Before anyone freaks out, the majority of these communities and events are welcoming to creators who are allies of these unique and important spaces. I recently shared that I’m no longer attending conferences and some of the friction that I was dealing with in deciding which events to attend and support. One of things that I spent a lot of time thinking about in the past couple of years was how important these communities were for my personal and professional development as well as to other creator’s development as well.
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Podcasters Getting Paid-The Resource
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There’s a reason why I say “Fuck the CPM Model” It won’t work for small shows so you have to approach monetization differently. There are two tiers to this resource. You can subscribe for free or pay $5 a month. The $5 monthly fee includes access to recorded and live conversations with podcasters and other creators who have monetized their creative work, workshops and office hours. Make sure to sign up for Podcasters Getting Paid-The Resource today.
What Value Do These Spaces Provide
I was delayed in recording this episode and it was a good thing that I was because…something came up. I had a conversation with an industry professional that really highlighted why communities and initiatives focused on developing and growing creative spaces for creators of color are so important. We had were having a great conversation and then this person said “I don’t understand the value of” a specific community focused on developing and engaging with Black creators in a specific content creation space. I quickly said “You wouldn’t understand the value because this group isn’t for you.” The other point I didn’t make was that the issues that members in these groups deal with they’ve very clearly never experienced.
Then, this person mentioned ANOTHER community with a similar lack of value comment. What was really shocking to me was that I had indicated that I knew the people who had created those communities and was an active and contributing member in these spaces. This person’s comments further highlighted the headwinds that creators in marginalized communities and their allies are frustrated by. So, what’s the value? I’m going to share some of the value that these spaces bring to me:
- Strategies on how to deal with gatekeepers in creative spaces (it’s clear that this person didn’t know that they were very likely a gatekeeper to access)
- Opportunities to collaborate on projects that could transform their business
- Lateral community member connections and resources-As people’s creative work grows and changes so do their informational needs.
- An opportunity to become known as an expert in the space that you’re in-Tyler Perry became a media mogul by building his art and craft in front of small Black audiences audiences across the United States. Then that momentum was able to propel his work beyond his initial audience. In the creative space this could mean:
- Designing unique events-Conferences, workshops, panels and more
- Writing books and leveraging community to sell your books
- Insight into working with the following:
- Other creators
- Brand partners
- Affiliate organizations
- Provide warm introductions to individuals such as:
- Company CEOs
- The Head of Community
- Marketing Team Members
- Community members and customers who are inspired by YOU. Because representation matters.
- Insight into how to charge for your work, products and partnerships with brands. These are the folks who’ve straight up told me-charge MORE.
But, what I really heard from that person was an underlying unsaid statement “They didn’t see the value of these communities for them and their business-even though I could see the alignment.” This unspoken tension creates the following (obvious) problems:
- Lack of respect for the problems or challenges these creative entrepreneurs may be facing.
- These creators are often considered as an afterthoughts for panels, keynotes and other high impact opportunities vs. being a thoughtful and core part of how a company works with creative entrepreneurs.
- Pigeonholing when these creators are worked with such as a focus on collaborating during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Asian History Month-versus all year long. Oftentimes these collaborations happen as an afterthought or at the last minute.
- We’ve all heard about how DEI initiatives are being dropped across industries-having a direct impact on creative entrepreneurs.
That Time I Hosted “Money on the Mountain”
In 2019, I had the genius idea to host an in person personal finance event/retreat called “Money on the Mountain” It was a 2.5 day weekend event that people flew in for. There were speakers, a dance/fitness class food and a good time was had by all.
It was also incredibly expensive and incredibly scary for me to host this event. I could NOT go in the red for it and I crowdfunded to make sure that everything was paid for. I am so thankful to everyone who supported that event. But when it was over I decided not to host another one the following year. It was an unusual decision as most people that host a somewhat successful first event will host another one. It was a good thing that I paid attention to my intuition as the next year was 2020.
I’ve had the opportunity to attend and support other events and spaces curated by other creators of color. I should mention that I’m only sharing what I’ve attended unique to my area of interest. There are a ton of other events in other niches.
