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Welcome or welcome back to Call Sheet Confessions.
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I'm your host, Mila Page, and today's episode is a very special one.
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If you've never watched an episode of Call Sheet Confessions, I'm going to be recapping all you need to know from our previous 30 episodes.
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Call Sheet Confessions just hit over 30 episodes and eight months of talking with entertainment professionals all across the industry, such as directors, choreographers, producers, gaffers, cinematographers, and so much more.
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Guests have worked on projects like Let's Marry Harry, The Bachelor, Euphoria, Fox Sports, Vanderpump Villa, and many more.
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Every single conversation has been different, but what I've noticed from all the episodes is that they all have a few things in common.
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So in this episode, I'm really going to be taking us back through first 30 episodes of Call Sheet Confessions and kind of pinpointing those similarities and those common themes that are coming up in what it takes to work in the entertainment industry.
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And here are 10 things that they all have in common.
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If you want to work in the entertainment industry and you're trying to figure out what you need to know and how to be prepared, this is exactly the episode for you.
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If you have watched Call Sheet Confessions and you've watched the past 30 episodes, this is a reminder of just those important themes that have stuck out.
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The reason behind starting Call Sheet Confessions is because I went to school for media production in college and I met a bunch of people that all want to work in the entertainment industry but don't exactly know where to start or how to get their foot in the door or what does a producer exactly do?
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What does a day in the life of a director look like?
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How do you get your foot in the door?
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How do you meet people?
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What does it take to get rehired on set?
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How do you build a sustainable career in entertainment?
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And after speaking with 30 plus entertainment industry professionals that are actively working in the industry and making it happen and showing that it's possible, the first one is to be a good person.
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Even in my last episode with Kevin, we talked about how working in the entertainment industry is also like a job about vibes.
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Like, can you hang essentially, right?
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And something that's so important is just being a good person and being someone that people want to work with.
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Because when you're spending such long hours with people, and you know, it could be 12-hour days for like weeks at a time, you have to be someone that people enjoy having around and someone that people enjoy working with and are excited to see your name on the call sheet.
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So that's definitely something that I've noticed in every single episode.
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We even had JP Stanley, an executive producer and founder of Good Work Productions.
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And he mentioned that the reason it's called good work is because they like to do good work with good people.
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And that's coming from an executive producer, and he's also a casting director.
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So there's been multiple people that have said that and made it such a point.
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And it's so true.
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Like if you have a nasty attitude or people don't enjoy having you around, or you're not able to kind of like gel and get along with people, you're not gonna get asked back on set.
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And you want to be the person that's getting asked back because it's one thing to get your foot in the door, but if you want to continue to get hired on other jobs and have them continue to bring you back, it's really the energy that you bring to set and people being excited to work with you that they want to keep bringing you back.
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Something else that quite a few people mention is that their industry ick is ego.
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I know Caroline Kohler's professional dancer movement director mentioned that.
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I know that Kevin mentioned that in our last episode, and I've talked about that too.
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And, you know, if that's a lot of people's industry ick, it just shows really how important it is to be a good person.
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Like, even if you have, you know, accomplished a lot in your career, there's just, I truly feel no reason to ever have an ego.
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Like you can always be successful and be accomplished, but also remain humble.
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You know where you've come from, know where you came from, and just like remain humble instead of having that ego.
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Because no one wants to be around that, and it can just totally throw off the energy on set.
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And I just think like being a people person, like if you want to work in entertainment, you have to be a people person.
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You have to like love talking to people, love meeting people, be a bit extroverted.
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I think if you're an introvert, that's totally fine, but you just have to like want to make the effort to get to know people and talk to people.
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And you know, a lot of people talk about being a personality hire.
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And we've had people on the show mention like, no matter how good at your job you are, if you're not a good person, people don't want to have you around.
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I remember JP also mentioned he said he'd rather hire someone who's still learning, you know, and excited to grow and learn, someone who may not be as great at their job yet, but has a great attitude, versus someone who's amazing at their job but has a really miserable attitude and isn't that great to work with.
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Something that also falls in line with being a good person is being good to work with.
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And we had a couple people talk about this as well.
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Something that a lot of people mentioned, I remember Erica mentioned this in her episode, is the importance of being on time.
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And she said something really interesting that has stuck with me that, you know, she's also a yogi and practices yoga, and something that they say is that if you're late when it comes to yoga, they view it as you stealing someone's time.
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That's really stuck with me.
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And that, you know, being a good person, being on time, being responsible, being someone that people can rely on, and also I think like being proactive, like if you see something that needs to get gone done, doing that, volunteering to help out, um, and just always, just always being a helping hand, having a good attitude and having a smile on your face.
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And obviously, not you know, we all deal with things outside of work.
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We all go through things in life, and so you're not gonna show up the same way every day.
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But I think it's important to try as much as possible to leave whatever you have like at the door when you head into work and just bring an exciting attitude, be excited to talk to people and just bring good energy.
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Like, I think that's really the main thing that I've heard in a lot of the episodes of the people that I've spoken with.
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Lesson two that I've noticed people talk about is that you have to start before you feel ready.
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This one is like really huge.
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It's also a scary one, but it's something I've noticed that everyone's done.
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I had Raina Hill on, who's a producer and she's produced for The Bachelor, Let's Marry Harry.
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She's worked on Temptation Island and so much more.
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And she really worked her way up from being a talent handler to a producer.
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One of the things that she mentioned is that when she first moved to LA, she would go to a coffee shop and just cold pitch herself on IMDB and reach out to casting directors she wanted to work with or ask people to get coffee and just like continue to put herself out there and you know, kind of start before you feel ready.
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And we also had Izzy on.
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If you're familiar with the Grammys sign my lens trend, if you've seen, you know, the celebrities kind of like do a kiss or do like a face and then like sign a camera, that's my friend Izzy.
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She started that and she just pitched a bunch of ideas to the Grammys and they ended up picking that one up.
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But something else Izzy mentioned that she did is she filmed an entire documentary with a$10,000 budget, which isn't a huge budget for a documentary, but she made it happen.
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And I think if you're always waiting for like the right conditions to start something, you might never do it.
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And it's really never gonna be the right time to do anything.
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I have a friend right now who's wanting to move out to LA, and I think she's been wrestling with, you know, what when's the right time?
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And the reality is it's never gonna be the right time.
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Like you kind of just have to go for it and do it, and you'll figure it out, but you don't want to let that opportunity pass you by because you wait too long to get on it because you're trying to wait for those right conditions.
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Even with me starting this podcast, I always wanted to start a podcast.
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And when I had the idea for this, I was super excited, but I knew I had to do it and made it happen for myself.
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I didn't wait for someone to, you know, give me the opportunity and tell me like now is the time to do it.
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I decided it was the right time and I went for it and I'm doing it.
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And I've already had people on the show, like guests on the show that were dream guests of mine that were on like my dream guest list.
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And seeing the intention it's gotten so far and the people's people have been impacted by it so far.
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Like my favorite messages are people reaching out saying that this podcast has like taught them so much.
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They've been able to connect with guests through the podcast through reaching out because they were inspired by something they talked about in an episode.
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And now they have more answers, and now they're more sure of what they want to do in the industry.
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Like that's the whole reason I started the podcast and seeing how it's impacted people is so cool.
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And the reality is if I waited for that opportunity or I never took the opportunity to start when I felt ready, that wouldn't be happening and these people's lives wouldn't be impacted in this way.
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So if you have an idea for something or you want to do something, you gotta just do it.
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I really just think that's the best advice is to just figure it out.
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Even if you don't have the camera equipment you want or the budget that you want, or you know, everything isn't lining up the way exactly you want it to be, you gotta just start putting stuff out there because you can figure it out along the way, but you can't figure it out if you never start.
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Neely Towns, who I had on the show, Neely's a photographer, and something she mentioned about too was doing free work to start gaining real work.
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And she would DM people that she wanted to work with, maybe as a dancer, you know, some choreographers she'd reach out to and she would offer a free photo shoot.
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They she would get to connect with that choreographer on the photo shoot, and then one of the choreographers ended up hiring her to dance in an award show.
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So again, if she waited until they would reach out to her, that opportunity might never have happened.
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And she was also willing to offer free work in a way.
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So just taking those, like taking that initiative, taking those steps, even if you don't feel ready, and just figuring it out, like that's the best thing you can do.
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Something Izzy mentioned too in her episode is that done beats perfect every time.
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And I do think that's so true.
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And coming from a recovering perfectionist, I think that's something that can be tough because you want to always put your best foot forward.
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You don't want to put out something unless you like are very proud of it and like so sure of it.
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But you done is better than perfect.
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I think back to being in school, right?
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If you have an essay due on a Tuesday, actually, yes, this is so true.
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I remember in college, I think I had like an essay due and I was working on it so much and I just wanted to be perfect.
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So I ended up submitting it like a couple days late.
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And my teacher wrote me back and she was like, Mia, this is so good.
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This would have been an A, but because it's late, you lose like percent on it.
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I think I got like a B plus on it, although it should have been an A, something like that.
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And it just shows done is better than perfect because I probably would have ended up getting a better score if I submitted it on time, but because I waited and I wanted to perfect it, it didn't end, you know, I didn't end up getting the score that I should have.
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So I think just done is better than perfect.
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You get it done and then you learn, you know, from it what you liked, what you didn't like, and how to move forward and move on the next time.
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There's a quote I like that kind of describes this lesson, and it's that you can't draw something for the first time and expect it to be Picasso, but you also can't get better without ever picking up the pencil.
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So I think that's like, you know, if you need that reminder, like you can't expect the day you start to be the top of your craft, but you can't ever become the top of your craft unless you start.
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This kind of takes us into lesson three, which is creating your own opportunities.
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Something that I really liked that Bianca mentioned in our episode, she's a director and writer.
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She her show is the 20s somethings TV show.
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And Bianca had said that you shouldn't call yourself what you're currently doing.
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You should introduce yourself as what you want to do.
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So she was saying, you know, if you're working as an assistant but you want to be a producer, don't introduce yourself as oh, I'm an assistant for blah, blah, blah, because then you're gonna be seen as an assistant and you're she's gonna know you as an assistant.
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If you introduce yourself and you say, I'm a producer, then she's gonna think of you as a producer.
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So you want to introduce yourself as what you want to be doing rather than what you're currently doing.
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And I thought that was really interesting because it's true, like the way you introduce yourself is the way that people will think about you.
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Like, even if you're a dancer and you want to be a professional dancer, like saying, like, oh, I'm like an aspiring, you know, dancer, just say I'm a dancer, and then they'll think of you like as a dancer who's ready to dance.
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It's interesting because you might want to like talk about whatever job you're currently doing, but if that's not the place that you want to stay, you have to introduce yourself as the place that you want to go.
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I also had Miguel on the podcast.
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He's an actor, acting coach.
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He also does Housewives Impressions, and he mentioned about moving to LA before he felt totally ready.
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But what he did is he spoke it into existence and manifested it and just, you know, created the opportunity, applied for jobs, got something, and just moved out here and made it happen.
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And it's like, again, creating those opportunities for yourself and not waiting for permission.
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If there's something you want to do, just going out and doing it.
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Something I also always tell my friends is that the worst you can hear is no.
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If you never put yourself out there or take that risk, it will always be a no.
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But if you go for it and you just see and try, it could end up being a yes.
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And this can be for so many things.
