The Power of a Small Fan Base

I (Phil Svitek) see lots and lots of people try to emulate social media megastars like Kim Kardashian in order to have the same large fan base, or “reach” as it may be called. Emulate them how? Well, therein lies the problem. The ways in which I see people emulate these celebrities is surface level. They forget the craft and instead seek the result… aka they aim to become famous. I’ve said time and time again, if you’re pursuing a creative passion, you need to have it be your passion. The ultimate goal cannot be fame or money. That’s a byproduct of the value you’re able to bring to people – just like in any other field by the way. Recently, I saw Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born and there’s a quote I really like that speaks to this. Don’t worry, it’s not a spoiler. The quote goes, “Look, talent comes everywhere, but having something to say and a way to say it so that people listen to it, that’s a whole other bag. And unless you get out and you try to do it, you’ll never know. That’s just the truth. And there’s one reason we’re supposed to be here is to say something so people want to hear. So you got to grab it, and you don’t apologize, and you don’t worry about why they’re listening, or how long they’re going to be listening for, you just tell them what you want to say.” Looking at it from that perspective, is all you have to say “hey, look at me, I want you to like me”? FOR FUCK’S SAKE STOP WORRYING ABOUT HOW FAMOUS YOU SHOULD BE! Instead, start worrying about what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Align your art and skills with your values because you will never attract and sustain an audience if you don’t truly captivate them. And guess what? Once you do that, even if you don’t have millions of followers like Kim or Kylie Jenner, you’ll be able to support yourself as an artist and impact an audience. I’ll show you exactly why a small fan base can be stronger than a large one. I’ll reference Almost Famous (with Philip Seymour Hoffman), comedian Adam Carolla and Kevin O’Leary from ABC’s Shark to illustrate certain points. And I’ll go to the source - Kevin Kelly who coined the term “1,000 True Fans”. All these will teach you how a small fan base can earn you a living - the dream of any artist. Write any comments or questions you may have so I can respond too! Full Transcript: https://philsvitek.com/the-power-of-a-small-fan-base/ Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans Article: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/  Apple Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a-phil-svitek-podcast/id1211417581?mt=2  AfterBuzz Contact Page: http://www.afterbuzztv.com/contact-faq/#toggle-id-18  Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd-Q6qZNFcQ9MJLXMMpSCJcjPAq-5lepX  SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/phil-svitek  Facebook: http://facebook.com/philippsvitek  Google Podcast: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82ZGIwYWEwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Ac7WjgaGaIAmc4nEZJFIY  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/a-phil-svitek-podcast