Quote for the Day

"Only by coming to grips with difficulty can you realize your full potential."
-- Charles de Gaulle, president of France

Actors Success Circle™ - Registration Open!

If you and I were having a conversation and I asked you this question: “Is your career where you had hoped it would be by this time in your life,” would your answer be “Yes?” If not, would you be interested in receiving personal, one-on-one coaching from me so that you can start seeing the results you desire?

A new coaching group in the Actors Success Circle™ will be starting on July 6th, and will be limited to 6 members. Spots are filled on a first come, first served basis and once all of the spots have been filled, membership in the Actors Success Circle™ will be closed.

If you’re ready to up-level your career, then click here to learn more and secure your spot today!

Actors Resource Center® is Now Open

The first phase of the Actors Resource Center® is now open and available for membership!

To learn more, or to join go to: Actors Resource Center

I look forward to seeing you there!

Sharon Moist
The Industry Coach®
*********
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Coaching Corner: Do You Talk a Good Game?

I recently had a conversation with a potential client who talks a really good game.

The challenge with this person is that I’ve “been there and done that,” so I’m very familiar with the “talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk” syndrome. Up until two years ago, I could talk just about anyone under the table with all of my big plans. Unfortunately, all I did was talk. I never took action on anything. Just ask my former trainer; he’ll tell you just how true that statement really is!

Fortunately, that’s not the case anymore. Now I talk the talk AND walk the walk, and my life has changed 360 degrees because of it.

So what changed? Just one thing: I stopped talking and started walking. (i.e. I actually took the first step on something.)

For example: When it came to exercise, I started working out at the gym for just 10 minutes at a time. (This area is definitely a challenge for me, as I’m not a big fan of exercising, but I’m getting there!) When it came to nutrition, I drank one extra glass of water. (Soda is my preferred beverage of choice!) When it came to getting my office organized, I set the timer for 10 minutes and worked on a pile of papers. (My assistant lives in Canada, so when it comes to keeping my office straight, it’s really up to me!)

See how simple it was? The most important thing was to make each step I took small enough for me to succeed and feel like I had actually accomplished something. After that, momentum built on momentum, and the steps I took got a little bit larger each time, until I was no longer talking, but actually walking!

Now, let’s be honest: The exercise thing and the water thing are still a challenge for me, as I’d still rather sit on the couch reading a good book and drinking a can of soda, than working out, drinking a bottle of water. But, I’m working on it!

I don’t think that most people who talk a good game intend to just talk. I really do think they want to accomplish the things they talk about. I know I did. I’ve also come to realize that the reason I wasn’t getting anywhere was two-fold: (1) I wanted to do it perfectly and (2) If there was too much to do, I became completely overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start.

Finally, after many conversations with one of my own coaches, I realized that perfection was never going to happen. After that, she helped me break things down into bite-size pieces, which gave me a place to start.

So what about you? Do you talk the talk or walk the walk?

If you discover that you’re doing more talking than walking, I would encourage you to take an hour or two and figure out exactly what’s holding you back from actively pursuing your goals. And if you can’t figure it out on your own, talk to your friends or even consider hiring a coach, like myself, to help you.

Then, once you have the answers you need to break through your stuck spots, the sky is the limit on what you can achieve, so go for it!


Copyright © 2009 Sharon Moist. All Rights Reserved.


P.S. If you enjoyed this article, then I'd invite you to subscribe to my free email newsletter, the Industry News Digest. The next issue comes out this Thursday, May 14th and you can subscribe at: http://www.IndustryNewsDigest.com

*********
Sharon Moist, also known as The Industry Coach®, is a highly sought-after professional career coach, whose clients include Hollywood Power Brokers and A-List Celebrities. After 5 years as a Hollywood Agent, Sharon left the agency to open her own coaching company. For more information, or to work with Sharon directly, you can visit her website at: http://www.TheIndustryCoach.com

Do You Have What It Takes to Succeed?

One of the first questions my clients always ask me is: “What does it take to succeed in this business?”

Now, here’s the catch with that question: What It Takes to succeed as an actor, and What You Have To Do to be successful in this business are two different things.

This week we’ll look at what it takes to succeed, which primarily consists of two things:

1) Perseverance
2) A Positive Mental Attitude

Connections can certainly help - but only in helping you get your foot in the door. Then, the rest is up to you: your talent, your training, your knowledge, your persistence and your attitude.

It also helps to have an agent or a manager, but it is not a necessity (at least at the beginning), and agents and managers are not god. Believe me, I was an agent, so I know! The agency where I worked discovered Adam Sandler, Jack Black, Halle Berry, T.R. Knight, Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Josh Lucas, just to name a few actors whom you may recognize as having successful careers. We also passed on John Travolta and Russell Crowe, so obviously we don't know everything!