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This can be for applying for jobs that you don't feel totally qualified for.
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This could be reaching out to people that you really want to talk to and connect with, but you're not sure if they'll take you seriously or if they'll respond and you're nervous to reach out.
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But the reality is if you do reach out, they could end up saying yes and you could end up having this great opportunity out of it.
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But if you never take the chance and bet on yourself and reach out, it's gonna always be a no.
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And essentially it's just that like closed mouths don't get fed.
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So with creating your own opportunity, also comes in advocating for yourself and putting yourself out there.
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And that's something that I've noticed everyone on the show has in common.
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Even Paul Becker mentioned, you know, putting out content online on his social media.
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He wanted to be a choreographer, so he got people together.
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He started putting, you know, choreography on them and posting the videos.
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And even if he didn't have a huge camera and a huge like lighting department and camera department and all these people to like make it this whole big concept video, he was able to, you know, we all have phones.
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You're able to take your phone, get some friends together, have teach them a dance and film it.
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So it's also working with what you have and just putting something out there because then you can show that proof of concept, and then someone might see that and be like, oh, I this would be great for this.
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We'll have this budget for it.
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But if you never have anything to show, then those other opportunities can't snowball off of it.
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You have to just kind of put that first thing out there.
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And that's something every single person on the show has mentioned is putting themselves out there, taking those risks, um, taking really that initiative, like knowing what they want to do and making it happen and not giving in to any excuses or letting themselves talk themselves out of it.
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It's just doing it.
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And I really think that's who succeeds in the industry.
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I think a lot of people want to do this, but there's a difference between the people that don't give up and refuse to give up and are like so resilient and persistent and just like continue to persevere to make it happen.
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And then there's the people that are able to talk themselves out of it or give in to like doubts and you know, end up not doing it.
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And the reality is both of those people could be really, really talented and and deserving of an opportunity, but it really comes down to believing in yourself enough, like having the courage to believe in yourself and go after your dreams, and just like betting on yourself and putting yourself out there.
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And that's something that, yeah, everyone's had in common.
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I think is really necessary if you want to work in entertainment.
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You could be the most talented person in the room, but you have to believe in yourself and you have to take risks.
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Lesson four is that relationships are the career.
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Every single person that I've talked to on the show can trace back a major turning point to a relationship in their life.
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Not a real, not a credential, not anything like that, but a person in their life, whether it's a mentor, someone they've connected with, someone who's a part of their network.
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And this truly, the entertainment industry is truly an industry built off of relationships.
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The way you make people feel, the way people remember you, that is your calling card, I think, in the entertainment industry and what it sounds like from 30 plus entertainment industry professionals that I've spoken to.
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This one is really huge because, for example, with my production assistant experience, if you work with a production coordinator and you work with a production team and they really like you, on the next project that they work on and they're looking for PAs, they're gonna bring you back.
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They're gonna put your name in the pot and they're gonna bring you back.
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I've also seen people not get asked back because they didn't have, you know, that personality, that gelled, or they, you know, they weren't able to keep up that relationship.
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And this really is a relationship-built industry.
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One of my guests, Ryan Nelson, who works in post-production, mentioned that he got his current role as a story producer because of his friend Kaylin Allen that he met in college at Temple University.
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And they just had like stayed in contact, they remembered each other from college, and when Kaelin had this opportunity, he thought of Ryan.
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And so that right there is an example of how relationships can really impact your career in entertainment.
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And something that I also say about networking, because I've talked with friends that feel that like the word networking or the idea of networking is kind of scary or uncomfortable to them.
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And the way that I always describe it is instead of thinking about like business or like pitching yourself and that type of thing, I think about it as just like making friends.
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And you do it that way, I think it ends up working out more in your favor anyway, because it's more organic and it's more natural.
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And if you're able to make friends with people and then end up working together, then you're gonna need to work with your friends.
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And I think when you think about it like that, it's a lot less scary because I think a lot of people in the entertainment industry, like we're good at talking to people, we're fun people to work with.
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And I think if you just go about it as like, let's just chat and have a conversation, and maybe we both, you know, love Pilates, or maybe we have a common interest in a different way, but then we also both work in production and then you have those things in common.
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And that's something I really love about LA is all the friends that I've made here.
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Me and my girls, like, we'll talk about dating and do Pilates or do girls' nights together and all of that, but then we're also able to talk about the industry and talk about work because we all are working in entertainment and we're also all friends, and I think that makes friendships like so much richer out here because you're friends with people that are creative just like you and passionate about their careers just like you.
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It's just cool.
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I've seen like how so many like things can happen, or even I had my friend Justin, who's a gaffer on the podcast, and then he had such a great time on the podcast, he ended up recommending other guests to me that would be great on the show.
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Who then I had Katie Williams on, who was a friend of Justin's.
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And it's like just through that relationship, now I've been able to bring more awesome people on the podcast, or like my friend Ben recommended Justin and recommended Bianca, who were guests on the podcast.
00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:17.119
So it's just cool how like just friendships with people talking, and in your friendships, you naturally will talk about what you do for work and talk about what you're passionate about, and then your friends know that and then they think of you.
00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:24.480
Same thing where like if I'm working on a project and they need PAs, I'm gonna think of my friends that I PA with and recommend them.
00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:28.319
And it's really just again being a good person.
00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:42.880
I think also like just being able to read a room also goes into relationship building and networking because you don't want to like put off anyone, you just want to like gel with people and connect with people.
00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:51.039
And I think when you focus on like connecting, making friends, it makes relationship building and networking so much easier and simpler when you think of it in that way.
00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:56.480
Something Raina Hill mentioned is that she would make a friend on every set, which is a piece of advice I really love.
00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:58.240
And I always try to do the same thing as well.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.519
If I'm in a dance class, I always try to make a friend in that dance class.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.279
If I'm on set, I'm always trying to make a friend or meet someone.
00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.000
And I think that's a good goal to set for yourself.
00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:14.000
Just like make a friend, chat with someone, and like again, when you focus on it in that way, it just makes it so much easier.
00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:18.319
And then you create these real organic relationships and friendships.
00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:26.400
Something I loved that Izzy said in our episode was I'm in the business of getting my friends paid, and my friends are in the business of getting me paid.
00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:29.119
That was one of my favorite things she said, and it's so true.
00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:32.000
If my friends are right for something, I'm gonna shout them out.
00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:35.440
And if they think I'm right for something, they're gonna put my name through.
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:37.599
And that is all networking is.
00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:45.759
That's all relationship building is is making friends and making a positive impact on people where they remember you and think of you for opportunities and you think of them.
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:50.319
It's like a two-way street, and it's just so important in this industry.
00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:54.400
Like, you don't want to burn bridges because then that would impact your work.
00:20:54.559 --> 00:21:00.160
Again, it doesn't matter how great at your job you are, if you rub people the wrong way, you're not gonna get jobs.
00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.599
But if you make a really positive impact on people, they're gonna think of you.
00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:06.799
Something else when it comes to relationships and networking.
00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:12.480
I think that, you know, I met actually met a good friend of mine, Gabby, at a networking event.
00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:26.640
But other than that, a lot of the friends that I've made out here in LA are from like common like meeting areas, whether it's a Pilates class, an acting class, coffee shops, like flea markets or things like that.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:32.799
Um, I really think that if you think of like an interest that you have, like Pilates, right?
00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.839
You go to Pilates, you meet someone else in the Pilates class.
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.240
That's how you can really meet friends and you never know who that person is or what they do.
00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:45.359
And imagine like both loving Pilates and then you both end up working in the industry in some capacity.
00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.559
And now you have a friend and you guys have a shared common interest.
00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:58.960
So I also think that's like a really good way to build your network and build relationships is just thinking about like those places where you could have those, like those hobbies and meeting people through that.
00:21:59.200 --> 00:21:59.759
Lesson five.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.559
Is that resilience isn't optional?
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:03.599
It's the job.
00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:07.039
A hundred percent in the entertainment industry, you have to be resilient.
00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:15.920
If you're an actor, you're gonna submit a bunch of self-tapes and audition and hear no a lot and get rejected a lot, but continuing to put yourself out there.
00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:20.960
Every single person on the podcast is extremely resilient.
00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:22.559
Um, every single person.
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:33.359
Even Kevin, in our last episode, he talked about how he lived in China for three years and was working there and ended up leaving during COVID and because of that couldn't go back to China, which he wanted to do.
00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:34.400
So he had to pivot.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:40.880
He ended up moving to LA, couch surfing with friends, and ended up getting a job on American Idol.
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:50.240
So you have to be resilient, you have to like figure out ways around things, and that's something that every single person on this podcast had mentioned.
00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:54.559
I remember Regan, who's now dancing for BTS on tour.
00:22:54.880 --> 00:23:04.240
She was trying to find jobs at first and wasn't finding them or trying to get signed and wasn't able to get signed, but then she booked a world tour with BTS.
00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:10.720
And it's because those people continue to believe in themselves and they continue to put themselves out there and be resilient.
00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:13.839
If you want to work in entertainment, you have to be resilient.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.599
That has to be a skill that you possess.
00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.400
You have to be able to bounce back like a boomerang.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.599
That's what you have to be able to do.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:31.279
Something that Kara Mayer Robinson mentioned on the podcast in her episode was that she talked about reframing fear as excitement and staying present in the face of rejection.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:37.200
She said that what sets successful people apart is that they refuse to give up even when they're terrified.
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:46.400
And I like I was saying earlier, I really think that that's the difference of people that end up being successful in the industry and people that don't, is they refuse to give up.
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:55.519
Even though they're getting the same rejection that other people are facing, they've just refused to give up and and and like are so determined to make it happen.
00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:02.319
Speaking about determination, I had Anthony Brell on the podcast, who is a dance educator, choreographer.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:06.480
He danced professionally for Beyoncé and was a dance teacher of mine growing up.
00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:12.640
He always spoke about dedication, determination, and discipline, and that those three things are the keys to reaching your goals.
00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:14.720
And that's something that's always stuck with me.
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:21.039
He also talked about how he grew up experiencing childhood trauma and found dance as a form of therapy.
00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:24.160
And then he booked his dream job, dancing for Alvin Ailey.
00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.200
But then the opportunity came to dance back up for Beyonce.
00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:30.240
And he had to choose: do I leave my job?
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:35.279
I've worked so hard for, you know, this job that like that, like Alvin Ailey was like his dream.
00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:41.680
But now he had this new dream of getting to tour with Beyonce and this incredible opportunity, or does he turn that down to stay at Alvin Ailey?
00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:42.880
It was a really tough decision.
00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:45.839
He ended up taking that risk and choosing the Beyonce job.
00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.759
And that changed his his life.
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.720
You know, that tour was incredible and changed his life.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:55.920
And just like being able to bounce back from things and figure it out, that's just what's so important.
00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:03.039
Matt Sonic, who works in production, my friend that I had on the show, we had met through doing Let's Marry Harry together.
00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:05.440
He talked about having no plan B.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.880
Like there was just no plan B.
00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:08.720
He knew he wanted to work in entertainment.
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:10.960
And I think that honestly became his armor.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:17.440
Because when you decide that this is plan A and this is my only plan, you have no choice but to make it work.
00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:20.480
And I again, I think that's what sets people apart.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:30.559
When you decide, like, this is what's happening and I'm gonna make it happen no matter what, those are the people that end up being successful in entertainment, is betting on yourself so confidently.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:37.440
Like even when everyone else is telling you no, or you're getting no's or hearing no's is just refusing to give up.
