The Art of Creative Biz: The Recap
Couldn’t make it to our ‘The Art of Creative Biz’ event? Our founder, Martina Gordeen, was joined by panellists Daniel Ayim, Maria Ngoma, Tumisha Balogan and Daniel Oluwatobi for a wholesome evening of wisdom and fun. Covering everything from how they started their journeys and priced their services to the software they use to run their business (and find contacts!) - you really had to be there to catch all the gems.
But hey, we’re all about empowering people, and FOMO doesn’t exist around here, so we’ve rounded up the best advice from the evening.
ON MONEY
Money—it’s what makes the world go around. But as a creative person forging your own path, it can be hard to navigate. Here are a few practical tips for negotiating pay and managing your money.
Call on your network and ask them what they would charge for specific services
Always ask clients how much money they have so that you don’t undervalue yourself.
Alternatively, If you’re currently working a 9-5, and unsure of what to charge for your freelance business, charge whatever the day rate for your 9-5 would be.
Remember - business is transactional. Don’t work for free! If money really isn’t an option, or you’re looking to build up experience, think about what else you can gain. Is it mentorship? Connections?
Don’t solely rely on brand collaborations - how else can you diversify your income? Maria highlighted other strategies, such as merchandise and LTK
What good is having money if you can’t manage it? Daniel Ayim highlighted the need to keep your expenses low and adopt a business mindset.
ON SUCCESS
What does success look like? Is it dream brand collaborations, money, or fame? All those things are valid, but our panellists encourage you to think bigger.
For Daniel Oluwatobi, it was having people recognise his photography without him having posted the work. During our panel, Daniel shared a touching story about the need to ‘tell a story my way’ and how heartwarming it was to see he’d created a distinct style that people recognised. He also shared a story about how he recently shot his first editorial, which was a big goal for him. While other people might have shot their first editorial sooner or shot more, that didn’t matter to him.
Similarly, Maria emphasised the need to define success in your terms: ‘Any seed you plant will come up.’ Success is very rarely an overnight phenomenon, and sometimes, you won’t always be able to see how the pieces are unfolding.
A big part of success is integrity. Not every opportunity is one you’ll want to take. Our panellists universally urged creators to ensure the brands they collaborate with align with their personal brand.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Hate it or love it, social media is here to stay. In the wise words of our founder, Martina: ‘Use it, don’t let it use you.’
Find the social media platform that you like. Instagram might be the obvious choice, but Martina highlighted how LinkedIn has been pivotal for her in building a network.
Stop putting work on TikTok for free. Controversial maybe? Tuma Balogan highlighted how many aspiring marketers will post a marketing strategy on TikTok, where a brand could easily swipe it without due credit. Instead, she emphasises being proactive and going straight to the brand themselves. Not sure how to find a contact? More on that later in our tech section.
Engagement ≠ Good work.
People buy into people. When individuals can relate to and trust the people behind a brand or an idea, they're more likely to engage with it on a personal and business level.
ON TECH
Our panellists dish on what's in their tech stack to make their lives easier.
Pixiset - A simple way for photographers to share, deliver and sell online.
Grammarly —Do you know what you want to say but not how to say it? Grammarly helps with grammar and spelling as well as clarity and tone.
Fireflies AI - the AI companion that summarises all your meetings without you lifting so much as a finger. What makes Fireflies special is its ability to measure positive and negative sentiment and set specific topic trackers.
Online Storage - We know how valuable your work is and so we urge you to have your work backed up somewhere. Dropbox is great.
Apollo I.O & Rocket Reach: Need a contact? Between these two excellent platforms you’re covered. Both boast an extensive and accurate B2B database of contacts.
