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How I know you’ll “make” it (developing self confidence)

What’s something mundane that you hate doing?

For me, it’s repeating myself.

So much so that my staff have coined the phrase “Curt doesn’t want to talk about this anymore” that they say aloud on my behalf whenever they see my patience waning.

Part of being a successful artist is having a personal brand. Something you already know.

But what does “personal brand” mean? 

DO YOU NEED A WEBSITE? DO YOU NEED A LOGO TATTOOED ON YOUR UPPER FACE?!

My impatience makes me abbreviate indiefilmTO to “ifto” (pronounced if-toe), and because we have a VERY specific brand, we’ve coined the term “iftology” to refer to our specific way of thinking / speaking / acting.

At it’s core, being “iftological” is to be:

  • Results driven, instead of vanity metrics like Facebook likes
  • Focused on psychology, since 80% of your bottleneck is internal
  • Focused on startup strategies from Silicon Valley for reliable, data driven growth in film
  • Focused on the MOST efficient / effective method to accomplish your goals

You’ve already noticed that compared to other advice out there, I have radically different views on networking, earning money, and even pitching.

Im not saying Im so great, but why doesn’t everyone think differently?…

It’s not their fault. We’re conditioned by society to be vanilla — to do things in the same way they’ve always been done.

Pavlov Dog Caption meme

I wanna give you some tools to think more iftologically. The best way is through examples:

Conditioned Question Ex. #1: No one knows my city, there’s no industry here, statistically there’s only a 1% chance of making it. Should I give up?

iftological Question Ex. #1: Im from a small town… Hm… How can I use this situation to work FOR me? How can I get an UNFAIR advantage utilizing this fact? What’s something unconventional that NO ONE else is thinking of — no matter how stupid it sounds?!

We all think in terms of questions; the trick is to “iftologize” them!

Conditioned Question Ex. #2: I wanna be famous. What books should I read from my field (ie. film)?

iftological Question Ex. #2: What tactics and strategies can I use from OTHER industries (for example, the startup industry), and MASSIVELY apply it now?

Notice the patterns?

Conditioned Question Ex. #3: Why can’t I get more clients? I wish more people would watch my movie. Im fucking overwhelmed and burnout all the time. There’s SO much to do and only one of me!

iftological Question Ex. #3: Fuck “wishing.” What’s the best way to add more value than ANYONE else so that they can’t help but want to watch my shit / work with me? I have the exact same 24 hours that Bill Gates does, so time is not an excuse.  How can I scale what Im doing, and do it more efficiently / effectively?

That LAST question is something I use everyday. Most recently, I wanted to approach artists here in Toronto to help make our festival something great.

Then I thought “Hm… instead of approaching 1-on-1, how can I scale this? What would be the iftological approach? I know! Record a video and send it via email so I can reach more people faster!”

That’s how this video was born.

***

The thing is… you were right. In your gut you know there’s a way to win.

And you’re correct – there’s always a way.

With enough practice, production, and passion — you can do anything. Just keep thinking, “is what Im doing iftological right now? How can I iftologize the f out of this!?”

Here’s some more iftological mindsets:

  • Zig when everyone else is zagging.
  • “If I can’t, then I must.”
  • There is nothing that can’t be learned. Everything is a skill built with time, effort, and strategic practice.

That last one is what gets me through the tough times as a filmmaker. It’s what allowed my first feature to actually be profitable when 99% of indies aren’t.

You have it in you too. How am I so sure??

Because there are things in your life that you‘re amazing at, that when you first started, youknew so little about it it was embarrassing!

***

ACTION STEP

Im curious — what’s something you used to suck at, that now you’re so good, other people come to YOU for advice on it?

I know there’s many, but I want you to pick one. For me, it’s pitching:

To be honest… I used to get rejected on a daily basis and be that guy that pretended to be doing important things on his phone in the corner at a bar. Then something snapped.

I started working out. I started studying persuasion (even hypnosis). Then I learned how to pitch, got an investor for my film, got a 4000 sq ft space for indiefilmTO for free, and now Ican speak for hours on stage without notes.

Im not trying to be boastful, Im just fucking proud. And you should be proud of yourself too.

So what’s your story? What’s something you used to suck at, but with practice you became so damn good people ask you for advice?

Comment and let me know.

– Curt

PS: For bonus points… What’s a question you’ve been asking yourself on a regular basis – and how can you make it more iftological?

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