Step Up Your Strategy Game & The Sweet Build Salon with Amy Aniobi
Hope to see y'all there.
In this issue:
What a Time
We are Political Strategists
ICYMI
The Sweet Build Salon
Sweet Ish
Anniversary Gift
Discount for The Sweet Build Salon for Paid Subscribers [scroll all the way to the bottom!]
WHAT A TIME
In a rare occasion when the stars and moon aligned, and I wasn’t on a wild deadline, I was able to hop to the Bahamas for the weekend to be a judge for the Star Film Institute Showcase. I spent the weekend with a bunch of Bahamian filmmakers and show creators. It was an absolute joy. I left hella inspired. More on that below.
Then I’m bouncing to DC to be honored by Women in Film & Video DC (WIFV) with a Women of Vision Award for my screenwriting career and my service to artists. The service piece is what really makes me proud because I don’t remember a time when I haven’t been in service to my fellow artists, going back to my BackList days. Anyone remember my first newsletter and resource BackList back in ‘03?
This honor is also so full circle because before I moved to LA, WIFV was one of the organizations that provided insight into the film world. I knew nothing about the business, but their events gave me hope. They have been incredibly supportive to me over the years. I’m being honored alongside Rachel Morrison (BLACK PANTHER DP and director of THE FIRE INSIDE). Pretty cool.
Also, super excited to announce that I’m hosting our first Sweet Build event, aptly titled The Sweet Build Salon. This installment is a conversation with my friend Amy Aniobi about building our production companies. You don’t want to miss it.
Lastly, thank you to all of you who have seamlessly rocked with me to this Substack transition and to all of my new subscribers. Appreciate you and looking forward to talking the biz, bizness, creative, marketing, and more.
As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, I want it to be the go-to platform for storytellers serious about their business and no longer waiting for permission to tell their stories, reach their audiences, and secure the bag.
I’m offering free and paid subscription plans. Here’s a breakdown:
For free subscribers, you’ll get:
My signature weekly newsletter, like this one, that covers my journey + business and career insights.
For paid subscribers, in addition to the above, you’ll receive:
My audio diary about the business (for those of you who remember The Creative Cut Up, this is The Sweet Build version).
My infamous roundups that include news and opportunities to help you sustain and grow your creative business.
Special playbooks and resources.
Discounts to events, including our first Sweet Build Salon that we’re hosting next month!
Access to a subscriber only chat that will include Ask Me sessions.
You down?
WE ARE POLITICAL STRATEGISTS
We don't talk enough about the fact that as writers are jobs are not just to create worlds, populate those worlds with real-feeling characters who talk like real people, and setup their relationships and lives to produce hours of story, but also, to be political strategists between producers, studios, and networks.
And as such, here are skills that we need to sharpen that no one tells us:
Having difficult conversations: We have to do this with colleagues, reps, collaborators, staff and more. And often, it will suck, especially when all we want to do is tell great stories.
Negotiation: Everything feels like a negotiation, above and beyond the actual negotiation we have to do (or lead our reps to do) for deals. We have to negotiate in creative collaborations. What are our deal breakers? What are we willing to concede? We have to be smart about how we parse out our own political capital in any given situation. Is this worth the spend?
Diplomacy: We may have to act as the diplomat between producers and studios / networks. We may have to act as the diplomat between different producers. We may have to act as the diplomat with talent. It can be a lot.
I find it all very exhausting tbh. So I look for ways to alleviate it by working with really effective collaborators, having transparent conversations early and often, over communicating, and always being in a position to walk away.
ICYMI
Don’t want you missing any posts. Here are some recent ones:
ON SUPPORT (THE BAHAMIAN EDITION)
As I mentioned, over the weekend, I served as a judge for the Star Films Institute Showcase in the Bahamas alongside my homey, producer and creative executive Reesha Archibald and Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
The Institute, run by the amazing Kerel Pinder, a playwright, is helping to build out the film and entertainment sector in the Bahamas. They finance and produce projects by Bahamian storytellers and then showcase the projects in a culminating week long event.
