After teaching so many actors for so many years “How to Get and Keep an Agent” my first reaction when I was invited by the head of the agency to train in the commercial department of 90210 Talent, and then take it over, was a resounding NO. My almost 2 decades of being one of the owners of Actors Connection prepared me for what I knew was going to be starting another new business. My gut instinct was in play and since my coaching/consulting company, Act Outside the Box, was doing great things with all of the insider info I now had, I felt it might not be the right move. But after several days of thinking about it and conversations with the head of the agency, he convinced me to “try it on for size”. So I decided “why not”?
I took the opportunity to expand into what I thought was the natural progression of my own career – to become an agent. Seemed like a good fit, but it actually wasn’t. Here’s why…
I quickly came to realize that I liked, and was great at, HALF of the job.
The part of the gig I loved was what I’d already been doing as a coach and marketing consultant, however the other half was being at the effect of outside influences that truly sapped my physical time and emotional energy. These days, being an agent means being constantly tethered to a cell phone, computer screen and clients, casting directors, and crowds of other people (actors seeking representation, production folks with details for bookings, contract info, the union and the list goes on…) in a 24/7 business that never stops demanding attention.
First and foremost, I teach people that if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing and pursing your passion, move on…and fast! Life is meant to be a joyful endeavor and we spend a majority of it at work, so you have to love your job. Being an agent is hard work and though I’m one of the hardest workers I know, I soon knew I’d dug myself a hole that I had to get out of because I didn’t enjoy this kind of hard work.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people and plenty of agents who thrive on this constant activity and do LOVE the fast pace of technology, but there are just as many others who are getting out of their line of work because they started out when the industry was quite different.
As a coach and consultant, I have always had a huge respect for agents and have taught you that, in most cases, they work much harder in service of your career than you think. And in many cases more than you do. Yep, I just said that. Working at the agency, I unhappily found that last statement to be true.
When I realized that I worked all day, every day, in service of actor’s careers and that most of my clients did not treat their own career like they were actually in a business, I knew I could serve a LOT more actors by giving them yet another perspective on getting and keeping a rep.
My thoughts about what the job would entail and what it actually was were very different and I’m going to share in my next several posts everything I learned so that you’ll have all of the vital and important information you need when seeking a rep or working with the one you have now. Stay tuned.
To Your Success, Lisa
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Film_Clapboard.png532548Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2017-05-03 16:55:502017-08-12 21:00:49Aaaannnnnd Scene. Why I left working at the talent agency.
We live in a big universe full of possibilities, especially for creative people like you. If you stop to think about how vast this reality really is, you might go a little nuts … or maybe become fully enlightened, depending on the day of the week!
Figuring out how we rein all of this in to something tangible in our creative career can easily lead to complicated over thinking. I like to call this analysis paralysis. One of the only things you really need to know though, is that you’re not separate from anything or anyone out there. Everything is connected, including you and me.
The Law of Attraction is real and I’m a big believer of it and if you’re reading this, I think you are too. It’s why you’re on my email list or website so I’m going to be talking a lot more about it from here on out.
It’s our thinking and subsequent actions that determine what comes into our lives, good and bad, and what sometimes seems bad at the start (I like to call this uncomfortable) could actually be good for us ultimately. This is growth and development, expansion and ACTing Outside the Box! (see how I did that, LOL?)
It’s all good, except for one little part: the condition that says “First I have to DO this or that.” That’s called waiting for life to occur. That’s called means-to-an-end thinking. “First I have to DO this, then I can have that.”
It really doesn’t work that way my friends. When you put conditions on what can come into your life and career, your mind will never let you feel like you’re doing enough. You don’t feel like you’re enough already, so that’s exactly what you’re going to get: not enough. Starving artist is based on this precept. NOT ENOUGH.
“When I’m better, then I can attract the right agent. The person I am right now is not enough.” Or “if I had done is that way in the audition instead, I could have gotten the job.” Guess what, that’s a habitual mindset. That’s a mind pattern that will never leave you.
No matter where you go or who you’re with or how you do things, your mind will always tell you, “You’re not ready. You’re not enough. If I just have six more months of working on myself, my craft or when I get an audition with that casting director, then (fill in the blank here.)
“Can you imagine the kind of career I could have if I enroll in that MFA program?” “I’ll be unstoppable once I get an agent!” “Once I finish my summer program at this acting studio, then I’ll be ready to rock it.”
Here’s a fact: Life is now. Life is not, “When I’m perfect, that’s when I can have the right career.”
Stop waiting. Be open right now for the universe to unfold in front of you. Be open for the right situation to come your way. Just go with the flow.
There’s a hidden payoff in sabotaging yourself like this: not succeeding at something. What a great excuse you’ve given yourself. What a great reason for not being able to have the career of your dreams.
In fact, it’s the GOLD medal of reasons, pun intended! It keeps you stuck even though that reason is painful because deep down inside you know you’re ready for the success you’re looking for.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t continue striving to be better because that’s the juice of life, right? But for goodness sake don’t beat yourself up for every little flaw, or even the big ones for that matter!
Let go of all that. You don’t need to completely structure every second of how this is going to work for you. Be open. Smile and relax. Chill out.
You’re the right person, right now. You’re good enough as you are. Can you improve? Of course. We can always improve. Once you really get this, you’ll understand forward progress without making your happiness depend upon it. I love to learn and I love to teach because there’s always something more out there to add to your already AWESOMENESS!
The most important thing you can learn is that dwelling on the “if I” and “when I” and “it would be better if” or “if I had that, then I would” takes you out of the present moment.
Thinking about the perfect future is what stops you from having the perfect present. It’s the only thing that stops you.
To your success, Lisa (remember, it’s in your thinking!)
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Positive-Thinking.jpg408300Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2015-09-28 15:39:202020-08-16 19:24:19Your Success is in your Thinking
The holidays can be awkward, or you can make them into a huge opportunity by using this time as a platform to network. Most actors take a break or think of this time of year as slow. I say NOW is the time to ramp it up!
The holidays are here now and seem to come earlier every year! For some the dread is starting to set in. And no, I’m not talking about the awkward family gatherings with your fruitcake-wielding in-laws or being relegated to the kids table for a meal you’ve waited a year for.
For many of us, the real terror surrounds holiday networking. So if you’re currently stressing over whether you’re going to look like an idiot wearing a Santa hat or whether it’s appropriate to talk about your acting career at all, you’re not alone.
Oy, all these winter events you have to go to! There are soooo many parties and other opportunities to gather at this particular time of year, so when to go and when not to? Many of us would rather pretend to be sick and stay home drinking eggnog in a darkened room. But in actuality, this is the perfect time to get ahead. All these holiday parties are the prime time to make fresh connections and start the New Year off on the right foot.
Ken Rutkowski, host and president of the Business Rockstars radio show, is a networking veteran who has earned himself the reputation of “the super-connector.” I love finding great info and sharing it with you so please take Ken’s words to heart as if they were my own…because I’m in 100% alignment. Here are his top five tips to network yourself through the holidays.
1. Don’t look at it as “networking”
View events, social and business as relationship building opportunities and don’t ever ask for money, a job, an audition or anything else for that matter. This is time to create and build rapport ONLY.
2. Pick the right events and be realistic
If the event is only for union members and you’re not one, then don’t go. If the event is at an agent’s office that you are not a client of, then don’t go. Seriously…find the FIT first. If you have a sinking feeling in your gut about attending, then the event is probably not right for you. Go to parties and events where you are certain you will be a part of the right crowd and go with the intention of meeting great people just like you!
3. Dress appropriately
This is a big one. I can’t tell you how many actor events where I’ve seen pictures on line and say to myself, “Wow, don’t they have a mirror in their house?” At the same time, holiday flair is always a winner. Really know the crowd you’re going to be hanging out with. In general, don’t wear a suit and tie if the event is more casual and vice versa. But jeans with rips in them that look like they need a good wash is a no-no no matter how casual the event is.
4. Bring a wingman or wingwoman.
Two heads are better than one when it comes to meeting people. You’ll be able to cover more ground and have a fallback person to rendezvous with if you need a break. But don’t get stuck…meaning you have to go out on your own to meet new people. If you only end up talking to the person you came with you’ve missed the purpose entirely.
