Blake Michael is an entrepreneur, creator, and CEO and founder of Fourteen Media Group.
With so many new and ever-evolving ways to do business and earn money, it’s more important than ever for the modern worker to be adaptable and quick to evolve. Equally important is the ability to sell yourself and skilfully leverage your diverse past experiences to forge new opportunities for the future. Luckily, this is a lesson I learned young, and I credit that for my ability to evolve my career from actor to creator to digital media agency owner in just 10 years.
Age Is Just A Number
Although acting had been my primary focus for most of my childhood, it wasn’t the only work I was doing. As I was starring on a Cartoon Network TV show at the age of 10, I was also editing together commercials for a popular cruise line.
I had begun watching, filming and generally experimenting with YouTube videos from practically the moment the site was launched in 2005. It was then that I realized the potential of the digital landscape and, like many Millennials my age, wanted to leave my mark on this remarkably accessible and democratic space.
Thus began my first foray into the digital marketing world, creating online video content for brands as a behind-the-scenes figure rather than an actor. I cut together video clips this cruise company had provided, and I even recorded voiceover to narrate the project. When I returned it to the brand, I told them that we’d gotten a kid to narrate their clip to emphasize their family-friendly branding. They had no idea that the 10-year-old kid was me.
Historically, being young is a disadvantage in the workplace. You’re viewed as inexperienced, unknowledgeable and immature. What could you possibly know that someone 10 years older than you doesn’t? What value can you add that the more senior applicant can’t?
However, in the age of the internet, this false stereotype is finally being dismantled. Quicker to evolve, better at picking up new technologies and more willing to experiment with their methods, young adults are becoming more successful than their older counterparts in the same industries. While ageism and stereotypes still exist, today’s workers can begin building experience at practically any age. Plus, in the era of working from home and independent contractors, your network may not even know how old you are, so you can let your work stand on its own without assumptions.
The Power Of Networking
As my acting career grew, my digital marketing experience continued to run parallel. After starring in a Disney Channel Original Movie and then leading my own show on the network, I became immersed in the world of influencer marketing.
My show aired at the same time that “social media creator” became a sustainable career. Although networks encouraged a social media presence as a means of promotion for their shows, actors were also now just beginning to be given business opportunities through their social media presence, independent of their current television or movie projects.
I began working with brands for paid social media promotions. This gave me a unique opportunity to build relationships with heads of marketing, VPs and other executives at large brands. It also gave me the opportunity to collaborate creatively with teams in a way that I hadn’t before. In acting, you are executing lines that have already been written. Through this new avenue, I became the creator, developing the ideas as well as executing them.
Fulfilled by this creative collaboration, I made the decision to expand my career once my show ended. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes creation of this new frontier of media, and I loved helping other business leaders succeed through these projects, whether we were developing their personal brand, building awareness for their company, or encouraging product growth.
As I built relationships with companies and executives through my influencer marketing efforts, I fostered those relationships and sustained them—and learned the power of networking.
Experience As Resume
Having refined my passion from performing to creating, and having evolved from marketing myself to marketing others, I made the decision to start my own digital media agency. In a way, it was an entirely new adventure; at the same time, it was going back to my 10-year-old video-editing roots—a natural full-circle moment that felt almost inevitable.
Having fostered relationships with marketing executives and having built relevant experience for the past decade through freelance work and my personal brand, I was able to earn my first client. They knew me, they knew my skills and they trusted my ability to help them succeed. Over time, I proved their faith in me to be well-placed, and I earned my second client. And my third. I hired team members. I built processes and SOPs. I was an agency owner. And a consultant.
By 22 years old, I was consulting with a tech startup to grow their product and revenue. They eventually asked me to come on as a C-suite executive, and we went on to raise over $16 million.
As I earned more clients and grew my network, I noticed a curious trend: No one ever asked me my age. No one ever asked whether I’d gone to college, or what my educational credentials were. Granted, some of this may have come from Googlable adolescence. But it also came from my experience speaking for itself. All my clients had been earned through word of mouth. My previous work, my portfolio, my experience—whatever you want to call it—had served as my resume.
For those who have found themselves in a similar position, begin by asking your friends and family for opportunities. Offer to work for free or below market rates to initially build your portfolio if you have no practical experience in the field. When you meet people, foster those relationships, and never be afraid to reach out and inquire. The worst anyone can say is “no”—and, often, they say yes.
Most importantly, put forward high-quality work. Most of my jobs and clients have come through word of mouth. By performing beyond expectations, consistently and efficiently, you’ll find that you no longer need to seek opportunities; they’ll start to find you.
No matter what field you are in, the same principle holds true—if you foster the right relationships, deliver quality work and go for what you wanted (regardless of perceived age barriers), you can succeed.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
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