Episode 312: The Hazard of Making Excuses
Acting Business Boot Camp
Today I'm going to talk to you about the hazard of making excuses as an actor. And I'm going to start with perhaps something that if you were like me, or you are like how I used to be the idea of it's only me. So it's only me and therefore it doesn't count or, I'm tough, I can handle it. One of the things that making excuses as an actor does is it stalls personal growth. And anything that would affect me in a negative way, I used to be like, “Hey, I'm young. I can take it. Hey, no worries. I can overcome it.” Until I couldn't. And so the first thing I'm going...
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Episode 311: Interview with Tim Phillips
Acting Business Boot Camp
About Tim: With more than 60,000 coaching sessions and 40+ years in the business, audition coach and premiere acting teacher Tim Phillips knows what works. was written after 30 years of teaching and designed as a practical manual for the working actor. What Phillips is after are moment-by-moment, clear, specific, human truths that make you unavoidable on stage and screen, from character. Tim Phillips ignited the careers of Emmy award-winning Richard Schiff, Golden Globe nominee Wendy Malick, Nancy Travis, the excellent Robert Wisdom, James DuMont, Bruce...
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Episode 310: Unsupportive Family & Friends
Acting Business Boot Camp
Today I'm going to talk about what I find a sad subject, and it is about unsupportive friends and unsupportive family members. And I'm gonna give you a few points and things to think about. So that you can have the support, at least from me, and I'll talk about getting more support in a moment, that helps you when you're dealing with this. Now, the first thing, and I know because, man, I hated this word when I first learned it, was boundaries. Learning to set boundaries, clearly communicate your goals and values to others, and establish boundaries when necessary. This helps you to...
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Episode 309: Interview with Risa Bramon Garcia
Acting Business Boot Camp
About Risa: For the past 4 decades Risa has worked consistently as a director, producer, casting director, writer, and teacher, and is a founder of The BGB Studio, a training space and artistic home for actors. She’s had the great fortune to have collaborated with some of the most talented, passionate, and groundbreaking artists in the world. She’s continued to move successfully from one arena to another – from theatre to film to television and back. With two feature films in her directorial body of work – the cult classic, 200 CIGARETTES, and more recently, THE CON ARTIST, made in...
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Episode 308: Don't Quit 5 Minutes Before the Miracle
Acting Business Boot Camp
A subject that has come up with private clients of mine and in my weekly group class has been the subject of discussion of quitting. And the phrase that I have been coaching on, is don't quit five minutes before the miracle. Don't quit five minutes before the miracle. And I get it. Especially for those of us in the U. S. who have been struggling with the industry this year. Let's just be blunt. It's a bitch, okay? It's just been awful. I have a friend of mine who's a producer and he says the word he keeps using is brutal. It's been a brutal year. But here's the thing. We're...
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Episode 307: Making a Pivot In Your Acting Career
Acting Business Boot Camp
So today's podcast is going to be about making a pivot in your acting career. The first thing you want to do when you are making a pivot is you want to clarify your new career goal. I understand that the goal may be to be a working actor, but what exactly does that mean to you? And when you've made a goal, asking yourself that follow up question, that empowering question, what does that mean to you? What does that look like? How will it feel when you achieve it? You want to take time to identify exactly where you want to pivot, and I think those questions can really, truly...
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Episode 306: Reframing Disappointment as an Actor
Acting Business Boot Camp
Today I'm going to talk about reframing disappointment. One of my favorite quotes. It's from Dr. Wayne Dyer, he says “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” And in reframing disappointment, we need to look at it in a different way. So I'm going to give you a few tips. I'm going to give you some Action steps to do when you face disappointment and hopefully that will help you to move through it because again, another one of my favorite quotes, again, a top five is Robert Frost, which is the “best way out is always through.” So this...