5. Make it about others
Ken became known as a “super-connector” because he was always introducing people to other people. People appreciate it when you do the networking for them. They come to know you as someone who is connected, and gets things done. Take on this role if you have met folks at your event who you think should also meet each other. You’ll be much more remembered by both of those people, especially if they hit it off.
These same tips can also be applied to family gatherings as well with a little tweaking. Not really excited to hang out with your spouses’ Aunt Millie twice removed? Try asking her questions that illicit stories that you could then use in your acting or writing class. You might even be surprised when Millie shares about her nephew the TV Exec who works at CBS…really? Really! Ask questions. That’s the key!
The holidays are an awkward time for almost everyone. Remember, we’re in this together. Stick to these five rules and get ahead this season!
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Snowman-Happy-Holiday-Card.jpg7991000Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2014-11-24 14:45:542015-06-18 21:01:535 Tips to Rock your Holiday Networking
No one is born a star. In our youth obsessed culture and marketplace, it’s nice to find out many of today’s iconic stars and household names got a late start. For some celebrities, it takes years of hard work, small roles, and persistence to make it in show business. Read on and gain inspiration especially if you are also 40+.
Jane Lynch had many minor roles before hitting it big at 49.
Jane Lynch, 53, had been in Hollywood for decades taking small roles on TV and in films like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Role Models,” but it wasn’t until a role on a Fox show that she hit the big time. In 2009, Lynch joined the cast of “Glee” as the gym teacher everyone loves to hate, Sue Sylvester. This role helped Lynch become famous while also winning her an Emmy at the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmys. The next year, she went on to host the awards for her first time.
Samuel L. Jackson’s first big role was in “Pulp Fiction” at the age 45.
Samuel L. Jackson has starred in hit movies such as “A Time To Kill” and “Snakes on a Plane.” For most of his career, however, he played minor roles in films like “Coming to America” and “Do The Right Thing.” Then, in 1994, Jackson landed the part of Jules Winnfield in a small independent film titled, “Pulp Fiction” (a role which director Quentin Tarantino wrote specifically with Jackson in mind). Jackson’s role in the film became almost immediately iconic, which led to Jackson starring in other popular films like “The Avengers,” and the “Star Wars” prequels giving him one of the coolest careers in Hollywood.
Kathryn Joosten was a nurse and didn’t get her big break until she was 60.
Joosten was a mother and psychiatric nurse for years, but after hearing her mother confess on her deathbed that she “regretted not having pursued her dreams,” Joosten signed up for acting classes at age 42 in order to pursue her own. After more than a decade, she eventually landed the role of lovable secretary Mrs. Landingham on “The West Wing” at age 60. Joosten went on to win an Emmy for “Desperate Housewives” before her death in 2012. No regrets, to be sure. I also LOVE the fact that Kathryn acknowledged participation in one-night seminars/cd workshops as part of the reason she got her “break” as an actor.
Regis Philbin wasn’t a household name until he was 57.
Regis Philbin started out as an NBC page and worked on “The Joey Bishop Show,” but he was never widely known. That changed in 1988 when the morning show Philbin was working on became the nationally syndicated “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.” After almost 20 years of working on TV, Philbin’s chemistry with Kathie Lee made the show a success and gave him national exposure. At 57, it was the first time the name Regis was in the nation’s vocabulary. He’s been a part of pop culture ever since, most notably for hosting the game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
Ken Jeong was known as Dr. Ken Jeong until he was 40.
The man who would go on to become Mr. Chow in the “The Hangover” series could have been known as Dr. Chow. Comedian Ken Jeong spent nearly 20 years trying to break into the business doing stand-up while also practicing medicine as a physician.
Lucille Ball starred in “I Love Lucy” at the age of 40.
Lucille Ball was a pioneer for both female leads and for comedy after creating one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, “I Love Lucy” in 1951. However, she didn’t become Lucy Ricardo until she was 40. Before “I Love Lucy,” Ball went from role to role in films. However, once television became a prominent medium she (along with her husband and co-star Desi Arnaz) tried to sell her vaudeville act to networks. That act became the prototype for “I Love Lucy.””I Love Lucy” was a huge success, and would go on to help create the modern sitcom (the show was one of the first sitcoms in history to use the three-camera filming format which is standard in sitcoms today) while also making Ball a star.
OK, these other “youngsters” were in their 30s but thought you’d like to know…
Gene Hackman’s legendary career began at age 37.
Before a role in 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” Hackman worked odd jobs like field radio operator in the Marine Corps. Once discharged in 1951, he moved to New York to follow a career in radio, but then won some roles on Broadway. After his big break, Hackman went on to win two Academy Awards.
Jon Hamm almost gave up acting at age 36.
Jon Hamm, 42, spent years starring in minor roles while trying to become an A-list actor. According to his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt, he almost gave it all up. “He would just say, ‘I’m going to hang it up, it’s not going to work out,'” Westfeldt told The Huffington Post. However, Hamm landed the “Mad Men” role in 2007 even though he felt he was at “the bottom of the list” and created one of the most interesting characters in the history of television.
Harrison Ford was a full-time carpenter until 35.
For the first half of his life, Harrison Ford was a carpenter. It wasn’t until director George Lucas saw Ford doing some wood-working at a studio while having auditions for a space film he was shooting called “Star Wars” that things changed. According to Lucas, he knew Ford from working with him on a small role in his previous film, “American Graffiti” and asked Ford to read scenes in the role of Han Solo. The rest became history in a galaxy far, far away.
Ang Lee was a stay-at-home dad before becoming a director at 38.
Before Ang Lee won awards for directing he could have won “World’s Greatest Dad” for his role as a stay-at-home dad. After graduating from NYU film school with a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production, Lee stayed home “cooking, picking up [the] kids from school, and doing housework” while his wife, a molecular biologist, went to work. Lee nearly became a computer engineer after years of not being able to get into movie-making. With support from his wife to keep at it, Lee directed his first movie “Pushing Hands” at 38. This began an amazing career with Lee winning the Best Director Academy Award for “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi.”
So dear actor, do you have what it takes not only talent-wise, but perseverance-wise to hang in there for however long it takes? I’d love to hear your comments if you’re in the 40+ category of actors still pursuing this career and waiting for YOUR big break!
Sections of this post were drawn from an article posted in Business Insider written by Frank Palotta
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Janelynch.jpg317214Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2014-08-08 13:35:132023-08-09 15:27:43Becoming a Star Over 40? Possible? YES it is.
We all know those kinds of actors — the ones who stride with an air of certainty into a room. They’re not always the most attractive, or smartest. They’re not arrogant. They’re the ones who make you want to be around them.
Growing up, I seemed to make people run the other direction. My loudness, attention-seeking, and social awkwardness kept me questioning myself. In my teens and early adulthood I also suffered bouts of depression, gained a ton of weight, and became so fiercely independent I didn’t have a lot of friends. I threw all of my focus toward acting where I could “make up” who I wanted to be that I was not in real life.
Why can’t I be thinner? More popular? Smarter? I continually asked. If I was, I’d surely be a star! Then I changed the questions: What creates this aura, this vibe of confidence? What do these other great actors do that I don’t?
Soon enough, I received an answer and I felt my vibe shift. My new found confidence shifted my world — my career, my relationships, and my health.
After many years of study, discussion, and practice, I realized these five things are what confident actors, heck confident people, do differently than those who lack confidence. Remember, CONFIDENCE is 50% of this business. These are my must-do’s for confidence:
1. They live their purpose.
Your purpose is to be authentically you. No more, no less. When you applaud your fears, neuroses, and quirks, suddenly these qualities become your assets. Use them in your craft and in your regular world.
Insecure about your looks? So are thousands of other actors — embrace your height, weight, wrinkles, and all other aspects of your body and teach others to embrace theirs! Think you’re not as smart as the next guy? Fuggedaboutit and do what makes you feel like a genius! When you’re living your truth, you’re unstoppable.
2. They practice their unique ___ (Fill in: calming, uplifting, etc.) ritual.
This is a BIG one that I make a priority when working with my coaching clients. Some of the greatest thinkers, artists and performers of our time have a pre-performance ritual that gets them revved for show time. While a unique ritual is about doing, it’s also about feeling. A ritual creates the feeling you desire before you actually get to the doing.
