"Patterns are often the precursor for frameworks."- Michael RoderickWelcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio)!

Before we get started, I want to ask you some important questions: What characteristics does a person need to have in order to become referable? Where do you find people who can help you network in order to take the next steps towards a referral? Once you’ve created a constant stream of referrals, you can imagine how much business and experience you’ll gain as a Creative Alchemist as a result! 

Today, I'm very excited to share with you today's guest, Mr. Michael Roderick, who knows all about the importance of referrals and how to score them. Today, we’re talking about how he made some big career changes in his life and how artists can secure funding with investors in their industry. Let’s get started.Who Is Michael Roderick?Michael Roderick began his career as a high school English teacher, and in only two years time, began producing Off Broadway and then on Broadway. This combination of experience in the arts and entrepreneurship led to Michael starting an arts incubator program to teach more artists about building and growing their own businesses (PLAE). Eventually, Micahel decided to develop a workshop on networking which grew into a full-time consulting practice and that became Small Pond Enterprises.

Now a successful entrepreneur in the arts industry, Michael Roderick is a super-connector and a relationship builder who has created an amazing program for artists needing help with evaluating and designing their professional relationships as well as building and growing their own businesses. In his networking programs, he asks participants to simulate meetings, job interviews, and cocktail parties in a free-flowing, improv style. “I started to realize that most people focus on the idea of differentiation and how important it is to be different from everybody else. But they forget about the fact that very, very often, if somebody can't remember your ideas, if they can't share it with their friends, then it doesn't matter how good your stuff is. It doesn't matter what you're doing. If people can't actually talk about it.”- Michael RoderickThrough his networking workshops, Michael began to have an understanding of how people interact with each other and noticed behavioral patterns, which he later turned into frameworks that he shared with participants. The people who received these frameworks later on applied them in their own networking process and began to receive higher-level opportunities in advancing their careers. Isn’t that awesome? With just the right amount of networking training, you can turn your career around without having to rely on others to make the connection for you!

And that’s just the start of his interesting career. But before we begin talking about his techniques and tips, let’s discuss how Michael broke into Broadway by the simple art of networking. Breaking into the Broadway SceneBefore pursuing networking opportunities in Broadway, Michael was first curious about how the industry worked. He wanted to know all the details behind the scenes, including the way every Broadway show was funded. And naturally, he became curious about the roles of Broadway producers and how things work around them. ”One of the things that I learned about Broadway was that in essence, it was an aspect of just basically raising money. So if you want to be a Broadway producer, you raise money to make sure that shows happen."- Michael RoderickTo get started on his mission, Michael started conversations with Broadway Producers he knew and respected. He offered to help them raise funds for projects without asking for credit first. It took awhile for him to gain credibility from these producers, but through persistence and even more research, Michael started asking the right questions and made his way into the industry. 

But while the subject of connecting with a Broadway pr...