Recently, I had the good fortune of listening to Cathie Filian (Emmy Nominated TV host, author, and crafty expert) speak at the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs. Cathie is full of energy and inspiration, so I wanted to pass along a few bits of advice that she shared with us all that day.
- Find People Who Can Help You: Whether it’s finding an entity that can manufacture your product or a mentor who’s willing to take you under their wing, explore the options for how you can make your life easier or set you on the path toward following your passions and take calculated risks to go after what you want.
- Cold Call: Yes, I said that nasty word! Cathie assured us that it’s not as bad as we all may think. Sometimes all you have to do if you truly want something is to pick up a phone and start calling people who can make a difference. Cathie’s example was how she got started working for Betsey Johnson when she had little to no experience. Lo and behold, when she called to ask for a job (even when she thought it was a long shot), she managed to get one!
- If You Hear "No", Move On: When people tell you no or pass on your ideas, just move on. This one is self explanatory, but don’t worry about who says no to your ideas, just keep pitching. In Cathie’s words, “don’t worry about the no people, it’s exhausting!”
- If You Have a Good Concept, You Can Sell It: When you go to pitch a concept with a prototype, it’s okay if the prototype isn’t absolutely perfect. Manufactures are used to seeing prototypes that capture the essence of your concept; it’s their job to take you the last 10% of the way.
If you follow Cathie’s blog, you may have seen her announcement that she’s going to be featured on the The Nate Berkus Show, which will be premiering September 13th. Congratulations Cathie!
Main image courtesy of Josh Liba
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