For example, if I want to have rockin’ confidence before a date, I’ll strut around my house in high heels. If I want to feel calm, I’ll focus on my exhale breaths. I have a big sign over my desk that says “Breathe”. I also have a morning practice that sets the tone for my day. We all have rituals that calm our nerves, get us in the game, or prepare our mindset for focused ACTion. Know yourself and what you need to get in the zone.
3. They spend (and love) time alone.
A dip in confidence can come when plans aren’t made or fall through and you’re left with time alone. How empowering is it when this time comes as a gift?!
There’s nothing that revives my confidence more than time alone. Wait, let me clarify: time alone that I occupy with self-love. If I spend my alone time wallowing in misery, I perpetuate my insecurities. When I shower myself with love, in the form of a bubble bath, rest, or yoga, I realign with my core values. Even zoning out in front of the TV with a good movie and a glass of wine is one of my favorite past times.
Know what you need to make this precious time with yourself the best time. There is nothing more fabulous than someone who not only “tolerates” but absolutely ADORES their own company.
4. They take nothing (or very little) personally.
Do you know any confident actor who takes everything personally? No, no you don’t! Those with true confidence know that any perceived ego blow is more a reflection of the speaker than of them.
When you’re able to hear criticism and not take it personally, your reactions change. You’re able to feel compassion and love for all, regardless of how they treated you. Life isn’t as much of a drama. It stays on the stage where it belongs. Confidence emerges naturally with life-love.
5. They ask empowering questions.
We’re constantly making evaluations for what things mean and what we should do. These associations are initiated by questions. The more empowering questions we ask ourselves, the more confident we will be.
If you ask dis-empowering questions like, “Why does this always happen to me?” or “Why don’t I get any call backs” your mind will come up with an answer. Instead, ask questions like, “What am I happy about that I did in the room? What could I be proud about if I wanted to?” Or if there is a problem, ask, “What is great about this problem? How does it serve me? What can I feel grateful for?” Then you can shift into the confidence required to solve it. When empowering questions become second nature, you have no choice but to find confidence-inducing answers.
Modeling confident actors and others is the surest and fastest way to become one yourself! In fact I modeled this entire post after one created by Saren Stiegel of MindBodyGreen, who originally wrote about confidence in women.
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Confidence.jpg10241536Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2014-07-09 01:05:122017-04-25 17:41:465 Things Confident Actors Do Differently
Are you still (or constantly) struggling to stay afloat? Could you use all the help you can get to build your financial foundation? Are you practicing a starving artist mentality or an abundant artist mentality? Read these integral traits you must have to be successful within your actor economy. You may not possess all of the above traits just yet, but knowing them can help you make changes so that you nourish the ones that you have and go after the ones you’re missing.
1. Hard AND Smart (not VS)
Creating financial abundance and staying out of debt rarely comes about without a lot of hard work.
Many actors might hope that winning the lottery will solve all their financial problems and/or winning the “big break” lottery of being a poor unknown actor one day and the next day starring in a TV series (MYTH).
The true path to financial freedom is to work hard to earn money, while constantly and consistently educating yourself to continue to have more value in the industry which will increase your salary. This is a gradual process that you can easily accomplish with the right knowledge and tools. Being smart AND working hard is what will get you off that “rat on a wheel” cycle of making money and then being broke (again, always…)
2. Goal-Oriented
I’ve said it so many times and I’ll say it again until you hear it to the bottom of your soul – most actors don’t plan to fail in this biz…most actors fail to plan! The importance of setting and working toward goals is obvious. If you don’t know where you are going, it’s difficult to get there.
This is just as important when it comes to your financial goals. If you have money goals and are motivated to reach the goals that you have set for yourself, it will naturally translate to your wallet in immense and immediate ways.
Those actors who lack financial goals and just declare “I just want to work; it doesn’t matter how much I get paid as long as I get paid” don’t have a road map to take them to the financial destination they want.
3. Risk-Taking
To build not only a solid financial foundation, but real wealth, one needs to be willing to take risks. This doesn’t mean un-calculated, uneducated risks. It means weighing all the options and taking risks when appropriate.
Everyone knows the stock market has risks involved, but over the long term, history shows that it provides good returns on money that is invested wisely. People who invest in the stock market do their homework and have educated themselves on the risk…or they have trust in someone else who has that education.
For an actor, knowing what to invest your money in, i.e. classes, coaches, marketing materials, etc. reduces your risk if you’ve done your research and gotten educated on the value provided. Those actors who fear risk altogether end up never investing in themselves in ways that could impact their career and would ultimately save them money in the long run.
4. Curiosity
Being curious helps you learn, study and improve yourself. My least favorite 3 words I hear actors utter are “I know that.” There’s ALWAYS something to learn if you stay curious.
The curiosity of wanting to know more, to take the time to study and then take what is learned and put into practice is an important process that is driven by curiosity. This leads to untold treasures and abundance, not only with physical dollars, but contacts, information, experiences and more.
5. Creativity
The work we do as actors providing our joyful self-expression, art and talent and our earnings don’t always match.
Unexpected obstacles and set-backs can mess with your financial plans. The film you got cast in lost its funding and won’t be completed or released (or pay you!); that “manager” collected the money for your work and went out of business; the class you paid high dollar for and expected brilliant teaching wasn’t all that. When this happens, changes are needed to deal with the new circumstances.
Creativity is essential to accomplish this. I love this part of the energetic around money and finances because creativity allows you to make something good out of something bad or even when you don’t have the money to spend on what you’d like to invest in. It means juggling money to stay out of debt rather than simply paying with a credit card. It means bartering your value and skill set offering something for something. It means figuring out a way by shifting from thinking “I can’t afford that” to “how can I afford that?”
Being creative plays a large part in keeping your finances and personal economy in order! Seeing your ability to create in ways outside of actual acting will keep you interested and inspired around what you might have considered mundane or unimportant. This stuff is just as, if not more important than the latest acting technique you learned.
STOP being a starving artist by adopting several, if not all of these 5 traits today!
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/curious+cat.jpg300400Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2014-05-30 16:16:142015-06-18 21:12:14The 5 Traits You Need To Succeed Financially as an Actor
For those of you that truly know me well, you know that I’m a huge believer in the Law of Attraction. One of my favorite tools to attract what I desire is though creating vision boards. Vision boards can and do work for those that do them right. But what does it take to create the ultimate collage of images that evokes the positive changes you want in life? Well, for one thing it takes a positive mind and for another, it takes a certain kind of technique.
When you get it right, a vision board will help you attract anything you desire as a result of the Law of Attraction. An audition, a great agent, that certain kind of resume building role…let’s take a look at how you can make your dreams come true with a vision board that inspires through evoking images.
Before You Begin Cutting and Pasting:
A vision board that is done right should include images that matter to you personally, not some general opinion of what people want for themselves. To get yourself in the right frame of mind for your search, do a little visualizing first. Think about how you your career to look EXACTLY. Who are you with, what you want to have, where in the world are you and all of the things you want to accomplish. Write anything that really stands out on a notepad, creating a list of what matters to you. Dream big and don’t be doubtful. Realize that everything you want can come to you with the right attitude and serious focus.
Once you have finished your list, it’s time to find out what is missing. There will be pieces of your life that you left out without realizing it. In order to have a complete vision board that really says who you want to be regarding your career, don’t ever forget that acting is a part of your life…not your whole life. What else you want also takes some serious soul searching. Think about every aspect of your life and be VERY specific.
Be Sure to Include:
Acting career and other business goals
Your idea of wealth and abundance
Who you want in your life
Where you want to live
The things you want to do
Your health and fitness goals
The things you want to have most
When you have finalized your idea of the life of your dreams, it’s time to start looking for the images that match each desire. The images should make you go “awwwwww!” and “oooooooh!” and make you feel something strong emotionally. Don’t include images of things that don’t make you feel completely captivated as they won’t produce the right vibrational energy to attract the life of your dreams. You need images that will really power you up and create a positive energy that you feel in every cell of your body.
There are Two Main Ways to Find the Right Images:
Online – This is the best resource for finding those awe inspiring images that will kick your Law of Attraction journey into high gear. Simply type in the search what you are looking for and select from the entire results for your perfect image. A great way to do this is by using Google images to narrow down the results to pictures alone. It makes the treasure hunt a lot easier than clicking through links. Save all of your images to a folder and then print them out. Make sure you have color ink to get the most visual appeal out of your images.
