Your relationship with an agent has got to be mutually

Hear the wise words of David Steinberg, who speaks of balance and shared gain: “Your relationship with an agent has got to be mutually beneficial. If you cannot help their careers, then they will not be interested.” These words shine a clear light upon the nature of partnership, showing that it is not built upon mere desire or hope, but upon a harmony where both sides find strength and growth.

In the ancient world, alliances were forged between kingdoms not through sentiment alone, but through trade, security, and the promise of prosperity. So too, the bond between agent and artist mirrors this truth. The agent seeks opportunity and advancement just as the artist seeks guidance and representation. Without mutual benefit, this sacred bond becomes hollow, and the partnership fades like a flame without fuel.

Steinberg’s teaching reveals that to sustain such a relationship, one must give as well as receive. The artist must bring skill, vision, and potential so that the agent’s career is elevated by their success. Likewise, the agent must provide doors to open, paths to walk, and protection against the chaos of the marketplace. When only one side thrives, imbalance arises, and trust begins to wither.

This is not merely a lesson for artists and agents, but for all who walk together in any shared endeavor. True harmony comes when each recognizes the other’s needs and labors to fulfill them. It is the dance of reciprocity, as old as the turning of the seasons, where giving and receiving flow in equal measure.

Let future generations remember: every relationship worth keeping must be rooted in shared purpose. When both parties are uplifted, the bond grows unbreakable. But when one seeks only to take, the connection falters and dies. In mutual care and mutual gain lies the foundation of partnerships that endure through the storms of time.