Do You Know Your Ideal Clients When You Meet Them?

I’m not a weirdo, but I’m also not a square. I’m not bohemian, as much as I’d love to be. I’m not an artist, but I am “a creative.” I look like your average professional white lady, so I pass pretty seamlessly in the corporate world. Let’s just say I’m “alternative,” in the parlance of my generation.

Inside, behind the blonde hair and work-appropriate attire, I have always felt like a bit of an outsider in conventional settings. Maybe because I started my career as an artist in my own right, I gravitate toward people doing interesting things in their own unique way.

In show business, my first love was comedy and its practitioners. Outspoken, iconoclastic, one-of-one people with the wry point of view of the careful observer. Chef’s kiss. They could say anything they wanted, and eventually get paid for it. I connected with them and could speak their language in a way that earned me trust and credibility. This ability to translate between corporate and creative was the key to my professional success.

I found a career where my taste was relevant. I have a gut for what’s cool and interesting, and I always brought that “alty” sensibility to my work. Because I am a Gen X woman raised on punk music and indie film and feminism and alt comedy and downtown NYC culture and progressive values and a love of travel and intellectualism and the arts, that’s how I filtered the zeitgeist into the film, TV and mobile projects I helped artists produce.

I spent decades building a successful corporate career that required this point of view and an ability to bring the outsiders in, the underground above ground, the small and unknown to mass (ok, niche cable TV) audiences.

I say all this to share myself, but more importantly, to talk about how we think about ourselves and how that determines what rooms we feel comfortable in.

I’ve been looking at the members of Broad Collective — those who have been with us since the pre-monetization days and those who have joined since we officially launched — and thinking about what the women who participate most eagerly, generously, and actively in our community have in common.

First, they are ambitious. They are determined to grow their businesses and manifest something meaningful into the world that pays them well — unique businesses that wouldn’t exist without them.

Second, they have a growth mindset. I know that gets a lot of lip service these days, but what it means to me is that they want to take every opportunity to learn the skills, tools and techniques they need to be successful, but they also want to grow personally as leaders and human beings.

Third, they have incredible ideas and they’re exploding with creativity. They are burning to communicate their expertise and vision to the world. They need Broad Collective to help them focus and strategize around content creation.

Fourth, they’re tired of doing things alone. They have a generosity of heart and want to connect and help each other. They schedule calls outside of our group sessions to get to know other members, network with them, and figure out opportunities to collaborate.

"Because that's who we are, and you attract what you are."

What this extremely informal analysis tells me is that Broad Collective isn’t for everyone. There are lots of ways to grow your content-creation skills and professional network. Our community is for ambitious, growth-oriented, creative, collaborative women who are building businesses they have a deep personal connection with.

There are too many amazing members to mention (and I’ll talk more about them in future newsletters, I promise), but here are some members with businesses that come to mind:

Lynn Harris’ Gold Comedy, where women and other “others” grow comedy careers, build networks, and make funny stuff.

Eva Angeloff’s Women’s Lib - A powerful plant-based tincture expertly designed to support energy, mood, focus, comfort, and connection through midlife and beyond.

Ashley Ratcliff Lundy’s Poppy + Monarch - a clothing and accessories business that supports the chronically chill and their cherished ones.

Megan Saxelby’s Wild Feelings - a coaching and consulting business dedicated to ditching the nightmare narrative surrounding early adolescence with research-backed guidance and unrelenting optimism.

Wellness products, coaching and consulting services, a membership network - members’ businesses span a wide range of models, but every single one of them is unique and cool and outside the box.

Because that’s who we are and you attract what you are.

I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Love,

Erin