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...
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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...
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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 ✅...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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:...
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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...
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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...
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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 Canada, Risa’s also directed in television, including multiple episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE for the WB, and several shows for HBO, Lifetime, and Comedy Central.
Risa has cast some of the most memorable movies of the past 40 years. Risa’s résumé includes decades of classics such as DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, SOMETHING WILD, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, TRUE ROMANCE, ANGEL HEART, FATAL ATTRACTION, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, JFK, WALL STREET, TALK RADIO, THE DOORS, SPEED, JACOB’S LADDER, AT CLOSE RANGE, SNEAKERS, HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT, DEAD PRESIDENTS, TWISTER, BENNY AND JOON, and FLIRTING WITH DISASTER.
She’s cast numerous television shows and pilots, including ROSEANNE, CSI: NY, all four seasons of the Showtime series MASTERS OF SEX, THE AFFAIR, and SEAL TEAM.
Risa served as a Producer on Oliver Stone’s films HEAVEN AND EARTH and NATURAL BORN KILLERS, movies she also cast.
Risa’s directed dozens of plays in New York (The Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club) and in Los Angeles. She calls The Ensemble Studio Theatre her original artistic home, where she’s been a member in NY for decades, producing and directing several years of the flagship festival MARATHON OF ONE-ACT PLAYS. And she founded EST-LA, a thriving Los Angeles theatre company.
Read her full bio HERE.