In Magazines – If you have a wide selection of magazines to choose from and don’t mind cutting them into pieces, this can be a great way to find exactly what you are looking for. It might take a little more time, but it is a lot of fun. Bring out the collection of dusty magazines or ask for the old copies that others are throwing away. For those that have the cash to spare, try investing in a few specific types of magazines based on the images you want. Travel and automotive magazines are always a great place to start.
Add Positive Affirmations to Boost Effectiveness:
When you finish getting all of your images together for everything on your list, it’s time to boost their effectiveness with positive affirmations. For each image you want to include on your vision board, write down something short and to the point. You want it to affirm those things you want are on their way to you. Use the present tense as if they are already becoming part of your life.
Some Examples of Positive Affirmations Include:
I travel to Los Angeles and enjoy a career in film and television
The person of my dreams is coming into my life
I am excited about getting my dream car
I easily attract money like a magnet
I am more physically fit and attractive with each passing day
Every step I take brings me more success in my acting career
Each positive affirmation can be catered to your own personality. Get creative with it and add some humor, spirituality or inspiring quotes. Whatever makes you feel like nothing is stopping you from achieving all of your goals is what you should include. You can print the words out on paper and cut them out or get in touch with your artistic side and do your own bubble letters – whatever works best for you.
The Finishing Touches:
After you have finished cutting everything out, arrange everything so that the most important things are at the focal point, then place everything else around those. This can be done on a piece of poster board, magnetic surface or on a cork board. For a more permanent vision board use the poster board. If you are the kind of person that changes their mind often, use the magnetic surface or cork board. That way you can easily replace things as they are achieved or if you decide you want something else.
Glue, magnetize, or pin each image in place and take a step back to admire your masterpiece. It might not sound like much at this moment, but when you have it all finished and you are looking at it, you’ll know the great power it truly has over your positive energy level. With every look you will automatically recharge that motivation for maximum Law of Attraction magnetism.
How to Get the Most Out of Your New Vision Board:
Your vision board is complete and it looks amazing. However, if you don’t know how to use it you might as well have done it all for nothing. So though this is the very last step to creating a powerfully effective vision board, it is the most important step of all. You’ll need to make it work for you.
Here’s How:
1. Place it somewhere that you will see it daily. Make it a priority to just look at it without distractions for 5 minutes or so throughout the day. Set an alarm or work it into your break time. Just make sure you set aside at least 15 minutes daily.
2. Believe that every single thing on your vision board is a part of your life and that it is all on the way right now.
3. Imagine yourself as if you already have everything you see. Let the details of having what you want fill your mind and really feel what it’s like to live that life. Think about how grateful you feel for each and every one of those things.
4. Carry this feeling of certainty and happiness with you throughout each situation on a daily basis and watch as your reality transforms to match that of your vision board.
It’s amazing, it works and I have experienced this many times myself! When all of your dreams have come true, be sure to practice gratitude for everything you have. If you feel really ambitious, set new goals with another vision board to lead the way!
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/visionboard.jpg338450Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2014-03-30 01:45:292015-06-18 21:18:53Create a Powerfully Effective Vision Board for Your Career
OK, so I’ll admit it. I’m NOT the most tech savvy person on the planet and sometimes even wear that fact as a badge of honor! But being in the business I am, heck being in any business, and yes, even the business of show requires that a person has some basic working knowledge of current social media trends.
I just started to check out this HASHTAG phenomenon that seems to have crept up in the last year and thought I’d pass on some of what I came up with during my research.
Originally the ‘pound symbols’ that were used to catalog content on Twitter, these puppies are popping up on all of the social platforms today – Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, and most recently Facebook. You have to pay attention or be left in the dust.
The purpose? They’re an effective way to discover and organize specific content, and an easy way for social media users to find posts that are relevant to them. For example, I started to use the # before my networking parties and put it together with the acronym for my company as in “The #AOTB Industry Networking Mixer”. I put it on all of my social media sites and even in emails. Why? So that other people out there can find out about all things “Act Outside the Box” by searching for that #AOTB. Of course you have to know about it and see it before its use is effective.
We also know they’re easily abused and can be pretty meaningless, too. Have you seen strings of fairly nonsensical phrases with the # in front of them that no one would ever search for? #whythehellwouldyoudothat? I mean, really, who is searching for that? How do you rise above the noise online and help your audience or target market find and engage with your show, latest update or other event?
Here are our four tips:
KISS (Keep it Sweet and Simple): Is your show called The Greatest Story Ever Told? Then make your hashtag #greateststory or something equally simple. Make it easier on your viewers and use a hashtag that’s similar to the name of your event. A bad example would be #Mikesshow. If it’s super long, sometimes an acronym is best. #AOTB or #actoutsidethebox? Either one could work but it’s up to you to choose (brand).
Don’t Go Overboard: Quality, not quantity, folks! Limit yourself to using one or two hashtags when promoting your stuff. If you tag tons of terms, you might come off as a bit spammy or overwhelming and it’s easier for your message to get lost in the #ebb #and #flow #of #a #sea #of #hashtags.
Do Your Research: Think you’ve found the perfect hashtag for your next event, show or idea? Type it into Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc. and see if anyone else is using it. If you’re using the same hashtag as another person or group, it could confuse your intended audience. If it’s already there and associated with something entirely different, rethink your strategy.
Be Smart: Consider the platform you’re using. Is it Twitter? Then you have limited real estate. Be mindful of the number of characters in your hashtag. Keeping your hashtag under 10 characters leaves plenty of room for the rest of your thoughts.
In the end, this girl will always prefer s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g things out. I don’t even like to use LOL and instead Laughing Out Loud…but I’m old school. However in business I often subvert my preferences for what works. And just like reality television, these hashtags aren’t going away. (Just for the sake of transparency, I was really wrong on that one when I thought Reality was just a passing fancy all those years ago. Maybe it was just wishful thinking!)
Getting in the groove and using hashtags effectively will improve the chances of you clearing through the clutter. And there’s ton of clutter (some like to call it content) out there! To your #success, Lisa Gold
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2hashtag.png294420Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2014-03-16 03:07:522015-06-18 21:18:07The Hype over #Hashtags
You may have come to one of my live programs and heard me speak of the 80/20 rule. I thought this brief explanation might help you continue to shape your 2014 so that you have the BEST take on how to spend your resources (time, energy and money) in support of your dreams and goals.
The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the “Pareto Principle” after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the “vital few”, the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the “trivial many”, the bottom 80 percent.
He later discovered that in economics, virtually all activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.
Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks
Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.
Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the one that you should do first.
Focus on Activities – Accomplishments will Come
The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.
Before you begin work, always ask yourself, “Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?”
The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.
Getting Motivated
Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.
Effective, productive actors discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average actor and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.
I wish you much success in your journey. May it be fun, fruitful, and always spent engaging on the things that lead you to your greatest dreams and desires! Lisa
Napoleon Hill, a true inspiration leader, wrote this in his highly acclaimed book THINK AND GROW RICH originally published in the 30’s. Millions and millions and millions of readers (and book sales) keep it on the shelves today. Go NOW to your local bookstore and heed these wise words. Hey, the language may be a bit dated, but you’ll get the drift…
HERE are the real enemies that stand between you and noteworthy achievement. You will find not only the “symptoms” indicating weakness of persistence, but also the deeply seated subconscious causes. Study the list carefully and face yourself squarely if you really wish to know who you are and what you are capable of doing.
These are the weaknesses which MUST be MASTERED by all who accumulate success and in turn, wealth and happiness.
1. Failure to recognize and to define clearly exactly what you want.
2. Procrastination, with or without cause. (Usually backed up with a formidable array of alibis and excuses.)
3. Lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge.
4. Indecision, the habit of “passing the buck” on all occasions, instead of facing issues squarely. (Also backed by alibis.)
5. The habit of relying upon alibis instead of creating definite pans for the solution of problems.
6. Self-satisfaction There is but little remedy for this affliction, and no hope for those who suffer from it.
7. Indifference, usually reflected in one’s readiness to compromise on all occasions, rather than meet opposition and fight it.
8. The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes, an accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable.
