Page 110 - The $100 Startup_ Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love

EXAMPLE 3: THE GRAPHIC FACILITATOR
I’ll invite you to meet Brandy Agerbeck in these pages, but you can “meet” her
first by examining the mindmap she made for us below.‡

Brandy runs a business of one, with the philosophy “never have a boss, never

be a boss.” Creating graphical representations of ideas—usually those expressed
in meetings, retreats, or conferences—is Brandy’s full-time work. Over the last
fifteen years, she’s worked with hundreds of clients at all kinds of events. It’s a
beautiful business model from a talented artist, but it also raises a question: How
do you nudge or win over executives who don’t get it at first?

From countless interactions about the valuable service she provides, here’s
what Brandy learned. She starts every initial conversation by saying, “I have a
fantastic, strange job.” This creates curiosity and also serves to make the other
person not feel bad if he or she is unfamiliar with the world of graphic
facilitation. Next, Brandy learned that her target market may be the executives or
meeting leaders she serves, but they aren’t necessarily the ones who hire her. “I
am most often hired by facilitators, acting as their visual silent partners,” she
says. “They can focus entirely on their client knowing their process, and
progress is documented.”