Nicole Plantin

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To unleash their creativity, you have to give them the right environment to do so. Culture, trends, music, art — all exist because of the creative efforts of those passionate about pursuing them. When harnessing this creativity for business, you may need to approach management in a different way. Whether it’s giving them the space they need to exercise that creativity or balancing that with the right rules and restrictions, leading creative talent should be given special thought if you want them to achieve their best work. Whether it's marketers, musical artists or any role in between, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council know not only what it means to be creatives but what it means to manage them as well. Consider their best advice below to lead creative talent well and unlock all the talent these employees have to offer.

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To persuade a brand to work with you, first think about how you can help them. In a saturated market, it can be difficult to stand out — especially on your own. A great way to reach new audiences and leverage resources that may not normally be available to you, however, is to collaborate with another business in, or even outside of, your industry. A product or campaign that takes advantage of both teams’ strengths may be just what you need to get you both noticed by potential customers. However, approaching another company can feel intimidating, especially if you’re a small business and unsure of what you might bring to the table. According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, taking the following eight steps can help boost your confidence. Here, they offer up their best tips for approaching another brand or business about a collaborative partnership and what you can do to guarantee their interest.

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Be yourself and be curious, and the right people will find you. In business, who you know is everything. That means building real connections — ones you can count on, that go beyond surface-level acquaintances — should be a high priority for professionals looking to advance in their careers or business. However, just networking likely won’t get you the kind of relationships you’ll need to succeed. To build real connections, follow the 16 tips outlined by the culture and business experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council and see why being intentional about your relationships can propel you forward far faster than just networking alone.

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Coming up with an idea can be challenging, but following the right steps can get you there faster. For many people, the hardest part of starting a business is coming up with a concept. No matter how many ideas you might have on the back burner, choosing the right one to execute can feel intimidating. This is especially true in the culture space, where the stakes are high and audiences are always looking for "the next big thing." Below, 15 Rolling Stone Culture Council members shared some important tips to help you come up with a business idea you think will have a big cultural impact. Read on to get their recommendations and learn how to implement them for yourself.

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Succeeding in business doesn’t have to mean all work and no play. If you’re a leader in the culture space, your work likely isn’t confined to the usual 9-to-5 schedule. Industries such as entertainment, fashion and hospitality often lend themselves to hectic or unpredictable work schedules. As a result, it can be difficult to balance your personal life with the demands of your career. As top culture leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council recommend the strategies they use to achieve better work-life balance and carve out time for what truly matters to them.

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These universal strategies will go a long way toward showing your customers you care. In today’s cultural climate, every business should be focused on creating an inclusive space for not only its employees, but also its consumers. At a time when social justice and equity are in the spotlight, companies need to show that they stand with customers from all walks of life. While the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts may look different across culture and entertainment spaces, there are some universal practices any company can and should implement. Below, 13 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the important strategies they believe all business leaders need to put into practice.