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:44.079
In Miguel's episode, he mentioned that Brian Cranston credited his career to the fact that he just stuck around.
00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.240
The only time you fail is when you give up.
00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.920
And again, I think that's so true.
00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:57.519
And that's something like I just like you know, mentioned a few a few guests I had on that talked about that in their episodes, but truly, like every single person showed resilience.
00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:03.200
Every single person had tough times but figured it out and still stayed the course.
00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:08.000
And I really think the people that stay the course and don't give up, like those are the people that end up making it.
00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:17.839
Another big thing that every single guest has mentioned is problem solving, especially the guests I've had on that work in production or are producers, problem solving.
00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:22.720
Being a good problem solver is essential in entertainment.
00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:30.720
And being someone who's like quick on their feet or knows there's an answer, knows there's a way they're gonna solve the problem, knows there's a way they're gonna they're gonna figure it out.
00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:40.480
Even if like some crazy, you know, bizarre situation occurs and they don't know what they're gonna do, instead of focusing on like, what are we like, I don't know, I don't know, they're like, what are we gonna do?
00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:42.960
Let's find a plan, let's take action and figure it out.
00:26:43.119 --> 00:27:00.799
And that goes again with the resilience is being able to problem solve, like being able to just like stay the course, even when things arise, like knowing you're gonna figure it out, having faith in yourself to figure it out, I think is ultimately, you know, what that resilience skill is, and it's so important if you want to do this.
00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:04.160
Lesson six is that the dream is allowed to change.
00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:09.759
And this is a funny one, kind of after the last one, but it's part of it as well.
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:13.440
So I grew up always wanting to dance professionally.
00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:14.799
That was my one and only goal.
00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:16.799
It was plan A was my only plan.
00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:23.920
However, through dance, through loving dance, I had an interest in learning the full 360 of entertainment.
00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:40.079
I worked at a talent agency, I worked as a production assistant, I majored in college to learn production and everything else that goes into the industry and branding yourself and marketing yourself and what it takes to put like a whole show together.
00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:51.839
And through that, I really found a love for production and producing, and that's like a huge interest of mine and something I'm loving just as much as I love dance, which I never thought could be possible.
00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:56.000
Multiple guests have mentioned that their dream has kind of changed along the way.
00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:02.480
And I loved hearing that when I had Katie Williams on, who's a director of photography, cinematographer.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:06.480
I asked her if she was living her dream, and she was the first guest I had on that ever said no.
00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:10.559
And her reason why is that the dream, you know, changes.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:16.319
She was like, once I do my first five million feature, I'm gonna want to do my, you know, do one for 10 million.
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:19.279
Like the dream is always evolving and changing.
00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:22.559
And I think it's okay, like to know that.
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:27.279
But I also, when I had Anthony Brell on, he said, but this is part of the dream.
00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:29.039
Like, this is still part of plan A.
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:36.079
Plan A got you to this position to where you're learning new things, but it's all still like under this umbrella of entertainment.
00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:41.680
And I think it's okay if you go into, you know, I remember Matt Sonic on his episode mentioned he wanted to be a director.
00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:43.519
He went to college wanting to be a director.
00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:47.359
But through Pang, he learned actually, I like the production side of things.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:50.319
I kind of rather work towards the producer side of things.
00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:56.079
So the dream's allowed to change, but if you stay the course, you'll be able to figure that out like along the way.
00:28:56.319 --> 00:29:03.920
Even Paul Becker, who I had on, who's a Hollywood director and choreographer, he has done so many different projects and worked on so many different things.
00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:06.319
But even he doesn't feel like he's made it yet.
00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:10.400
There's really always more to learn, to become, to accomplish.
00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:13.599
And I think you're allowed that freedom to explore.
00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:27.759
And I also like had Kevin on last week, and Kevin talked about how when he commits to something, it scares him because he feels like if he commits to that, he's like kind of cementing that identity and could get stuck doing that and miss out on something else.
00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:37.359
But I think that when you commit to something, yeah, you can commit to it, but you're also allowed to learn other things about yourself along the way, and you're also allowed to change course.
00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.759
I as a dancer, I love a pivot, okay?
00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:40.720
I love a pivot.
00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.079
You could always be allowed to pivot.
00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:49.119
You're always allowed to do something, enjoy it, but then make a change and make the change that right that's right for you and figure out something along the way.
00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:58.079
You know, you could be working in the camera department, but end up really actually loving art and really wanting to work in the art department, and you're allowed to make that decision, you're allowed to change.
00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:04.720
I think that's a really good reminder is not being so hard on ourselves to like you can only be one thing, you can be a variety of things.
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:12.960
Like, I'm a podcast host, I'm a dancer, I work in production, I like you can be so many different things, and that's okay.
00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:16.319
Yeah, the dream is allowed to change, the dream is allowed to evolve.
00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:21.759
You know, my young self, little Mia, all she saw was dancing professionally.
00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:28.079
And now at this age, while I love that, I also have these other interests and other things that I'm interested in pursuing, and that's okay.
00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:33.519
I think a good reminder too is that the dream evolving isn't failure, it's growth.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:40.000
Because the person you are at 22 is not supposed to want the exact same things that the as the person you'll be at 32.
00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:53.119
And when you think about it like that, like your dream, like as a kid, before you become an adult and you realize like everything else that comes with that, you might, you know, want one thing, but then as you get older, you change.
00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:56.160
You know, as people we grow, we learn, we grow, we evolve.
00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:58.799
So it's okay if the dream changes along with it.
00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:20.000
I think while the dream is changing, or if the dream is evolving, it's just remembering the why behind it and the reason that you came out to LA in the first place, or the reason that you chose this career path in the first place, and that will keep you on the right track, even if you're changing lanes, is remembering the why and you know, why you love to do what you do and the passion behind what you do.
00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:26.480
And as long as you carry that with you, like you'll always end up the place that in the place that you're supposed to be and on the right track.
00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:41.200
I think, you know, with what Kevin mentioned too about kind of that fear of getting stuck when you commit to something, is reminding yourself to not be so attached to the dream that you had at 18 that you miss the version of the dream that's available to you right now.
00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:45.119
Because the version of the dream can change and you might really gravitate towards that.
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:52.720
But if you're just stuck to that younger past self of the version of the dream, you might miss what's right in front of you now.
00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:56.880
Lesson seven is that your mindset is a competitive advantage.
00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:59.680
We've talked about how this career is hard.
00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:10.880
And every single episode, we've talked about, you know, the hustle of freelance, the ups and downs, the changes in careers, it not being the most stable career path.
00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:26.640
You can figure it out and succeed financially, but it is, you know, challenging because you're not knowing that every single week you're gonna get a certain paycheck because it depends on how much you're working that month, what that project is paying, or if you're working on hopping on a different project, or if the industry is slower for a couple months.
00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:32.000
Like all those things happen, all those things are true, but your mindset is what sets you apart.
00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:39.519
Something we mentioned in Miguel's episode, he told a story about someone asking what he does for work and him saying that he was an actor.
00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:46.480
And the guy was like, Oh, that, you know, that must be hard, or that, you know, like, oh, I feel sorry, like for you.
00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:50.240
And Miguel was like, Don't feel sorry for me, like I'm doing great, you know.
00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:54.559
And he was like, even if I wasn't doing great, I would still say that because I love what I do.
00:32:54.799 --> 00:33:01.279
And I think also if you believe things are gonna work out for you and you believe like things are working in your favor, things will.
00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:08.079
If you believe that things aren't working in your favor or that everyone's against you or everything's against you, that's what your universe is gonna reflect.
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.839
I beg in manifestation.
00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:13.279
I do believe that your thoughts shape your reality.
00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:18.079
I think if you believe that like that things are gonna fall apart, then they're gonna fall apart.
00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:23.599
Both Miguel and Neely in their episodes mention escaping that starving artist mentality.
00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:29.279
Like, if you're if you say like, I'm just gonna be broke, then like you will, because you're cementing that identity.
00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:34.640
And um, Neely talked about how she wanted to escape that starving artist mentality.
00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:36.319
She doesn't want to be a starving artist.
00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:43.519
She wants to do what she loves to do and be successful in her creative career and be financially free in her creative career.
00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.799
And I love that goal.
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:53.359
And I I think when you believe that, you'll find a way to make it work versus if you think that it's never gonna work, then it's probably never gonna work.
00:33:53.519 --> 00:34:05.440
I think having that positive attitude and that positive mindset, that glass half-full mindset is your competitive advantage because it sets you apart from the people that don't have that faith or think the world's crumbling around them.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:10.639
And if you think, you know, the world is and things are happening in your favor, then they will.
00:34:10.880 --> 00:34:15.840
Whatever you focus on expands and your brain will find proof for whatever story your mind is running.
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.280
And it's super true.
00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:27.280
I love the kind of way of thinking about it in the sense where if someone told you to look around the room and look for the color orange, you'll be like, oh, orange is right there, right there, and right there.
00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:29.280
And then if they say, What about yellow?
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:33.039
You're gonna be like, wait, I didn't see any yellow because I was only looking for orange.
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:35.760
What you look for, you will find proof of.
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:37.679
You know, if you're not looking for it, you won't see it.
00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:47.599
So I think if you're saying that negative things are happening, you're gonna start being able to list negative things that are happening, versus if you're looking around for the positive things, you're gonna see way more positivity.
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:54.639
And it's harder because as humans, like our brains are wired to focus on the negatives as like a survival instinct to protect us.
00:34:54.960 --> 00:35:08.639
But it's so much more beneficial to look at the positives around you because when you're when you're showing that gratitude and you are happy and you are putting that like positive energy out, it's gonna reflect and it's just gonna like you know, you're gonna see more and more of it.
00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:17.519
In Caroline's episode, she mentioned that after she had moved back home to Texas after college, she felt this God pull back to Los Angeles.
00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:28.639
And I that goes along with mindset as well, where you're trusting something deeper than logic, you're trusting your gut, your feelings, your instincts, like spirituality, whatever.
00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:34.079
Like there was like that feeling that was pulling her back that she was trusting and connecting to.
00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:38.639
And I think listening to that is also that competitive advantage.
00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:41.039
Your mindset really sets you apart.
00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:49.679
And, you know, even when the world was telling her no, she felt like there was a reason she needed to do it and she did it, and now she's out here and killing it.
00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:54.320
So that's definitely something, you know, like we said, this industry is really hard.
00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:57.280
But your mindset is going to be what keeps you going.
00:35:57.519 --> 00:35:59.760
Lesson eight is putting your work out there.
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:03.840
In order to do this, you have to kind of get over that fear of being seen.
00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:12.159
But it's such an important thing to work on and skill to have to just be confident putting yourself out there and putting your work out there.
00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:18.559
And I think in creative careers, it can be really tough because the art that you create is so personal to you and vulnerable to you.
00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:24.400
But you could be the most talented person in the world, but if you're not putting yourself out there to be seen, no one's gonna know.
00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:34.400
And you're like art is so special because it connects people, because people can relate, you know, and if you don't show it to people, then you're stripping them of that opportunity.
00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:55.360
And something every single guest on this podcast has mentioned is putting yourself out there in different ways and putting your work online and showing, you know, I remember Bianca mentioned she found a lot of her actors through TikTok because she was posting on TikTok about starting her show, looking for actors, and they have become some of her closest collaborators on the show since starting it.
