💡Problem - I'm not doing the type of work I want to be doing...
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What to do if you're not doing the work you want to be doing?Read time: 4 Minutes I've heard this all too often over the last 18 months working with creative business owners: They built a business - say a video production company - said yes to any work that came through the door, and then settled into a niche that they aren't passionate about. In today's email, we'll give you the principles to implement to solve this problem. With each of them, I'll show you how people get it wrong, and what to do instead. 1. You Get What You Pitch ForTake another example, the "I do it all!" photographer. You are looking for a wedding photographer who shoots film, so you type in the hashtag #filmphotography on Instagram and start scrolling. You find two photos you like and tap to see their profile and their other images. The first photographer, "I Do Everything Derek", has an amazing style, but as you scroll you see images of dogs, products, events, weddings, headshots, baby pictures, family photos, and senior portraits. (Yes, that made-up account is a play on words, a thankyouverymuch...) You go back to the search page and tap on the other photographer that you liked, "Just Weddings Jeremy". His page is highly curated, only luxury wedding photos in amazing locations with gorgeous couples. Which one are you going to choose? Jeremy, of course. The real Jeremy, Jeremy Chou, taught me this principle a few years ago. You get what you pitch for. If you're currently doing work that doesn't fulfill you, change your pitch. Instead of "I shoot everything", change your pitch to "I shoot adventure elopements" or "pictures of Iceland". When people visit your site or your profile, it's clear the type of work they can hire you for, and you'll start getting only inquiries for that type of work. If you're a video production company, don't include every single shoot in your annual reel. Only include the type of work you want to do more of in the coming year. Understand What Drives YouAt the end of 2019, I attended the Tony Robbins Date With Destiny seminar - six days immersed in a freezing cold room with the man himself, learning the principles that create a happy, fulfilled life. 2019 was a hard year for me and my wife, April. She lost her brother Nate to a drunk driving incident, and I was frustrated with the work I was doing - specifically that it wasn't the work I wanted to be doing. At the event, I learned about 6 Human Needs Psychology, discovered by Tony and a family therapist named Cloe Madanes. To say that the work we did there was life-changing would be a massive understatement. I discovered that I was chasing needs for certainty and significance, which are externally driven - I needed someone else to give me those things. I shifted my top two needs to contribution and growth, and that made the biggest impact on my life these last 4 years. I started three businesses (Craftsman Creative, Craftsman Films, and Lightbulb Courses), produced four independent feature films, and have helped thousands of other independent creators align their businesses. At my workshops, we do a condensed version of discovering the top two needs that drive you in your life, and help you align your business so that it becomes easy to feel fulfilled and grateful for the work you get to do every day. If you're currently frustrated with your business, there are both external changes and internal shifts to make everything click. This requires more work than just reading an email. You can have all of the information in the world, but if you don't implement it, nothing changes. You are probably like many other creators out there who are struggling - you "don't have time" to do this stuff. But I'm telling you now that if you don't make time for this important work, your business will continue to be a source of frustration rather than fulfillment. It's compounded even more if you're a business owner with employees who are counting on you to figure all this stuff out. Now that you've got the info, it's time to implement it. Join me at the 2024 Craftsman Creative event for three days of workshops where we go to work on your business, together.
I'll be back tomorrow with another problem/solution email to help you design and build the profitable business of your dreams this year. See you then! Daren SmithSchedule a 1-on-1 Strategy Call Check out my new book, BLOCKBUSTER |