A certified coach with almost two decades of experience in the entertainment industry. I demystify the process of how to become a working professional in the entertainment industry with tools, strategies and processes to help performers feel empowered as they build their career, hone their craft and cultivate more confidence.
Building a strong foundation for your acting career can set you up for success – we’ll explore the vital 5 pillars you should focus on.
Just as a construction worker wouldn’t build a house on a shaky foundation, you shouldn’t build your career on one either.
As fun and exciting as it is to want to race towards getting actual paying jobs in the entertainment industry, it’ll be 10 times harder if you don’t have certain things in place.
I believe these are the four foundational pillars of a successful career in the entertainment industry.
If you ever feel stuck, blocked, or lost on what the heck you should be doing, and are ready to just throw in the towel in frustration —- it’s time to take stock and do a re-evaluation of how you’ve managed to set up (or have avoided) these 5 pillars.
Your Training 💪🏻
Your Branding ✨
Access + Exposure 📸
Experience 🎬
Your Mindset 🧡
For actors, these are the tent poles of building a strong career.
Your training is what elevates you, separates you from the herd, and is the most important investment you will make and continue to make as a performer. Would you ever hire a dentist, a mechanic, teacher, or a chef if they didn’t have proper training?
The same goes for casting directors and producers who are hiring performers. They want to know that you’re going to be consistently professional when you’re invited on their set and you’ve been given a job.
Branding is a representation of who you are, how other people know you, and how you stand out in the marketplace. It’s how people go, oh wow, I got a sense of who you are and what you’re all about I feel like I know you, get you, and want more of what you’re presenting. Branding can be really helpful when you start ou and no-one knows who you are yet. It can help casting place you in roles more easily and help your representation, pitch you with clarity and confidence
It’s not about who you know, it’s about who you know that likes you. The more integrated you are, the more access you have. The more you can build your career. Building a strong team is a great way to get more exposure and access instantly. Their network of people becomes your network of people. The more avenues you’re open to and the more you’re putting yourself out there, the more your career has the ability to continue expanding.
Experience is something that can’t be bought – it’s a matter of it happening and you working for it to happen. You should always be actively trying to make it happen. Experience can’t be taken away from you and can only gain compounding interest.
Experience leads to confidence and you’re not supposed to be the best at the beginning. Know that the more experience you get, the easier it all becomes. Focus on the smallest/easiest ways you can get experience on a consistent basis.
Your mindset is the most important tool you have in your arsenal. If you’ve got a strong mindset, fantastic. If some of your roadblocks exist in the from of self-doubt, comparison, lack of self-trust, and anything that dissolves your personal confidence rather than builds it… it’s time to start taken action to build a strong mindset. Your mindset is what indicates what you believe about yourself and the world around you. Your mindset is the key to the success you desire and unshakeable confidence.
Focus first on your training + branding: This sets you up to have the right parts in the right places.
Your training is the most important aspect of your entire career. It’s what builds your skillsets and allows you to hone your craft. It’s what casting directors look at on your resume MORE than they look at your credits. Always be wiling to grow your craft.
Your branding = your unique casting potential. You infuse your branding into your marketing materials. So when a casting director comes across your profile, they see a fantastic headshot, reel material that is off the chain, and a streamlined resume. This makes casting directors want to say YES to bringing you in for auditions.
Now that you’re training is going well + your branding/marketing materials are on point…. It’s time to announce to the world that you’re here.
THIS is where Access + Exposure comes in. It’s time to introduce yourself to representation with a strategic outreach plan and do the same for casting directors. Getting representation allows you to have access to their network of industry professionals, which gives you more exposure to people who don’t know how awesome you are yet.
^^^I’m not saying wait until everything is perfect to put yourself out there. Be messy, but be smart about it. Have a strategy and process in place and be willing to pivot and adapt.
Experience is a catch 22 – the more you get, the more you have, Audition for projects of all shapes and sizes. Get on small sets, even if it’s as an extra. Add more to your resume wherever you can. Experience is something that gains compounding interest.
And lastly – your mindset is the most important tool and pillar in your foundation. You can have the best business strategy, the most amazing marketing materials, a dream team of reps, a great class/coach… but if you have a shaky mindset, it’s hard to grow your career to reach the success level you’re desiring.
How have you focused on each pillar?
Have you neglected any of them?
Do you need to majorly regroup?
Have you ever made a focused plan for the functionality of each one?
Each of these four pillars requires a specific focus and understanding. They all thrive and flourish off the strength of the other pillars, so if you have one rock-solid pillar, that’s awesome. It may help boost your other pillars. But when they’re firing on all cylinders, that’s when the magic happens.
These four career pillars are meant to give much-needed structure to the foundation of what it means to start, build and maintain a career in the entertainment industry.
If you’re looking to start or build your career, these four pillars are the place to start. Or if you’re wanting to have a career re-fresh or re-boot, come back to these pillars and focus on them one by one. That will help you revitalize your career through specific, poignant growth.
P.S. – It’s never YOU that’s the problem!
If you’re experiencing a difficult time in your career it’s due to a faulty strategy, your process being off, or maybe there’s a full moon (kidding).
But when things are not working out in your favor know that it’s not personal. It’s not because you’re not good enough, don’t have potential, or are undeserving. When you want to blame yourself, blame your strategy. And know that it’s something you can easily fix.
What pillar do you feel you’re the strongest in? Which pillar do you struggle with the most?! 🎬
Take some time in the following weeks to really get a deep understanding of what’s working for you, what’s not, and what pillar you need to put more effort into.
As we approach the halfway mark of the year, it’s the perfect time for you to take a step back and look at all you’ve done for yourself, and your career, this year so far.
I guarantee you’ll be blown away by how many amazing things you’ve done and how hard you’ve worked. We forget to celebrate all the small steps we’ve taken and tiny wins we’ve had. We get so caught up in how far we still have to go to achieve our dream.
Steps, no matter how small, still get you to where you want to go 💛
I wrote a blog post that broke down how to set up a career roadmap to follow – which takes in to account all of these pillars – you can read it here to define some specific steps you can take towards building a strong foundation for your career. Or if you want some hands-on help taking the foundation of your career from shaky to strong – set up a free consultation so we can discuss what’s working, what can be improved, and set you on a path towards success.
A certified coach with almost two decades of experience in the entertainment industry. I demystify the process of how to become a working professional in the entertainment industry with tools, strategies and processes to help performers feel empowered as they build their career, hone their craft and cultivate more confidence.
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