“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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