Tools for MGMT: Episode 120
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Tools for MGMT: Episode 120
Will someone gift me the yellow NOCTA puffer for Honda Days?
Wifi in the Airbnb is out.
iPad is dead.
Writing this from my iPhone 5S with the screen cracked.
But the kettle works, and the Nescafé is flowing through my veins.
Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating!
And happy Honda Days to everyone else.
My name is Ethan. I manage a screenwriter and a comedian. I started this newsletter to regularly send out a few links and musings that I hope other managers will find interesting. Thanks for reading this 20th (Century Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios which is itself a division of The Walt Disney Company) edition.
VC Guide but for [Insert Entertainment Industry Occupation]
I’m fascinated with VC Guide, which aims to provide “anonymous fund & investor partner reviews by founders for founders.” With a few exceptions, most reviews are very polarizing – something I’ve noticed especially for VCs who are very active in building their personal brands on Twitter. See Erik Torenberg (founder of pandemic darling OnDeck).
Could any sort of anonymous review mechanism exists for managers? Agents? Business managers? Lawyers? As with venture capital, an artist or creator is often giving up a significant chunk of their business to these people at a very early stage… with little to go on and scant references to check.
Maybe an existing “who’s who” directory like ROSTR or IMDBPro or even Clubhouse is positioned to build some sort of review layer on top. But maybe this is all a terrible idea and lawsuit waiting to happen. And a step closer to Black Mirror S03E01.
Year End LLC Stuff
In California, many of you are likely aware of the $800 annual franchise tax owed no matter what. I just learned this week that with the passage of California Assembly Bill 85 back in June, new LLCs formed after January 1st 2021 (and before January 1st 2024) will not owe their first $800 annual franchise tax until the following year. Cool.
So your LLC formed on Jan 15th 2021 won’t owe its first franchise tax payment until 16 months later: April 15th, 2022 – instead of 4 months later – April 15th, 2021.
Feel free to tweet this (without attribution, pls) and go viral on LLC Twitter. And as always, consult a CPA – which I am not (yet) – who can consult on the specificities of your situation.
Your Advice Needed: Rebranding (?)
Ok so my company is currently called Elixr Global, or Elixr Global Incorporated (a Delaware corporation!). Over the years, the name has changed from Elixr Productions → The Elixr Group → Elixr Global… which I guess all speak to my ambitions at the time.
But now my ambitions are to sit in my UWS apartment, avoid going to LA, and help my clients to be happy, fulfill their creative visions, and of course create generational wealth. More like Elixr Local… or Elixr Lowkey.
So now I’m considering dropping the “Global” from the name and just going with Elixr. I bought the domain elixr.co a few weeks back using GoDaddy’s Domain Broker service – which surprisingly worked like a charm after I walked away when the seller wanted $12k (lol) over the summer. I haven’t yet been able to secure elixr.com (and not for lack of trying… it will come). And I do think I could snag @elixr on both Twitter and Instagram via the plugs at Swapd, also.
But do we like how ethan@elixr.co looks, stylistically? Are .co domain names kinda… sus? Are people going to send emails to ethan@elixr.com that bounce back? Are there other downsides that I’m not thinking through? Should I even be focusing on the Elixr brand, or is the Ethan Jones™ brand the one that matters? Does anyone really care except for me? (Of course not.)
Anyway. I welcome your feedback.
Recent Unforced Errors
I called someone the wrong name (and typed it in a shared Google Doc) on a hour-long Zoom, like, 6 times despite their (actual) name being under their video
I shipped a gift to a client’s address and used the wrong zip code… so now it’s lost (aside: why does Los Angeles have the exact same address in multiple zip codes?)
I messed up some vendor paperwork by providing the wrong account number, resulting in a wire for a client not arriving. I thought for sure I was going to owe said client $10k… but gave myself some peace of mind by sending a $5 wire of my own + $30 wiring fee (nice) to the same wrong account number to see if it would bounce (and fortunately, it did).
But otherwise, things are going great!
Ok, I’m off – but here are a few more reads for your weekend ahead:
Why Do We Still Love “The Office”? (ty Caitlin)
HBO Max isn’t the future of movies — but it is a panicked plan (I disagree!)
Johnny Depp: A Star in Crisis and the Insane Story of His "Missing" Millions (ty Grant)
P.S. Literally the final call to get a Holiday card from me… please send your address!