🏆 Grant Success Story: How Mike Brown Won $1,500 For a Self-Improvement Podcast
🏆 Grant Success Story: How Mike Brown Won $1,500 For a Self-Improvement Podcast
Persistence pays off.
Success leaves clues. As part of our Grant Win Stories series, we are interviewing talented creators in the Grants For Creators community who have won funding opportunities sourced from this newsletter.
Today, you’ll hear from Mike Brown, an audio storyteller who secured over $1,500 in grant funding to pursue The Art of Letting Go Podcast.
Mike shares valuable insights on how he navigates his mindset, stays motivated, and streamlines the grants submission process.
Tell us about your work as a multi-hyphenated artist.
Mike Brown: I’m an audio storyteller and educator. I host and produce podcasts. I teach podcasting. I'm also a musician and a new photographer.
Website: www.justmikebrown.com
LinkedIn: @mikebrown
Talk to us about your podcast, The Art of Letting Go.
Mike Brown: The Art of Letting Go started because therapy was too expensive.
I started in 2017, and it has been my way of sharing my journey of exploring and being open about my sexuality, self-love, and everything in between.
It documents my growth journey, and I welcome others to be a part of it.
When did you realize grants were an option for creators and considered applying for them?
Mike Brown: I tried to find grants independently but was unsuccessful. Many lists are very generic. Some of them will be old from about two or three years ago. I learned about your newsletter when my friend Janina Jeff mentioned she subscribed and won a $25,000 grant.
Read about Janina’s inspiring story.
Initially, I signed up for the free version of Grants For Creators. It had so many specific grants for all types of creators that I decided to join as a paid subscriber and see what else I could find.
How has Grants For Creators helped you with the grant-finding process?
Mike Brown: You curate such an extensive list of grants. The way you break it down makes it so clear. You have the photography grants with the numbers following each opportunity. You have everything so specific that I can go down the list and look for what I want. Even with a list of 100+ grants, I don't feel overwhelmed. I really appreciate that.
What’s your grant submission process like? What happens once you’ve identified a grant you want to apply for?
Mike Brown: First, I review the Grants For Creators monthly newsletter and create a smaller list. I like writing things down by hand because I remember them better.
I created a document divided by month that breaks opportunities down by categories like photography, podcasting, music, etc. I note the amount and deadline and order them in chronological order by the deadline.
I give myself notes like I submitted this and need to finish that. Keeping track of where I am in the application process has been extremely helpful.
Conquer overwhelm and never miss a deadline again. Track and organize every part of your grant submission process with our customizable Grants Submission Planner, which includes a grants tracker, application prompts, and more! Use the promo code ‘SUMMER06’ for a $6 discount.
Do you have a time-blocking process for grant submissions? What does that look like?
Mike Brown: My mind is always on a million things. So I can tell myself I will apply for these grants, but I also need to edit this podcast.
I need to work on this song. I need to take some time to simply be. I have to write it on my schedule to do it. I also block out two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Having that specific time block for grants is so valuable. It forces me to focus and apply.
What would you tell creators who are on the fence about grants?
Mike Brown: First, I would ask them, what if I told you there was a way for you to pursue your creative dreams and not have to stress finances? Then, I would say to them to apply for grants.
If you apply for 30 jobs, you can apply for 30 grants because it takes about the same time. I get so burnt out applying for jobs, but what better way to talk about your creative passion and to do it with a grant? You get to tell people what you want to do, and people decide to fund your ideas.
Since subscribing to Grants For Creators, what grants have you won?
Mike Brown: I used to talk myself out of doing things: I'm not good enough for this or won't be chosen.
Last summer, I applied for AIR Media’s New Voices Program. My proposal was selected. I won $1,000 to support the development of my podcast.
I was also selected for GLAAD's Black Queer Creative Summit and most recently received a $500 award from The Poet Life. This grant aims to fight tobacco use in the Black community.
Every year, at least 45,000 African Americans have died of tobacco use. Knowing art's power in changing the world, I pitched to produce a podcast episode and a song about why I felt this topic was important.
You can listen to the “Letting Go of a Smoking Addiction” episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer.
In this episode, John talks about his addiction to smoking and how he overcame it. He reflects on his origins of smoking and how it became a habit. He also shares the tools he used on his journey.
Winning grants has felt like the beginning of a dream that I've been pursuing. I want to support myself in my creativity, and grants have made it a reality.
Pitching an idea, being accepted, and creating the concept with funding support…what more could you ask for?
I hear people talk about starving or struggling artists, and I've been one for a long time. I wanted to kill that for myself last year. I'm doing that by applying for grants.
Any advice for creators pursuing grants?
Mike Brown: Don't put too much emotion into it. As you apply, don't apply with the thought of, this is the one, or this is going to change my life. It can. But don’t let that make or break your spirit if you don’t get selected.
Just continue to apply. Even when you don't feel ready, submit. Keep applying and give yourself grace, especially if you're just starting. You can't be perfect in the beginning. You have to start somewhere. Give yourself space to grow.
Plus, the more you do it, the more content you have to apply to grants with similar questions; the more you can refine those answers and make them better.
What's next for you?
Mike Brown: I am working on a YouTube live show with a friend from college. We've been friends for 20 years, and this is our space to show what it looks like for Black men to have vulnerable conversations and have a good time. We want to share tools with people to help them grow and heal.
I'm also working on a podcast with my dad. I would love to share his journey. He is not the most open about it, but I know I can get him to open up through conversation.
If you won a grant you found from this newsletter, please let us know! We'd love to feature you in this ongoing series and highlight your work. Email Danielle Desir Corbett at grantsforcreators@gmail.com with the subject line: I won a grant.
Are you looking for funding opportunities to support your creativity? Review our curated list of Grants For June 2024 and Grants For LGBTQIA+ Creators.
