We were lucky to catch up with Jeffrey MARKOWITZ recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jeffrey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
In my book, Business School For Creative People, I talk about how artists can make money. You want to become a successful artist making money doing what you’re good at, what you love, and what gives your life meaning. But you don’t know how, or if it’s even realistic.
Many people think of the creative arts as an occupation where they can’t make money, but that’s not true. You can. It’s just hard.
Think about this: I have a young friend who is a great starving artist. That’s literally her identity, and it’s holding her back. But she doesn’t see herself as anything else. So, neither does anyone else.
She asked me who she should get to do a logo for her website.
I started to tell her she needed more than a logo, she needed to start building a brand. She said, “I’m an artist, not a brand.”
That was me once. I always considered myself a creative person. I wanted to make things, and I didn’t understand the basics of business. But I learned, and most importantly I learned it’s not just about making money, it’s about managing people — including yourself.
Where are you going to go, how are you going to build this, how is your work different than someone else’s, and how are you going to explain it, sell it, and get paid for it?
Being a good artist doesn’t make you a successful artist; being good at business does that.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a White House photojournalist, I took pictures of the world’s most influential leaders. I flew regularly on Air Force One, and even had my photo on the cover of Time magazine — twice. But one question kept nagging me. What made one image stand out from the millions of others? I believed it was authenticity, that the best photos capture not just their subjects, but something real about what it is to be human. From that core idea, Creative Compound was born.
Since then I and an accomplished team of professionals, have worked with leading companies to create commercial and content packages that capture authentic moments of lived experience. Our track record of success, and pattern of repeat clients, confirms what I learned over twenty years ago: If you want to win people’s hearts and minds, offer them a window into their souls.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I have searched for books and videos to help me, and found very little teaching artists how to be business leaders. That’s why I wrote my book, Business School for Creative People, as well as the nonprofit Marko.org to help the 50% of artists who are in poverty.
I recently ran into an old friend of mine at a grocery store. She’s a photographer that started about 10 years ago and now she’s one of the bigger portrait photographers around. She photographs celebrities all over the world, has a unique brand, a huge studio, and her photos are also in museums.
When I saw her at the store, I said I can’t believe what’s happening to you, you’ve built such an amazing brand. You and your work are unique.
Her response to me was, “I’m no longer a photographer. I couldn’t make any money from it.”
That was hard to believe considering her success, but she said now she’s a creative director building her own agency. If she wants to hire herself, she can. If not, she will oversee the project and make all the money.
That is what I have done- and made a living from it.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Engagement has been a cornerstone of our strategy. We’ve made it a point to respond promptly to all messages and comments to foster a vibrant and engaged community around our brand. Collaborating with influencers and other creators has not only expanded our reach but has also allowed us to bring fresh and diverse perspectives to our audience.
In our journey, we leveraged the power of SEO and strategically chosen hashtags to enhance our visibility on various platforms, ensuring that we are discovered by people who would value our content. Analyzing our performance through analytics has been vital, helping us understand our audience’s preferences and adapt our strategies dynamically.
Moving forward, we aim to diversify our content portfolio by introducing educational content that shares photography tips and tutorials, establishing ourselves as experts in the field. We are also keen on encouraging user-generated content, giving a platform to our followers to share their creativity, thereby fostering a sense of community and engagement. Our focus remains on nurturing our community through interactive sessions such as workshops and Q&A sessions. We believe in a proactive and engaged approach, constantly iterating based on feedback and analytics, and we are excited to continue evolving, bringing value and inspiration to our audience every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creativecompound.com
- Instagram: @jeffmarkowitz
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-markowitz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CreativeCompound
- Other: Business School for Creative People, by Jeffrey Markowitz https://a.co/d/gQzretx Nonprofit for Creatives: Marko.org
Image Credits
Photos by Jeffrey Markowitz