Photo from The Girl from The Ghetto
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” Sun Tzu
My first real book is being published and released in April. Actually, it’s my husband’s book, but I wormed my way in there to have my name listed as one of the authors. After all, I wrote all the copy about Drew for it.
Okay, so I’m riding his coat-tails of success. I’ll be the first to admit it.
But so what? My brilliant marketing and relentless promotion of Drew Brophy for the past decade is what’s helped him to get a book deal in the first place. I might as well reap the personal rewards, too. And since I’m writing a “how-to” book for artists, being listed as an author on another book will give me extra points towards getting it published.
I’ve always been a shameful opportunist. And I’m darn proud of it.
I’ll come up with an idea of something I want, and then I’ll open my mind to the possible opportunities that will cause it to happen.
Take for example when I was 21 and dying to move out of Harford County, Maryland. I yearned to live in a place where I wouldn’t have to marry a logger named Butch with a missing front tooth. (Yeah, I know there’s no logging in Maryland, but it paints a picture, doesn’t it?)
One fine day in 1987 I was blow-drying my hair with a can of Aqua Net when my musician neighbor with Jon Bon Jovi hair busted into my room and proudly proclaimed “I’m moving to California to be a rock star. Wanna come?” He was such a baby, only 18, but I saw his offer as a gift from God (at the time I didn’t know about the Law of Attraction); it was my ticket out of the mundane and into the exciting beach life.
Everything in the 80’s was about hair. Despite that fact, I turned off my hair dryer, set down my big-toothed comb, and said “Sure! I’ll move to California. Just let me give a two week notice to my boss.” Even though I was impulsive, I still had the integrity of a good employee.
My friends thought I was bluffing, and my co-workers thought for sure I’d be back in a month. They were wrong. Two weeks later I had sold everything I owned and drove my little red tomato of a car 6,000 miles to Southern California. I never came back. Jon Bon Jovi-hair went on to be a rock star in his own mind, and I went on to live out my A.D.D. at the beach. I eventually married a surfer guy named Drew who still has all his teeth. It’s worked out well for me.
Another opportunity I jumped on was the time that I got a phone call from Mark Burnett Productions. They asked us to donate one of Drew’s painted surfboards to their new T.V. show called “Wedding Day.”
At the time, we were a year into trying to get our own T.V. show on the air. We had teamed up with director/producer Brian ILL to create a show called “Paint This with Drew Brophy”. It’s sort of a cross between Bob Ross and West Coast Choppers.
I thought that Drew could use some practice being on a real set. So I told the Mark Burnett Production person that “we can’t donate a surfboard, but you can put Drew on your show and he’ll paint a board for you and it can be a part of your episode.” For some insane reason they listened to me, and they flew Drew to Maui to film him painting on an episode of “Wedding Day”.
As Drew’s plane was landing in Maui, I was at my desk conjuring up yet more treasures that this occasion could produce. It occurred to me that Drew could meet the most-important-guy during the filming that might help us get “Paint This” on the air. So I called Drew and said “while you’re there, your mission is to find out who the most-important-guy is and get to know him.”
I bugged him every day. He’d call me after filming all day and the first question I’d ask is “Did you meet the most -important-guy? Don’t come home until you do.” He’d get flustered, because he’s not into networking like I am. He’s more of a one-on-one kind of guy and all he wants to do is paint, surf and drink red wine. But he was sick of me nagging him, and he knew that if he didn’t rub elbows with the right people, he’d have hell to pay when he got home.
Meeting the most-important-guy transpired on his last night in Maui. Drew was in the hotel bar and saw a group of people sitting at a table, and he walked up and asked if they were from the show. They said yes, and invited him to join them. They drank wine and talked about random topics like the scariest thing that ever happened to them. It was a night of storytelling, and Drew can tell some good stories. It’s the Irish in him, and of course, the wine.
Drew found that he was sitting with the-most-important guy; the one that decides what goes on the air at TNT/TBS. They had fun and connected. Even thought Drew chided him for all the bad shows on T.V., the guy still liked him enough to give his cell number and an invitation to call him if “you ever have a good show idea.”
The most-important-guy’s business card was gold in Drew’s hand. Drew didn’t mention “Paint This” that night. He left it up to me to do later. Only two weeks later that we met with the-most-important guy back in California and showed him our sizzle reel and presented “Paint This” to him.
Fast forward 18 months. WEDDING DAY aired the episode that Drew was on. We spent a year of meetings with TNT/TBS discussing “Paint This”. They were interested. But in the end, it didn’t happen. Not with them. But what we learned during that process was invaluable, and it’s what will help us get our show on the air with another network.
Then another opportunity struck: I met a guy on a plane while flying to a meditation retreat in Colorado. Turns out he’s a producer and has had great success with his shows on PBS. He gave me his card and offered to help me if I need it. His card feels like gold in my hand. I’ll be calling him this week. And here we go again.
I’m a shameful opportunist. What can I say?!
Maria xxoo
P.S. This post is different from my typical posts on business, creativity and marketing. I was encouraged by my very smart friend Darin R. McClure to write more personal posts, because, as he put it so delicately, people will get bored and stop reading if I don’t mix it up. Please comment and let me know your thoughts!
PPS: I snagged the photo of the 80’s hairdo from The Girl from The Ghetto Blog.
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Good thing the 80’s are over! 🙂 Good stuff. Shameless opportunist; shameless plugs. They are all worth a million bucks when you do them right. For me it’s important to be genuinely interested though. It needs to be real. I will not do something for the simple sake of opportunity. What I mean is… every day counts, and if I’m going to use an opportunity to connect, I must do it genuinely, with respect and being sincerely interested and involved. That’s the key to riding coattails. Like I’m doing right now 😉 Rock ‘on María and Drew! -Danny
Yeah, I don’t miss the 80’s. I can’t stand the fashion from that era. The big, fat belts and sweaters hanging off the shoulder – ugh!
