Episode 298: The Importance of Being Decisive as an Actor
Release Date: 08/21/2024
Acting Business Boot Camp
This week’s episode is all about documentary narration. Voiceover actor Paula Tiso joins me to share her journey from sketch comedy in Los Angeles to working steadily in promos, radio imaging, true crime, and documentary series. We talk about training, the shift from “perky” reads to grounded storytelling, and what it really takes to support a story with your voice. About Paula: Paula Tiso is a veteran voiceover actor whose work spans documentary narration, true crime, television affiliates, video games, and more. She’s voiced Smithsonian Channel documentaries, Oxygen and ID...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
Today’s episode is called “Your Audition Superpower.” We’re talking about what really makes an audition competitive, not just good. Because in a crowded industry, good auditions disappear. Competitive ones get remembered. Whether you’re stepping into the booth, walking into the room, or recording a self-tape at home, these five elements can transform how casting directors see you. Why “Audition Superpowers” Matter Every actor has talent. What separates the hobbyists from the professionals is how you show up under pressure. Casting directors don’t just want a great...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
This week’s episode is all about doing the damn thing. Inspired by Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass, we explore how to move from wishful thinking into real, consistent action. Because let’s face it: Epiphanies are useless without execution. Self-help without follow-through is shelf-help. Trying to be an actor isn’t the same as being one. From Passive Habits to Active Action Many actors fall into the trap of passive self-help habits. That looks like reading books, journaling, or attending seminars but never actually taking the uncomfortable, messy steps that move...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
Okay actors, here it is—your end-of-summer pep talk. I don’t know how we got here so fast, but summer’s basically over and it’s time to stop stalling. Time to get your act together. In this episode, I’m giving it to you straight. Yes, I even drop a few swear words, because honestly, sometimes that’s what it takes to shake things up. I’ll share the story of Bowie the cat (our very cautious little housemate) and how it perfectly connects to where so many of you are stuck in your careers. The question is: are you going to stay scared Bowie… or step up and be brave Bowie? And I’m...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
When I Froze on “Three Takes” I’ll be honest, the first time a casting director asked me for three takes in the same vibe, my brain short-circuited. The first one felt okay. The second? I made it louder. The third? I whispered and hoped for divine intervention. Sound familiar? If you’ve been there, you’re not alone. No one really teaches us how to do this. We just… guess. But over the years, I’ve learned that “three takes” doesn’t have to be torture. It’s actually an opportunity to show range, subtlety, and intention — if you know where to focus. My Five Go-To Tools for...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
Most actors treat their careers like a guessing game. Send a few emails. Hope someone notices. Post on Instagram. Cross your fingers. But what if you could know what’s working? What if you had the exact information to make better choices, save time, and book more work? That is what tracking data does for you, and yes, it is way less boring than it sounds. Why Most Actors Avoid Tracking (and Why That Hurts Them) A lot of actors shy away from anything that feels “too business.” They think tracking numbers will suck the artistry out of what they do. But here is the thing: you are...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
If you’ve ever gotten an email offering $850 for 45 minutes of voice work and thought, huh, that sounds… generous—you’re not alone. Today I’m walking you through one of the most common and dangerous traps voice actors fall into: the voiceover scam. Let’s talk about how to recognize one, why we fall for them, and how to protect yourself. These Scams Are Getting Smarter I’ve seen so many of these land in my inbox or get forwarded from friends and students. And honestly, they’re getting better. Better design. Better phrasing. More personal. But when you...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
In this solo episode, Peter gets deeply personal about a challenging week—and the powerful mindset shift that came from it. After getting emotionally “twisted,” Peter turned to her most trusted tools: journaling, meditation, and coaching. What started as a spiral led to a breakthrough realization: Your mind is your world. And your world is your mind. When you’re in your fear-based thought system, everything feels like a problem. But when you shift into a more loving, conscious mindset, you begin to see challenges as opportunities. Peter shares how unconscious thinking patterns can...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
If you're a creative who rolls their eyes every time someone says, “You should be on TikTok,” I get it. I did too. But I’ve also seen firsthand how a free platform with a low barrier to entry can quietly change your entire business. Not overnight. But steadily. Strategically. Without becoming someone you’re not. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I use TikTok to stay visible, book clients, and build trust—without filters, dances, or pretending to be an influencer. So, why TikTok? I never expected to like it. I don’t love being on camera. I...
info_outlineActing Business Boot Camp
How to Change Your Momentum When You’re Stuck as a Creative If you’re an artist or creative who feels stalled—like you’ve hit a wall in your motivation, progress, or passion—you’re not alone. Whether it’s burnout, fear, comparison, or just plain fatigue, creative momentum can vanish without warning. And getting it back? That can feel impossible. But here’s the good news: momentum is a choice. Not something that magically returns when the conditions are perfect—but something you can actively create, even in the mess of real life. In this week’s Acting Business Boot...
info_outlineToday I'm going to talk about something that I have found to be extremely helpful.
