Producer vs. Stage Manager

The last couple of days have been eye-opening to say the least.  As I focus on my attitudes about finances in The Miracle Challenge, I find that things are moving in a new direction – and it’s ONLY BEEN SEVEN DAYS!!!!  That blows me away.  Check out my Miracle Challenge post for today for an update from the “Show Me The Money!” post of last week.

But even that amazing-ness is only a piece of it.

I had a conversation with a friend the other night that finally helped me to understand (after TEN YEARS!) why I have weakness in a particular area of my business and also what my corresponding strength is.

For years I’ve had fantastic ideas for workshops.  And projects.  And theatre experiences.  And teaching tools.  And books.  And so much more.  I have ideas coming out of the wazoo.

What I have not had was the ability to readily translate those ideas into successful ventures.  In general, when someone hires me to do a workshop or speak to an audience, it’s a huge success.  But when I try to organize it on my own, it isn’t.  In fact, it usually doesn’t even happen.

I thought it was a failure on my part – a failure of charisma is how I’ve always thought of it.

What got clear to me in talking the other night with my friend – who also has a background in theatre producing and directing – is that my strength is as a stage manager and director.  I have never been – and never want to be – a producer.

In very simple terms, the difference is this: the producer makes the plan.  The stage manager executes the plan.  If you give me a plan, I will execute it to within an inch of its life and I will make it successful.  But please don’t ask me to make the plan.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a stage manager – in fact, in this world I think we have too few good stage managers.  The problem is that I’ve been trying to be a producer and feeling like a failure.  Now I know that in order to be successful I need to find a good producer to partner with.  And presto-change-o, a huge drama in my life is brought to resolution.  Amazing.

But wait!  There’s more!  (Order now and get TWO Miracles for the price of one! All this and a set of Ginsu knives!!!)

A few days ago I was whining inside my own head about how I haven’t done a Live. Write. Share. workshop in quite a while and probably everyone has forgotten about them and no one will ever hire me again (whine, whine, whine!)

Two days ago a friend who I’ve partnered with before (also, by the way, a PHENOMENAL producer!) contacted me and said she wanted to talk partnering on a project.

Last night we talked about and it’s quite possible that we have a really exciting project on our hands. It involves me being paid appropriately for my skills (thank you Miracle Challenge!) and I see the possibility for it to be a big hit locally and regionally. There’s still lots of talking to be done to see if it will even work.  But in the meantime, I can’t ignore the timing.

Something is building. I’m making the space to shift my attitudes; I’m finding ways to bring in more money; I’m redefining myself in my own head in a more accurate way; the Universe is responding.

If that ain’t a Miracle…well…I won’t even finish that sentence, because I know it is.  Period.