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****Update! Since writing this post the sign up for the Creative Entrepreneur Course by Brian Clark and Mark McGuinness is now live. You can sign up here or read more below*****
Ever feel like your creativity will hold you back from running a successful business?
Perhaps you’re not organised enough, you’re too sensitive, or you’re too much in love with your art to get bogged down in the business details.
I definitely understand that.
I trained as a screenwriter and always loved writing. I had visions of red carpet, premieres and book signings. It wasn’t until I got a job working with entrepreneurs that I got hooked on the exciting buzz of business.
I’d watch in fascination at the passion these business owners had for their projects, for building partnerships and the freedom to pounce on an opportunity if it came along.
I used to wonder what my business would be if I ever branched out on my own and it always came back to writing.
Being in a corporate environment it was tricky to bridge the gap in my mind between business and creativity. The businesses I’d worked in didn’t deal with creative products or appeal to creative people and I felt I would have to shelve my passion for writing and find a “proper business” to launch.
Till I stumbled on the Lateral Action website.
This is a site that teaches how creativity doesn’t have to kill your business, it’s the thing that can help you succeed.
But creativity alone doesn’t guarantee success, it has to be partnered wtih productivity and the kind of business advice that appeals to creative minds.
I wrote my first ever guest post for Lateral Action, attended Mark’s Marketing for Creative People Seminar and followed the blog avidly. When it was announced last year that Mark, along with Lateral Action Co-founders Brian Clark and Tony Clark from Copyblogger, would be releasing a step by step online business course for creative entrepreneurs I signed up straight away.
And I loved it.
The rumour on the net, is that Brian and Mark are re-launching the course to take on new creative entrepreneurs AND now the team is being joined by Sonia Simone, also known as Miss Marketing Awesomesauce.
I’ve just finished reading Brian’s free 31-page report called “How to Have a Great Life and a Great Business” (Especially if You’re Not the Business Type). Which says that the first 250 people will benefit from a lower introductory price as well as exclusive bonus modules.
You can download Brian Clark’s free report here, or if you want to find out a bit more about the course from when I did it, head on over to my review of the Lateral Action Creative Entrepreneur Course
Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, I bookmarked it.
@ Ralph, I know a lot of artists who would love the freedom of workign for themselves but are scared off by the business process. You can’t avoid it all, but if you’re willing to put in the hard work you can get to a stage where you have that freedom and a successful business
@Joshua – Lateral Action totally understand the balance you talk about and you’re right, if you can’t find it in yourself, then finding a partner who complements your working style is even better.
Amy,
Great post today over at Copyblogger. It’s so critical to have that creative side of us when we are developing new businesses, but their either needs to be a person in the business to keep the creative one grounded, or the creative person needs to have a way to balance the two.
I’ve been watching the Lateral Action site my self for a few weeks and I totally agree that it’s an exciting comncept and I can’t wait to see what else these guys come up with.
-Joshua Black
The Underdog Millionaire
Creativity and passion do clash sometimes. The artist really doesn’t want to get involved in the very business details that will help them make enough money to support their passion. I agree, couple creativity with productivity and business advice, success is possible. Great post. I will check out your post on Lateral Action