As an entrepreneur and performer in the entertainment industry I’ve had to consider what my career looks like — now, what exactly I think and how I feel about the work I do, that may be another post (after I decide how a person might put the meaning of his life’s work into words, you know, for academic study).
I’ve also had to think about how my career fits into the expectation that the average American worker experiences 6 or 7 major career shifts before they retire. I haven’t worked for anyone else since 2003. I’ve had a lot of jobs, some of them very odd jobs, but all related to my work as a performer.
Now I don’t consider those “jobs” different careers, just jobs. Over 10 very busy years later (10 years since producing my first Improv Festival to justify a trip to NC and 5 years since DSI opened its doors) I never want to do anything but run my own company — And, as long as I am able, I would like it to be associated with comedy. So what changes am I going to face? What career shifts can I expect before I retire?
I’ve thought about this a lot over the last few years, mostly because I have already been experiencing a career shift INSIDE my own company. The business of comedy has changed. The work necessary to effectively operate a theater has changed. Now when I am on the downside of any quarter I introduce myself to the RESET BUTTON — I try new things, I consider ALL the options, I look to what I’ve done and I try to separate my fragile ego from programs that may not be working. I want to stay true to my Artistic Vision and the Mission of my Company, but the specific ways that I execute those are flexible and may shift.
A lot of professionals argue that a business plan needs to be a LIVING document and open to change. I AGREE! I’ve worked with a lot of business owners that never had a plan in the first place, let alone a plan they were revising and repurposing for current conditions and changing demand. So that’s my career plan, to constantly check-in and be 100% willing to hit the RESET BUTTON at any time.
I’m an improviser. Easy, right? No, HARD! But I try.