00:36:55.599 --> 00:37:09.039
So if those actors had never submitted to the audition and put themselves out there in that way, if Bianca had never put her put herself out there online saying she's building this project and looking to cast people, that collaboration would have never happened.
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:21.360
I think it's also, you know, cool in putting yourself out there during the process of building because a lot of people won't put the product out until it's finished, perfected, and carefully curated.
00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:36.559
But I think kind of taking people along your process of what you're building, you know, people also connect with that because they can understand the pressures of building something or how scary that can be, and they want to support you on that journey and see you build so that they can kind of be on that journey with you from the ground up.
00:37:36.719 --> 00:38:02.719
Also, a lot of the people I had on talked about like posting, you know, their work online, posting dance concept videos online, posting the photography online, short films that they've created, even you know, reaching out to people, the cold pitching themselves or you know, sending messages to people and wanting to connect, like you have to put yourself out there, and putting your work out there is important because if people don't see it, how can they know to hire you for something?
00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:08.320
It goes back to that proof of concept and showing people the work so that they can trust that you can do the work.
00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:10.400
If they don't see it, how can they believe it?
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:14.800
Actually, an example, the other week, my friend Ava had this concept idea she wanted to do.
00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:19.440
She had a song in mind, a dance in mind, and she texted a bunch of us and was like, Are you guys free?
00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:22.559
Monday, I want to teach you something and I want to film it in two hours.
00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:30.800
And so we went, we learned this combo, she had a videographer, it was like one take, and we did all these transitions, we filmed it, and people are loving this video.
00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:38.719
And the reality is putting that work out there could lead to something because some a brand could see that and be like, wait, this is such a cool concept, we would love this for a commercial.
00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:46.400
We could totally see this with a commercial, and then she could get booked choreographing a commercial because what people when people can see it, they can believe it.
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:52.239
If you're trying to get someone to buy into something without showing them any proof of your work, how can they trust that?
00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:55.360
How can they trust that investment in you and take that risk on you?
00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:58.800
So putting your work out there is truly so important.
00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:05.760
You can have the most incredible talent in the world, and it means nothing if no one knows that it exists.
00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:11.360
Something else that I always tell people and that a lot of people on the podcast have mentioned is creating just to create.
00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:14.320
If you're creative and you have ideas, create them.
00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:16.719
It doesn't have to be perfect, it can also just be for fun.
00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:20.159
Maybe it's not even like you're creating something to submit for an audition.
00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:22.800
Maybe you're just creating because you have a fun idea that you want to put together.
00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:25.280
Kind of like what I just mentioned with my friend Ava.
00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:33.760
It's also a really good tool for getting over your perfectionism, is just allowing yourself to create without the pressure and just seeing what comes of it.
00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:46.000
It's a good tool for practicing your skills, and then also you never know what's gonna connect with people, and you never know what people are gonna like see and and um really like be inspired by or yeah, connect with.
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:54.320
So you always just want to like put stuff out there, even if you don't feel it's perfect, even if you don't feel it's ready, something's better than nothing, done is better than perfect.
00:39:54.559 --> 00:39:58.079
Lesson nine is that being a multi-hyphenate is a superpower.
00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:03.840
Every single person I've had on has talked about different things that they do and different skills that they have.
00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:13.840
And I think in this industry it's really important to be adaptable and to have a variety of skills because you never know when they're gonna come into play or how they can all come together to create something.
00:40:14.079 --> 00:40:22.559
I last week I acted in something, I worked as a production assistant on something, I filmed my podcast, then I did a dance thing.
00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:28.079
Like all your skills can come together to like make it all happen and make it all work.
00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:32.159
And I think, you know, there used to be this kind of like pick one lane and stay in it.
00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:39.599
But when you're able to help out in a variety of ways, you increase your opportunities because you're able to be a part of project in multiple ways.
00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:59.360
I had my friend Tyler Winston on, who's a model and was also in the show Vanderpump Villa, and he talked about when he was first reaching out to brands, he was pitching himself not only as a model, but also with his sports background, which then led to modeling jobs where he was acting as a football player or acting in sports and ended up in a Super Bowl commercial.
00:40:59.599 --> 00:41:06.559
So having those like multifaceted things about you can come out in different ways and actually like really increase opportunities.
00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:10.960
Being adaptable is always important because you never know what a day could hold.
00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:21.119
Especially if you're working as a production assistant, you could, you know, do the typical tasks of checking the trash, restocking the coolers, but then you could be asked to drive a box truck.
00:41:21.280 --> 00:41:24.880
I had to like someone asked on set, they're like, Who is good handwriting?
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:27.039
Because we need you to write things, like write something.
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:28.559
And that came in in handy.
00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:38.000
So being adaptable, being able to like always jump into any task and help out in any way and just be a helping hand, no matter what your role is, is so important in entertainment.
00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:44.800
And even if you're a dancer on a project but you're really good at choreography, that could come in handy in a way, or you're good at styling.
00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:48.960
I've seen a lot of dancers also work as stylists and style friends for headshots.
00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:54.000
And now it's a way where they can, you know, have multiple streams of income while pursuing dance.
00:41:54.239 --> 00:42:01.039
So being a multi-hyphenant is something that a lot of people mentioned, you know, we had a gaffer who's also a business owner.
00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:04.400
We had a photographer who's also a creative director.
00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:08.000
We had a host who's also an actor and who's also a musician.
00:42:08.159 --> 00:42:11.440
Like you can be so many things and they can all come into play.
00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:22.079
And if you allow yourself, kind of like back to like allowing the dream to change, if you allow yourself to explore your different interests and have confidence in being a multi-hyphenite, all it does is increase your opportunities.
00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:26.320
And the last lesson, lesson 10, is knowing your worth.
00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:40.719
Knowing your worth in the sense of when you're first starting out, doing a lot of projects for free can really increase opportunities and you know, have something to show for your work and you're able to gain experience through that.
00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:50.800
But then once you've had enough things under your belt, it's time to start, you know, knowing what you deserve and what knowing your worth and how you're being treated, how you're being paid.
00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:52.639
And you learn that from experience.
00:42:52.719 --> 00:43:07.039
So after, you know, you've been gained some experiences, you now know what to ask for, what's expected, and just like having that reminder, knowing like the way you deserve to be spoken to and treated, and being able to be a little more picky and choosy with the jobs that you do.
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:14.079
And I think like it's it can be always fun to still like work on your creative projects with your friends for free and for fun.
00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:16.320
And I always think that's great to do.
00:43:16.639 --> 00:43:39.679
But in positions where like you're required to be on set for a really long time and that's like taking up a lot of your day, like you want to make sure you're getting like paid fairly, treated fairly, and being able to advocate for yourself and stand up for yourself if things aren't going well, but also like knowing your worth in the sense of that you know what to ask for, you're confident asking your rates and like requiring to be treated fairly.
00:43:39.840 --> 00:43:49.519
I think that's something that's really important in this industry because people can be taken advantage of, especially I think like dancers and actors, and like really wanting to work, people can take advantage of that.
00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:54.800
So just like reminding yourself that it's okay to advocate for yourself, that it's okay to say no.
00:43:54.960 --> 00:44:04.719
And I think that's a really like that's a skill a lot of people mention is knowing when to say no and when to say yes to opportunities and being able to make, you know, the right decision for you.
00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:19.679
And I think something that can help with that is really organizing your morals and beliefs and kind of thinking of your top priorities and if something aligns with those and if something doesn't, and being able to make that quick decision of yes, I want this opportunity or this isn't gonna work for me at this time.
00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:30.079
So those are the 10 lessons and the 10 things that I've noticed that all of the entertainment industry professionals I've interviewed on the show have in common, and we're just gonna recap some of those.
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:36.320
Underneath every different story, every different role, every different path, the same person kept showing up.
00:44:36.480 --> 00:45:04.480
Someone who genuinely shows up as a good human being, someone who started before they felt ready, someone who created their own opportunities instead of waiting, someone who invested in relationships, real ones, not transactional ones, someone who got knocked down and found a way to keep going, someone who let their dream evolve without losing the purpose beneath it, someone who protected their mindset like it was their most valuable asset, someone who put their work out even when it scared them, someone who stayed adaptable and knew their worth.
00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:12.719
The entertainment industry is hard, it's competitive, it's unpredictable, but every single person on the podcast that I've had on would tell you that it's worth it.
00:45:12.880 --> 00:45:14.559
There's so much fun that comes from it.
00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:19.679
There's so many incredible opportunities to meet cool creative people and work on cool creative projects.
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:23.280
If you want to work in entertainment, it's possible and your dreams are possible.
00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:37.840
And that's something that's been so cool with this podcast is talking to over 30 people that are doing it, that are working in entertainment, that have made their creative careers possible and showing everyone out there who has any doubts or insecurities about it that it's that you can do it.
00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:39.920
This podcast is living proof of that.
00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:45.519
And these are some things that I've noticed that all these people that are successful working in entertainment have in common.
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:59.599
And I think this is just a good reminder and a good episode where if you're having doubts or you're having insecurities or you're learning and trying to figure out like what you need to do to work in entertainment, I think this episode really is a good one to kind of go back to and listen through.
00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:05.519
And just like these are just good reminders for wanting to work in this industry and really what it takes to succeed in this industry.
00:46:05.679 --> 00:46:15.840
So if you're listening to this at the beginning of your career or you're in the middle of it and you're tired, the one thing you have to remember from this is that the common thread is the decision to keep going.
00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:25.119
And that decision is available to you right now, even when you're doubting it, even when you're not sure you're on the right path, is reminding yourself that you are and just trusting and believing in that.
00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:29.920
Overall, every single person that I've talked to, ultimately what they've done is refuse to give up.
00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:42.480
So if you want to work in entertainment, the thing that you have to remind yourself is to just keep going, even in the face of rejection, in the face of all the struggles, is if this is what you want to do, refusing to let anyone take that away from you.
00:46:42.719 --> 00:46:46.400
Thank you so much for watching this episode of Call Sheet Confessions.
00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:51.679
Always make sure to work hard and chase the dream because if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough.
00:46:51.920 --> 00:46:54.880
May your call times be reasonable and your checks be on time.
00:46:54.960 --> 00:46:58.000
And like my meme always says, break a leg, but not really.
00:46:58.320 --> 00:46:59.119
See you next time.
00:46:59.280 --> 00:46:59.840
Bye.
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.279
Welcome or welcome back to Call Sheet Confessions.
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:14.000
I'm your host, Mila Page, and today's episode is a very special one.
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If you've never watched an episode of Call Sheet Confessions, I'm going to be recapping all you need to know from our previous 30 episodes.
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Call Sheet Confessions just hit over 30 episodes and eight months of talking with entertainment professionals all across the industry, such as directors, choreographers, producers, gaffers, cinematographers, and so much more.
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Guests have worked on projects like Let's Marry Harry, The Bachelor, Euphoria, Fox Sports, Vanderpump Villa, and many more.
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Every single conversation has been different, but what I've noticed from all the episodes is that they all have a few things in common.
00:00:52.719 --> 00:01:05.840
So in this episode, I'm really going to be taking us back through first 30 episodes of Call Sheet Confessions and kind of pinpointing those similarities and those common themes that are coming up in what it takes to work in the entertainment industry.
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And here are 10 things that they all have in common.
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If you want to work in the entertainment industry and you're trying to figure out what you need to know and how to be prepared, this is exactly the episode for you.
