Beyond the technical.

In my experience, most creatives think that to get paid to do their creative shit, they have to become really good at their craft.

And yes, you have to get good.

BUT, that alone won’t get you paid.

For over a decade, I’ve hired 100s of creatives, paid full-time and freelance staff, and helped build the careers of a lot of working creatives.

I want to give you this perspective as someone who pays creatives for their work.

See, bringing people into my agency — being good at what they do — is the fucking bare minimum. It’s the price of entry. But being good at what they do doesn’t get them in the game.

I’m looking for other things.

In fact, you know what? I’m going to give you the exact things I look for in a creative before I hire them. And I don’t care what discipline — could be a writer, photographer, musician, stylist, designer, whatever — this is the total package.

If you understand and embody these, you’ll be set.

So, here are the questions I ask myself about any potential new hire:

Attitude and Positivity – What’s their general outlook on life? Do they have an upbeat disposition? What was the hardest thing they've overcome, and what lessons did they learn from it? Because, get your complaining, victim-ass out of my life if that’s you — I don’t have time for it. I need people who will burn bright.

Hustle – Are there examples of initiative? Getting shit done by their own motivation? Maybe personal projects or accomplishments? Do they communicate fast?

Ethics – Are they good people? Do they align with our values, which is basically acting with honour and integrity? No amount of skill or value can overshadow this.

Coachability / Teachability – Do they accept criticism? How do they handle it? Do they implement what they learn? This is also aligned with comprehending a brief. Can they follow instructions?

Growth Focus / Self-awareness – What are they learning right now? What’s the next thing they want to learn? What was the last YouTube tutorial they watched?
This one is a bit rarer, and to be honest, sometimes not so important if it’s a one-off job — but if I’m developing a working relationship with them, I want to know they’re pushing themselves and we grow.

Equanimity – Are they emotionally mature and even-keel? Or are they a rollercoaster of ups and downs? You guys know how emotions can get — we want even. Particularly with creatives, we can be really connected to our emotions, but feeling them and acting on them are two different things. Don’t be too hardcore one way or another.

Selflessness – Do they care about others? Do they want to go above and beyond? What do they want to get out of this role? Are they using their creativity as a tool of service and to bring value to others?

Then — if you’re good at your shit — then we can talk.

So listen, this is my disclaimer:

This is what I look for in my agency. I’ve spent over 10 million dollars hiring creatives.

And I’ve gotten it wrong so many times.

But I’ve gotten it right a lot too.

Every time I don’t follow this template, it usually ends poorly. And when I stick to it — or at least stay aware of it — I attract good people and form good relationships.

So if you’re hiring people, feel free to give this a go.

If, on the other hand, you’re a creative looking for work, wondering why you may not be getting called back on things — maybe something in that list is lacking.

Maybe. I don’t know. Unless it was actually me who didn’t call you back — then it was most likely one of those things.

But the good news is, these are skills like any other.
Yes, some people are more predisposed — but who gives a fuck?

Know yourself. Know what you need to work on. Make a plan and put in the reps.
You want to be more selfless? Do more selfless things.
You want to be a better communicator? Communicate more.

Creatives will put reps into their craft, but won’t put reps into these things.

Remember:
Taking 1,000 photos will make you better at taking photos.
1,000 reps of these skills will make you a higher-paid photographer.

If this resonates with you or you’ve found value, please send it to one other creative.
Let’s help each other get paid to do what we love.

And keep creating.