loader from loading.io

Episode 304: Nepotism & Keeping The Focus on Yourself

Acting Business Boot Camp

Release Date: 10/02/2024

Episode 330: Are You a Good Actor? show art Episode 330: Are You a Good Actor?

Acting Business Boot Camp

🎧 Episode Summary: In this empowering solo episode, voiceover actor and coach Mandy Fisher poses a bold question that every actor must learn to answer with confidence: “Are you a good actor?” We’re taught from day one to expect rejection in this industry—but rarely are we taught to say yes to ourselves first. Mandy breaks down why internal validation is the foundation of success and how your energy, mindset, and self-belief shape every audition, job, and opportunity. 💡 Key Takeaways: Your Confidence Sets the Tone: If you walk into the room unsure...

info_outline
Episode 329: Acting Through Fear and Uncertainty show art Episode 329: Acting Through Fear and Uncertainty

Acting Business Boot Camp

Hey there, it’s Peter Pamela Rose. In this episode, I’m getting real with you. After what feels like forever since I last recorded (even though I know that might not be true if you’re bingeing episodes!), I’m back to talk about something that’s been coming up a lot in my weekly classes—how to deal with fear, anxiety, and overwhelm when the world feels like too much. Whether you're feeling the pressure of what's going on globally, or you're just tired of asking yourself, “How the hell did I end up back here again?”—this episode is for you. Here’s what we get into: The...

info_outline
Episode 328: Conquer Conferences – Smart Networking for Actors show art Episode 328: Conquer Conferences – Smart Networking for Actors

Acting Business Boot Camp

Thinking about attending a voiceover or acting conference? Conferences can be an absolute goldmine for networking, learning, and career growth—but only if you go in with a plan! In this episode, Mandy Fisher shares her personal experience attending (and now avoiding) conferences, including why she prefers virtual attendance due to being partially deaf. More importantly, she breaks down exactly how to make a conference work for you so you don’t just leave with a pile of swag and a drained bank account. Learn how to: ✅ Identify your specific goal before attending ✅...

info_outline
Episode 327: Authenticity, Privacy & Oversharing in Acting show art Episode 327: Authenticity, Privacy & Oversharing in Acting

Acting Business Boot Camp

In today’s episode of the Acting Business Boot Camp Podcast, Mandy Fisher dives into a crucial topic for actors and entertainment professionals—the balance between authenticity and privacy online. With social media playing a major role in personal branding, many performers feel the pressure to share intimate details to connect with their audience and industry decision-makers. But where is the line between being real and oversharing? Mandy unpacks the risks and consequences of unchecked openness in the entertainment industry, including how it can impact casting...

info_outline
Episode 326: An Actor's Guide to AI (Part Two) show art Episode 326: An Actor's Guide to AI (Part Two)

Acting Business Boot Camp

In last week’s episode, we explored the fascinating yet daunting world of AI in the entertainment industry. If you haven’t listened to  yet, stop right now and go back! Everything we cover in this episode builds on what we discussed previously. In this follow-up episode, we continue our conversation with Erik Passoja—an AI expert and industry professional—who provides deeper insight into how AI is reshaping the acting world, especially in voiceover work. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the rapid advancements in AI, you’re not alone. But don’t worry—Erik offers...

info_outline
Episode 325: An Actor's Guide to AI (Part One) show art Episode 325: An Actor's Guide to AI (Part One)

Acting Business Boot Camp

AI in Entertainment: Essential Insights for Actors The world of acting is evolving, and one of the most significant changes affecting performers today is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). From digital likenesses to synthetic voices, AI is reshaping the entertainment industry at an unprecedented pace. If you're an actor, understanding how AI impacts your career is no longer optional—it's essential. In a recent episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, hosts Peter Pamela Rose and Mandy Fisher sat down with Erik Passoja, a SAG-AFTRA leader and digital identity advocate,...

info_outline
Episode 324: Work Harder, Nobody Cares show art Episode 324: Work Harder, Nobody Cares

Acting Business Boot Camp

Today we're talking about a phrase that might hit you right in the gut.  “Work harder. Nobody cares.” And I say it with love because it's a funny phrase and it's also a tough pill to swallow because it's one of the most freeing truths that you can embrace as a person and as an artist. This episode is inspired again by one of my posts on Substack which you can find at the Actors Index and it's a mantra for anyone chasing a creative career or pursuing a big dream.  It's a mindset shift that could be the key to unlocking your full potential.  So buckle up. We're driving into...

info_outline
Episode 323: The Power of Three show art Episode 323: The Power of Three

Acting Business Boot Camp

I'm excited to explore a concept that has sort of a strange and spooky and undeniable power in our lives, which is the power of three.  This episode is inspired by one of my recent Substack posts that I called three, and if you haven't read it yet, please go check it out. But don't worry, I'm going to break it all down for you right here.  So, why Three. Why does this number show up in storytelling, in structure, and even how we sometimes have to make sense of the world?  Well, stick around and let's unpack it together.  Let's start with that very basic, simple question:...

