Episode 370: You Can’t Call Yourself a Professional Actor If Your Business Is Running Like a Hobby
Release Date: 12/31/2025
Acting Business Boot Camp
There's a version of career advice that's all hustle. Post more. Submit more. Network harder. And look, that stuff matters. But there's something most acting coaches don't talk about, and it might be the thing that's actually keeping you stuck. Your inner world runs your outer results. In this episode, Peter Pamela Rose goes deep on the spiritual side of building an acting career, not in a woo-woo, burn-a-candle way, but in a real, practical, what-do-you-do-on-a-Tuesday-morning way. Five points to cover. Let's get started. Start the Year with Intention, Not Panic A lot of actors kick off...
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In this episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I sit down with James Robbins to talk about listening to your inner voice, building resilience, and what happens when you stop ignoring the signals that something needs to change. James shares stories from his life as a climber and leadership coach, including what he’s learned from climbing mountains, facing fear, and doing hard things repeatedly. We talk about burnout, discernment, anxiety, and how these lessons apply directly to actors navigating uncertainty in their careers. This episode is about courage, self-trust, and...
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Self-Perception and Where We Decide We Belong I want to talk about something we reference a lot in acting, but usually only vaguely. Self-perception. It sits at the center of almost every actor’s journey. It shapes how you talk about yourself, who you reach out to, what rooms you think you belong in, and how far you let yourself go. Most of the time, we don’t even notice it happening. Why This Matters So Much I was thinking about 10 Things I Hate About You and that line about being overwhelmed and underwhelmed, and asking if you can ever just be whelmed. It made me think about actors. We...
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I hear actors say this phrase all the time: “There’s nothing going on in my career.” And I want to be very clear, that idea is almost never true. In this episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I talk about why that belief shows up, how it distorts your perception, and what you should be measuring instead when things feel quiet. I also share why I reshaped my Weekly Accountability Group to focus just as much on time management as accountability. This episode is about structure, consistency, and staying engaged in your acting career even when results aren’t obvious yet....
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The Part of the Business We Avoid I don’t know many actors who got into this work because they love paperwork. Money. Invoices. Contracts. Admin. I avoid this side of the business not because I think it’s beneath me, but because it makes me uncomfortable. It forces me to look closely. At numbers. At patterns. At choices I’ve postponed. And lately, I’ve been reminded how common that is. Why Admin Creates So Much Anxiety I’ve had several conversations recently with actors who are genuinely scared of the financial side of their career. Taxes coming up. Receipts scattered. Invoices...
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info_outlineThe Part of the Business We Avoid
I don’t know many actors who got into this work because they love paperwork.
Money. Invoices. Contracts. Admin.
I avoid this side of the business not because I think it’s beneath me, but because it makes me uncomfortable. It forces me to look closely. At numbers. At patterns. At choices I’ve postponed.
And lately, I’ve been reminded how common that is.
Why Admin Creates So Much Anxiety
I’ve had several conversations recently with actors who are genuinely scared of the financial side of their career.
Taxes coming up. Receipts scattered. Invoices unpaid. Contracts sitting unread in inboxes.
Avoiding it feels easier than facing it. It feels responsible. I’ll deal with it later. When I have more energy. When I feel more prepared.
But avoidance doesn’t stay neutral.
It compounds.
What Avoidance Actually Costs
The longer we don’t look, the bigger it feels.
Money becomes emotional. Following up feels confrontational. Rates feel uncertain. Admin starts to feel like proof that we’re “bad at business.”
None of that is about talent.
It’s about fear.
Clarity, even when it’s uncomfortable, is kinder than avoidance.
What Being Professional Really Means
This episode isn’t about becoming an accountant or loving spreadsheets.
It’s about becoming available.
Available to book work without panic.
Available to follow up without guilt.
Available to understand where your money is coming from and where it’s going.
Being organized doesn’t make you less creative. It gives your nervous system a break.
What I’m Practicing Right Now
Smaller steps.
Looking at the last few months instead of everything at once. Canceling subscriptions I forgot about. Sending invoice reminders before they’re overdue so they don’t turn emotional.
Treating admin like maintenance, not a personal failure.
It’s quieter this way.
A Question I’m Sitting With
If my business were actually supporting me instead of stressing me out, how would my work feel different?
That question changes how I approach this part of the job.
You don’t need to fix everything at once. You just need to stop pretending this part doesn’t matter.
If this episode brought something up for you and you want to share it, you can always email me at mandy@actingbusinessbootcamp.com. I love hearing where things clicked and where they still feel sticky.
And if you want to know when the next class or training is coming up, keep an eye on your inbox. There’s more support on the way.