Episode 372: Underestimation, Overestimation, and Grounded Confidence
Release Date: 01/14/2026
Episode 373: Interview with James Robbins
Acting Business Boot Camp
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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Episode 372: Underestimation, Overestimation, and Grounded Confidence
Acting Business Boot Camp
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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Episode 371: "There is Nothing Going on in My Career"
Acting Business Boot Camp
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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Episode 370: You Can’t Call Yourself a Professional Actor If Your Business Is Running Like a Hobby
Acting Business Boot Camp
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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Episode 369: How Actors Actually Change Their Year
Acting Business Boot Camp
Actors often think a new year will change things. New calendar, new energy, new motivation. But real change doesn’t come from dates. It comes from how you structure your choices, your habits, and your expectations. In this episode of the Acting Business Boot Camp Podcast, Peter Pamela Rose breaks down the five shifts that actually help actors change their year, not in a dramatic, overnight way, but in a grounded, sustainable way that builds real momentum. This conversation is about business, nervous system regulation, consistency, and self leadership. It’s about how actors move out of...
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Episode 368: Two Tabs, One Artist- Keeping Your Spicy Work Separate (and Safe)
Acting Business Boot Camp
The Art of Keeping Things Separate This topic comes up more than people admit. Usually in a whisper. Or an email that starts with, “This might be a weird question…” It’s not weird. It’s just complicated. A lot of actors are working in NSFW or spicy spaces. Erotica audiobooks. Adult games. ASMR. OnlyFans. Patreon. Sensual storytelling. And at the same time, they’re booking e-learning, commercials, family-friendly narration, children’s content. The work itself isn’t the problem. The overlap is. So I want to talk about how to keep those worlds separate in a way that’s...
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Episode 367: Utilize Invisible Guidance
Acting Business Boot Camp
Listening to Invisible Guidance I’ve been thinking a lot about how guidance shows up. Not in big dramatic flashes, but in the tiny whispers. The quiet nudges you feel before anything becomes a full blown lesson. And honestly, the more I look back on my own life, the more I see how often I missed the first whisper. When the Whisper Becomes a Shove I cannot tell you how many times I’ve thought, oh, I already learned this. Except I didn’t. Because the message comes back. And when I still don’t listen, it comes back again, a little louder each time. It’s not punishment. It’s just the...
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Episode 366: The Power of Yes
Acting Business Boot Camp
The Word That Changes Everything I’ve been rereading Larry Moss’s The Intent to Live, and there’s a line that stopped me. He calls “yes” the most important word in acting. It sounds simple, but the more I sat with it, the more true it felt. Why We Default to No I notice how quickly I say no in my own mind. No, I’m not ready. No, someone else deserves that more. No, they’d never want me. It feels responsible. Really, it’s fear. Fear of being seen trying. Fear of messing up. Fear of stepping into something bigger than I’m used to. What “Yes” Actually Means I’m not...
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Episode 365: How to Handle Difficult Family Members Over the Holidays
Acting Business Boot Camp
Family gatherings can be beautiful. They can also feel like emotional landmines, especially when you’re an actor. One minute you’re passing the mashed potatoes. The next you’re answering a pointed question about your career from someone who hasn’t watched a show since 1998. In this week’s episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I talk about how to stay calm, centered, and grounded as you navigate family dynamics. These tools help you protect your energy so you can enjoy the holiday instead of getting swept up in other people’s anxieties. The Question Doesn’t Require a...
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Episode 364: Choice, Habit, Love: How Actors Build Real Momentum
Acting Business Boot Camp
Actors often wait for motivation. We hope a burst of inspiration will get us moving, keep us consistent, or push us to the next level. But real growth rarely starts with motivation. It starts with one small choice. In this episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I talk about the simple cycle that has changed my life many times over. Choice. Habit. Love. It’s a framework you can use in your acting career, your training, and your personal development to build strength and momentum in a way that actually lasts. The Moment I Realized Something Needed to Change A few years ago, I was...
info_outlineSelf-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 know we can underestimate ourselves.
We know we can overestimate ourselves.
Both are a problem.
But what about just estimating ourselves accurately?
Because everything depends on how we see ourselves.
How Underestimating Yourself Shows Up
This is one of the most common patterns I see.
It sounds like:
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I’ll wait until I’m better
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I just need one more class
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I’ll reach out when I’ve booked something bigger
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Agents like that would never sign someone like me
I recently spoke with an actor who told me they wouldn’t reach out to a top agent because they didn’t think someone “like them” could ever be with an agent like that.
That belief is a cage.
When you underestimate yourself, you pre-reject yourself.
You become your own no.
Your own locked door.
You cannot build a career while actively shrinking inside of it.
Agents don’t sign the perfectly ready actor.
They sign the clear actor.
The specific actor who understands what they bring to the table and how they fit a roster.
Most of the time, the only person who believes you don’t belong is you.
The Other Extreme
The pendulum can swing the other way.
Overestimation sounds like:
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I don’t need more training
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My demo is fine
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I’ll just wing it
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I already know what I’m doing
That’s just as dangerous.
Overestimation blinds you to growth. And growth is essential in this industry.
One extreme keeps you small.
The other makes you sloppy.
Both keep you stuck.
What We’re Aiming For
The middle ground is grounded confidence.
Confidence that says:
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I belong here
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And I’m still sharpening my craft
That’s where momentum lives.
Why Reaching Out Feels So Hard
When actors don’t reach out, it’s usually not logic.
It’s fear.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of being seen.
Fear of success.
But self-abandonment hurts more than rejection.
When you don’t give yourself a chance, you reject your future before it has a chance to recognize you.
You say no to rooms that haven’t even had the opportunity to say yes.
A Better Question to Ask
Instead of asking, am I good enough for that agent,
Ask, do my materials and brand match what that agent represents?
This isn’t about worth.
It’s about alignment.
You might not be ready for a specific agent yet, and that’s okay.
That doesn’t mean you’re not talented.
It usually means your materials, brand clarity, or positioning need work.
That’s strategy.
And strategy is learnable.
Something I Want You to Try
Identify one agent, director, or producer you’ve labeled as “out of your league.”
Then ask yourself what actual evidence proves that.
Most of the time, there is none.
And if there’s no evidence, you’re not protecting yourself.
You’re stalling your life.
Actors who move forward act before they feel ready.
Ready is a choice.
You belong in the room.
But you still have to walk through the door.
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 things 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.