Danny, you do a great job of connecting and being genuine. It’s sometimes a fine line that I try to walk.
I’m just working on eliminating ego, so I can be real. It’s not easy! (Not sure I even know what that means, but I read it somewhere….)
Oh, the ego part makes to total sense. I’m sure you know what it means, it’s just hard to explain and put into words since it’s more of a complex psychology trait.
Maria, LOVE this post, You are not a shameful opportunist you are one smart lady! I loved all the personal hair details, they gave life to this great story!
Sometimes being a shameful opportunist is a good thing! Congrats on getting your book published. If you wrote part of it, you should get credit. I was going to scold you for not asking to borrow my picture first, but after reading about the Aqua Net, you had me! Although that mess was created thanks to White Rain, my 80s hairsray of choice!
If you guys make it to reality world, drop me an email. I may want to watch it and review it on my blog, as I enjoy a good reality show from time to time.
Girl from the Ghetto, thanks for the comment! I had to swipe that photo – it was the best one I could find on the net! And, I loved the name of your blog. Brings back good memories of living in the ‘hood myself. I will for sure let you know when we get our show on the air. I’m getting closer, I can feel it!
Maria,
I really enjoyed your blog. I have always believed that “luck” is being prepared when opportunity presents itself, and there is no shame in making opportunities work to your advantage. Networking is the key to getting noticed. You’re one smart lady and a talented business-woman and writer. You have a gift for story-telling and, obviously, organization. I look forward to your artist’s how-to book!
Maria:
Whether you believe it or not, we are kindred spirits, you and I…
Forget about everything else, reading your post brought tears to my eyes. And trust me, I seldom cry. Your sensitivity is remarkable.
Somebody sure has to have a gift for story-telling to make me cry.
You don’t know how happy I am for that unhappy teenager who finally got her chance to leave Maryland for greener pastures in S. California.
Tears welled up in my eyes when I read about your trials and tribulations and the journey to your success. It made me feel proud of you, that you seized opportunities for professional growth.
And your meeting with Drew, your life-partner, is the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of: it changed your life, after all.
As a supporter and well-wisher, congratulations for publishing your book and may this new year bring you success and joy and wealth.
As for the nagging and giving Drew hell, don’t I know it. You’ve been trying to get me to contribute a guest post, and boy am I interested, but I can’t seem to haul my royal ass out of the bed in the morning!
Okay, Archan, it’s time to ante up and write that guest post!!!!! No pressure, but I like your style and I think you have a lot to say, and you express it so eloquently (much better than I do!). I’m surprised you don’t have your own blog – or maybe you do and you’re keeping it mystery. Hmmmmm. Do you?!
i think while your intentions are good, sometimes it sounds like contrivance and not just letting the manifestation of your work pull you/your husband forward. I have not seen his work, so don’t know if he warrants a TV show when there are incredibly talented artists/designers everywhere you look. I have to be true to me, and living in LA (five years) made me a whining, competitive wench. I had to compete for a job, for a parking space, for a place in a good school for my kid. Not conducive to art-making. I worked in the film/post-production special FX industry in Simi Valley and Culver City. I live in an ultra-rural place now and believe when it’s time i will have a successful art exhibit and all that it entails…creating and selling art is my focus. This sounds more like manipulation to be famous and get $$ which is a fine American ideal and time-honored American practice! But is it really you? Does it feed your soul? Only you can answer that.
Gloriart, thanks for reading and for the comment. It must be tough living in LA. – unless you like the fierce competition (it sounds like you don’t). I try to do that which is most fun for me. We just have so much fun sharing what we do, and I love projects like producing videos and things like that. Our show will have many guest artists that will be featured. More of an educational, inspirational type show. Sort of like Bob Ross – he fired up so many people to pick up a paint brush and paint. It was all positive. That’s what I’m drawn to.
Maria,
I was pleasantly surprised by your prompt response: it reflects your sense of professionalism. Thank you for caring.
No mysteries at all: I don’t maintain a blog. Somehow, life got in the way, and I never could muster up the discipline to blog, period. Artists tend to be a bit whimsical and, like Drew, follow their bliss more often than getting down to the practical realities of mundane existence.
Tell you what, though, I have decided to get started. Enough of the laid-back lifestyle: time to rev up that motor, old boy, else Maria will never forgive you. She’s a strict task-master, that one, but she means well.
I have it all written down–I maintain a “to do” list, you see–and I will get to work on it soon. Otherwise, like Albert Einstein, I have a tendency to be forgetful or absent-minded if I don’t write it down.
And bless your heart, Maria, for all that you have accomplished. I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon your blog. Your words are touching and your ideas are moving. Your life is like an eternal flame which refuses to be extinguished despite the ferocious winds.
And, despite your critics, you deserve that book deal, so go for it!
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Well you hear so much of this you have to sell yourself these days like you have to put on some act to accomplish selling your art or anything for that matter.
I believe in been ones self and portray yourself in your art and if they say no then just move on and come back when the prospect is ready so say yes.
Sell yourself in your art.
Kenneth
Hi Maria,
Thanks for another great post, and a great lesson–one I’ve been working on, as it happens!
I also just ordered “How to Draw” on Amazon. I doodlie (on EVERYTHING) with Sharpies CONSTANTLY. Looking forward to learning some new techniques and selling more work.
Who knew? (other than you, and Drew, of course!)
Thanks!
((()))