Talent may get you started. But building a sustainable career as a musician, artist, designer, creator or freelancer requires something else: you have to learn how to turn your creativity into a business.
In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Jane Singer talks with Joe Reeve, an award-winning saxophonist, entrepreneur, creative community founder and public speaker who has spent 15 years making a living as a professional musician.
He learned that being good at your craft is only part of what determines whether you can turn that talent into a sustainable career.
Joe's advice to aspiring creatives:
A less talented creative with strong business skills can often get more work than a highly talented creative who doesn't understand business.
So what separates the people who dream about making a living from their creativity from those who actually do it?
The Four Skills Creatives Need to Build a Career
Joe identifies four things that have been fundamental to building his career:
1. Networking
When Joe was starting out, he made business cards and personally visited bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and other venues that might hire live musicians.
He approached roughly 30 or 40 venues.
Only two responded.
But one was looking for a saxophonist at exactly that moment — and that opportunity gave Joe his first regular residency.
That led to more contacts, more opportunities and eventually a professional career.
His lesson is simple: you have to put yourself where opportunities can find you.
2. Business Skills
Creative talent doesn't automatically teach you how to price your services, negotiate a fee, market yourself, find customers or run a company.
Joe learned those skills as he went.
Today, when he speaks with music and creative students, he encourages them to learn the fundamentals of marketing, sales, negotiation and business alongside their creative craft.
Because once you decide to earn your living from your creativity, you're not only a creative.
You're running a business.
3. Resilience
Freelancing and entrepreneurship come with high highs and low lows.
There will be rejection.
There will be periods when work isn't coming in.
There will be days when you're questioning whether any of it is working.
Joe explains why developing resilience — and learning not to quit at the first hurdle — is one of the most important skills for anyone trying to build a non-traditional career.
4. Personal Branding
Long before "personal brand" became a marketing buzzword, Joe was learning that people weren't simply hiring a saxophonist.
They were hiring Joe.
Today he uses social media not only to demonstrate his musical ability but also to let people understand who he is, what he cares about and what it's like to work with him.
That familiarity builds trust.
By the time some clients meet him, they already feel as though they know him.
For freelancers, consultants, creators and entrepreneurs, that can become a significant competitive advantage.
The Importance of "Aggressive Patience"
One of the most useful ideas in this conversation is what Joe calls aggressive patience.
Building a career takes time.
But patience doesn't mean sitting around waiting for something to happen.
It means continuing to take small actions while accepting that the results may take longer than you want.
Joe describes these as the 1% actions that gradually compound.
The opportunity you want might not happen today. But continually taking those small actions increases the chances that you'll eventually be in the right place when the opportunity appears.
Why Overnight Success Usually Isn't Overnight
Social media can make successful creative careers look deceptively easy.
We see the performance, successful business, big audience or exciting project.
We don't see the years that came before it.
Joe compares it to a movie training montage. Several years of hard work can be compressed into a few minutes, making the journey appear much faster and easier than it actually was.
That distorted view can make creatives and entrepreneurs feel as though they're falling behind.
Joe's advice is to play the long game.
He also points out that when you're constantly focused on the next goal, it's easy to overlook how far you've already come.
You climb one mountain, reach the top — and immediately notice a bigger mountain in the distance.
Sometimes it's worth looking back down the mountain you've just climbed.
The Reality Behind Social Media Success
Social media is important for building a creative career, but it also creates one of its biggest psychological challenges: comparison.
Joe describes social media as a highlight reel.
Someone may appear to have a thriving business, hundreds of thousands of followers and an enviable lifestyle while privately struggling financially or professionally.
That makes comparing your real life with someone else's social media presence particularly dangerous.
The success you see online rarely tells you the complete story.
For creatives building their careers, Joe recommends using social media strategically to build visibility and trust — without allowing it to become the benchmark by which you judge your own progress.
Growing a Creative Business Without Burning Out
As Joe's career has expanded beyond performing into public speaking, entrepreneurship and running his Creative Meetup community, he has encountered another challenge familiar to many entrepreneurs:
You can't keep adding more without eventually deciding what deserves your time.
Joe has reduced the number of wedding performances he accepts and increased his pricing so he can maintain the quality of his music business while creating time to develop other parts of his career.
It's an important transition for any successful freelancer.
At first, the challenge is getting enough work.
Eventually, the challenge becomes deciding which work deserves your time.
Questions This Episode Answers
Can you really turn a creative passion into a full-time career?
Yes, but Joe's experience demonstrates that talent alone isn't enough. Networking, business knowledge, resilience and personal branding all play important roles in creating a sustainable career.
What business skills do musicians and creatives need?
Creatives benefit from understanding marketing, sales, pricing, negotiation, networking, financial realities and how to position themselves professionally.
How do freelancers find their first clients?
Joe's own career started by proactively approaching potential venues, networking and putting himself in situations where opportunities could emerge.
Is networking important for creative careers?
For Joe, networking was one of the most important drivers of his early career. One connection frequently led to another, creating a compounding network of opportunities.
How can creatives use personal branding?
Show people more than your work. Helping potential clients understand who you are and what it's like to work with you can create familiarity and trust before they ever contact you.
How do you deal with rejection as a freelancer?
Joe emphasizes resilience, self-belief and accepting that rejection and slow periods are normal parts of building an independent career.
How long does it take to build a successful creative career?
There is no universal timeline. Joe argues that one of the biggest mistakes is expecting results too quickly. Sustainable careers often require years of consistent effort.
How do you stay motivated when your business isn't growing fast enough?
Focus on what Joe calls aggressive patience: continue taking small, useful actions while accepting that meaningful results may take time.
Does social media help creatives get clients?
It can. Joe uses social media to demonstrate his work and build a personal connection with prospective clients. But he also warns against comparing your real life with other people's curated online success.
How do you avoid burnout when you're self-employed?
As opportunities grow, you may need to become more selective, manage your time carefully, increase prices and decide which parts of your business deserve the most attention.
Key Moments
00:00 Can you turn creativity into a career?
01:35 From saxophonist to entrepreneur
04:14 The reality of running your own business
07:00 Four skills every creative needs
07:08 Why networking matters
09:23 Why creatives need business skills
10:58 Building resilience
11:42 Personal branding for creatives
14:56 Self-belief and playing the long game
18:04 The power of "aggressive patience"
21:15 The myth of overnight success
25:08 Managing multiple businesses without burning out
29:28 The danger of com
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