And it was such a joy. Here are some takeaways:
The selected storytellers created episodic projects (with multiple episodes) and short films with basically no money. They got it done. Makes me wonder how much overthinking we do as artists. For some of them, this was their first ever project so of course there is lots of room for growth. But they did it, which will never not be a big deal.
They shared the work in community. And there was so much LOVE. Their friends and family came out to support. But also, the way they celebrated each other was on another level. I have never been to an awards ceremony that was not only lit, but also, the love in the room was palpable. Also, folks DRESSED UP. There was an impromptu dance battle. So much joy.
Kasim Reed shared a lot of game on how to build an entertainment sector based on his incredible work helping Atlanta to become a major production hub during his tenure. It made me think about the fact that I haven’t thought much about fostering relationships with government and elected officials outside of film commissioners and tourism departments.
But speaking of, it also made me think about other locales around the world, like the Bahamas, that don’t get a lot of shine, that could be potential locations for productions. The Bahamas is like a two hour direct flight from Atlanta. A huge value-add. They don’t currently offer tax credits, but see thoughts about fostering relationships above.
Also, I want to connect with more storytellers across the Diaspora and find ways for cross collaborations. The future is global. And the future is here.
THE SWEET BUILD SALON
I’m hosting our first event, The Sweet Build Salon.
Join me for an intimate and insightful conversation with writer, director, producer, and SuperSpecial Founder, Amy Aniobi.
This Sweet Build Salon will dive into the realities of building a Hollywood production company from the ground up - covering everything from creative vision to business strategy, industry challenges, and the lessons learned along the way.
Whether you're a producer, filmmaker, or creative entrepreneur, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.
Amy Aniobi is an award-winning writer/director/producer best known for her work on the Emmy-nominated, NAACP-award winning comedy series INSECURE (HBO). She is the founder of production company, SuperSpecial, and industry talent incubator, TRIBE, and she most recently served as showrunner for season two of SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST (Netflix), where she also directed multiple episodes, earning her an NAACP nomination for Outstanding Directing in 2024.
Sweet Build paid subscribers receive a 10% discount. Scroll to the bottom of the email to redeem.
SWEET ISH
SXSW is launching a book publishing imprint. Very interesting and a no-brainer for an event-based business.
Beehiv, the newsletter platform, released a 2025 State of the Email Newsletters report. It includes coverage on the increasing number of journalists turning to independent media.
You, Me, and Her, an indie rom-com, had some interesting ways to fund distribution by working with brands.
I really want to get into audio erotica. Tracks with my brand. Here’s a piece on Quinn, an app in that space.
Filmmaker and entrepreneur Robert Rodriguez has launched an interesting initiative to turn fans into film investors.
In case you missed it, Netflix released its report of what we watched on the platform during the second half of 2024.
For those of us suffering from imposter syndrome, check out my interview with former White House Social Secretary Deesha Dyer. Ain’t no room for it.
ANNIVERSARY GIFT
To celebrate my 10 year anniversary, we’re offering a 10% discount on The Build Bundle, which is a self-paced course (it’s actually six courses in one) packed with tried and true tactics, real-life examples, and award-winning strategies from my writing, producing, and directing career to help you accelerate yours.
It’s everything I wish I had known when I was figuring it out in Hollywood at a 35-year-old. It’s my cheat codes.
It’s the result of the mistakes I’ve made, the thousands upon thousands of dollars I personally paid in courses, and all that I’ve learned in my ten years in Hollywood. Enroll today.
The discount expires today! Use discount code: ITSMYANNIVERSARY.
NEED MORE SUPPORT?
Check out The Build Bundle. It’s a self-paced course (it’s actually six courses in one) packed with tried and true tactics, real-life examples, and award-winning strategies from my writing, producing, and directing career to help you accelerate yours. Enroll today.
Get a copy of The Creative Comeback Workbook. Through 30 prompts, you'll discover your why, develop a writing schedule, outline your projects and unearth what's holding you back from the career of your dreams. These are the exact steps I took to make my creative comeback. Buy on Amazon or on Bookshop.
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DISCOUNT FOR THE SWEET BUILD SALON
PAID Subscribers to The Sweet Build receive a 10% discount to our first ever Sweet Build Salon, where I’ll be in conversation with the amazing Amy Aniobi.
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