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If you have watched Call Sheet Confessions and you've watched the past 30 episodes, this is a reminder of just those important themes that have stuck out.
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The reason behind starting Call Sheet Confessions is because I went to school for media production in college and I met a bunch of people that all want to work in the entertainment industry but don't exactly know where to start or how to get their foot in the door or what does a producer exactly do?
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What does a day in the life of a director look like?
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How do you get your foot in the door?
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How do you meet people?
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What does it take to get rehired on set?
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How do you build a sustainable career in entertainment?
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And after speaking with 30 plus entertainment industry professionals that are actively working in the industry and making it happen and showing that it's possible, the first one is to be a good person.
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Even in my last episode with Kevin, we talked about how working in the entertainment industry is also like a job about vibes.
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Like, can you hang essentially, right?
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And something that's so important is just being a good person and being someone that people want to work with.
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Because when you're spending such long hours with people, and you know, it could be 12-hour days for like weeks at a time, you have to be someone that people enjoy having around and someone that people enjoy working with and are excited to see your name on the call sheet.
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So that's definitely something that I've noticed in every single episode.
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We even had JP Stanley, an executive producer and founder of Good Work Productions.
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And he mentioned that the reason it's called good work is because they like to do good work with good people.
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And that's coming from an executive producer, and he's also a casting director.
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So there's been multiple people that have said that and made it such a point.
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And it's so true.
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Like if you have a nasty attitude or people don't enjoy having you around, or you're not able to kind of like gel and get along with people, you're not gonna get asked back on set.
00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:19.039
And you want to be the person that's getting asked back because it's one thing to get your foot in the door, but if you want to continue to get hired on other jobs and have them continue to bring you back, it's really the energy that you bring to set and people being excited to work with you that they want to keep bringing you back.
00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:23.360
Something else that quite a few people mention is that their industry ick is ego.
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I know Caroline Kohler's professional dancer movement director mentioned that.
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I know that Kevin mentioned that in our last episode, and I've talked about that too.
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And, you know, if that's a lot of people's industry ick, it just shows really how important it is to be a good person.
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Like, even if you have, you know, accomplished a lot in your career, there's just, I truly feel no reason to ever have an ego.
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Like you can always be successful and be accomplished, but also remain humble.
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You know where you've come from, know where you came from, and just like remain humble instead of having that ego.
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Because no one wants to be around that, and it can just totally throw off the energy on set.
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And I just think like being a people person, like if you want to work in entertainment, you have to be a people person.
00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:14.319
You have to like love talking to people, love meeting people, be a bit extroverted.
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I think if you're an introvert, that's totally fine, but you just have to like want to make the effort to get to know people and talk to people.
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And you know, a lot of people talk about being a personality hire.
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And we've had people on the show mention like, no matter how good at your job you are, if you're not a good person, people don't want to have you around.
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I remember JP also mentioned he said he'd rather hire someone who's still learning, you know, and excited to grow and learn, someone who may not be as great at their job yet, but has a great attitude, versus someone who's amazing at their job but has a really miserable attitude and isn't that great to work with.
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Something that also falls in line with being a good person is being good to work with.
00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.319
And we had a couple people talk about this as well.
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Something that a lot of people mentioned, I remember Erica mentioned this in her episode, is the importance of being on time.
00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:14.319
And she said something really interesting that has stuck with me that, you know, she's also a yogi and practices yoga, and something that they say is that if you're late when it comes to yoga, they view it as you stealing someone's time.
00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:16.879
That's really stuck with me.
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And that, you know, being a good person, being on time, being responsible, being someone that people can rely on, and also I think like being proactive, like if you see something that needs to get gone done, doing that, volunteering to help out, um, and just always, just always being a helping hand, having a good attitude and having a smile on your face.
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And obviously, not you know, we all deal with things outside of work.
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We all go through things in life, and so you're not gonna show up the same way every day.
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But I think it's important to try as much as possible to leave whatever you have like at the door when you head into work and just bring an exciting attitude, be excited to talk to people and just bring good energy.
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Like, I think that's really the main thing that I've heard in a lot of the episodes of the people that I've spoken with.
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Lesson two that I've noticed people talk about is that you have to start before you feel ready.
00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:10.079
This one is like really huge.
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It's also a scary one, but it's something I've noticed that everyone's done.
00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:18.720
I had Raina Hill on, who's a producer and she's produced for The Bachelor, Let's Marry Harry.
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She's worked on Temptation Island and so much more.
00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.279
And she really worked her way up from being a talent handler to a producer.
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One of the things that she mentioned is that when she first moved to LA, she would go to a coffee shop and just cold pitch herself on IMDB and reach out to casting directors she wanted to work with or ask people to get coffee and just like continue to put herself out there and you know, kind of start before you feel ready.
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And we also had Izzy on.
00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:55.279
If you're familiar with the Grammys sign my lens trend, if you've seen, you know, the celebrities kind of like do a kiss or do like a face and then like sign a camera, that's my friend Izzy.
00:06:55.759 --> 00:07:01.680
She started that and she just pitched a bunch of ideas to the Grammys and they ended up picking that one up.
00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:11.279
But something else Izzy mentioned that she did is she filmed an entire documentary with a$10,000 budget, which isn't a huge budget for a documentary, but she made it happen.
00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:16.959
And I think if you're always waiting for like the right conditions to start something, you might never do it.
00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:19.839
And it's really never gonna be the right time to do anything.
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I have a friend right now who's wanting to move out to LA, and I think she's been wrestling with, you know, what when's the right time?
00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.600
And the reality is it's never gonna be the right time.
00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:39.519
Like you kind of just have to go for it and do it, and you'll figure it out, but you don't want to let that opportunity pass you by because you wait too long to get on it because you're trying to wait for those right conditions.
00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:44.480
Even with me starting this podcast, I always wanted to start a podcast.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:51.040
And when I had the idea for this, I was super excited, but I knew I had to do it and made it happen for myself.
00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:56.480
I didn't wait for someone to, you know, give me the opportunity and tell me like now is the time to do it.
00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:00.079
I decided it was the right time and I went for it and I'm doing it.
00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:07.279
And I've already had people on the show, like guests on the show that were dream guests of mine that were on like my dream guest list.
00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:12.480
And seeing the intention it's gotten so far and the people's people have been impacted by it so far.
00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:17.360
Like my favorite messages are people reaching out saying that this podcast has like taught them so much.
00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:24.000
They've been able to connect with guests through the podcast through reaching out because they were inspired by something they talked about in an episode.
00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:28.079
And now they have more answers, and now they're more sure of what they want to do in the industry.
00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:32.960
Like that's the whole reason I started the podcast and seeing how it's impacted people is so cool.
00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:42.639
And the reality is if I waited for that opportunity or I never took the opportunity to start when I felt ready, that wouldn't be happening and these people's lives wouldn't be impacted in this way.
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.159
So if you have an idea for something or you want to do something, you gotta just do it.
00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:49.200
I really just think that's the best advice is to just figure it out.
00:08:49.279 --> 00:09:02.960
Even if you don't have the camera equipment you want or the budget that you want, or you know, everything isn't lining up the way exactly you want it to be, you gotta just start putting stuff out there because you can figure it out along the way, but you can't figure it out if you never start.
00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:11.360
Neely Towns, who I had on the show, Neely's a photographer, and something she mentioned about too was doing free work to start gaining real work.
00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:19.200
And she would DM people that she wanted to work with, maybe as a dancer, you know, some choreographers she'd reach out to and she would offer a free photo shoot.
00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:26.320
They she would get to connect with that choreographer on the photo shoot, and then one of the choreographers ended up hiring her to dance in an award show.
00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:32.159
So again, if she waited until they would reach out to her, that opportunity might never have happened.
00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:35.120
And she was also willing to offer free work in a way.
00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:44.320
So just taking those, like taking that initiative, taking those steps, even if you don't feel ready, and just figuring it out, like that's the best thing you can do.
00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:49.039
Something Izzy mentioned too in her episode is that done beats perfect every time.
00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:50.559
And I do think that's so true.
00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:58.320
And coming from a recovering perfectionist, I think that's something that can be tough because you want to always put your best foot forward.
00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:02.480
You don't want to put out something unless you like are very proud of it and like so sure of it.
00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:05.759
But you done is better than perfect.
00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.399
I think back to being in school, right?
00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:13.600
If you have an essay due on a Tuesday, actually, yes, this is so true.
00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:19.279
I remember in college, I think I had like an essay due and I was working on it so much and I just wanted to be perfect.
00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:21.440
So I ended up submitting it like a couple days late.
00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.399
And my teacher wrote me back and she was like, Mia, this is so good.
00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:28.399
This would have been an A, but because it's late, you lose like percent on it.
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:32.240
I think I got like a B plus on it, although it should have been an A, something like that.
00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:44.240
And it just shows done is better than perfect because I probably would have ended up getting a better score if I submitted it on time, but because I waited and I wanted to perfect it, it didn't end, you know, I didn't end up getting the score that I should have.
00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:46.320
So I think just done is better than perfect.
00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:53.039
You get it done and then you learn, you know, from it what you liked, what you didn't like, and how to move forward and move on the next time.
00:10:53.200 --> 00:11:04.799
There's a quote I like that kind of describes this lesson, and it's that you can't draw something for the first time and expect it to be Picasso, but you also can't get better without ever picking up the pencil.
00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:15.759
So I think that's like, you know, if you need that reminder, like you can't expect the day you start to be the top of your craft, but you can't ever become the top of your craft unless you start.
00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.919
This kind of takes us into lesson three, which is creating your own opportunities.
00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:26.879
Something that I really liked that Bianca mentioned in our episode, she's a director and writer.
00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:30.639
She her show is the 20s somethings TV show.
00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:36.720
And Bianca had said that you shouldn't call yourself what you're currently doing.
00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:38.879
You should introduce yourself as what you want to do.
00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:50.639
So she was saying, you know, if you're working as an assistant but you want to be a producer, don't introduce yourself as oh, I'm an assistant for blah, blah, blah, because then you're gonna be seen as an assistant and you're she's gonna know you as an assistant.
00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:56.000
If you introduce yourself and you say, I'm a producer, then she's gonna think of you as a producer.
00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:01.279
So you want to introduce yourself as what you want to be doing rather than what you're currently doing.
00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:07.279
And I thought that was really interesting because it's true, like the way you introduce yourself is the way that people will think about you.
00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:17.840
Like, even if you're a dancer and you want to be a professional dancer, like saying, like, oh, I'm like an aspiring, you know, dancer, just say I'm a dancer, and then they'll think of you like as a dancer who's ready to dance.
00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:26.879
It's interesting because you might want to like talk about whatever job you're currently doing, but if that's not the place that you want to stay, you have to introduce yourself as the place that you want to go.
00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:29.679
I also had Miguel on the podcast.
00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:32.000
He's an actor, acting coach.
00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:38.480
He also does Housewives Impressions, and he mentioned about moving to LA before he felt totally ready.
00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:50.000
But what he did is he spoke it into existence and manifested it and just, you know, created the opportunity, applied for jobs, got something, and just moved out here and made it happen.
00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:54.000
And it's like, again, creating those opportunities for yourself and not waiting for permission.
00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.399
If there's something you want to do, just going out and doing it.
00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:01.679
Something I also always tell my friends is that the worst you can hear is no.
