Paciencia

I just got back from a super-duper meeting with the veep of multicultural and segment marketing for the entertainment division of one of the major media conglomerates. It was one of those meetings where you enter the room with one partnership model in mind and exit with a totally different approach -- one that, if it all comes together, may prove to be more beneficial in the long run. The strategy is consistent with how I believe we can work with media co's; it just didn't occur to me it might apply to this guy, whom Calixto and I first met earlier this year at the NALIP (Nat'l Assoc. Latino Independent Producers) conference in Cali. Then, at the NYC Latino Convergence Conf., I reconnected with his publicist, whom I already knew, and another major marketing exec from the same company. They both recommended I reach back out to him b/c his division is evolving in a direction that is complementary to Cinedulce. That just goes to show how long these things can take and how convoluted the process can be. It's all about networking and opening your mouth - you need to communicate what you're doing to everyone b/c you just never know where there may be a connection. Don't ever assume anything b/c, again, you don't know what's being discussed behind conference room doors. Moreover, seeking partnerships of any kind - promotional, sponsorship, strategic, investment - is a long-term proposition that requires an almost unbearable level of patience and persistence. It took me literally 3+ years of pestering to land Verizon as a sponsor of the NYILFF - 3 years! That's not nothin', kids. Of course, right when I gave up is when they called me and said they wanted in. Figures... And, since partnerships are key to the success of any business - large or small - it helps explain why the process of starting a business is such an extensive, unpredictable, topsy-turvy, wavy-gravy, rollercoaster of a journey. You just need to hold on tight to your vision, integrity and confidence and believe in your heart you have an idea with value and the resources to make it happen.
~Liz
(P.L.H.H.)