9. Weakness of desire, due to neglect in the choice of motives that impel action.
10. Willingness, even eagerness, to quit at the first sign of defeat. (Based upon fear.)
11. Lack of organized plans, placed in writing where they may be analyzed.
12. The habit of neglecting to move on ideas, or to grasp opportunity when it presents itself.
13. Wishing instead of willing.
14. The habit of compromising with poverty instead of aiming at riches. General absence of ambition to be, to do, to own. (Lisa adds “insert self described starving artists here.”)
15. Searching for all the short-cuts to riches, trying to get without giving a fair equivalent, usually reflected in the habit of gambling. (Lisa adds “waiting for the big break.”)
16. Fear of criticism, failure to create plans and to put them into action, because of what other people will think, do, or say. This enemy belongs at the top of the list, because it generally exists in one’s subconscious mind, where its presence is not recognized.
…People refuse to take chances in this business, because they fear the criticism which may follow if they fail. The fear of criticism in such cases is stronger than the desire for success.
Sooooooo, I hope you got the drift here. If you identified with any of the above, there’s some internal work for you to do. And there is no shortage of ways and means to do it. Start by reading Think and Grow Rich, or participate in my adapted seminar based on Napoleon Hill’s teachings – Think and Grow Rich Acting.
To Your Success, Lisa
https://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/images.jpg226223Lisa Goldhttps://actoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-Act-Outside-the-Box-Logo-home-button.pngLisa Gold2013-04-18 20:33:362013-04-18 20:34:50Take Your Persistence Inventory
Aaaannnnnd Scene. Why I left working at the talent agency.
/in General/by Lisa GoldAfter teaching so many actors for so many years “How to Get and Keep an Agent” my first reaction when I was invited by the head of the agency to train in the commercial department of 90210 Talent, and then take it over, was a resounding NO. My almost 2 decades of being one of the owners of Actors Connection prepared me for what I knew was going to be starting another new business. My gut instinct was in play and since my coaching/consulting company, Act Outside the Box, was doing great things with all of the insider info I now had, I felt it might not be the right move. But after several days of thinking about it and conversations with the head of the agency, he convinced me to “try it on for size”. So I decided “why not”?
I took the opportunity to expand into what I thought was the natural progression of my own career – to become an agent. Seemed like a good fit, but it actually wasn’t. Here’s why…
I quickly came to realize that I liked, and was great at, HALF of the job.
The part of the gig I loved was what I’d already been doing as a coach and marketing consultant, however the other half was being at the effect of outside influences that truly sapped my physical time and emotional energy. These days, being an agent means being constantly tethered to a cell phone, computer screen and clients, casting directors, and crowds of other people (actors seeking representation, production folks with details for bookings, contract info, the union and the list goes on…) in a 24/7 business that never stops demanding attention.
First and foremost, I teach people that if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing and pursing your passion, move on…and fast! Life is meant to be a joyful endeavor and we spend a majority of it at work, so you have to love your job. Being an agent is hard work and though I’m one of the hardest workers I know, I soon knew I’d dug myself a hole that I had to get out of because I didn’t enjoy this kind of hard work.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people and plenty of agents who thrive on this constant activity and do LOVE the fast pace of technology, but there are just as many others who are getting out of their line of work because they started out when the industry was quite different.
As a coach and consultant, I have always had a huge respect for agents and have taught you that, in most cases, they work much harder in service of your career than you think. And in many cases more than you do. Yep, I just said that. Working at the agency, I unhappily found that last statement to be true.
When I realized that I worked all day, every day, in service of actor’s careers and that most of my clients did not treat their own career like they were actually in a business, I knew I could serve a LOT more actors by giving them yet another perspective on getting and keeping a rep.
My thoughts about what the job would entail and what it actually was were very different and I’m going to share in my next several posts everything I learned so that you’ll have all of the vital and important information you need when seeking a rep or working with the one you have now. Stay tuned.
To Your Success, Lisa
Your Success is in your Thinking
/in Mentors and Thought Leaders, Random Thoughts/Musings, Think & Grow Rich Acting/by Lisa GoldFiguring out how we rein all of this in to something tangible in our creative career can easily lead to complicated over thinking. I like to call this analysis paralysis. One of the only things you really need to know though, is that you’re not separate from anything or anyone out there. Everything is connected, including you and me.
The Law of Attraction is real and I’m a big believer of it and if you’re reading this, I think you are too. It’s why you’re on my email list or website so I’m going to be talking a lot more about it from here on out.
It’s our thinking and subsequent actions that determine what comes into our lives, good and bad, and what sometimes seems bad at the start (I like to call this uncomfortable) could actually be good for us ultimately. This is growth and development, expansion and ACTing Outside the Box! (see how I did that, LOL?)
It’s all good, except for one little part: the condition that says “First I have to DO this or that.” That’s called waiting for life to occur. That’s called means-to-an-end thinking. “First I have to DO this, then I can have that.”
It really doesn’t work that way my friends. When you put conditions on what can come into your life and career, your mind will never let you feel like you’re doing enough. You don’t feel like you’re enough already, so that’s exactly what you’re going to get: not enough. Starving artist is based on this precept. NOT ENOUGH.
“When I’m better, then I can attract the right agent. The person I am right now is not enough.” Or “if I had done is
that way in the audition instead, I could have gotten the job.” Guess what, that’s a habitual mindset. That’s a mind pattern that will never leave you.
No matter where you go or who you’re with or how you do things, your mind will always tell you, “You’re not ready. You’re not enough. If I just have six more months of working on myself, my craft or when I get an audition with that casting director, then (fill in the blank here.)
“Can you imagine the kind of career I could have if I enroll in that MFA program?” “I’ll be unstoppable once I get an agent!” “Once I finish my summer program at this acting studio, then I’ll be ready to rock it.”
Here’s a fact: Life is now. Life is not, “When I’m perfect, that’s when I can have the right career.”
Stop waiting. Be open right now for the universe to unfold in front of you. Be open for the right situation to come your way. Just go with the flow.
Your success is in your thinking.
There’s a hidden payoff in sabotaging yourself like this: not succeeding at something. What a great excuse you’ve given yourself. What a great reason for not being able to have the career of your dreams.
In fact, it’s the GOLD medal of reasons, pun intended! It keeps you stuck even though that reason is painful because deep down inside you know you’re ready for the success you’re looking for.
Success is in your thinking.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t continue striving to be better because that’s the juice of life, right? But for goodness sake don’t beat yourself up for every little flaw, or even the big ones for that matter!
Let go of all that. You don’t need to completely structure every second of how this is going to work for you. Be open. Smile and relax. Chill out.
The most important thing you can learn is that dwelling on the “if I” and “when I” and “it would be better if” or “if I had that, then I would” takes you out of the present moment.
Thinking about the perfect future is what stops you from having the perfect present. It’s the only thing that stops you.
To your success, Lisa (remember, it’s in your thinking!)
5 Tips to Rock your Holiday Networking
/in Actor Marketing, Networking Parties, Productivity Tips, Reaching Goals/by Lisa GoldThe holidays are here now and seem to come earlier every year! For some the dread is starting to set in. And no, I’m not talking about the awkward family gatherings with your fruitcake-wielding in-laws or being relegated to the kids table for a meal you’ve waited a year for.
For many of us, the real terror surrounds holiday networking. So if you’re currently stressing over whether you’re going to look like an idiot wearing a Santa hat or whether it’s appropriate to talk about your acting career at all, you’re not alone.
Oy, all these winter events you have to go to! There are soooo many parties and other opportunities to gather at this particular time of year, so when to go and when not to? Many of us would rather pretend to be sick and stay home drinking eggnog in a darkened room. But in actuality, this is the perfect time to get ahead. All these holiday parties are the prime time to make fresh connections and start the New Year off on the right foot.
Ken Rutkowski, host and president of the Business Rockstars radio show, is a networking veteran who has earned himself the reputation of “the super-connector.” I love finding great info and sharing it with you so please take Ken’s words to heart as if they were my own…because I’m in 100% alignment. Here are his top five tips to network yourself through the holidays.
1. Don’t look at it as “networking”
View events, social and business as relationship building opportunities and don’t ever ask for money, a job, an audition or anything else for that matter. This is time to create and build rapport ONLY.
