Interview with Michelle Roshanzamir, founder of MVR Creative
Interview with Michelle Roshanzamir, founder of Mvr Creative
Bd Mag - What's your background?
I am Michelle Roshanzamir, CEO and founder of MVR Creative. I'm a consultant and producer helping creatives and leaders bring their ideas to life and develop their businesses.
I work with a range of creatives and leaders to bridge the gap between the creative and business, coordination, and management side of the equation.
Bd Mag - Who do you work with? What type of work do you do?
I work with creatives and leaders that are passionate and driven about the work they do but can be overwhelmed and all over the place when it comes to getting organized and turning their ideas into an actionable, results driven plan. Having real world strategies to develop their business and bring their idea to life is totally achievable.
They can keep doing more of what they love and move forward with confidence on their ideas - and their business - in a way that makes sense financially and aligns with their values and goals.
My clients include creatives and leaders typically working in the arts, entertainment, and culture sector. This has included creatives such as writers, performers and artists to leaders and managers at non-profit and for-profit organizations.
The common problems they face include being overwhelmed or all over the place when it comes to getting organized and turning your ideas into an actionable, results driven plan.
Through individualized support, I help them develop their strategy, determine their next steps, and explore their options - including funding - so they can make your vision a reality and reach your goals in a deeply fulfilling and financially rewarding way.
I've worked with individuals and organizations to:
* Coordinate and manage events, productions, and projects
* Determine and go after funding opportunities, including applying for grants, going after individual donors, running donation campaigns, peer-to-peer campaigns, and crowdfunding campaigns
* Strategy, including business, marketing, and funding
Bd Mag - What motivated you to start MVR Creative?
The germ for what I'm doing now started when I was in college: I was an art school student who scoffed at much of the business side of things, despite my own growing interest and experience in management and producing.
While my time at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) was impactful in many ways, I knew I wanted to continue learning, and went to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)'s MBA/MFA Theatre Management program. It was a great combination: I had the opportunity to balance both the 'business-side' and 'arts-side' of the work I was starting to do and wanted to continue doing.
With one semester left in the MBA/MFA program, I decided to drop the MFA side of the program and shift gears and just focus on the MBA. While it was a difficult decision to make at the time, it turned out to be a wise choice: I ended up focusing more on the MBA side, taking courses, and continuing to meet people I may not have otherwise, and continue developing the skills I use to this day.
While the experiences in school were useful, my experiences outside of school were proving to be just as valuable. I keep seeing how much creatives and leaders - many of them working in the arts, entertainment, and culture sector - struggle with the business and management side of what they're working on.
Continuing to work at the intersection of stories, ideas, creativity and business, I took the leap and started MVR Creative in 2019.
Bd Mag - What impact has the pandemic had on your organization and how have you adjusted?
Like many, the early days of the pandemic left with me with several projects on hold and having to adjust moving forward.
While I had started offering some of my services virtually, I had taken to offering the rest of my services virtually. This included consulting and grant writing services I offer but also organizing virtual table reads for writers developing new work.
Bd Mag - What advice do you have for a creative or leader on how plan for the year ahead and take what they're working on to the next level?
There are a few things they can do, including:
* What's your why?
* Have a clear goal along with a clear offering, product, or service.
* Clear metrics & check your progress along the way.
* Feedback! While hearing about what we did right or what worked is great, hearing about what could be or work better can be just as insightful.
Bd Mag - Best business books you've read or ones you would recommend?
I've always loved reading books and list of many amazing business- or business-related books. A few include:
The Art of Relevance by Nina Simon. Being able to build meaningful - and relevant - connections and community is so vital, and this book provides great insight into making that happen!
Hustle & Float by Rahaf Harfoush. How we show up and do our work - working in a creative field and often outside of that as well - makes a huge impact. A line on the book's cover sums this up best: Reclaim your creativity and thrive in a world that's obsessed with work.
Real Artists Don't Starve by Jeff Goins. Being able to be a successful artist - a successful creative - is totally achievable. Having once subscribed to aspects of the starving artist myth, the book down the starving artist myth, and provides a path, tools, and examples to be a thriving creative.
Bd Mag - How can someone connect with you?
You can always check out my website at https://www.mvrcreativela.com/
You can also keep up with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-roshanzamir-15a3b617/
