By E. Marie Sissle, Founder and Executive Producer, E. Marie Enterprises LLC. Written with the assistance of AI.
I walked into my second week of the LEAP program at Florida State University thinking I was going to learn more about entrepreneurship. I did not expect the conversation about money and structure to stay with me as deeply as it has.
LEAP, offered through the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, creates space for people to look closely at how their businesses operate. For me, that meant looking at my work as an artist and producer through a different lens.
I have spent much of my life learning how to perform, create, direct, produce, and tell stories that connect with people. Artists are often trained to focus on the craft. We learn how to improve our voices, our movement, our writing, our images, and our performances. We learn how to show up prepared and give the work everything we have.
What many of us are not taught is how to build the structure around that work.
Talent matters. Training matters. Experience matters. But talent alone does not build a sustainable career. Without a business structure, good artists can remain underpaid, financially confused, and personally exposed. We may accept jobs without understanding what the work truly costs. We may use one bank account for everything. We may receive payment without knowing whether the work is revenue for a company or income for ourselves.
That gap is not a personal failure. It is a gap in education. Week two at LEAP helped me see that learning the business side is part of respecting the work.
The moment the work became a company
One of the most important shifts for me was understanding why artists need to establish a company around their work.
When I formed E. Marie Enterprises LLC, I was doing more than choosing a name. I was creating a legal and financial structure that could hold the work. I was separating my personal identity from the business activity connected to my career as an actress, producer, and creative leader. That distinction matters.
Before that shift, it was easy to think, “I got a gig.” Now I am learning to think, “My company took on a job.” The second statement carries more responsibility, but it also carries more clarity.
The client or producer is not simply hiring me as an individual in an informal exchange. In many situations, the work can be contracted through the company. The company can invoice for the project, receive payment, cover its approved costs, maintain records, and then compensate me according to the structure of the business.
That is a different way of seeing my career. It turns the work into something I can operate, monitor, and protect.
Forming a company does not remove every risk, and it does not automatically solve tax or legal questions. It also brings responsibilities. There are records to maintain, filings to complete, and decisions to make with qualified professionals. Still, creating that structure was an important step in moving from simply being available for work to building an enterprise around what I do.
I describe more of my background and creative work on the E. Marie Sissle page, but the business structure behind that work deserves just as much attention as the work itself.
Revenue is not the same as personal income
Another lesson I am carrying forward is the need to understand where the money goes before deciding what the money means.
When a job pays the company, that payment is business revenue. It is not automatically my personal income.
The company may need to pay for production expenses, contractors, supplies, insurance, software, accounting, marketing, travel, equipment, taxes, and other costs connected to the work. What remains after those obligations is not necessarily the same as the amount that should go directly into my personal account.
The healthier flow is for the client or producer to pay the company. The company then manages the money and pays its costs. After that, I receive compensation from the company in the appropriate way.
That distinction changes how I look at every project. A contract amount is not the same thing as take-home pay. A deposit is not the same thing as profit. Money in the account does not mean all of it is available to spend.
This is why artists need to know what the numbers actually say. We need to track what comes in, what goes out, what is owed, and what must be reserved. A separate business bank account is a practical starting point because it creates a clearer record of the company’s activity.
The goal is not to make the work feel less creative. The goal is to make the creative work easier to sustain.
Paying myself through payroll
The conversation about payroll was especially helpful because many artists, including me, can feel intimidated by the idea of paying ourselves properly. I especially have a hard time billing my hours. I am a person who likes to work and I have to force myself to stop working.
I am learning that the company should not simply receive money and then transfer whatever is available to me without a clear system. Revenue belongs to the business first. My personal compensation should come through a documented process that matches the company’s structure and professional advice.
For my situation, that may include paying myself as an employee through a payroll system. Payroll creates a record of compensation and helps separate company revenue from personal wages. It also makes it easier to understand what is being paid, when it is being paid, and what obligations come with that payment.
Payroll services can be fee-based, which means using a provider does not necessarily create an unreachable expense for a small creative business. The right option depends on the business, the owner’s status, and the guidance of a qualified accountant or payroll professional.
The important lesson for me is that paying myself should be clean, documented, and legitimate. I should not have to guess whether money is a business expense, a wage, an owner distribution, or something else. Those categories have different consequences, so I need to ask the right questions and use a system that keeps the records accurate.
This is one of the areas where I am still learning. I do not see that as a weakness. I see it as part of becoming a better steward of my company.
Looking at fixed and variable costs
Week two also challenged me to look more carefully at the difference between fixed costs and variable costs.
Fixed costs are expenses that generally remain in place whether a project comes in that month or not. They can include subscriptions, insurance, rent, equipment payments, accounting services, and other recurring obligations.
Variable costs change with the work. They may include project-specific labor, materials, travel, transaction fees, freelance support, venue expenses, or other costs that rise and fall based on the size and needs of a project.
The difference matters because it affects pricing and planning. If I only consider the hours I will spend on a job, I may underprice the work. I also need to understand the costs that support the business between projects and the expenses that appear because of a particular engagement.
Knowing the difference helps me ask better questions. How much does the company need to bring in each month to remain stable? What does a specific project actually cost to produce? Which expenses will continue during a slow season? How much needs to remain in the business after the client has paid?
When the financial structure is unclear, the artist often absorbs the difference through unpaid labor. That can make a project appear successful while quietly weakening the person and the company behind it.
A relationship with a banker
One point from the program that I want to take seriously is the value of having a personal relationship with a banker, not only a relationship with a bank.
It is easy to become an account number inside a large institution. A business owner can deposit money, make payments, and use online banking without ever having a meaningful conversation with someone who understands the company.
I am learning why it matters to know a banker who knows my name, understands the nature of my business, and has some awareness of my plans. Creative businesses may have income that changes from month to month. A banker who understands that rhythm can better distinguish between normal project-based activity and a serious financial problem.
A relationship does not guarantee approval for financing or special treatment. It creates a channel for better communication. When I need to open an account, explore financing, plan for growth, or explain a seasonal change, it helps to have a person who understands the context.
That relationship should begin before there is an emergency. It should be built through organized records, honest conversations, timely payments, and a clear understanding of what the business needs.
Building a stronger foundation
This part of the program reminded me what it means to be in a room with people who are trying to build something that can last. That shared focus carried naturally into the lessons about preparation, structure, and long-term thinking.
As a working actress and producer, I have always understood that a production needs preparation. A script needs development. A rehearsal needs structure. A performance needs coordination. The same is true for a creative business.
E. Marie Enterprises LLC is still growing, and I am still learning. I am learning to read the company’s financial story instead of avoiding it and to separate business revenue from my personal income. I am also learning to understand fixed and variable costs before setting a price, to use a payroll system so compensation is more orderly and documented, and to see that a banker can become a resource when there is an actual relationship behind the account.
My talent is a business, and it deserves to be run like one. The work also needs structure, accountability, and care. I am grateful that LEAP gave me a place to look at those responsibilities honestly.
For artists who are still operating informally, I want to say this with humility: the business side is within reach. Start by learning what belongs to the company and what belongs to you. Open the right accounts. Track the numbers. Ask questions. Find professionals who can explain the parts that are unfamiliar. Build relationships before you need help.
Our artistry deserves a structure strong enough to support it. That is what I am continuing to build.