisher came to know the importance of being a leader. Having to make critical decisions that affected the team with his professional experience he gained the skills of being a team player with great communication skills and the power to influence while possessing all the key components of a great speaker. Levar now has the opportunity to conquer his dreams by joining the broadcasting industry and influencing and inspiring people all over the country.
I had the privilege of talking to my good friend Levar today about how staying motivated is the key to success in any business, especially in the arts. Artists I don't want you to miss this episode.