Networking & Collaboration with Justin Adams
Justin Adams lensed by Tiffany McCullough
Interview conducted by Colette March
Today, I sat down with one of our incredible senior staff members here at Broadway Crew, Justin Adams, to talk about all the phenomenal ways he networks with potential clients and collaborates with our current ones!
First I want you to talk a little bit more about your role here at Broadway Crew and how you came into it…
Okay, so I am the Theatrical Accounts Manager. I basically oversee all of our Broadway and Off-Broadway clients. So I work with their marketing teams, general managers, and producers to ensure that we are working the services they want us to deliver, ensuring that we are executing them in the best way we can. From a sales perspective, from a logistics perspective, etc. That’s really the bulk of my job, I would say!
I came to start working for Broadway Crew because I met our Director of Field Ops, Tiffany, at a party! I was working multiple jobs at the time, and she was telling me all of the specifics of what she did with Broadway Crew - and I told her I’m always looking for extra job opportunities! So I ended up applying, interviewing, and working one or two shifts a week at first. That was in the fall of 2018. Then, in January they mentioned they needed someone to work in the office, so I swooped in, pitching myself on my writing abilities. Saying I could come in and whip up all the reports, take over the Instagram, send all the emails! So I took that up part-time, and the next thing I knew, I was working full-time.
Then just like that, we were on the other side of quarantine and this job took over my life in the best possible way!
I know that networking is a huge part of your job. Meeting new people, maintaining relationships with clients, etc. So I would love to know the one thing you keep in mind above all when meeting potential clients?
Oh my gosh, yeah, I think it’s important to remember that we’re all people. We all have things we can connect with, it doesn’t always have to be dead serious. We work in theater, it should be fun and stem from a place of joy, remembering our first Broadway show, and things like that! We all join this industry for a reason, so I use that as my starting point!
Exactly. It’s always a symbiotic relationship.
Right!
How do you like to maintain these relationships? Checking in on services, making adjustments, etc?
I think it depends on the relationship in general. I feel like I use social media very heavily to maintain my relationships. Like, if I meet someone and we have a great connection, or if it's a vendor I’m working with, I literally add them on Instagram and keep up with them! The whole social media model is very interesting because we feel extra connected to people we see online. Tapping into people’s daily lives is the easiest way to keep up your bond and build rapport. If it’s a client I’ve worked with before, it’s emailing and getting on the phone with people. Putting in that extra effort. Whether it’s from something I see online, or saying “we’ve been emailing each other for a year about a show and I want to meet you in person!” I think those things are what set people apart in terms of “this is a person I have to work with” versus “this is a person I want to work with.”
At the end of the day, everyone I’m working with - yes they love the Crew, they love the services - but they also love collaborating with me! It’s all part of the bigger picture.
I think one of the things I appreciate most about the way you work is your sense of balance. The attentiveness you have to each individual client, their needs, and how those fluctuate throughout your time with them. How do you take on hurdles and challenges within that shifting need?
It’s difficult because we try to give everyone such a different experience in terms of what the show is, what the demographic looks like. Space, location, all these things play such a huge part in which services we should use and how we should approach them. So it’s not a cookie-cutter mold, it’s listening to the client and being transparent with what you think the show needs. Theater is collaborative in its most organic roots. If you were to put on a play with just your friends in a basement, that would be just as collaborative as when you’re working with folks on the marketing side of these big productions. It’s a matter of listening. Being honest. Sometimes you have to pivot, and if you’re not transparent about the outcome and expectations, nobody wins, you know?
Definitely, definitely. How do you know when you’re leaning too far into the business side of things vs. the personal side of things? If you’re meeting someone for coffee and you come in with a specific goal, how do you go about that balance?
That’s a good question. It’s a balancing act, for sure. In my experience, people who work in the industry love to talk about all of their experiences, and that gives you a ton of entry points. If we’re talking about this particular trend on Broadway right now, etc. It’s taking that relationship and commonality and making sure you’re aligned to have the best conversation possible. Sometimes you meet with a client and it’s half and half, sometimes it’s touching base. If we’re working together, I’m always gonna make sure we have a positive rapport and gauge the vibe from person to person.
Any final thoughts or notable memories or stories you’d like to add?
I want to say that the best practice with networking in general is…it’s really hard to put yourself out there in person. What I really strive with is, even though I’m extroverted, using all of these strides in social media to help me reach out to those people. That’s my way of doing things above all! Putting yourself out there is paramount, and finding the most comfortable way for you to do so.
