AMA: Craig de Souza, founder of Creative Industry Association

We all need a little help every now and then, and sometimes we need a sounding board for our ideas.

Craig de Souza set up the Creative Industry Association to serve exactly that purpose. The association provides a wealth of advice, connections and support for creative individuals and companies looking for a bit of leg-up.

Let’s start by learning a bit about Creative Industry Association...

Creative Industry Association is an inclusive, independently owned, non-profit trade association and we exist to build communities of global industry businesses and professionals. 

We provide advice and support and facilitate connections, introductions and business opportunities.

We also provide members with a positive mindset, knowledge, credibility and a competitive edge and help them to navigate the changing business landscape.

Our driving force is that we know that as a collective we can do more to make a difference to the industry we love!

How did the idea for your company come about?

Having worked within the creative, craft and hobby industry for two decades , I could see that there was no independent support network for businesses. 

So I wanted to do something different by ensuring members got the specific help, support, advice and mentoring that they needed to succeed without costing them lots of money.

Can you share any practical tips or processes to help people work remotely?

PLAN!!!! Have set goals and targets – yearly, monthly, weekly and daily – it sounds hard but once you get into a routine,  it is the best thing for you. 

Share these plans with someone you trust so that they can keep you on target. I do this a lot for all my members.

 How do you keep your team aligned?

Using weekly catch up call, systems like Trello, Slack and WhatsApp to keep connected.

What is the biggest mistake you've made as an entrepreneur?

Fearing failure. We all fail, and it is ok to do so… just make sure you learn from it and move forward. I tell my members to fail forward!

I’ve also worried too much about what others people think of me, especially those that cannot change my direction or life

I’ve also learned that it’s important to understand why someone tells you ‘no’.  More often than not it is not the end of anything and it can be worked out!

Did you ever experience a business disappointment than led to something better?

All the time when one door close another one opens, so do not dwell on disappointments – move on.

Give us an interesting fact about yourself that the business community doesn’t know.

If I needed to I could build my own house and live in the woods!

Who would play you in a film of your life?

I would love to say someone dashing and heroic, but it would more likely be Mr Bean!

What does company culture mean to you?

It is very important!!! GOOD company culture is your driving force, it makes you want to work harder, to go the extra mile.

Thanks Craig! Until next time...