2. Pick the right events and be realistic
If the event is only for union members and you’re not one, then don’t go. If the event is at an agent’s office that you are not a client of, then don’t go. Seriously…find the FIT first. If you have a sinking feeling in your gut about attending, then the event is probably not right for you. Go to parties and events where you are certain you will be a part of the right crowd and go with the intention of meeting great people just like you!
3. Dress appropriately
This is a big one. I can’t tell you how many actor events where I’ve seen pictures on line and say to myself, “Wow, don’t they have a mirror in their house?” At the same time, holiday flair is always a winner. Really know the crowd you’re going to be hanging out with. In general, don’t wear a suit and tie if the event is more casual and vice versa. But jeans with rips in them that look like they need a good wash is a no-no no matter how casual the event is.
4. Bring a wingman or wingwoman.
Two heads are better than one when it comes to meeting people. You’ll be able to cover more ground and have a fallback person to rendezvous with if you need a break. But don’t get stuck…meaning you have to go out on your own to meet new people. If you only end up talking to the person you came with you’ve missed the purpose entirely.
5. Make it about others
Ken became known as a “super-connector” because he was always introducing people to other people. People appreciate it when you do the networking for them. They come to know you as someone who is connected, and gets things done. Take on this role if you have met folks at your event who you think should also meet each other. You’ll be much more remembered by both of those people, especially if they hit it off.
These same tips can also be applied to family gatherings as well with a little tweaking. Not really excited to hang out with your spouses’ Aunt Millie twice removed? Try asking her questions that illicit stories that you could then use in your acting or writing class. You might even be surprised when Millie shares about her nephew the TV Exec who works at CBS…really? Really! Ask questions. That’s the key!
The holidays are an awkward time for almost everyone. Remember, we’re in this together. Stick to these five rules and get ahead this season!
Becoming a Star Over 40? Possible? YES it is.
/in Actor Marketing, Auditioning, Reaching Goals/by Lisa GoldNo one is born a star. In our youth obsessed culture and marketplace, it’s nice to find out many of today’s iconic stars and household names got a late start. For some celebrities, it takes years of hard work, small roles, and persistence to make it in show business. Read on and gain inspiration especially if you are also 40+.
Jane Lynch had many minor roles before hitting it big at 49.
Jane Lynch, 53, had been in Hollywood for decades taking small roles on TV and in films like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Role Models,” but it wasn’t until a role on a Fox show that she hit the big time. In 2009, Lynch joined the cast of “Glee” as the gym teacher everyone loves to hate, Sue Sylvester. This role helped Lynch become famous while also winning her an Emmy at the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmys. The next year, she went on to host the awards for her first time.
Samuel L. Jackson’s first big role was in “Pulp Fiction” at the age 45.
Samuel L. Jackson has starred in hit movies such as “A Time To Kill” and “Snakes on a Plane.” For most of his career, however, he played minor roles in films like “Coming to America” and “Do The Right Thing.” Then, in 1994, Jackson landed the part of Jules Winnfield in a small independent film titled, “Pulp Fiction” (a role which director Quentin Tarantino wrote specifically with Jackson in mind). Jackson’s role in the film became almost immediately iconic, which led to Jackson starring in other popular films like “The Avengers,” and the “Star Wars” prequels giving him one of the coolest careers in Hollywood.
Joosten was a mother and psychiatric nurse for years, but after hearing her mother confess on her deathbed that she “regretted not having pursued her dreams,” Joosten signed up for acting classes at age 42 in order to pursue her own. After more than a decade, she eventually landed the role of lovable secretary Mrs. Landingham on “The West Wing” at age 60. Joosten went on to win an Emmy for “Desperate Housewives” before her death in 2012. No regrets, to be sure. I also LOVE the fact that Kathryn acknowledged participation in one-night seminars/cd workshops as part of the reason she got her “break” as an actor.
Regis Philbin wasn’t a household name until he was 57.
Regis Philbin started out as an NBC page and worked on “The Joey Bishop Show,” but he was never widely known. That changed in 1988 when the morning show Philbin was working on became the nationally syndicated “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.” After almost 20 years of working on TV, Philbin’s chemistry with Kathie Lee made the show a success and gave him national exposure. At 57, it was the first time the name Regis was in the nation’s vocabulary. He’s been a part of pop culture ever since, most notably for hosting the game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
Ken Jeong was known as Dr. Ken Jeong until he was 40.
The man who would go on to become Mr. Chow in the “The Hangover” series could have been known as Dr. Chow. Comedian Ken Jeong spent nearly 20 years trying to break into the business doing stand-up while also practicing medicine as a physician.
Lucille Ball starred in “I Love Lucy” at the age of 40.
OK, these other “youngsters” were in their 30s but thought you’d like to know…
Gene Hackman’s legendary career began at age 37.
Before a role in 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” Hackman worked odd jobs like field radio operator in the Marine Corps. Once discharged in 1951, he moved to New York to follow a career in radio, but then won some roles on Broadway. After his big break, Hackman went on to win two Academy Awards.
Jon Hamm almost gave up acting at age 36.
Jon Hamm, 42, spent years starring in minor roles while trying to become an A-list actor. According to his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt, he almost gave it all up. “He would just say, ‘I’m going to hang it up, it’s not going to work out,'” Westfeldt told The Huffington Post. However, Hamm landed the “Mad Men” role in 2007 even though he felt he was at “the bottom of the list” and created one of the most interesting characters in the history of television.
Harrison Ford was a full-time carpenter until 35.
For the first half of his life, Harrison Ford was a carpenter. It wasn’t until director George Lucas saw Ford doing some wood-working at a studio while having auditions for a space film he was shooting called “Star Wars” that things changed. According to Lucas, he knew Ford from working with him on a small role in his previous film, “American Graffiti” and asked Ford to read scenes in the role of Han Solo. The rest became history in a galaxy far, far away.
Before Ang Lee won awards for directing he could have won “World’s Greatest Dad” for his role as a stay-at-home dad. After graduating from NYU film school with a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production, Lee stayed home “cooking, picking up [the] kids from school, and doing housework” while his wife, a molecular biologist, went to work. Lee nearly became a computer engineer after years of not being able to get into movie-making. With support from his wife to keep at it, Lee directed his first movie “Pushing Hands” at 38. This began an amazing career with Lee winning the Best Director Academy Award for “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi.”
So dear actor, do you have what it takes not only talent-wise, but perseverance-wise to hang in there for however long it takes? I’d love to hear your comments if you’re in the 40+ category of actors still pursuing this career and waiting for YOUR big break!
Sections of this post were drawn from an article posted in Business Insider written by Frank Palotta
5 Things Confident Actors Do Differently
/in General/by Lisa GoldGrowing up, I seemed to make people run the other direction. My loudness, attention-seeking, and social awkwardness kept me questioning myself. In my teens and early adulthood I also suffered bouts of depression, gained a ton of weight, and became so fiercely independent I didn’t have a lot of friends. I threw all of my focus toward acting where I could “make up” who I wanted to be that I was not in real life.
Why can’t I be thinner? More popular? Smarter? I continually asked. If I was, I’d surely be a star! Then I changed the questions: What creates this aura, this vibe of confidence? What do these other great actors do that I don’t?
Soon enough, I received an answer and I felt my vibe shift. My new found confidence shifted my world — my career, my relationships, and my health.
After many years of study, discussion, and practice, I realized these five things are what confident actors, heck confident people, do differently than those who lack confidence. Remember, CONFIDENCE is 50% of this business. These are my must-do’s for confidence:
1. They live their purpose.
Your purpose is to be authentically you. No more, no less. When you applaud your fears, neuroses, and quirks, suddenly these qualities become your assets. Use them in your craft and in your regular world.
Insecure about your looks? So are thousands of other actors — embrace your height, weight, wrinkles, and all other aspects of your body and teach others to embrace theirs! Think you’re not as smart as the next guy? Fuggedaboutit and do what makes you feel like a genius! When you’re living your truth, you’re unstoppable.
2. They practice their unique ___ (Fill in: calming, uplifting, etc.) ritual.
This is a BIG one that I make a priority when working with my coaching clients. Some of the greatest thinkers, artists and performers of our time have a pre-performance ritual that gets them revved for show time. While a unique ritual is about doing, it’s also about feeling. A ritual creates the feeling you desire before you actually get to the doing.