00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:07.279
If you never put yourself out there or take that risk, it will always be a no.
00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:11.440
But if you go for it and you just see and try, it could end up being a yes.
00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:12.879
And this can be for so many things.
00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.639
This can be for applying for jobs that you don't feel totally qualified for.
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:25.039
This could be reaching out to people that you really want to talk to and connect with, but you're not sure if they'll take you seriously or if they'll respond and you're nervous to reach out.
00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:30.159
But the reality is if you do reach out, they could end up saying yes and you could end up having this great opportunity out of it.
00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:34.240
But if you never take the chance and bet on yourself and reach out, it's gonna always be a no.
00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:37.360
And essentially it's just that like closed mouths don't get fed.
00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:44.639
So with creating your own opportunity, also comes in advocating for yourself and putting yourself out there.
00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:48.960
And that's something that I've noticed everyone on the show has in common.
00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:54.159
Even Paul Becker mentioned, you know, putting out content online on his social media.
00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:56.639
He wanted to be a choreographer, so he got people together.
00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:00.080
He started putting, you know, choreography on them and posting the videos.
00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:11.919
And even if he didn't have a huge camera and a huge like lighting department and camera department and all these people to like make it this whole big concept video, he was able to, you know, we all have phones.
00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:16.480
You're able to take your phone, get some friends together, have teach them a dance and film it.
00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:25.360
So it's also working with what you have and just putting something out there because then you can show that proof of concept, and then someone might see that and be like, oh, I this would be great for this.
00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:26.799
We'll have this budget for it.
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:31.519
But if you never have anything to show, then those other opportunities can't snowball off of it.
00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:33.919
You have to just kind of put that first thing out there.
00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:49.919
And that's something every single person on the show has mentioned is putting themselves out there, taking those risks, um, taking really that initiative, like knowing what they want to do and making it happen and not giving in to any excuses or letting themselves talk themselves out of it.
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:50.799
It's just doing it.
00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:53.759
And I really think that's who succeeds in the industry.
00:14:53.919 --> 00:15:06.559
I think a lot of people want to do this, but there's a difference between the people that don't give up and refuse to give up and are like so resilient and persistent and just like continue to persevere to make it happen.
00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:14.879
And then there's the people that are able to talk themselves out of it or give in to like doubts and you know, end up not doing it.
00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:32.559
And the reality is both of those people could be really, really talented and and deserving of an opportunity, but it really comes down to believing in yourself enough, like having the courage to believe in yourself and go after your dreams, and just like betting on yourself and putting yourself out there.
00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:34.720
And that's something that, yeah, everyone's had in common.
00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.200
I think is really necessary if you want to work in entertainment.
00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:42.399
You could be the most talented person in the room, but you have to believe in yourself and you have to take risks.
00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:46.399
Lesson four is that relationships are the career.
00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:53.840
Every single person that I've talked to on the show can trace back a major turning point to a relationship in their life.
00:15:54.080 --> 00:16:04.960
Not a real, not a credential, not anything like that, but a person in their life, whether it's a mentor, someone they've connected with, someone who's a part of their network.
00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:11.039
And this truly, the entertainment industry is truly an industry built off of relationships.
00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:23.600
The way you make people feel, the way people remember you, that is your calling card, I think, in the entertainment industry and what it sounds like from 30 plus entertainment industry professionals that I've spoken to.
00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:39.120
This one is really huge because, for example, with my production assistant experience, if you work with a production coordinator and you work with a production team and they really like you, on the next project that they work on and they're looking for PAs, they're gonna bring you back.
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.519
They're gonna put your name in the pot and they're gonna bring you back.
00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:50.639
I've also seen people not get asked back because they didn't have, you know, that personality, that gelled, or they, you know, they weren't able to keep up that relationship.
00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:53.039
And this really is a relationship-built industry.
00:16:53.200 --> 00:17:07.839
One of my guests, Ryan Nelson, who works in post-production, mentioned that he got his current role as a story producer because of his friend Kaylin Allen that he met in college at Temple University.
00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:14.240
And they just had like stayed in contact, they remembered each other from college, and when Kaelin had this opportunity, he thought of Ryan.
00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:21.680
And so that right there is an example of how relationships can really impact your career in entertainment.
00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:31.519
And something that I also say about networking, because I've talked with friends that feel that like the word networking or the idea of networking is kind of scary or uncomfortable to them.
00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:41.599
And the way that I always describe it is instead of thinking about like business or like pitching yourself and that type of thing, I think about it as just like making friends.
00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:49.359
And you do it that way, I think it ends up working out more in your favor anyway, because it's more organic and it's more natural.
00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:54.720
And if you're able to make friends with people and then end up working together, then you're gonna need to work with your friends.
00:17:54.880 --> 00:18:02.799
And I think when you think about it like that, it's a lot less scary because I think a lot of people in the entertainment industry, like we're good at talking to people, we're fun people to work with.
00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:14.720
And I think if you just go about it as like, let's just chat and have a conversation, and maybe we both, you know, love Pilates, or maybe we have a common interest in a different way, but then we also both work in production and then you have those things in common.
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:20.480
And that's something I really love about LA is all the friends that I've made here.
00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:40.079
Me and my girls, like, we'll talk about dating and do Pilates or do girls' nights together and all of that, but then we're also able to talk about the industry and talk about work because we all are working in entertainment and we're also all friends, and I think that makes friendships like so much richer out here because you're friends with people that are creative just like you and passionate about their careers just like you.
00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:40.799
It's just cool.
00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:52.880
I've seen like how so many like things can happen, or even I had my friend Justin, who's a gaffer on the podcast, and then he had such a great time on the podcast, he ended up recommending other guests to me that would be great on the show.
00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:56.000
Who then I had Katie Williams on, who was a friend of Justin's.
00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:06.079
And it's like just through that relationship, now I've been able to bring more awesome people on the podcast, or like my friend Ben recommended Justin and recommended Bianca, who were guests on the podcast.
00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:17.119
So it's just cool how like just friendships with people talking, and in your friendships, you naturally will talk about what you do for work and talk about what you're passionate about, and then your friends know that and then they think of you.
00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:24.480
Same thing where like if I'm working on a project and they need PAs, I'm gonna think of my friends that I PA with and recommend them.
00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:28.319
And it's really just again being a good person.
00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:42.880
I think also like just being able to read a room also goes into relationship building and networking because you don't want to like put off anyone, you just want to like gel with people and connect with people.
00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:51.039
And I think when you focus on like connecting, making friends, it makes relationship building and networking so much easier and simpler when you think of it in that way.
00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:56.480
Something Raina Hill mentioned is that she would make a friend on every set, which is a piece of advice I really love.
00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:58.240
And I always try to do the same thing as well.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.519
If I'm in a dance class, I always try to make a friend in that dance class.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.279
If I'm on set, I'm always trying to make a friend or meet someone.
00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.000
And I think that's a good goal to set for yourself.
00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:14.000
Just like make a friend, chat with someone, and like again, when you focus on it in that way, it just makes it so much easier.
00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:18.319
And then you create these real organic relationships and friendships.
00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:26.400
Something I loved that Izzy said in our episode was I'm in the business of getting my friends paid, and my friends are in the business of getting me paid.
00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:29.119
That was one of my favorite things she said, and it's so true.
00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:32.000
If my friends are right for something, I'm gonna shout them out.
00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:35.440
And if they think I'm right for something, they're gonna put my name through.
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:37.599
And that is all networking is.
00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:45.759
That's all relationship building is is making friends and making a positive impact on people where they remember you and think of you for opportunities and you think of them.
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:50.319
It's like a two-way street, and it's just so important in this industry.
00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:54.400
Like, you don't want to burn bridges because then that would impact your work.
00:20:54.559 --> 00:21:00.160
Again, it doesn't matter how great at your job you are, if you rub people the wrong way, you're not gonna get jobs.
00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.599
But if you make a really positive impact on people, they're gonna think of you.
00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:06.799
Something else when it comes to relationships and networking.
00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:12.480
I think that, you know, I met actually met a good friend of mine, Gabby, at a networking event.
00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:26.640
But other than that, a lot of the friends that I've made out here in LA are from like common like meeting areas, whether it's a Pilates class, an acting class, coffee shops, like flea markets or things like that.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:32.799
Um, I really think that if you think of like an interest that you have, like Pilates, right?
00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.839
You go to Pilates, you meet someone else in the Pilates class.
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.240
That's how you can really meet friends and you never know who that person is or what they do.
00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:45.359
And imagine like both loving Pilates and then you both end up working in the industry in some capacity.
00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.559
And now you have a friend and you guys have a shared common interest.
00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:58.960
So I also think that's like a really good way to build your network and build relationships is just thinking about like those places where you could have those, like those hobbies and meeting people through that.
00:21:59.200 --> 00:21:59.759
Lesson five.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.559
Is that resilience isn't optional?
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:03.599
It's the job.
00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:07.039
A hundred percent in the entertainment industry, you have to be resilient.
00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:15.920
If you're an actor, you're gonna submit a bunch of self-tapes and audition and hear no a lot and get rejected a lot, but continuing to put yourself out there.
00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:20.960
Every single person on the podcast is extremely resilient.
00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:22.559
Um, every single person.
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:33.359
Even Kevin, in our last episode, he talked about how he lived in China for three years and was working there and ended up leaving during COVID and because of that couldn't go back to China, which he wanted to do.
00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:34.400
So he had to pivot.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:40.880
He ended up moving to LA, couch surfing with friends, and ended up getting a job on American Idol.
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:50.240
So you have to be resilient, you have to like figure out ways around things, and that's something that every single person on this podcast had mentioned.
00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:54.559
I remember Regan, who's now dancing for BTS on tour.
00:22:54.880 --> 00:23:04.240
She was trying to find jobs at first and wasn't finding them or trying to get signed and wasn't able to get signed, but then she booked a world tour with BTS.
00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:10.720
And it's because those people continue to believe in themselves and they continue to put themselves out there and be resilient.
00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:13.839
If you want to work in entertainment, you have to be resilient.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.599
That has to be a skill that you possess.
00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.400
You have to be able to bounce back like a boomerang.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.599
That's what you have to be able to do.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:31.279
Something that Kara Mayer Robinson mentioned on the podcast in her episode was that she talked about reframing fear as excitement and staying present in the face of rejection.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:37.200
She said that what sets successful people apart is that they refuse to give up even when they're terrified.
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:46.400
And I like I was saying earlier, I really think that that's the difference of people that end up being successful in the industry and people that don't, is they refuse to give up.
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:55.519
Even though they're getting the same rejection that other people are facing, they've just refused to give up and and and like are so determined to make it happen.
00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:02.319
Speaking about determination, I had Anthony Brell on the podcast, who is a dance educator, choreographer.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:06.480
He danced professionally for Beyoncé and was a dance teacher of mine growing up.
00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:12.640
He always spoke about dedication, determination, and discipline, and that those three things are the keys to reaching your goals.
00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:14.720
And that's something that's always stuck with me.
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:21.039
He also talked about how he grew up experiencing childhood trauma and found dance as a form of therapy.
00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:24.160
And then he booked his dream job, dancing for Alvin Ailey.
00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.200
But then the opportunity came to dance back up for Beyonce.
00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:30.240
And he had to choose: do I leave my job?
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:35.279
I've worked so hard for, you know, this job that like that, like Alvin Ailey was like his dream.
