Have you ever wondered how to build a sustainable career as a creative? Not just being recognized for your personal brand, but making substantial revenue, building systems, and managing operations like a business owner? Ahead of CultureCon, Do What You Think (DWYT), a motivational and wellness brand for creatives and entrepreneurs, hosted a networking event at the viral Black-owned coffee shop, Lips Cafe, featuring COVL and Jae Tips, high-earning artists who are living the dream for many. In the true spirit of CultureCon weekend, there was no gatekeeping on how to make it in the industry. They provided three key elements to shifting mindsets from thinking like creatives to thinking like a company.
“The prize for good work is more work,” said Jae Tips, starting the evening off with a banger. Before getting into the ‘nitty gritty’ of what it takes to scale a business, there was an emphasis on a foundational principle— deliver quality. Not just providing a great product or service, but being fully present in the collaboration process. Jae Tips shared that he’s always on time for meetings, clear on what the deliverables are, and accommodating. “I’m not giving anyone an excuse to say that I was hard to work with,” he stressed. If you have a stellar product or service, and people enjoy working with you, growth is inevitable. That’s one of the biggest takeaways from their discussion.
A valuable lesson that COVL fixated on was “creative autonomy”. When I asked her to define it, she said, “It’s being able to earn the money that I’m working for 100% .” Essentially, the ability to build a legacy through your artistry by owning everything. She implements this in two ways, and it has changed the trajectory of her career by increasing her market value. First, COVL no longer works with a team. When a brand reaches out, all conversations, deals and final decisions are made solely by her. That means all money goes directly to her. Secondly, she trademarked her artist name. In doing so, if a brand inquires about long-term collaboration or licensing, since her name is present on her artwork, additional rates apply, since there’s an industry standard for utilizing intellectual property. COVL has been able to increase her asking price by thinking like a business and not just a creative.
Lastly, the importance of systems was highlighted. A creative who wants to increase the number of opportunities they receive and ultimately, the amount of money they make, must operate as a project manager. That means utilizing tools that make closing deals from start to finish as effective as possible. The very top of this process is getting a brand to recognize you. Jae Tips emphasized the importance of a social media presence that reflects the business you’re trying to grow. He described social media as “subscribing to people.” Think to yourself, when people or a brand look at your page before pressing follow, what does it look like they’re subscribing to? Now, once a collaborator likes what they see, and an inquiry or creative brief is sent, the tool NotebookLM (a free Google product) was mentioned for summarizing, organizing, and condensing text you may not have time to read. That’ll be helpful to increase your response time. Now, say a brand wants to take the next step in working with you. There are now multiple deadlines and conversations leading up to delivering the final project. To manage the day-to-day, COVL suggested Trello for project management. Especially if you have a full-time job and your creative endeavor is a side business. Once the project is complete and it’s time to get paid, COVL stressed the importance of having an LLC to make business-to-business transactions instead of business-to-creator. This protects the creator legally and also makes money management smoother. Following these tips will help you build a credible business that brands look forward to working with.
As you’re reading, it may seem simple, but in actuality, implementing these steps takes time, patience, and discipline. Jae Tips and COVL fully acknowledge that shifting your mindset to operating like a business after solely focusing on being creative is tough. It won’t happen to you overnight, just as it didn’t happen for them overnight. But, “continue to show up,” COVL encouraged as she closed, because the world needs your creations.