For example, if I want to have rockin’ confidence before a date, I’ll strut around my house in high heels. If I want to feel calm, I’ll focus on my exhale breaths. I have a big sign over my desk that says “Breathe”. I also have a morning practice that sets the tone for my day. We all have rituals that calm our nerves, get us in the game, or prepare our mindset for focused ACTion. Know yourself and what you need to get in the zone.
3. They spend (and love) time alone.
A dip in confidence can come when plans aren’t made or fall through and you’re left with time alone. How empowering is it when this time comes as a gift?!
There’s nothing that revives my confidence more than time alone. Wait, let me clarify: time alone that I occupy with self-love. If I spend my alone time wallowing in misery, I perpetuate my insecurities. When I shower myself with love, in the form of a bubble bath, rest, or yoga, I realign with my core values. Even zoning out in front of the TV with a good movie and a glass of wine is one of my favorite past times.
Know what you need to make this precious time with yourself the best time. There is nothing more fabulous than someone who not only “tolerates” but absolutely ADORES their own company.
4. They take nothing (or very little) personally.
Do you know any confident actor who takes everything personally? No, no you don’t! Those with true confidence know that any perceived ego blow is more a reflection of the speaker than of them.
When you’re able to hear criticism and not take it personally, your reactions change. You’re able to feel compassion and love for all, regardless of how they treated you. Life isn’t as much of a drama. It stays on the stage where it belongs. Confidence emerges naturally with life-love.
5. They ask empowering questions.
We’re constantly making evaluations for what things mean and what we should do. These associations are initiated by questions. The more empowering questions we ask ourselves, the more confident we will be.
If you ask dis-empowering questions like, “Why does this always happen to me?” or “Why don’t I get any call backs” your mind will come up with an answer. Instead, ask questions like, “What am I happy about that I did in the room? What could I be proud about if I wanted to?” Or if there is a problem, ask, “What is great about this problem? How does it serve me? What can I feel grateful for?” Then you can shift into the confidence required to solve it. When empowering questions become second nature, you have no choice but to find confidence-inducing answers.
Modeling confident actors and others is the surest and fastest way to become one yourself! In fact I modeled this entire post after one created by Saren Stiegel of MindBodyGreen, who originally wrote about confidence in women.
The 5 Traits You Need To Succeed Financially as an Actor
/in Hot Topics, Productivity Tips/by Lisa Gold1. Hard AND Smart (not VS)
Creating financial abundance and staying out of debt rarely comes about without a lot of hard work.
Many actors might hope that winning the lottery will solve all their financial problems and/or winning the “big break” lottery of being a poor unknown actor one day and the next day starring in a TV series (MYTH).
The true path to financial freedom is to work hard to earn money, while constantly and consistently educating yourself to continue to have more value in the industry which will increase your salary. This is a gradual process that you can easily accomplish with the right knowledge and tools. Being smart AND working hard is what will get you off that “rat on a wheel” cycle of making money and then being broke (again, always…)
2. Goal-Oriented
I’ve said it so many times and I’ll say it again until you hear it to the bottom of your soul – most actors don’t plan to fail in this
biz…most actors fail to plan! The importance of setting and working toward goals is obvious. If you don’t know where you are going, it’s difficult to get there.
This is just as important when it comes to your financial goals. If you have money goals and are motivated to reach the goals that you have set for yourself, it will naturally translate to your wallet in immense and immediate ways.
Those actors who lack financial goals and just declare “I just want to work; it doesn’t matter how much I get paid as long as I get paid” don’t have a road map to take them to the financial destination they want.
3. Risk-Taking
To build not only a solid financial foundation, but real wealth, one needs to be willing to take risks. This doesn’t mean un-calculated, uneducated risks. It means weighing all the options and taking risks when appropriate.
Everyone knows the stock market has risks involved, but over the long term, history shows that it provides good returns on money that is invested wisely. People who invest in the stock market do their homework and have educated themselves on the risk…or they have trust in someone else who has that education.
For an actor, knowing what to invest your money in, i.e. classes, coaches, marketing materials, etc. reduces your risk if you’ve done your research and gotten educated on the value provided. Those actors who fear risk altogether end up never investing in themselves in ways that could impact their career and would ultimately save them money in the long run.
Being curious helps you learn, study and improve yourself. My least favorite 3 words I hear actors utter are “I know that.” There’s ALWAYS something to learn if you stay curious.
The curiosity of wanting to know more, to take the time to study and then take what is learned and put into practice is an important process that is driven by curiosity. This leads to untold treasures and abundance, not only with physical dollars, but contacts, information, experiences and more.
5. Creativity
The work we do as actors providing our joyful self-expression, art and talent and our earnings don’t always match.
Unexpected obstacles and set-backs can mess with your financial plans. The film you got cast in lost its funding and won’t be completed or released (or pay you!); that “manager” collected the money for your work and went out of business; the class you paid high dollar for and expected brilliant teaching wasn’t all that. When this happens, changes are needed to deal with the new circumstances.
Creativity is essential to accomplish this. I love this part of the energetic around money and finances because creativity allows you to make something good out of something bad or even when you don’t have the money to spend on what you’d like to invest in. It means juggling money to stay out of debt rather than simply paying with a credit card. It means bartering your value and skill set offering something for something. It means figuring out a way by shifting from thinking “I can’t afford that” to “how can I afford that?”
Being creative plays a large part in keeping your finances and personal economy in order! Seeing your ability to create in ways outside of actual acting will keep you interested and inspired around what you might have considered mundane or unimportant. This stuff is just as, if not more important than the latest acting technique you learned.
STOP being a starving artist by adopting several, if not all of these 5 traits today!
Create a Powerfully Effective Vision Board for Your Career
/in Productivity Tips, Reaching Goals, Think & Grow Rich Acting/by Lisa GoldWhen you get it right, a vision board will help you attract anything you desire as a result of the Law of Attraction. An audition, a great agent, that certain kind of resume building role…let’s take a look at how you can make your dreams come true with a vision board that inspires through evoking images.
Before You Begin Cutting and Pasting:
A vision board that is done right should include images that matter to you personally, not some general opinion of what people want for themselves. To get yourself in the right frame of mind for your search, do a little visualizing first. Think about how you your career to look EXACTLY. Who are you with, what you want to have, where in the world are you and all of the things you want to accomplish. Write anything that really stands out on a notepad, creating a list of what matters to you. Dream big and don’t be doubtful. Realize that everything you want can come to you with the right attitude and serious focus.
Once you have finished your list, it’s time to find out what is missing. There will be pieces of your life that you left out without realizing it. In order to have a complete vision board that really says who you want to be regarding your career, don’t ever forget that acting is a part of your life…not your whole life. What else you want also takes some serious soul searching. Think about every aspect of your life and be VERY specific.
Be Sure to Include:
When you have finalized your idea of the life of your dreams, it’s time to start looking for the images that match each desire. The images should make you go “awwwwww!” and “oooooooh!” and make you feel something strong emotionally. Don’t include images of things that don’t make you feel completely captivated as they won’t produce the right vibrational energy to attract the life of your dreams. You need images that will really power you up and create a positive energy that you feel in every cell of your body.
There are Two Main Ways to Find the Right Images:
Online – This is the best resource for finding those awe inspiring images that will kick your Law of Attraction journey into high gear. Simply type in the search what you are looking for and select from the entire results for your perfect image. A great way to do this is by using Google images to narrow down the results to pictures alone. It makes the treasure hunt a lot easier than clicking through links. Save all of your images to a folder and then print them out. Make sure you have color ink to get the most visual appeal out of your images.
In Magazines – If you have a wide selection of magazines to choose from and don’t mind cutting them into pieces, this can be a great way to find exactly what you are looking for. It might take a little more time, but it is a lot of fun. Bring out the collection of dusty magazines or ask for the old copies that others are throwing away. For those that have the cash to spare, try investing in a few specific types of magazines based on the images you want. Travel and automotive magazines are always a great place to start.
Add Positive Affirmations to Boost Effectiveness:
When you finish getting all of your images together for everything on your list, it’s time to boost their effectiveness with positive affirmations. For each image you want to include on your vision board, write down something short and to the point. You want it to affirm those things you want are on their way to you. Use the present tense as if they are already becoming part of your life.
