Why No Is More Powerful Than Yes

The best decision I made for Parthenon Pictures was saying no. As a filmmaker, you're bombarded with questions. At the end of the day, you, as the producer and the director need to be able to make those decisions. And when it becomes being a business, you have to be able to say no.

You always want to set yourself up for success. Being able to say no is very scary. You want to make everyone happy. You want to be able to grow yourself as an artist. Grow yourself as a business owner, but being able to say no and having the courage to say no for decisions that you feel are not right.

There is a lot of times you need to say no. The scariest one is saying no to a potential new job. At Parthenon Pictures, we pride ourselves with the quality of work we produce for our clients. There are times that unfortunately budgets are not always there, but the expectation is out of scope. We always will work with your budget, because a low budget doesn’t always mean cheap work that doesn’t engage. We guide our clients to the best way to tell their story, with the budget they are allocated. There are times though, that the budget doesn’t align with the expectations. Scope can creep, and you want to make them happy- You are setting yourself up for failure. The client will not be happy with the work, if you promise them something you can’t deliver, and you as a filmmaker will be stretches thin, with your reputation on the line. Say no-

You have to do it. I always say you have to take risks. And you know what? Saying yes to risks is what will make you grow. But make sure you're taking calculated risks. You don't want to ever extend yourself beyond something that you're not ready with. Because as a filmmaker and as a business owner, you need to be making the decisions that are best for you, your company, and your project.

So when you're ready to say no, say no, but also provide a solution.

• Dimitri Lazaris “That’s Showbiz, Baby!”