Achieving wealth from a creative career
Friday reflections.
Happy Friday everyone.
It’s the pipe dream of many of us to amass a fortune from a creative career - whether as a hotelier, fashion designer, restaurateur, etc. As I find myself straddling the worlds of the left and the right brain - private equity and deal structuring vs. design & sensual pursuits - I’ve been reflecting on the patterns that underline people with highly lucrative creative careers.
A perk of my job is meeting a lot of talented creative types who are vying for their big break. One thing I noticed being in proximity with these people is that even if they are highly creative and unique, that won’t translate into wealth creation opportunities if they don’t understand how to sell themselves. Controversially, I’d argue that the innate ability to sell yourself matters more than how original or unique you are. This applies not only to marketing your business at the basic level, but also in how you approach potential partners, industry colleagues, investors, etc.
If I could give collective feedback to anyone who resonates with this, it would be this: if you learn how to sell yourself in a way that creates urgency or inspires people to support you, then you’re less likely to feel Sisyphus-like pressure on your way to the top.
Thank you to everyone who applied for the summer internship role. Applications are closed now, but I appreciate anyone who sent a professional and thoughtful email. Professionalism goes a long way in this type of context.
In today’s newsletter: food x fashion x private capital, how iconic hotels are adapting to the next generation, a high society scandal, and more…