00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:41.680
But now he had this new dream of getting to tour with Beyonce and this incredible opportunity, or does he turn that down to stay at Alvin Ailey?
00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:42.880
It was a really tough decision.
00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:45.839
He ended up taking that risk and choosing the Beyonce job.
00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.759
And that changed his his life.
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.720
You know, that tour was incredible and changed his life.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:55.920
And just like being able to bounce back from things and figure it out, that's just what's so important.
00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:03.039
Matt Sonic, who works in production, my friend that I had on the show, we had met through doing Let's Marry Harry together.
00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:05.440
He talked about having no plan B.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.880
Like there was just no plan B.
00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:08.720
He knew he wanted to work in entertainment.
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:10.960
And I think that honestly became his armor.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:17.440
Because when you decide that this is plan A and this is my only plan, you have no choice but to make it work.
00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:20.480
And I again, I think that's what sets people apart.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:30.559
When you decide, like, this is what's happening and I'm gonna make it happen no matter what, those are the people that end up being successful in entertainment, is betting on yourself so confidently.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:37.440
Like even when everyone else is telling you no, or you're getting no's or hearing no's is just refusing to give up.
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:44.079
In Miguel's episode, he mentioned that Brian Cranston credited his career to the fact that he just stuck around.
00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.240
The only time you fail is when you give up.
00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.920
And again, I think that's so true.
00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:57.519
And that's something like I just like you know, mentioned a few a few guests I had on that talked about that in their episodes, but truly, like every single person showed resilience.
00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:03.200
Every single person had tough times but figured it out and still stayed the course.
00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:08.000
And I really think the people that stay the course and don't give up, like those are the people that end up making it.
00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:17.839
Another big thing that every single guest has mentioned is problem solving, especially the guests I've had on that work in production or are producers, problem solving.
00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:22.720
Being a good problem solver is essential in entertainment.
00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:30.720
And being someone who's like quick on their feet or knows there's an answer, knows there's a way they're gonna solve the problem, knows there's a way they're gonna they're gonna figure it out.
00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:40.480
Even if like some crazy, you know, bizarre situation occurs and they don't know what they're gonna do, instead of focusing on like, what are we like, I don't know, I don't know, they're like, what are we gonna do?
00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:42.960
Let's find a plan, let's take action and figure it out.
00:26:43.119 --> 00:27:00.799
And that goes again with the resilience is being able to problem solve, like being able to just like stay the course, even when things arise, like knowing you're gonna figure it out, having faith in yourself to figure it out, I think is ultimately, you know, what that resilience skill is, and it's so important if you want to do this.
00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:04.160
Lesson six is that the dream is allowed to change.
00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:09.759
And this is a funny one, kind of after the last one, but it's part of it as well.
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:13.440
So I grew up always wanting to dance professionally.
00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:14.799
That was my one and only goal.
00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:16.799
It was plan A was my only plan.
00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:23.920
However, through dance, through loving dance, I had an interest in learning the full 360 of entertainment.
00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:40.079
I worked at a talent agency, I worked as a production assistant, I majored in college to learn production and everything else that goes into the industry and branding yourself and marketing yourself and what it takes to put like a whole show together.
00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:51.839
And through that, I really found a love for production and producing, and that's like a huge interest of mine and something I'm loving just as much as I love dance, which I never thought could be possible.
00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:56.000
Multiple guests have mentioned that their dream has kind of changed along the way.
00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:02.480
And I loved hearing that when I had Katie Williams on, who's a director of photography, cinematographer.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:06.480
I asked her if she was living her dream, and she was the first guest I had on that ever said no.
00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:10.559
And her reason why is that the dream, you know, changes.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:16.319
She was like, once I do my first five million feature, I'm gonna want to do my, you know, do one for 10 million.
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:19.279
Like the dream is always evolving and changing.
00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:22.559
And I think it's okay, like to know that.
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:27.279
But I also, when I had Anthony Brell on, he said, but this is part of the dream.
00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:29.039
Like, this is still part of plan A.
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:36.079
Plan A got you to this position to where you're learning new things, but it's all still like under this umbrella of entertainment.
00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:41.680
And I think it's okay if you go into, you know, I remember Matt Sonic on his episode mentioned he wanted to be a director.
00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:43.519
He went to college wanting to be a director.
00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:47.359
But through Pang, he learned actually, I like the production side of things.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:50.319
I kind of rather work towards the producer side of things.
00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:56.079
So the dream's allowed to change, but if you stay the course, you'll be able to figure that out like along the way.
00:28:56.319 --> 00:29:03.920
Even Paul Becker, who I had on, who's a Hollywood director and choreographer, he has done so many different projects and worked on so many different things.
00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:06.319
But even he doesn't feel like he's made it yet.
00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:10.400
There's really always more to learn, to become, to accomplish.
00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:13.599
And I think you're allowed that freedom to explore.
00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:27.759
And I also like had Kevin on last week, and Kevin talked about how when he commits to something, it scares him because he feels like if he commits to that, he's like kind of cementing that identity and could get stuck doing that and miss out on something else.
00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:37.359
But I think that when you commit to something, yeah, you can commit to it, but you're also allowed to learn other things about yourself along the way, and you're also allowed to change course.
00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.759
I as a dancer, I love a pivot, okay?
00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:40.720
I love a pivot.
00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.079
You could always be allowed to pivot.
00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:49.119
You're always allowed to do something, enjoy it, but then make a change and make the change that right that's right for you and figure out something along the way.
00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:58.079
You know, you could be working in the camera department, but end up really actually loving art and really wanting to work in the art department, and you're allowed to make that decision, you're allowed to change.
00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:04.720
I think that's a really good reminder is not being so hard on ourselves to like you can only be one thing, you can be a variety of things.
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:12.960
Like, I'm a podcast host, I'm a dancer, I work in production, I like you can be so many different things, and that's okay.
00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:16.319
Yeah, the dream is allowed to change, the dream is allowed to evolve.
00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:21.759
You know, my young self, little Mia, all she saw was dancing professionally.
00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:28.079
And now at this age, while I love that, I also have these other interests and other things that I'm interested in pursuing, and that's okay.
00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:33.519
I think a good reminder too is that the dream evolving isn't failure, it's growth.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:40.000
Because the person you are at 22 is not supposed to want the exact same things that the as the person you'll be at 32.
00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:53.119
And when you think about it like that, like your dream, like as a kid, before you become an adult and you realize like everything else that comes with that, you might, you know, want one thing, but then as you get older, you change.
00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:56.160
You know, as people we grow, we learn, we grow, we evolve.
00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:58.799
So it's okay if the dream changes along with it.
00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:20.000
I think while the dream is changing, or if the dream is evolving, it's just remembering the why behind it and the reason that you came out to LA in the first place, or the reason that you chose this career path in the first place, and that will keep you on the right track, even if you're changing lanes, is remembering the why and you know, why you love to do what you do and the passion behind what you do.
00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:26.480
And as long as you carry that with you, like you'll always end up the place that in the place that you're supposed to be and on the right track.
00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:41.200
I think, you know, with what Kevin mentioned too about kind of that fear of getting stuck when you commit to something, is reminding yourself to not be so attached to the dream that you had at 18 that you miss the version of the dream that's available to you right now.
00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:45.119
Because the version of the dream can change and you might really gravitate towards that.
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:52.720
But if you're just stuck to that younger past self of the version of the dream, you might miss what's right in front of you now.
00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:56.880
Lesson seven is that your mindset is a competitive advantage.
00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:59.680
We've talked about how this career is hard.
00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:10.880
And every single episode, we've talked about, you know, the hustle of freelance, the ups and downs, the changes in careers, it not being the most stable career path.
00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:26.640
You can figure it out and succeed financially, but it is, you know, challenging because you're not knowing that every single week you're gonna get a certain paycheck because it depends on how much you're working that month, what that project is paying, or if you're working on hopping on a different project, or if the industry is slower for a couple months.
00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:32.000
Like all those things happen, all those things are true, but your mindset is what sets you apart.
00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:39.519
Something we mentioned in Miguel's episode, he told a story about someone asking what he does for work and him saying that he was an actor.
00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:46.480
And the guy was like, Oh, that, you know, that must be hard, or that, you know, like, oh, I feel sorry, like for you.
00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:50.240
And Miguel was like, Don't feel sorry for me, like I'm doing great, you know.
00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:54.559
And he was like, even if I wasn't doing great, I would still say that because I love what I do.
00:32:54.799 --> 00:33:01.279
And I think also if you believe things are gonna work out for you and you believe like things are working in your favor, things will.
00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:08.079
If you believe that things aren't working in your favor or that everyone's against you or everything's against you, that's what your universe is gonna reflect.
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.839
I beg in manifestation.
00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:13.279
I do believe that your thoughts shape your reality.
00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:18.079
I think if you believe that like that things are gonna fall apart, then they're gonna fall apart.
00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:23.599
Both Miguel and Neely in their episodes mention escaping that starving artist mentality.
00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:29.279
Like, if you're if you say like, I'm just gonna be broke, then like you will, because you're cementing that identity.
00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:34.640
And um, Neely talked about how she wanted to escape that starving artist mentality.
00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:36.319
She doesn't want to be a starving artist.
00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:43.519
She wants to do what she loves to do and be successful in her creative career and be financially free in her creative career.
00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.799
And I love that goal.
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:53.359
And I I think when you believe that, you'll find a way to make it work versus if you think that it's never gonna work, then it's probably never gonna work.
00:33:53.519 --> 00:34:05.440
I think having that positive attitude and that positive mindset, that glass half-full mindset is your competitive advantage because it sets you apart from the people that don't have that faith or think the world's crumbling around them.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:10.639
And if you think, you know, the world is and things are happening in your favor, then they will.
00:34:10.880 --> 00:34:15.840
Whatever you focus on expands and your brain will find proof for whatever story your mind is running.
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.280
And it's super true.
00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:27.280
I love the kind of way of thinking about it in the sense where if someone told you to look around the room and look for the color orange, you'll be like, oh, orange is right there, right there, and right there.
00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:29.280
And then if they say, What about yellow?
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:33.039
You're gonna be like, wait, I didn't see any yellow because I was only looking for orange.
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:35.760
What you look for, you will find proof of.
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:37.679
You know, if you're not looking for it, you won't see it.
00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:47.599
So I think if you're saying that negative things are happening, you're gonna start being able to list negative things that are happening, versus if you're looking around for the positive things, you're gonna see way more positivity.
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:54.639
And it's harder because as humans, like our brains are wired to focus on the negatives as like a survival instinct to protect us.
00:34:54.960 --> 00:35:08.639
But it's so much more beneficial to look at the positives around you because when you're when you're showing that gratitude and you are happy and you are putting that like positive energy out, it's gonna reflect and it's just gonna like you know, you're gonna see more and more of it.
00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:17.519
In Caroline's episode, she mentioned that after she had moved back home to Texas after college, she felt this God pull back to Los Angeles.
00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:28.639
And I that goes along with mindset as well, where you're trusting something deeper than logic, you're trusting your gut, your feelings, your instincts, like spirituality, whatever.
00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:34.079
Like there was like that feeling that was pulling her back that she was trusting and connecting to.
00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:38.639
And I think listening to that is also that competitive advantage.
00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:41.039
Your mindset really sets you apart.
00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:49.679
And, you know, even when the world was telling her no, she felt like there was a reason she needed to do it and she did it, and now she's out here and killing it.
