The art of pitching yourself

Hi, welcome to Artwork. Have you ever wondered why it feels like some creators are able to come up with interesting ideas, share them with clients, and get responses almost instantly? Meanwhile, it feels like nothing like that ever happens to you.

Welcome to the show. My name is Toba. Today on Artwork, we’re going to be speaking to someone who was a model, then a writer, and is now a video producer and creator extraordinaire.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ekow!

Hi Toba, good morning. Thanks for having me.

People that see you now, the Ekow Barnes, featured on Vogue Italia, working with New Balance, working with different companies all over the world, might think, “Oh my God, Ekow was born perfect.” Would you mind sharing your story, from where you started to where you are now?

It all boils down to being disciplined and knowing what you want. Because if I showed you the number of rejections I got after pitching, you’d laugh.

After my Vogue Italia publication, when I thought I had gotten a byline and could walk like a million bucks, I reached out to a very good editor and writer on Twitter and told her I wanted to pitch something. She said sure, this is my email, so I sent her my pitch. She replies and says, “You’re not a writer, what is this? This is not how you go about stuff. Do your research.”

Trust me, Toba, that day I was so sad. It felt like someone had killed my spirit.

I honestly thought the pitch wasn’t so bad. That day, I really hated her with every fibre of my being. But later on, I sat down and realised she actually changed a lot for me.

I went online, started reading, and did a lot of research on how to pitch properly. Since then, it’s been good. If I want to do a story on Paystack, I know I have to do my research, when it was founded, how many people were involved, that sort of thing.

When you’re sending a pitch to an editor or even a brand, you should show them that you know your onions. Your story should be so good that if they’re saying no, it’s either because they don’t have the budget or it’s just not the right fit at that time.

So while we were chatting before the show started, you mentioned that a lot of creators reach out to you asking how you’re able to work with all these international brands, how you’re able to get them to listen to you. So I guess this is the chance for you to tell them what your secret is.

I don’t joke with my LinkedIn. Instagram and LinkedIn are my business tools. People sometimes reach out and just say “Hi.” That is unacceptable. Whenever you reach out to a brand, go straight to the point. Deliver your message as efficiently as possible.

If I reached out to a marketing person at Paystack because I want to work with them, I’d say, “Hi Toba, this is what I want to do with you.” Go straight to the point and let the person know what you want. If they say no, you don’t lose, because you’ve still delivered your message. It shows them that you’re serious.

Something to note is that the moment you reach out to some brands, they’ll do their research on you. Some might check your tweets and all that. Be intentional about how you go about things online.

Emirates doesn’t need my Instagram hype, they’d make money regardless. For them, it’s not about having a million followers, but about having a strong and engaged community. They want followers who are invested in everything you’re doing. That is what brands like. Stop buying followers. If you don’t have a real community, no matter how great your product is, no one will want to buy.

What story are you telling? Someone says, “I’m a model,” but when I go on their page, I see all kinds of things. I don’t see who you are as a person. Today, you’re sharing Toba’s makeup stuff or your grandmother’s hairstyle. What do you stand for? These are the little things. It’s not like you need a masterclass. I just want to visit your page, see what you do, and tap into it.

I didn’t have a website until recently, it was just my Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I posted very consistently on my story, showing behind-the-scenes content and all that. It created a type of connection with people.

Some people think they need a serious website to succeed. Don’t get me wrong, a website is great. If you have the resources, get one. But if you don’t, take your time and build your portfolio. There’s Canva. Use it to put things together and download it as a PDF, so when someone reaches out asking for your portfolio or reel, you can send it to them.

Absolutely spot on. Moving on from that, you’ve worked with a bunch of top brands and done a lot of work for them. What are some insights you’d like to share with young creators?

I feel like some of us as young creators feel quite entitled. You think because you’re good, everyone should reach out to you. Sometimes, brands want to work with you, but they just don’t know you, and that’s okay. These people are human, just like us. If you have an idea and you think it would resonate with a brand like Paystack, Beats, or Apple, reach out to them. Just send that email.

And always read and reply to your emails. It shouldn’t take you days to respond. If you’re busy, just say, “Hey Toba, I’m busy right now, but I’ll get back to you in the next few days.” I do that sometimes. I check my emails religiously. I check my spam, junk, everything, because you just never know.

Also, before brands work with you, they’ll do their research. Why should they work with Toba? What is Toba tweeting? What is Toba talking about? So we should be intentional and rational about how we pitch, how we communicate with brands, and what we do on social media.

I’m curious, what is something you know now about the business of being a creator that you wish you’d known when you started out?

Hey, this question, Toba! I wish my school or my parents had taught me how to negotiate from the start. Even now, I still find it a bit scary. I think, “What if I mention this amount and they don’t come back?”

Before, I was timid. I didn’t know how to counteroffer. I didn’t know how to say no, and when people said no to me, I didn’t know how to handle it. Sometimes, an email would come in requesting a quote, and it would take me three days to respond.

But now, I’ll say, “Oh hi Toba, can we counteroffer?” I now know what I bring to the table, so I won’t cave just because I want to work with a big brand.

It’s okay for them to say no, and it’s okay for you to say no too. You can be polite and say, “Hey Toba, I think this budget doesn’t work for me, so all the best. Let’s look for another opportunity to work together on a future project.”

So, where can people find you, for work, socializing, networking, and all that?

On Instagram, it’s @ekowbarnes_, on Twitter it’s @ekowbarnes, on LinkedIn, Richmond Ekow Barnes. My website is muckrack.com/ekowbarnes because that’s where all my articles live then my agency is www.wbgrouprepresents.com.

Thank you so much, Ekow, for being with us on Artwork today. You were absolutely amazing, and the insights you’ve shared will change a lot of lives.

Thank you very much, folks, for watching. Please don’t forget to like and subscribe. Also, turn on the notification bell so that when we drop new episodes, you’ll be notified.

Until I come your way next time, take care and bye-bye.