I have a confession to make. I've never been a huge fan of country music. My grandmother, however, loved it ... especially the "old" country songs about cowboys and horses, lost loves and broken hearts.
Then along came Faith Hill and Shania Twain and that's when everything changed for me, because even though their music was still "country" (at least to some people), it had enough pop to it, that I was able to enjoy it, too.
Now that I divide my time between California and Montana, my taste for country music is slowly growing, and I've since become a fan of Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, and Rascal Flatts, just to name a few. So, the other night when ABC aired the TV special, "Six Degrees of Martina McBride," I was curious enough to sit down and watch the show. I've always loved the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" Visa Commercial, so I knew this would be an interesting project.
So what does this have to do with working in the entertainment industry? EVERYTHING!
As The Industry Coach, I am forever telling (or reminding) my clients that in this business, or in any business for that matter, but especially in the entertainment industry, "it's not what you know ... it's WHO you know!" And the Martina McBride project is proof of how important the concept of networking really is.
If you didn't see the show, the premise was this: if six aspiring country singers, without any connections to Martina McBride, could actually find her and meet her in person, using their own connections with up to six other people, they would have the opportunity to win a recording contract with Martina's record label, Sony BMG.
Believe it or not, all six of them succeeded at this task; they all met Martina and one lucky woman really did win a recording contract. So who was this woman and who did she know? While I don't remember how her chain-of-command went, I will tell you this: her first phone call was to a man from whom she bought a pickup truck!
If she can do it, you can too, because the truth of the matter is this: We are all just 6 people away from achieving our dreams. However, most of us don't take the time to sit down and work through our address book, or, we're afraid to ask for help. Either way, unless we're willing to change our behavior and become fearless in the pursuit of our dreams, we will always be six degrees away from what we truly want.
In closing, I want to leave you with these thoughts:
1) What do you really want?
2) Who do you know who can help you get started?
3) Are you ready to go for it?
You can do it - I know you can!
Cheers,
Sharon
Showing posts with label ABC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABC. Show all posts
Friday, August 3, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Letter to Isaiah Washington ...
Dear Isaiah,
There are two sides to every story and then there’s the truth. And, when it comes to the situation with Grey’s Anatomy, none of us are every going to know what really happened that day … No matter how many people you talk to!
There’s no question that you’re angry about being released from the show. That’s obvious by the fact that no matter which way I turn, there you are, speaking with everyone and anyone who will listen, trying to tell them your side of the story. And while I’m sure that anyone in your shoes would feel the same way you do right now, nothing is going to change the situation. At this point in time, the only thing that can change is you and your attitude.
The time has come for you to STOP TALKING! Life is unfair and sometimes stuff happens over which we have no control. However, the more you keep talking, the deeper the hole you dig, because now you just look like someone who’s difficult to work with; someone who causes trouble, has anger management issues, and is a potential liability on any project.
And, while I don’t know who your “team” is and how they’re advising you right now, if you were my client, the first piece of advice I would give you is to LET IT GO.
It’s time for you to salvage what’s left of your dignity and your career and move on. Go on vacation and take some time to figure out what your next move is. Re-evaluate your team (i.e. agent, manager, publicist, etc.) and decide it they have your best interest at heart, or if it’s time to explore putting together a new team. Forgive your fellow cast members and remember that they weren’t the ones who fired you. Forgive yourself for your error in judgment. It happened and you can’t undo it, so get over it and get on with your life.
The decision is yours to make, so make this one count.
Sharon
There are two sides to every story and then there’s the truth. And, when it comes to the situation with Grey’s Anatomy, none of us are every going to know what really happened that day … No matter how many people you talk to!
There’s no question that you’re angry about being released from the show. That’s obvious by the fact that no matter which way I turn, there you are, speaking with everyone and anyone who will listen, trying to tell them your side of the story. And while I’m sure that anyone in your shoes would feel the same way you do right now, nothing is going to change the situation. At this point in time, the only thing that can change is you and your attitude.
The time has come for you to STOP TALKING! Life is unfair and sometimes stuff happens over which we have no control. However, the more you keep talking, the deeper the hole you dig, because now you just look like someone who’s difficult to work with; someone who causes trouble, has anger management issues, and is a potential liability on any project.
And, while I don’t know who your “team” is and how they’re advising you right now, if you were my client, the first piece of advice I would give you is to LET IT GO.
It’s time for you to salvage what’s left of your dignity and your career and move on. Go on vacation and take some time to figure out what your next move is. Re-evaluate your team (i.e. agent, manager, publicist, etc.) and decide it they have your best interest at heart, or if it’s time to explore putting together a new team. Forgive your fellow cast members and remember that they weren’t the ones who fired you. Forgive yourself for your error in judgment. It happened and you can’t undo it, so get over it and get on with your life.
The decision is yours to make, so make this one count.
Sharon
Friday, June 8, 2007
Your Acting Career
The first time one of my acting clients told me that she doesn't watch TV, I almost fell out of my chair!
We'd been working together for about 4 months, planning strategies for her career, and I (obviously) made the mistake of assuming that she watched television, especially since she told me that she wanted to land a series regular gig on a particular show on ABC. When she told me that even though she wanted to land a job on "show X," she didn't watch that show on a regular basis, I almost dropped her as a client. All I kept thinking was "How can you not watch it?"
After that conversation, I really had to wonder how much she wanted to be an actor and how dedicated she was to her acting career. Or, was she just talking a good game? It was only at that time when I discovered how many of my other clients were in the same boat.
As The Industry Coach and President of the Actors Resource Center, one of the things I do is work with actors to help them move forward in their careers. My clients have included those just starting out in the business, as well as those on Hollywood's A-List, and the truth of the matter is this: no matter where you are in your career, if you really want to be successful you need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
If you want to be a television actor, you need to watch television. If you want to do movies, you need to watch movies. And, if you want to do theatre (and every actor should do theatre at some point in their career - it will help them with their craft), then you need to go to the theatre and read plays on a regular basis.
Today is a new day ... What are YOU going to do for your career?
Cheers,
Sharon
We'd been working together for about 4 months, planning strategies for her career, and I (obviously) made the mistake of assuming that she watched television, especially since she told me that she wanted to land a series regular gig on a particular show on ABC. When she told me that even though she wanted to land a job on "show X," she didn't watch that show on a regular basis, I almost dropped her as a client. All I kept thinking was "How can you not watch it?"
After that conversation, I really had to wonder how much she wanted to be an actor and how dedicated she was to her acting career. Or, was she just talking a good game? It was only at that time when I discovered how many of my other clients were in the same boat.
As The Industry Coach and President of the Actors Resource Center, one of the things I do is work with actors to help them move forward in their careers. My clients have included those just starting out in the business, as well as those on Hollywood's A-List, and the truth of the matter is this: no matter where you are in your career, if you really want to be successful you need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
If you want to be a television actor, you need to watch television. If you want to do movies, you need to watch movies. And, if you want to do theatre (and every actor should do theatre at some point in their career - it will help them with their craft), then you need to go to the theatre and read plays on a regular basis.
Today is a new day ... What are YOU going to do for your career?
Cheers,
Sharon
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