info_outline
Episode 322: Interview with Diane Strand show art Episode 322: Interview with Diane Strand

Acting Business Boot Camp

About Diane: Diane Strand is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, executive producer, best-selling author, nonprofit founder, and a TEDx and national speaker.  Strand has over 22 years of entrepreneurial experience. She is the majority owner of JDS Video & Media Productions, Inc. and JDS Actors Studio, and the founder of the 501(c)3 nonprofit JDS Creative Academy (JDSCA). Strand is the creator, executive producer, and co-host of the locally broadcasted and nationally streamed magazine-style news and information television series, Spirit of Innovation: Arts...

info_outline
Episode 321: The 3 Elements of Personal Branding show art Episode 321: The 3 Elements of Personal Branding

Acting Business Boot Camp

I am talking about all things voiceover and creative entrepreneurialism. Hope you are having a fantastic Wednesday.  Let's jump right into today's topic, which is branding.  And I want to sort of unpack the essence of what branding is because we are drawn in to people who do this for a living.  People who create brands for actors. And I just want to get it out into the open. That if you don't have a catchy tagline, if you don't have a palette of colors, if you don't have a logo, it's okay.  You don't have to have those things in order to be a successful actor business...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Kick Your Acting Career in Gear

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 would say is this is not something that you can control. And I talk about this in terms of the serenity prayer. 

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

Courage to change the things I can. And wisdom to know the difference. 

And what that means for me is to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Means I cannot change. Make your ears grow bigger. 

Or control other people, places, things, or situations. 

So whether I'm going up for a role where there is someone's famous relative going up for the role, As well, that is not something I can change or control.

Courage to change the things I can. I can only change, manage, or handle myself, my attitudes, my thoughts, and my actions. 

My focus on that audition, regardless of who else is up for it. 

And wisdom to know the difference. Wisdom, my favorite word in the American language.

Wisdom to know the difference. And that wisdom is the ability to know what I cannot control, which is other people, places, and things. And I can't change that either. 

And what I can change, manage, handle, which is myself, my attitudes, my thoughts, and my actions. So the ability to differentiate that.

So my take on NEPO babies and their advantages and disadvantages in booking roles and projects, it's none of my damn business. My business is to stay focused on my work and what I can do for my life.

This listener goes on to say, “What chance do I have, if I even have the opportunity to compete with one?” 

Again, none of my damn business. 

It doesn't matter who else is up for the role. 

It matters that I am up for the role. And that I take advantage of every opportunity that I have.

And I need to do that by being good at my job, by being good at the business. 

But most of all, by knowing me, by being emotionally self-sufficient, I can get myself over these mental and emotional hurdles, so that I can do my job. 

I want to see, there was one more thing she said that I really liked.

She mentions this, and then kind of goes with this, but I want to add it in because I think it's so good and you may relate to this. “I had just said to a friend, I feel like I'm always coming in second.”

This is what I would say: Second best is only one step behind the first.

Second is one step behind first. 

And last week I talked about tenacity and I talked about doubling down. 

If you feel that you're always coming in second or third or you're getting the avail but you're not getting the job or you're getting put on hold and you're not getting the job, my joke is all the different ways we can, we we can term that avail check, pinned, first refusal.

If you find that's where you're at, it is time to listen to that Podcast episode, the one before this, right after you finish listening to this one and doubling down on your commitment.

I also want to just give you a few tips on keeping the focus on yourself because I always like to be at the cause of my life and not at the effect of it.

And if you think about the theme of this particular podcast it's right in there. 

The first one is this, and I said it before, but avoid comparison and despair. 

It's a wonderful little phrase. Compare and despair. 

Focus on your own journey and progress rather than mention than measuring yourself against others.

Rather than measuring yourself against others. Another great one is watch measuring someone else's. 

Stop putting your self worth on and depending on other people's outsides by judging on your insides. 

It's just not comparable. 

The other thing is to prioritize self care. Make sure that you're taking good care of you. 

So that you don't abandon yourself. 

I did a great podcast a little while ago that got more listens than just about any other podcast I did about abandoning the self.

Regularly engage in activities that nourish your physical, mental, and emotional being, and I talked about last podcast allowing me to be your mentor, allowing me to be that positive voice in your life, listen to these podcasts while you're doing the dishes, you're doing the laundry, you're doing the mundane.

Because one of the things that I did while I was really starting this work, is on my cassette tapes, I would listen to, that's how long ago it was, I would listen to positive messages. 

So no matter what I was doing, I had positive messages going in, not the crap that was going on between my ears.

And the final one that I want to tell you about today is really setting personal boundaries. 

Learning how to say no to distractions or demands that take you away from what it is you really want. 

Your personal goals and your priorities. Personal growth.