A lot of people in my network describe themselves as creatives.
I'm not really artistic or crafty or a “maker” in any sense (I can barely “make” microwave dinners), but I like pretty things, know my way around photoshop, and get paid for my photography and styling skills… so apparently I am creative.
Although much of what I do on a daily basis is “creative” I don't always think of myself that way.
You see, I started my career in finance – high net worth wealth management to be specific. Many people who meet me now are surprised because my day-to-day seems so different, but in reality I use the same business skills – I just leverage them in different ways.
Sometimes I wonder where I would be now if I had started down a more creative path earlier… would I be more confident in my creative abilities? Would I have a more impressive portfolio of work? Would I have more social media followers? Maybe.
It's easy to “what-if” the time away, but it's probably more important to acknowledge and be thankful for the path that has led me to where I am now. It if weren't for my career in finance, I wouldn't feel as confident about business skills that are ESSENTIAL to being a creative entrepreneur. Specifically….
Sales training
As a financial advisor, one of the biggest parts of my professional education was sales training. Consultative selling to be specific. I spent years understanding why people buy things and how to sell to them by providing solutions to their problems. In the past decade I've sold everything from $100,000+ investments in long-short hedge funds to $10 costume jewelry, and while sales is not my favorite aspect of running a business, I get it, and I'm not scared of it.
Networking
I'm not sure how anyone really successfully runs a business without networking skills. Whether you're connecting with other brands / influencers online or in person, you need to be willing to put yourself out there and tell people what you do (in a non-annoying way). You never know when you will meet someone who is looking for someone just like you – or knows someone who is looking for someone like you. Almost every client, collaboration or referral I've gotten has been through networking! (P.S. – read the introverts' guide to networking) (more…)