24 Apr Where did all the Talent Go? The importance of brand & usining platforms like Talent Finders.com etc!
I have a massive passion for talent, the entertainment industry and brand building through publicity. It is for this reason that I felt compelled to write through my own experiences & the challenges that artists, entertainers, sports individuals, musicians, dancers, speakers, crew and the like, face on a daily basis when looking for exposure.
There is a much more cost effective way for the artist to update his/her profile at no additional cost vs having their own website. (This is costly for most talents and is often not maintained.)
Having worked in the entertainment industry, specifically theatre and film, I realized how fragmented the casting process was and it sprung to mind: “What if we created one online global talent community, that connects, promotes and educates talent?” I saw an opportunity to solve an industry problem. The idea was initially inspired after watching a segment on the Oprah show (many years ago) around entrepreneurship
It was out of this that Talent Finders.com was born. My background in Drama gave me the understanding that this platform would be a fantastic opportunity for talent to showcase their expertise at a minimal cost annually. I also saw a chance for agents representing a named talent, to list their client talent profiles on Talent Finders. This would give their clients even more exposure through our online global platform.
It must be said that the idea was never to become agents but rather to collaborate with the agents as well as the individual talent. As agents would become more familiar with Talent Finders, they would then also be given the opportunity to find new talent to represent through the Talent Finders platform.
Today, Talent Finders has a diverse range of talent profiles: Rohan Marley, Kenny Maistry, Ryk Neethling, Anna Easteden & Andrew Radar to name but a few.
As Talent Finders has grown, some important facts have come to light. It is vitally important that talent treat their profession as a business and a brand. This is the other aspect of where my passion resides irrespective of background or industry. Brand building through publicity is imperative.
It is never enough to rely on just one avenue to market your skill and talent. It is necessary to be continually trying and testing these avenues and online platforms, like Talent Finders and social media. All of this helps to brand build.
The other avenue is brand building through publicity using print & online media, as well as TV, Podcast and mainstream radio. These are all building blocks and add credibility to not only your name but more importantly, to whom you align yourself with professionally. It’s simply not enough to have a picture with a famous individual. The question is, what type of business relationship do you build with influential industry talents?
Over the past couple of years I have been made aware of how people think that buying their way onto a cover of a magazine somehow makes one think that they have ‘arrived’. This is truly farcical and lacks authenticity. I have always said this: “Anyone who is worth their weight in gold and has a credible track record with a powerful story in every aspect of their life, will earn their position and right to be on the cover.”
As Gary Vaynerchuk will tell you, as will I, there is no one show, article or feature that will suddenly catapult you into a global phenomenon. It takes time, a lot of blood, sweat, hard work and tears.
It is so important to understand that it all comes down to your story. If your product and service is good enough, it will sell itself. The real golden nugget is, what differentiates you from everyone else? The audience wants to know the person and face behind the brand.
Here are some of my favourite examples of exactly this …
Roger Federer : Legendary and greatest tennis player of all time. (One example is the latest cover of TIME MAGAZINE written by Bill Gates )
Whitney Wolfe (Founder & CEO of Bumble) Made the cover of Forbes (Written by Clare O’Connor)
Oprah Winfrey ( OWN) Needs no introduction
Elon Musk (Tesla, The Boring Company, Sola City, SpaceX)
Warren Buffet (Serves as Chairman & CEO of Berkshire Hathaway)
JK Rowling (British Novelist and Screen Writer)
Sara Blakely (Founder and creator of Spanx)
Gary Vaynerchuk (Entrepreneur, Author, speaker founder of Vayner media, Wine Library and Purewow.)
I will end with this, go out and live the best version of who you are. Live your most authentic story. In the words of Gary Vee, “It’s not always about being right but doing the write thing.”
Understand that by using all these platforms, whether it is a service or social media platform, they all have benefit. Talent Finders, twitter, Instagram & Facebook.
Yours kindly 🙂
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