00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:54.320
So that's definitely something, you know, like we said, this industry is really hard.
00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:57.280
But your mindset is going to be what keeps you going.
00:35:57.519 --> 00:35:59.760
Lesson eight is putting your work out there.
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:03.840
In order to do this, you have to kind of get over that fear of being seen.
00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:12.159
But it's such an important thing to work on and skill to have to just be confident putting yourself out there and putting your work out there.
00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:18.559
And I think in creative careers, it can be really tough because the art that you create is so personal to you and vulnerable to you.
00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:24.400
But you could be the most talented person in the world, but if you're not putting yourself out there to be seen, no one's gonna know.
00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:34.400
And you're like art is so special because it connects people, because people can relate, you know, and if you don't show it to people, then you're stripping them of that opportunity.
00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:55.360
And something every single guest on this podcast has mentioned is putting yourself out there in different ways and putting your work online and showing, you know, I remember Bianca mentioned she found a lot of her actors through TikTok because she was posting on TikTok about starting her show, looking for actors, and they have become some of her closest collaborators on the show since starting it.
00:36:55.599 --> 00:37:09.039
So if those actors had never submitted to the audition and put themselves out there in that way, if Bianca had never put her put herself out there online saying she's building this project and looking to cast people, that collaboration would have never happened.
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:21.360
I think it's also, you know, cool in putting yourself out there during the process of building because a lot of people won't put the product out until it's finished, perfected, and carefully curated.
00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:36.559
But I think kind of taking people along your process of what you're building, you know, people also connect with that because they can understand the pressures of building something or how scary that can be, and they want to support you on that journey and see you build so that they can kind of be on that journey with you from the ground up.
00:37:36.719 --> 00:38:02.719
Also, a lot of the people I had on talked about like posting, you know, their work online, posting dance concept videos online, posting the photography online, short films that they've created, even you know, reaching out to people, the cold pitching themselves or you know, sending messages to people and wanting to connect, like you have to put yourself out there, and putting your work out there is important because if people don't see it, how can they know to hire you for something?
00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:08.320
It goes back to that proof of concept and showing people the work so that they can trust that you can do the work.
00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:10.400
If they don't see it, how can they believe it?
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:14.800
Actually, an example, the other week, my friend Ava had this concept idea she wanted to do.
00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:19.440
She had a song in mind, a dance in mind, and she texted a bunch of us and was like, Are you guys free?
00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:22.559
Monday, I want to teach you something and I want to film it in two hours.
00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:30.800
And so we went, we learned this combo, she had a videographer, it was like one take, and we did all these transitions, we filmed it, and people are loving this video.
00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:38.719
And the reality is putting that work out there could lead to something because some a brand could see that and be like, wait, this is such a cool concept, we would love this for a commercial.
00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:46.400
We could totally see this with a commercial, and then she could get booked choreographing a commercial because what people when people can see it, they can believe it.
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:52.239
If you're trying to get someone to buy into something without showing them any proof of your work, how can they trust that?
00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:55.360
How can they trust that investment in you and take that risk on you?
00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:58.800
So putting your work out there is truly so important.
00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:05.760
You can have the most incredible talent in the world, and it means nothing if no one knows that it exists.
00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:11.360
Something else that I always tell people and that a lot of people on the podcast have mentioned is creating just to create.
00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:14.320
If you're creative and you have ideas, create them.
00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:16.719
It doesn't have to be perfect, it can also just be for fun.
00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:20.159
Maybe it's not even like you're creating something to submit for an audition.
00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:22.800
Maybe you're just creating because you have a fun idea that you want to put together.
00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:25.280
Kind of like what I just mentioned with my friend Ava.
00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:33.760
It's also a really good tool for getting over your perfectionism, is just allowing yourself to create without the pressure and just seeing what comes of it.
00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:46.000
It's a good tool for practicing your skills, and then also you never know what's gonna connect with people, and you never know what people are gonna like see and and um really like be inspired by or yeah, connect with.
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:54.320
So you always just want to like put stuff out there, even if you don't feel it's perfect, even if you don't feel it's ready, something's better than nothing, done is better than perfect.
00:39:54.559 --> 00:39:58.079
Lesson nine is that being a multi-hyphenate is a superpower.
00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:03.840
Every single person I've had on has talked about different things that they do and different skills that they have.
00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:13.840
And I think in this industry it's really important to be adaptable and to have a variety of skills because you never know when they're gonna come into play or how they can all come together to create something.
00:40:14.079 --> 00:40:22.559
I last week I acted in something, I worked as a production assistant on something, I filmed my podcast, then I did a dance thing.
00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:28.079
Like all your skills can come together to like make it all happen and make it all work.
00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:32.159
And I think, you know, there used to be this kind of like pick one lane and stay in it.
00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:39.599
But when you're able to help out in a variety of ways, you increase your opportunities because you're able to be a part of project in multiple ways.
00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:59.360
I had my friend Tyler Winston on, who's a model and was also in the show Vanderpump Villa, and he talked about when he was first reaching out to brands, he was pitching himself not only as a model, but also with his sports background, which then led to modeling jobs where he was acting as a football player or acting in sports and ended up in a Super Bowl commercial.
00:40:59.599 --> 00:41:06.559
So having those like multifaceted things about you can come out in different ways and actually like really increase opportunities.
00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:10.960
Being adaptable is always important because you never know what a day could hold.
00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:21.119
Especially if you're working as a production assistant, you could, you know, do the typical tasks of checking the trash, restocking the coolers, but then you could be asked to drive a box truck.
00:41:21.280 --> 00:41:24.880
I had to like someone asked on set, they're like, Who is good handwriting?
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:27.039
Because we need you to write things, like write something.
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:28.559
And that came in in handy.
00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:38.000
So being adaptable, being able to like always jump into any task and help out in any way and just be a helping hand, no matter what your role is, is so important in entertainment.
00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:44.800
And even if you're a dancer on a project but you're really good at choreography, that could come in handy in a way, or you're good at styling.
00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:48.960
I've seen a lot of dancers also work as stylists and style friends for headshots.
00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:54.000
And now it's a way where they can, you know, have multiple streams of income while pursuing dance.
00:41:54.239 --> 00:42:01.039
So being a multi-hyphenant is something that a lot of people mentioned, you know, we had a gaffer who's also a business owner.
00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:04.400
We had a photographer who's also a creative director.
00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:08.000
We had a host who's also an actor and who's also a musician.
00:42:08.159 --> 00:42:11.440
Like you can be so many things and they can all come into play.
00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:22.079
And if you allow yourself, kind of like back to like allowing the dream to change, if you allow yourself to explore your different interests and have confidence in being a multi-hyphenite, all it does is increase your opportunities.
00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:26.320
And the last lesson, lesson 10, is knowing your worth.
00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:40.719
Knowing your worth in the sense of when you're first starting out, doing a lot of projects for free can really increase opportunities and you know, have something to show for your work and you're able to gain experience through that.
00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:50.800
But then once you've had enough things under your belt, it's time to start, you know, knowing what you deserve and what knowing your worth and how you're being treated, how you're being paid.
00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:52.639
And you learn that from experience.
00:42:52.719 --> 00:43:07.039
So after, you know, you've been gained some experiences, you now know what to ask for, what's expected, and just like having that reminder, knowing like the way you deserve to be spoken to and treated, and being able to be a little more picky and choosy with the jobs that you do.
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:14.079
And I think like it's it can be always fun to still like work on your creative projects with your friends for free and for fun.
00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:16.320
And I always think that's great to do.
00:43:16.639 --> 00:43:39.679
But in positions where like you're required to be on set for a really long time and that's like taking up a lot of your day, like you want to make sure you're getting like paid fairly, treated fairly, and being able to advocate for yourself and stand up for yourself if things aren't going well, but also like knowing your worth in the sense of that you know what to ask for, you're confident asking your rates and like requiring to be treated fairly.
00:43:39.840 --> 00:43:49.519
I think that's something that's really important in this industry because people can be taken advantage of, especially I think like dancers and actors, and like really wanting to work, people can take advantage of that.
00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:54.800
So just like reminding yourself that it's okay to advocate for yourself, that it's okay to say no.
00:43:54.960 --> 00:44:04.719
And I think that's a really like that's a skill a lot of people mention is knowing when to say no and when to say yes to opportunities and being able to make, you know, the right decision for you.
00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:19.679
And I think something that can help with that is really organizing your morals and beliefs and kind of thinking of your top priorities and if something aligns with those and if something doesn't, and being able to make that quick decision of yes, I want this opportunity or this isn't gonna work for me at this time.
00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:30.079
So those are the 10 lessons and the 10 things that I've noticed that all of the entertainment industry professionals I've interviewed on the show have in common, and we're just gonna recap some of those.
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:36.320
Underneath every different story, every different role, every different path, the same person kept showing up.
00:44:36.480 --> 00:45:04.480
Someone who genuinely shows up as a good human being, someone who started before they felt ready, someone who created their own opportunities instead of waiting, someone who invested in relationships, real ones, not transactional ones, someone who got knocked down and found a way to keep going, someone who let their dream evolve without losing the purpose beneath it, someone who protected their mindset like it was their most valuable asset, someone who put their work out even when it scared them, someone who stayed adaptable and knew their worth.
00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:12.719
The entertainment industry is hard, it's competitive, it's unpredictable, but every single person on the podcast that I've had on would tell you that it's worth it.
00:45:12.880 --> 00:45:14.559
There's so much fun that comes from it.
00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:19.679
There's so many incredible opportunities to meet cool creative people and work on cool creative projects.
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:23.280
If you want to work in entertainment, it's possible and your dreams are possible.
00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:37.840
And that's something that's been so cool with this podcast is talking to over 30 people that are doing it, that are working in entertainment, that have made their creative careers possible and showing everyone out there who has any doubts or insecurities about it that it's that you can do it.
00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:39.920
This podcast is living proof of that.
00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:45.519
And these are some things that I've noticed that all these people that are successful working in entertainment have in common.
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:59.599
And I think this is just a good reminder and a good episode where if you're having doubts or you're having insecurities or you're learning and trying to figure out like what you need to do to work in entertainment, I think this episode really is a good one to kind of go back to and listen through.
00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:05.519
And just like these are just good reminders for wanting to work in this industry and really what it takes to succeed in this industry.
00:46:05.679 --> 00:46:15.840
So if you're listening to this at the beginning of your career or you're in the middle of it and you're tired, the one thing you have to remember from this is that the common thread is the decision to keep going.
00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:25.119
And that decision is available to you right now, even when you're doubting it, even when you're not sure you're on the right path, is reminding yourself that you are and just trusting and believing in that.
00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:29.920
Overall, every single person that I've talked to, ultimately what they've done is refuse to give up.
00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:42.480
So if you want to work in entertainment, the thing that you have to remind yourself is to just keep going, even in the face of rejection, in the face of all the struggles, is if this is what you want to do, refusing to let anyone take that away from you.
00:46:42.719 --> 00:46:46.400
Thank you so much for watching this episode of Call Sheet Confessions.
00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:51.679
Always make sure to work hard and chase the dream because if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough.
00:46:51.920 --> 00:46:54.880
May your call times be reasonable and your checks be on time.
00:46:54.960 --> 00:46:58.000
And like my meme always says, break a leg, but not really.
00:46:58.320 --> 00:46:59.119
See you next time.
00:46:59.280 --> 00:46:59.840
Bye.
