BIO: Ilise Benun has made it her business to teach basic business skills to creative professionals who should have learned them in school but, alas, did not because it’s not taught in school.

STORY: Ilise hired a designer to design a brochure for her consulting practice. Instead, he delivered a folder with her logo.

LEARNING: Stand up for yourself. Ask every question you can think of.

“Ask every stupid question to confirm the details of any arrangement.”

Ilise Benun

Guest profile

Ilise Benun has made it her business to teach basic business skills to creative professionals who should have learned them in school but, alas, did not because it’s not taught in school. This has, for years, perpetuated a “starving artist” mentality amongst creative professionals, who are naturally talented and could easily bring their creativity to the business side of their business if only they knew how. That’s her mission with all of her work through marketing-mentor.com, including The Marketing Mentor Podcast, seven books including The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money, three online courses for Creative Live and Domestika.org, and much more. If you want more from Ilise on mindset, money, and marketing, sign up for her Quick Tips.

Worst investment ever

When Ilise started her business, she came across a graphic designer and thought it would be great to have a brochure for her consulting practice. The designer showed Ilise images and examples of what the brochure would look like. Ilise was very excited. But when the brochure arrived on her doorstep, it was not what she had imagined. The designer designed boxes of folders with Ilise’s logo on it. The designer asked her all sorts of questions, and she answered them. She was utterly disappointed in the product but didn’t say anything. She just never worked with the designer again. Ilise was so young, immature, and afraid at that point in her career that she just didn’t stand up or advocate for herself.

Lessons learned

Stand up for yourself and bring yourself to the negotiation.
Strip away all of those things you imagine you’re supposed to be so that people can see who you are. That’s who they’re going to want to work with.

Andrew’s takeaways

When working with service providers, ensure that they deliver incrementally or get feedback as you go through the process. Don’t wait to get the final product to give your input.
Stand up for yourself to deliver to your business partners, employees, and family.

Actionable advice

Ask every question you can think of, even if it feels like it would be a stupid one.

Ilise’s recommendations

Ilise recommends her Domestica course, Writing a Winning Proposal. She teaches what she calls the proposal Oreos strategy. This is a way to help people using a food metaphor to learn how to have the money conversation and then decide whether or not to write a proposal based on that conversation.

No.1 goal for the next 12 months

Ilise’s number one goal for the next 12 months is to expand the E-commerce part of her business, take all the content she’s been creating, and turn it into products she can sell.

Parting words

“The only mistake is making the same mistake more than once.”

Ilise Benun

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Connect with Ilise Benun

Andrew’s books

Andrew’s online programs

Connect with Andrew Stotz:

Further reading mentioned

Mori Taheripour (March 2020), Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly

NO HOLDING BACK: An interview with Ian Lavery and Laura Smith