November 28, 2023
A funny thing happened on the way to getting something done: I got distracted… Or did I? I mean, yes, sure, I was distracted, but did I distract myself on purpose by a shiny object or the dirt on the floor on purpose? Which reminds me of the Beatles song, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, which, in my interpretation, is George Harrison getting distracted by everything and leaving his guitar to sit alone weeping. So I ask myself, or you can ask yourself. Is your keyboard weeping? Is the project that you have been wanting to make weeping, is that thing you wanted to build weeping in the corner? I assure you mine are. I have excuses, such as: it needs to brew, I need time away so I can come back with fresh eyes. All legit for my creative mind. But then there is the anxiety of reality. I have one shot to get this right! And that isn’t about the written word, the thing you’re making or the project you want to dive into. What I am talking about is the holy grail of entrepreneurialism… Money! Good old-fashioned dead presidents, dough, Benjamins, bacon, cheddah as the kids say. Probably the most angst-ridden part of life, liberty, and the pursuit of just about anything. Many folks were raised thinking, as Pink Floyd stated, “money is the root of all evil today,” but seriously, that is just stupid, not the lyrics by god! The concept, and it is very important to rid oneself of that thought with a daily mantra, money is the gateway, money is opportunity, money can be freedom. What you do with it is your choice. So maybe if you’re an entrepreneur, you have a plan as to what you will do when you raise the funds. But for your own sake, rid yourself of phrases that limit the possibility of financial support. If you haven’t noticed, I am speaking to myself here, to a degree, some of these concepts I lived with for years, others, probably more, the art of distraction is the current therapy scheme. The thinking that I have a finite number of people who I ‘think’ may be able to invest in my projects, and with that finite number comes finite opportunity to ask, and with that, if I reach the end and wind up empty-handed, so where do I go from there? Here is the reality that I have realized. First plan meetings to test your pitch to people you think may give you their money, but never will. Now this could be your cat, but let’s aim higher, still higher than your dog.
You should be talking to people who are used to getting asked for their money, be very clear that you are asking them because you respect them, and you are NOT asking them for any of their money. I literally suggest you reiterate that. You need them for this practice session and earning their respect, more than you need them to invest…Ok, I lied, and I get it, you need their money, but as I stated earlier, the anxiety you feel about asking for money will often cripple your chances of actually asking for money. Of course, you want what they can offer, and you may be thinking and hoping for that the whole time, prior to meeting them, while pitching to them, and after you’ve gone home. But I think the idea is to learn the ropes and the process, to practice, to innovate, to make this a second nature of sorts. The ‘ask’ and the denial. Who knows, maybe that first trial may lead to something else, another opportunity, or absolutely nothing from them, but what you will earn is respect and skills for how to pitch and ask an investor to invest in you, while you have no expectations. Ok, well, I need to go and practice what I preach and stop getting so distracted.
Musings of a Film Entrepreneur
I am a freelance Cinematographer, who woke up one day to realize I am an entrepreneur!