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Episode 305: Quantum Manifestation with Jocelyn Sandstrom
Acting Business Boot Camp
Today I am talking with Jocelyn Sandstrom about quantum manifestation. About Jocelyn: Growing up in Hawaii, Jocelyn has lived and worked in 12 different countries. This experience has allowed her to realize that even though we may speak different languages or have different traditions, at our core, we are all the same. She has used this knowledge to help and support clients around the world in creating next-level success not just in their careers but in their personal lives as well. Since 2010, she has been providing Quantum Energy Sessions and teaching Neuro-Linguistic...
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Episode 304: Nepotism & Keeping The Focus on Yourself
Acting Business Boot Camp
Okay, so today's podcast is motivated by someone writing to me, wanting to me to talk a little bit about nepo babies, nepotism. Of course, I'm going to say that nepotism and keeping the focus on yourself is the key. The focus because there's nothing you can do about somebody else is, birthrights or relatives, but you can do something about keeping the focus on yourself because that is your birthright. So my wonderful listener gave me this topic and she asked what my take on nepo babies and their advantages and disadvantages are in booking roles or projects. Again, what I...
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Episode 303: Staying Tenacious as an Actor
Acting Business Boot Camp
Okay, so let's talk about being tenacious. The number one thing about being tenacious is actually embracing it. And I talk about this in terms of my own experience, which is that my biggest mistakes have been my best teachers. My biggest mistakes have been my best teachers. And really understanding, when you make a mistake or you have a roadblock, you don't get a role that you really thought you were going to, is looking at the situation and asking yourself, what can I learn from this? And if what you can learn from it is what my mom always told me when I was a little...
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We are going to be talking about the importance of fun.
So I'm going to be really honest with you, this is a topic that I have had so much trouble with.
Yeah, I have had trouble having fun.
I thought that, I don't know, life was to be endured. And even though I had a positive, natural positive attitude, I didn't know how to have fun. I had no idea how to have fun.
And you know what that hurt? That hurt my acting career and that hurt my ability to act because I wasn't experiencing all emotions, especially the really good ones.
But the thing is that when we as casting directors, agents, managers are meeting with you, we want to be with people who are Professional, but also are fun to be around people that we want to work with, that we want to be on a set with day in and day out now.
Okay, that might not apply for the casting director or the agent or the manager, but I am going to be working with you a decent amount.
So yes, it does apply to that, but it really applies in your auditions.
Are you having fun? Do you know how to have fun?
And if you don't, that's okay.
You can have fun learning, and you may make mistakes while having fun.
I've certainly done that.
I thought something was going to be fun, and then it really wasn't.
In fact, I hated it.
Anyway, so I'm going to read a little thing out of Melody Beattie's Language of Letting Go.
“Have some fun with life, with the day. Find the good things in the day. Find the fun things in the day. Life is not a drudgery. That is an old belief.”
And as I said, truly an old belief of mine.
“We can let go of it. We are on an adventure. And this adventure is life. It is a journey. Events will come to pass that we cannot even fathom.”
I think that's one of the gifts of being deaf. Age is that with age, you begin to appreciate life more. You begin to appreciate the day more.
And lately I've had podcasts and podcasts that will come up about being decisive, making mistakes.
You can have fun with all of this.
The big thing is we want to create the best life and career and experience with this one amazing shot we have on this planet.
“We want to try and replace our heaviness and weariness of spirit with joy. Surround yourself with people and things that bring lightness of spirit as opposed to that heaviness.
Become sensitive to happiness, to lightness, to the incredible wonder of life.
The journey, it really can be an exciting adventure. Let yourself be. Enjoy it.”
One of the mantras that I gave myself recently, creating amazing experiences in my life is fun for me.
Creating amazing experiences in my life. is fun for me.
Again, fun. It's so important. You want to be around people who are fun.
Why would that stop in a casting office? Why would that stop in an agent's office? Why would that stop at a manager's office? Why would that stop in auditioning?
Have fun. This business can be fun.
It can be exciting.
Yes, it can also be trying. But let's have fun on the adventure.