Why Theater & Entertainment Professionals Make Ideal Entrepreneurs

Having #werked in the theater and entertainment industry for over a decade I’ve come to learn a thing or two about the types of people who gravitate towards this business. 

We are a community of kindred spirits who love to hustle, werk hard, take risks, and can turn trash into treasure. We’re never deterred by rejection or setbacks because in our business it’s just part of the job. Our lives are often financially unpredictable with lean months and fruitful months, so our budgeting skills are honed and we know how to live on a dime. 

All of the aforementioned attributes are fundamental in being a successful entrepreneur. 

As an entrepreneur, you’re going to hustle unlike you’ve ever hustled before. It takes real grit and determination to bring an idea to life, and there’s nowhere better to learn these skills than in our industry. We work long hours on film sets, rehearsing, running tech, so we are prepared for the late nights and early mornings that are guaranteed to come our way when running our own business. 

Entrepreneurs need to be willing to take risks, because just the act of being an entrepreneur is a risk. And with every risk comes the chance for failure or reward. Every play we produce, or film we make, or album we launch is a risk, but we put ourselves out there anyway because we love it, and we know the rewards can be amazing. Your business might struggle or even fail, but so many people are too afraid to take the risk to even start. But not us. 

And if we do fail, we never let it get us down for too long. In our industry failure and rejection happen every day, and while it’s always hard to swallow, it’s just part of the job. When starting and running any business there’s a huge potential for failure and loss, but if you don’t try you’ll never succeed. 

As theater and entertainment people, we know how to live on a dime when money’s tight and make a dollar stretch, which is essential when starting and scaling a business. You’re going to have good months and bad months, and knowing how to sustain yourself during the not so good times is key to continuation and never giving up. If you’ve never lived on a budget then entrepreneurship might be a challenge. 

Whether you’re trying to turn a hobby into a business that can fully support you, or you have a fully functional money-making machine, these traits will serve you well. And if you haven’t started a business yet, just know that you already possess all the skills you need to get started. 

You don’t need a degree in marketing or business to become an entrepreneur. You just need an idea.