You're Not Just an Artist, You're a Business
You are the ecosystem. The engine. The enterprise.
In this issue:
You’re Not Just an Artist, You’re a Businesss
ICYMI
Sweet Ish
You’re Not Just an Artist, You’re a Business
When I sold my first TV pilot in 2017, I was thrilled… and totally unprepared.
No vision for my career. No real plan. Just vibes and talent.
That deal taught me something I wish I’d learned earlier: being a brilliant artist is not the same as building a sustainable creative career.
Here’s what I want to impart to every single one of you. You’re not just an artist. You’re a business. And the sooner you embrace that, the more empowered, profitable, and protected you’ll be.
Why Storytellers Need to Think Like Businesses
Talent alone doesn’t equal sustainability.
As artists, we’re often overworked and underpaid because we’ve been taught to create, not operate.
The world profits (big time!) from our ideas. So why shouldn’t we be equipped to profit from them too?
Thinking like a business, helps to create leverage that can be used to create more equitable relationships and partnerships.
We may get staffed in a writer’s room, sell or option our work, but without ownership or leverage, we’re still considered disposable… and our career rests on someone else’s greenlight.
Quick note before I keep going. Want to skip ahead and start building? Sweet Build+ paid subscribers get access to all content, including my honest, nitty gritty video diaries outlining how I’m building various aspects of my career and business. Upgrade today.
Take Ryan Coogler
Let’s talk about Ryan for a second. He’s a magnificent artist and a first class businessperson. I’ve talked about his career strategy, and of course his inspiring profit and ownership deal for Sinners, and also with his production company Proximity Media, his production company, he’s not just selling ideas, he’s creating infrastructure, leverage, and autonomy. Owning more of the process.
How You’re Already A Business
Our art is an intellectual property (IP) asset. And IP is the most valuable asset. Problem is, in order for us to be paid, we typically sell that IP and lose all rights to it.
Every piece of content we make has market potential.
Our creative process is our product development.
Our audience is our customer base and often people purchase the work because of who we are, and yet it’s studios and networks that wholly benefit.
If you’re putting work into the world, you’re already running something. Time to make it intentional.
How I Made This Shift
I realized that I couldn’t hope for the next gig. I had to develop a pipeline for work, a roster of clients, and a project suite that could serve as multiple income streams.
I realized I couldn’t rely on one industry or my business would dry up. And that’s why, while being staffed on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, and writing movies for Universal, I not only launched and positioned HONEY CHILE as not just a production company, but also a media company. We sell educational offerings, got into podcasting, am publishing books, and now launching the HONEY agency, which helps brands, entrepreneurs, and storytellers operate as media companies.
So, I stopped waiting for permission and spent my time building systems, offers, and income streams.
The results? More clarity, more money, more autonomy, and more opportunity.
You don’t have to “sell out” to build the business of your artistry. Or sacrifice your values, your softness, or your soul to run a thriving creative company.
You just have to remember: You are not just an artist. You are the ecosystem. The engine. The enterprise.
3 Strategies to Help You Thrive Like a Business
1. Decide to Be the CEO of Your Creativity
That means setting goals, tracking income, scheduling rest, investing in tools, and saying no when it doesn’t align.
2. Think Like a Studio, Not Just a Talent
Stop treating yourself like an employee. Build a slate. Own IP. Develop packages. Repurpose ideas. One concept can be a book, a script, a course, a brand partnership.
3. Diversify Beyond the Room
Staffing on a television show is one stream. But you need more. Consider writing a book. Launching a product. Hosting a retreat. The industry is seasonal. Your income doesn’t have to be.
You don’t have to choose between being an artist and building a business. You already are both. And when you claim our duality, you can start building.
I know that not all of us want to be a business, but I know that all of us want to be sustainable…
Want Help Building the Business Side of Your Art?
Grab The Build Bundle, my self-paced course for creatives who want to build revenue, systems, and strategy from the ground up.
And if you’re ready to go deeper, join the paid tier of The Sweet Build where I get into the nitty gritty of building my successful career and business.
You’re not behind. You’re building.
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/video diary about the business, craft, career, and Boss moves
Special playbooks and resources.
Discounts to events, including our first Sweet Build Salon that we’re hosting next month!
ICYMI
Don’t want you missing any posts. Here are some recent ones:
SWEET ISH
People will remove themselves from your life. Let them.
Fund launches to strengthen European indie production companies. We need that here.
My Bel-Air Showrunner, the amazing Carla Banks-Waddles talks rebranding as a writer.
Kajabi released The State of Creator Commerce report.
A24 is launching a music arm?
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.
TAP IN
The Sweet Build is a HONEY CHILE thang. HONEY CHILE is a multiplatform media company celebrating the power and possibilities of Black women 40+. The Sweet Build is our education arm helping others do the same for their niche audiences.
Become a PAID subscriber and The Sweet Build+ for tons more insights, advice, and resources.
Sponsor an issue of The Sweet Build.
Follow me on Linkedin, Instagram, and Threads.
*Our newsletter may contain affiliate links, so if you buy through them, we get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). We only recommend stuff we actually dig!