One Producer Investing in People
About five years ago, under the guidance of one of my mentors, I started the blog “One Producer in the City.” The focus of that blog was to give new producers some insight into the world of producing on the independent level. I used the blog to talk about shows that I enjoyed, teach my readers about raising money, and connect with the theatrical community.
Over the course of the last five years I have seen major changes in my life. I went from being a high school English teacher and independent theatre producer to being an Off Broadway and then a Broadway producer. From there, I left teaching to focus on my life as an entrepreneur. I also started teaching classes for professionals on networking, which eventually led to working in the startup sector and the founding of a conference on the power of authentic connecting.
This new blog is about the lessons I’ve learned about building a business by investing time and resources in relationships.
Over the course of my career as a producer, I shifted from being someone who finds investors to invest in shows into an entrepreneur who invests in people. By focusing on connecting – by investing in people – I founded Small Pond Enterprises and have seen some amazing relationships grow, found jobs for many of my colleagues, and built my own business.
Now that I am blogging through Small Pond Enterprises’ sight, the plan for this new blog is to dig into the ideas of authentic connection, building relationships, leveraging networks, and creating community. The focus of Small Pond Enterprises is using these relationship-centered techniques to build business. In addition to my own posts, this blog will also include posts from experts in the field, suggested resources, and overviews of the work Small Pond is doing.
There is one thing I will keep from the old blog, which is the way I sign off. It’s my tip-of-the-hat to the comic book world, which taught me to dream big and to attempt the impossible. Every post will end with “Excelsior!” which means “ever upward.” This is a reminder of the importance of pushing oneself to go as high as you can and I hope it will resonate with all of you as well.
Excelsior!