Here’s the short list-
- Elevate Conference-An incredible event that was founded by Sandy Smith. This event was in the personal finance space.
- Afros and Audio-A podcasting event that is more than a conference. Make sure to listen to my review of this event.
- EssenceFest-I must admit that I’m not 100% clear what the current mission is for EssenceFest…but, I still want to attend one.
- BIPOC Podcasters Audio Flavor Social-I’m excited to take part in this event being held in my hometown of Denver. Very rarely do we have this type of national reach event in my town so I can’t wait to join in the fun.
- Black Podcaster Association Summer Picnic–I was unable to attend this year when it was held in Brooklyn, but I’m looking forward to attending in 2024. In fact, my current plan is to spend 3-5 weeks in New York City and am planning around that event and US Tennis Open.
- Investfest-This is a newer event in the financial and entrepreneur focused space that I have my eye on.
I’ve also been an ally and supporter of events for Latine and Asian creators as well. I have friends who benefit from those spaces. Of course I shared them.
Why Do These Events Matter?
You’re probably asking yourself, why am I talking about the importance of supporting these events.
- Expanding your creative and professional community-Some of the best supporters of my work I’ve met in these spaces.
- Representation matters-Building a digital business can feel very isolating. Meeting with and connecting with other folks who are doing the same thing or similar work to yours is inspiring.
- Conversations are different-It’s true-the conversations that I have at these events are similar and very different. There are certain concerns and questions that I feel comfortable asking in these spaces that I know are typically going to be responded to by a number of people who’ve had the same or similar lived experiences. I don’t have to prove that my concerns are valid in these conversations.
Why Are These Community Spaces so Important?
I think that it’s one thing to say that we need these spaces. It’s another to share WHY they are so important.
- Designed to elevate, highlight and share our expertise.
- We are:
- The producers of the show
- Speakers on the stage
- Contributors to the panels
- Folks in the audience
- Funders of the event
- Purchasers of the tickets
- Collaborators with brand partners
- Faces in the photos
- The tech teams (audio and visual)
- And more….
- We are:
These events and spaces are the literal embodiment of making our own table and the seats that surround it. Versus always trying to sit at tables where we have to shove our seats in-between the other folks sitting around it.
What These Events (and the Attendees) Need From You
I have some thoughts, though, about what other people need to know. By the way “You” could be the attendees, allies, event organizers-this is a collective “You”
- All of these events compliment each other-It’s not a competition. BUT, it’s important to bring up that these events are being created because needs aren’t being met. A key aspect of Capitalism-identifying a need and audience and creating a product, space or good to address that need and audience. There are 300+ million Americans in the United States, then we add the rest of the world-it’s a big place with a lot of people out there to support your work. Do your numbers for your event and don’t worry about these other events that are popping up. Don’t want them to happen? Design events, communities and spaces that acknowledge and address the needs of all of your attendees.
- Provide Financial Support-Sponsor these events, connect creators with goods and services that are a natural fit to the event and the overall event mission. Donate to crowdfunding campaigns, sponsor awards, coffee service, snack hours or fun activities. Connect these events to grant applications, etc. Provide scholarships to sponsor attendance and include travel, accommodation and some fun money whenever it’s a large event. It’s a win-win collaboration.
- Word of mouth support-Shout these events out (often) so that people know that they’re happening. If you’re an attendee and loved the event-write a review, record a video and share on social media. Living out West, I almost always feel like I’m the last to know about events being hosted out East and in the South-ironically, where a large number of these events are hosted and spaces are nurtured. If you’re a creator of these unique spaces please get Brand Ambassadors who can shout out these events in areas that don’t have large Black and Brown communities. I beg you.
- If Possible Please Sell Tickets Earlier-This is for the event creators. This is a win/win for both the potential attendees and the event organizers. Earlier ticket sales helps the event founder gage interest in the event and earlier ticket sales helps attendees know about the event.
- Ask for help-We can’t do these things alone. Tap into your extended community to get your event or community going.
- Start sharing the data-Talk about the collective spending power of the community or communities that you serve. Know your avatar’s average education, income and more. These are the details that partners want to know. But, we need to know these details too.