And that word is being decisive.
Now, sometimes when I'm decisive, I make mistakes.
But this is the thing. Everything is fixable.
And mistakes are how we grow.
But in my being decisive, what happens is that things get put in order, into motion.
And the thing is that if I keep doing what I've always done, which can be being wishy-washy about something or procrastinating with something because I just don't know what to do.
By the way, this is why I'm recommending these free consultations with me so we can get you out of that kind of mess.
What happens is that when I set myself a clear path and I get decisive about things start to happen, big things start to happen.
And I find that making a decision, and then following through with that decision is sometimes the most valuable thing I do in a day.
So today I'm going to talk, I have five points about decisiveness.
They are efficiency and time management, confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, opportunity seizing, and clear direction and focus.
So I'm going to talk about each of those subjects and how being decisive has helped me and how I feel it can help you.
So efficiency and time management, decisiveness helps in making quick decisions. Quick and effective decisions and saving time and increasing productivity.
So this is the thing. Not making a decision is making a decision and it keeps you stuck as an actor.
And this is the thing. I don't want to waste any more time in my life.
I've got a finite amount of time on this planet and I want to make sure that I am enjoying it. Every single moment of it, and the things that I'm doing for my life and my career are moving me forward, not backward, and certainly not keeping me stagnant.
So what happens when I'm more decisive?
I take less time, humming and hawing. And that is, that's why I'm offering the free consultation, because I want you to stop humming and hawing.
Either decide you're going to work with someone to get your shit in gear, or don't.
But, for goodness sake, let's make a decision. So what happens is that when you make a decision, chances are, when you leap, the net will appear and the universe will support you.
And that's why that decision will be effective.
Also when I make a decision, I decide what I'm going to do instead of hemming and hawing about what I should do. What happens is that I save time and that is time that could be spent effectively working on the acting career.
Also because I'm saving that time, I have increased productivity.
I get more done creating more Opportunities.
So I'm going to actually jump to opportunities here. Because what happens is that when you do more things, you put yourself more out there, more people know about you, more opportunities can exist.
And decisiveness allows individuals to capitalize on opportunities quickly before they are lost to hesitation.
See, I want as many agents, casting directors, managers, producers, directors, writers to know about you, but how do you get in touch with them?
I want to show you how to do that. I want to also encourage you to be decisive in your career, whether you're working with me or not, but even by listening to this, you are working with me a little bit so that you can have opportunity.
Bill Timoney, who is going to be on Broadway with Our Town, he always says, and he's such a friend of Acting Business Boot Camp, he says, “you want to have as much access to opportunity as you can.”
And that's what I like to help actors to access. access to opportunity.
The other thing about being decisive is it makes you more confident.
Decisive individuals often exude confidence, which is crucial for effective leadership and inspiring trust.
So this is the thing. I am a casting director. I hire actors, I audition actors that exude confidence, who are good at their job, and almost more importantly, know they are good at their job.
And that inspires trust in me, the casting director, to either directly hire them for a job or to continue auditioning them so that they have access to opportunity.
Now I'm going to talk about how being decisive reduces stress and anxiety.
Because making prompt decisions reduces stress and anxiety associated with prolonged uncertainty and indecision.
That's the thing. The more you procrastinate, the more anxiety and stress you build up.
It's time to eradicate that from your life.
The stress and anxiety that is caused by indecision, it doesn't have to be there.
How do I know that? Because I used to be a hand wringer, a pearl clencher, a hyperventilator about making a decision.
But once I started to get decisive, things started to happen.
And finally, let's talk about how being decisive in your acting career gives you clear direction and focus.
It helps you to align your efforts and your resources toward achieving specific goals, which is, hopefully, to be a working actor.
So again, clear direction and focus and being decisive provides clear direction and focus, helping you to align your efforts and resources towards achieving specific goals.
And that's what I want to help you to do in these consultations, is I want to hear where you are at and where you want to go and how we can align your efforts and your resources and my resources to help you to achieve that goal of becoming a working actor.