Interview with Elizabeth Martin, Owner of Resilience Road Productions
By Sara Carraway
SC: Did you have a business plan when you started your business?
EM: No, I actually didn’t have a formal business plan when I started my business. I more or less had to form my production company quickly and out of sheer need. Once I graduated and went to work in the film and television industry, I had a myriad of large jobs that required me to hire multiple crew members, rent equipment, and so on. So, the next logical and rational step to take was to form a business where all of these entities were housed under one roof. I had a solid idea of what needed to happen, how it needed to happen, and when, and since I already had a clear understanding of how to form and run a business, I acted quickly.
SC: Do you think business plans are necessary for entrepreneurship?
EM: I don’t. Although I do think a business plan is a valuable tool for success.
SC: What three pieces of advice would you offer aspiring entrepreneurs?
EM: If I could offer advice, I would say this:
- Never give up. There will be times when you doubt yourself and when others doubt you, but stick with it; charge ahead and don’t let up. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
- Always evolve with your clientele. Allow your product and perspective to change from time to time when needed. Keep your core principles firmly in place, but allow for flexibility in your product and customer service when needed.
- Have fun. Enjoy what do. If you find you are no longer having fun, it’s your fault. Don’t allow stress dictate your emotions. Use every unpleasant situation as a learning tool for how to turn it into a positive and beneficial outcome.
I’ll add one more:
- Failure is never permanent and is useful. View each “failure” as research on how to succeed in the future. Once you’ve done something wrong, you’ll know exactly how to do it right.
Sara Carraway is a student in Developing an Arts Venture Plan at Meadows School of the Arts, Arts Entrepreneurship