Some Examples of Positive Affirmations Include:
Each positive affirmation can be catered to your own personality. Get creative with it and add some humor, spirituality or inspiring quotes. Whatever makes you feel like nothing is stopping you from achieving all of your goals is what you should include. You can print the words out on paper and cut them out or get in touch with your artistic side and do your own bubble letters – whatever works best for you.
The Finishing Touches:
After you have finished cutting everything out, arrange everything so that the most important things are at the focal point, then place everything else around those. This can be done on a piece of poster board, magnetic surface or on a cork board. For a more permanent vision board use the poster board. If you are the kind of person that changes their mind often, use the magnetic surface or cork board. That way you can easily replace things as they are achieved or if you decide you want something else.
Glue, magnetize, or pin each image in place and take a step back to admire your masterpiece. It might not sound like much at this moment, but when you have it all finished and you are looking at it, you’ll know the great power it truly has over your positive energy level. With every look you will automatically recharge that motivation for maximum Law of Attraction magnetism.
How to Get the Most Out of Your New Vision Board:
Your vision board is complete and it looks amazing. However, if you don’t know how to use it you might as well have done it all for nothing. So though this is the very last step to creating a powerfully effective vision board, it is the most important step of all. You’ll need to make it work for you.
Here’s How:
1. Place it somewhere that you will see it daily. Make it a priority to just look at it without distractions for 5 minutes or so throughout the day. Set an alarm or work it into your break time. Just make sure you set aside at least 15 minutes daily.
2. Believe that every single thing on your vision board is a part of your life and that it is all on the way right now.
3. Imagine yourself as if you already have everything you see. Let the details of having what you want fill your mind and really feel what it’s like to live that life. Think about how grateful you feel for each and every one of those things.
4. Carry this feeling of certainty and happiness with you throughout each situation on a daily basis and watch as your reality transforms to match that of your vision board.
It’s amazing, it works and I have experienced this many times myself! When all of your dreams have come true, be sure to practice gratitude for everything you have. If you feel really ambitious, set new goals with another vision board to lead the way!
The Hype over #Hashtags
/in Actor Marketing, Biz of Show Info/by Lisa GoldI just started to check out this HASHTAG phenomenon that seems to have crept up in the last year and thought I’d pass on some of what I came up with during my research.
Originally the ‘pound symbols’ that were used to catalog content on Twitter, these puppies are popping up on all of the social platforms today – Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, and most recently Facebook. You have to pay attention or be left in the dust.
The purpose? They’re an effective way to discover and organize specific content, and an easy way for social media users to find posts that are relevant to them. For example, I started to use the # before my networking parties and put it together with the acronym for my company as in “The #AOTB Industry Networking Mixer”. I put it on all of my social media sites and even in emails. Why? So that other people out there can find out about all things “Act Outside the Box” by searching for that #AOTB. Of course you have to know about it and see it before its use is effective.
We also know they’re easily abused and can be pretty meaningless, too. Have you seen strings of fairly nonsensical phrases with the # in front of them that no one would ever search for? #whythehellwouldyoudothat? I mean, really, who is searching for that? How do you rise above the noise online and help your audience or target market find and engage with your show, latest update or other event?
Here are our four tips:
KISS (Keep it Sweet and Simple): Is your show called The Greatest Story Ever Told? Then make your hashtag #greateststory or something equally simple. Make it easier on your viewers and use a hashtag that’s similar to the name of your event. A bad example
would be #Mikesshow. If it’s super long, sometimes an acronym is best. #AOTB or #actoutsidethebox? Either one could work but it’s up to you to choose (brand).
Don’t Go Overboard: Quality, not quantity, folks! Limit yourself to using one or two hashtags when promoting your stuff. If you tag tons of terms, you might come off as a bit spammy or overwhelming and it’s easier for your message to get lost in the #ebb #and #flow #of #a #sea #of #hashtags.
Do Your Research: Think you’ve found the perfect hashtag for your next event, show or idea? Type it into Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc. and see if anyone else is using it. If you’re using the same hashtag as another person or group, it could confuse your intended audience. If it’s already there and associated with something entirely different, rethink your strategy.
Be Smart: Consider the platform you’re using. Is it Twitter? Then you have limited real estate. Be mindful of the number of characters in your hashtag. Keeping your hashtag under 10 characters leaves plenty of room for the rest of your thoughts.
In the end, this girl will always prefer s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g things out. I don’t even like to use LOL and instead Laughing Out Loud…but I’m old school. However in business I often subvert my preferences for what works. And just like reality television, these hashtags aren’t going away. (Just for the sake of transparency, I was really wrong on that one when I thought Reality was just a passing fancy all those years ago. Maybe it was just wishful thinking!)
Getting in the groove and using hashtags effectively will improve the chances of you clearing through the clutter. And there’s ton of clutter (some like to call it content) out there! To your #success, Lisa Gold
The 80/20 Rule: AKA The Pareto Principle
/in Actor Marketing, Productivity Tips/by Lisa GoldYou may have come to one of my live programs and heard me speak of the 80/20 rule. I thought this brief explanation might help you continue to shape your 2014 so that you have the BEST take on how to spend your resources (time, energy and money) in support of your dreams and goals.
The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the “Pareto Principle” after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to d
ivide naturally into what he called the “vital few”, the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the “trivial many”, the bottom 80 percent.
He later discovered that in economics, virtually all activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.
Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks
Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.
Focus on Activities – Accomplishments will Come
The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.
Before you begin work, always ask yourself, “Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?”
The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.
Getting Motivated
Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.
Effective, productive actors discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average actor and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.
I wish you much success in your journey. May it be fun, fruitful, and always spent engaging on the things that lead you to your greatest dreams and desires! Lisa
Take Your Persistence Inventory
/in General/by Lisa GoldNapoleon Hill, a true inspiration leader, wrote this in his highly acclaimed book THINK AND GROW RICH originally published in the 30’s. Millions and millions and millions of readers (and book sales) keep it on the shelves today. Go NOW to your local bookstore and heed these wise words. Hey, the language may be a bit dated, but you’ll get the drift…
HERE are the real enemies that stand between you and noteworthy achievement. You will find not only the “symptoms” indicating weakness of persistence, but also the deeply seated subconscious causes. Study the list carefully and face yourself squarely if you really wish to know who you are and what you are capable of doing.
These are the weaknesses which MUST be MASTERED by all who accumulate success and in turn, wealth and happiness.
1. Failure to recognize and to define clearly exactly what you want.
2. Procrastination, with or without cause. (Usually backed up with a formidable array of alibis and excuses.)
3. Lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge.
4. Indecision, the habit of “passing the buck” on all occasions, instead of facing issues squarely. (Also backed by alibis.)
5. The habit of relying upon alibis instead of creating definite pans for the solution of problems.
6. Self-satisfaction There is but little remedy for this affliction, and no hope for those who suffer from it.
7. Indifference, usually reflected in one’s readiness to compromise on all occasions, rather than meet opposition and fight it.
8. The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes, an accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable.
9. Weakness of desire, due to neglect in the choice of motives that impel action.
10. Willingness, even eagerness, to quit at the first sign of defeat. (Based upon fear.)
11. Lack of organized plans, placed in writing where they may be analyzed.
12. The habit of neglecting to move on ideas, or to grasp opportunity when it presents itself.
13. Wishing instead of willing.
14. The habit of compromising with poverty instead of aiming at riches. General absence of ambition to be, to do, to own. (Lisa adds “insert self described starving artists here.”)
15. Searching for all the short-cuts to riches, trying to get without giving a fair equivalent, usually reflected in the habit of gambling. (Lisa adds “waiting for the big break.”)
16. Fear of criticism, failure to create plans and to put them into action, because of what other people will think, do, or say. This enemy belongs at the top of the list, because it generally exists in one’s subconscious mind, where its presence is not recognized.
…People refuse to take chances in this business, because they fear the criticism which may follow if they fail. The fear of criticism in such cases is stronger than the desire for success.
Sooooooo, I hope you got the drift here. If you identified with any of the above, there’s some internal work for you to do. And there is no shortage of ways and means to do it. Start by reading Think and Grow Rich, or participate in my adapted seminar based on Napoleon Hill’s teachings – Think and Grow Rich Acting.
To Your Success, Lisa