– a limited series about unconventional economics –

Business is hard.
Sales is icky.
Marketing involves self-promotion – which sounds absolutely horrible.

These beliefs are not only erroneous, they are prejudiced.

What if we changed the vocabulary a little bit?

Business = Taking Your Work Seriously
Sales = A Sacred Exchange of Energy
Marketing = Making Terrific New Friends

So if I were to invite you to take your work more seriously, and engage in more regular sacred exchanges of energy with people who found you because you had put some effort into making some terrific new friends….that sounds OK, right?

Right.

EASY ACTION STEP:

Today, spend 15 minutes taking ONE easily affordable step to demonstrate that you are taking your work more seriously.

Here are some easy suggestions:

• Order business cards (I like Moo.com, and you can get 25% off if you use my affiliate link: https://refer.moo.com/s/Samantha_Bennett9)
• Add your professional designation to your Facebook page bio
• Get listed in a professional directory
• Search Instagram for hashtags that relate to your field & follow the influencers
• Register for a conference related to your field
• Practice answering the question, “What do you do?” with pride
• Open a business bank account
• Create a LinkedIn profile

When you start taking yourself more seriously, the world will, too.

And remember: The World Needs Your Art.

Yours,

“That’s 12k from drawing pictures, from selling things with weird animals printed on them. From little resin critters. From taking one little step forward every day (or most days, anyway). From getting brave and making phone calls. From occasionally spending an outsized amount of money on things that were not a guarantee. From asking for help. From panicking and staying committed anyway. From not giving up.” – V.G., current member of Sam’s Pro Club

– a limited series about unconventional economics –

You love the act of creation.

You just want to write, dance, sing, take photos, throw pots, play your instrument, make jewelry, play with textiles, act, draw, do standup, design…

But like everyone, you need to make a living.

This economic reality weighs on you like a heavy cape.

Because the world has been telling you for years that you CANNOT make a living doing what you love.

So you believe that:

• business is hard
• sales is icky
• marketing involves self-promotion –  which sounds absolutely horrible.

There’s even a phrase for it: starving artist.

Now, we don’t say, “starving minister” or “starving employee of a fast-food restaurant” – in fact, put in any other context, the phrase seems insulting. Which it is. Please join me in never using it again, won’t you?

Here’s the real problem: for all that you have studied your craft, no one ever taught you anything practical about how to actually create an economically sustainable life for yourself.

In this blog series, I’ll show you some simple steps you can take to reclaim your right to make a living doing what you love, starting with easy action steps like the one below.

EASY ACTION STEP:

Today, make some 5-Minute Art about money, art and feeling discouraged.

How to Make 5-Minute Art:

Grab some scrap paper and a pen and scrawl out some stick figures that express how the whole “make a living from art” thing feels to you. Just make the shape of the feeling, or the color. Or, if you prefer, create a little song or dance or poem about it. Have fun. Work fast. Be brief.

No one ever has to see your 5-Minute Art, although if you want to share it with me on our Facebook page, I would absolutely LOVE that. https://www.facebook.com/TheRealSamBennett/

NOTE:

You might be nodding to yourself here, thinking, oh, yeah – I should try that sometime.

Let me encourage you to to try it right now. This moment.

I have been training creatives to be more prosperous for over 10 years now, and the testimonials for this exercise alone are mind-blowing…

“I just realized I’m not that scared after all…”

“I can see that money is trying to be my friend and I keep pushing it away…”

“WOW – these are some very old stories that I am completely finished with as of now!”

See – transformation can be both easy and fun : )

Yours,

“Loved the reminders & the ease you demonstrated…just thinking now that a little self promotion practice might be in order among us/ we highly sensitive creatives who hold visions, accomplish goals, then move along forgetting our accomplishment or minimizing the body of completed work. Thank u Samantha Bennett.” – L.G., current member of Sam’s Pro Club

—a limited series about unconventional economics—

Whatever the next step is for you in bringing your work to the world, I want you to do two things:

1. Quit thinking you can’t do it.
2. Quit thinking you can do it alone.

When I started The Organized Artist Company ten years ago, I knew nothing about business. I didn’t know bupkis about marketing, sales, managing a team, email, invoicing, terms & conditions, guarantees, systems or economics.

I only knew that I wanted to help people & I needed to make a living.

So I immediately surrounded myself with people who were smarter than I was. Supportive, clever, fun people. I made so many new friends those first few years, and most of them are still in my life today. (It’s still surprising to me, who was “the weird lonely kid” growing up, how many friends I have been blessed with as an adult….)

If you are not currently friendly with at least ONE person who:

• Understands what you’re trying to do with your life
• Respects and adores you
• Will celebrate your wins with you
• Will console you when things look bleak
• Offers genuinely helpful advice

Then you need to find that person, asap.

HINT: Me. I can be that person for you. F’reals.

SECOND HINT: Check out tomorrow’s video for you to find out how you can get access to me and a whole community of creative geniuses who can’t wait to cheer you on.

Yours,

“What I wish someone had said to me before I joined: You will be surprisingly more productive when you join Sam’s Pro Club. The stakes are higher and so are the rewards. Get in the game!”  – Judy Gitenstein, current member of Sam’s Pro Club

— a limited series about unconventional economics —

You don’t feel ready to quit your day job.

You don’t feel ready to put yourself out there.

You don’t feel ready to call yourself an entrepreneur.

You don’t feel ready to go to conferences.

You don’t feel ready to have a website.

You don’t feel ready to figure out social media.

You don’t feel ready to even take one tiny step toward the life you dream of.

Oh – wait.

What was that last one?

About feeling ready to take one tiny step?

OK.

Maybe *that* you could do.

EASY ACTION STEP:

Make a list of 5 tiny steps you could do right now.

• Maybe you could reach out to one person you adore who might have some good advice for you.
• Maybe you could spend 15 minutes a day working on your ideas.
• Maybe you could do a Google search for your dream gig, and check out the websites of others who are doing it.
• Maybe you could…(fill in the blank)

Yours,

“Sam, you teach live-time and with authenticity that is rare. What do I wish someone had told me about joining Sam’s Pro Club? That you will get off to a quick start because everyone’s time involved is valuable. You will get your investment back in income and/or education. You will learn things that you haven’t even imagined yet. You will become a better, faster decision-maker. You won’t be alone in your craft, art, goals, big ideas, and wins. You will learn how to fail forward fabulously. You will be surrounded by beautiful, generous, talented folks. And you will get all of this because you first said yes to yourself and a wonderful opportunity.” – Angie McIntyre, recent alumni of Sam’s Pro Club