Why is it important to be careful about where I get business advice and who I surround myself with?

You’re the average of the five closest people you surround yourself with—and this applies not only in your personal life but in your business life as well. The ‘inputs’ you receive matter tremendously. Time and again, artists come with nonsensical statements they’re completely convinced of, and when asked where they got that information, it turns out it came from someone who has never sold anything in their entire life. Yet somehow it’s become gospel in their mind. You need to audit all negative inputs and separate yourself from them. Surround yourself with higher-quality people—other artists and photographers who are well above your level and have sales to prove it. This doesn’t mean you need to be physically next to these people; it’s really about where you’re getting your information from. Without good inputs, negativity, haters, and misinformation (call it ‘misery loves company’ or ‘fake news’) will get in and bring you down. If you’re getting inputs from people who aren’t actually selling and being successful, you need to get rid of those influences.

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Asked by general audience · Answered by Nick and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-08-05