We had just opened a second bottle of wine after dinner.

The producer’s dining room was beautiful - a huge wooden table with an expansive bar collection covering the wall behind us. And the house was even nicer - newly renovated with a massive backyard in a wonderful Los Angeles neighborhood.

As my wife and I sat listening to my producer friend and his partner talk about the movie deals they were closing in on, something became abundantly clear:

I was not the smartest person in the room.

And what a gift that is.

If You’re The Smartest Person In The Room, You’re In The Wrong Room.

I’ve learned a lot about writing movies over the last three years. And I know a lot about producing commercials, having done that for five years before I quit to try my hand in Hollywood.

I haven’t learned very much about producing movies.

That’s an entirely different skill set… and an important one. Because it’s the producer (and investors) who truly own the upside of the film, should it end up making money.

That’s what our friends were doing: figuring out ways to get movies made. And as they were telling us about this process, it was like they were speaking a different language.

I speak the language of a movie script: character development, three-act structure, catalyst, conflict, all-is-lost moment, etc.

My friend spoke the language of movie production: talent deals, certificates of insurance, budgets, investors, and production calendars.

So I sat there, trying to absorb as much as possible so I could go home and research some of the terminology they were using.

It didn’t feel good. It never feels good when you feel like the person you’re talking to is operating on an entirely different level than you are.

But it’s the best thing for you.

When you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re comfortable. You’re safe. And you’re not learning anything.

That’s why you want to surround yourself with people who know things you don’t.

To get to the next level, you have to surround yourself with people operating at the next level.

But to meet those people, you need to do something crucial:

Add value.

Create Value First, Then Network.

The dinner revolved around a crucial piece of business: my producing friend and his partner were trying to get their first feature film off the ground with an interested investment group.

If they succeeded, they would need more movie scripts… and quickly.

That’s where Tara and I came in: we had scripts. Good ones.

Scripts that I had already talked to my producer friend about a year ago when we met up for a drink. (See how long these things take, and why it’s important to play long-term games with long-term people?)

So, while Tara and I were lost when it came to the production side of movie making - we had something all producers need: great scripts.

That’s how we added value… and why they had invited us over to their beautiful home.

Here’s the lesson I learned: if you want to engage people operating at the next level, identify how you can add value for them.

No successful person wants to meet for the sake of meeting. You have to give them something they need when they need it.

It’s not about “networking.” It’s about creating something of value and partnering with those who need it. That’s a win-win relationship.

And if you can figure that out, you can get access to almost anyone.

So ask yourself: how can I help this person get what they want?

Then build it for them and ask if they want to take a look.

You’ll open more doors with that approach than trying to get what YOU want.

Start now.

And thanks for reading.

-Thomas

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