Trust Agents in the Creative Space—Do you have one or are you one?

Trust Agents in the Creative Space—Do you have one or are you one?

I have been reading Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, on my KindleÒ and have thought a lot about how I can apply the thoughts in this book to our lives as corporate creatives.

Let’s first begin with what a trust agent is. A trust agent is a person you feel is influential in your industry or in your life that you trust, whether you have personally met that person or not.

For example, Oprah Winfrey is a trust agent for millions of people across the globe. People believe that when she endorses something that it’s for real. We trust her advice and her beliefs. Remember when she had James Frey’s book Million Little Pieces added to her book club? Sales shot up like a rocket. We had believed her that this book was a must read and could show us that even those in the depths of despair could overcome. Then, come to find out, the book was not an autobiography, but rather more of a memoir. Well, she called him to the carpet on it. We forgave her misstep and admired her even more for bringing him back on the show and giving him “the business.”

That’s what trust agents do. They do the research. They do the interviews. They provide the insight when we don’t have the time to go find it ourselves. They apologize when they make mistakes. We believe them without ever having met them or even knowing that much about them. We might even call them friends on our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or whatever social media space you might be playing in.

Characteristics of Trust Agents

1. Make your own game—In this book, the authors talk about making your own game. How do you succeed in your area of specialty without doing it like everyone else? How do you stand out among your competition? You make your own game. Take Gary Vaynerchuk for example. He is an online wine guru. When he started in the business he was just 17 years old, not old enough to drink wine. What he did was he harnessed the power of social media (mostly YouTube) to promote wines. He trained his pallet to be able to tell the difference among bouquets. He is a trust agent because people know he will tell it to them straight. If wine tastes like dirt, that’s what he will tell you.

2. One of us—When thinking about trust agents, you want to belong. That’s why we trust people because the feel like one of us. They talk like one of us. They share the same ideals, concepts, and interests.

3. Agent Zero—Are you an Agent Zero? Are you the one people come to all the time for answers? Are you the person others look to for opinions on a topic? If so, you might be an Agent Zero.

4. Human artist—For those of us who work well with people—empowering them, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when to improve relationships and when to step away—are considered human artists. Why so? Because we help people to grow, become empowered, and to flourish as creative professionals.

5. Build an Army—No matter how good you might be, you cannot do it alone. How many times have you heard “no man is an island?” Well, in this case it couldn’t be more true. In social media and creative spaces, you cannot be the “be-all-end-all” professional. We are not the only person to get a media campaign off the ground. We are not the only person who thinks of a rockin’ ad campaign. We are surrounded by smart people who have ideas and concepts that we can leverage. Embrace that in others and use it to shoot for the stars.

I encourage you to read Trust Agents if you get the chance. It’s a book worth reading not only for its perspective on the social media space, but also its use in creative professions in general. Creative professionals from all walks of life can gain insight on how to be a trust agent. It helps you to think outside the box and to reach for the stars when it comes to integrity and morals.

Don’t give in.

Don’t give up.

Rise above and become the person you and others believe in.

Who do you consider a trust agent and why? Do you know the person well or barely at all? Have you read Trust Agents? If so, what did you think?

Share your comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Ciao!

Becky