Cam Kirk has built an empire for entrepreneurs to create and learn from others in the industry. Kirk’s story alone shows how he’s been able to have an impact on the community and work with some of the biggest artists today when they were just starting their careers.
On March 20, Kirk and Jeezy sat down for a small discussion about the Atlanta rapper’s book Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe. Kirk spoke with rolling out beforehand about highlighting creative entrepreneurs, working with Jeezy and tips for entrepreneurs who are continuing to build for themselves.
How important is it for you to highlight creative entrepreneurs and have a space where they can come?
My fight has always been photographers have a voice. We have an impact and … have value beyond just clicking the button, but we have creative input and we have influence. I’ve been able to achieve things that many photographers didn’t think were possible, so, for me, it’s to dumb those things down in a certain sense, be transparent with them, … let them know this is how I did [it], and here’s how you can do it, too, and here are the resources and tools I used to do it.
What are some things that creative entrepreneurs need to know and need to hear every day?
They need to learn about the journey. Your career is like a journey. When you think about a career, you’re thinking about something you’ve been doing for 20, 30-plus years. I think, right now, we’re in a microwave era where people want it now and fast. That works for some people — and some people shoot out like a rocket and never come back down because they just went too fast. I think hearing the story of Jeezy, who’s been doing this for 20-plus years, what did it take for him to stay relevant and stay on a reinvention of himself, and also the 20-plus years that we knew of him. There were probably multiple years before we even knew who he was that he was grinding and trying to find a way to make a way. It’s a journey. It’s not quick for everybody — and that’s a good thing. It’s not a bad thing.
What would you say to entrepreneurs who are trying to make a way and trying to build things for themselves?
My word is if it’s meant for you — and you really believe that — don’t give up. Jeezy has something, and you can hear it in his music. … [I]t’s just that statement of you gotta believe. I think that’s the truest thing ever. If you don’t believe, it won’t happen. But you have to believe, and it has to start with you. There are too many entrepreneurs I meet that don’t have that mentality. They talk with skepticism or … with a negative mentality — and you have to be your biggest fan. If you think something isn’t gonna happen, then it’s not going to happen.