To paraphrase what Sir Anthony Hopkins once told soap opera actor Tony Geary (General Hospital), "success in this business is a 'numbers game' and it's just a matter of waiting for your number to come up." (A good definition of perseverance!)

Talent also helps, but as one of my acting teachers once told me, during the pursuit of my own career, "... there are many actors out there working who are less talented than you are, and there are many actors out there who are more talented than you are, who are not working. It really comes down to how badly you want it, and how long you're willing to wait for it."

Personally, I didn't have the patience to wait for it (perseverance), and I certainly wasn't willing to share an apartment with 3 roommates and live on macaroni and cheese for months on end (positive mental attitude), so I moved over to production and worked as a development executive at one of the major studios, before becoming an agent.

I truly believe that anyone who wants to succeed can succeed in this business. I've seen it with my own clients who have accomplished their professional goals at an astonishing rate.

Look at World Class athletes. They are the perfect example of having what it takes to succeed. Before a swimmer ever reaches the Olympics, a tennis player ever reaches the Wimbledon, or a golfer ever reaches the British Open, they have spent thousands upon thousands of hours swimming laps, hitting tennis balls or swinging golf clubs, because no one becomes a world class athlete overnight. Instead, they continue to persevere and stay positive, even when the end is nowhere in sight, because they know that each lap, swing or stroke will bring them closer to their goal.

Wanting an acting career is one thing. Persevering through the tough times, and staying positive when the auditions aren't coming and nothing seems to be working, is a whole other ball game.

Are you up for the challenge?

Sharon Moist
The Industry Coach®

*********
After 5 years as a Hollywood Agent, Sharon Moist left the agency to open The Industry Coach®, where she now helps actors and other industry professionals develop success strategies for pursuing their careers. To receive her free coaching newsletter, go to: www.IndustryNewsDigest.com

Do You Know What To Do To Succeed?

In last week’s article, I discussed what it takes to succeed as an actor. This week, I want to look at what you have to DO in order to succeed in your career.

Simply put, your most important job, as an actor, is to market yourself.

In its most basic form, marketing involves:

1) Knowing Your Type
2) Picking Your Target Market
3) Sending Out Your Materials

Are you the best-kept secret in the industry? If you’re not doing anything to market yourself, you probably are!

One of the biggest mistakes most actors make is presuming that once they have an agent, their job is done and they no longer need to market themselves. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Getting an agent is just the first step. And while it can certainly help you get your foot in the door, it doesn’t mean that you will be submitted to all of the people your agent does business with.

Due to the nature of being a talent agent, more often than not your agent is focused on submitting you for projects they feel you’re “right for,” not on marketing you to all of the casting directors they work with. Is that how it should be? No. But that’s how it is.

When I first started as an agent I sat in on a meeting with my boss as he was interviewing a prospective client, and one of the most important things he said was: “Never leave 100% of your career in the hands of someone who ultimately has a 10% interest.”

Every time you book a job, 10% of your salary goes to the agency that represents you (not to your specific agent). Therefore, if 90% of your salary is going to you, then you’ll also want to take responsibility for 90% of your career, and that includes doing something to market yourself every day.

The more you can take control of your career, the more empowered you will feel; the more empowered you feel, the more confident you will be in yourself and your talent; and the more confident you feel, the greater your chance for success.

Are you ready to put on your marketing hat and let the rest of the world know you exist? You can do it, I know you can!

Ready. Set. Go!

To Your Acting Success,
Sharon


Sharon Moist
The Industry Coach®
*********
Website: The Industry Coach.com
Newsletter: Industry News Digest
Book: 101 Tips For Actors

Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed?

One of the first questions my clients always ask me is: “What does it take to succeed in this business?”

Now, here’s the catch with that question: What It Takes to succeed as an actor, and What You Have To Do to be successful in this business are two different things.

Today we’ll look at what it takes to succeed, which primarily consists of two things:

1) Perseverance
2) A Positive Mental Attitude

Connections can certainly help - but only in helping you get your foot in the door. Then, the rest is up to you: your talent, your training, your knowledge, your persistence and your attitude.

It also helps to have an agent or a manager, but it is not a necessity (at least at the beginning), and agents and managers are not god. Believe me, I was an agent, so I know! The agency where I worked discovered Adam Sandler, Jack Black, Halle Berry, T.R. Knight, Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Josh Lucas, just to name a few actors whom you may recognize as having successful careers. We also passed on John Travolta and Russell Crowe, so obviously we don't know everything!

To paraphrase what Sir Anthony Hopkins once told soap opera actor Tony Geary (General Hospital), "success in this business is a 'numbers game' and it's just a matter of waiting for your number to come up." (A good definition of Perseverance!)

Talent also helps, but as one of my own acting teachers once told me, during the pursuit of my career, "... there are many actors out there working who are less talented than you are, and there are many actors out there who are more talented than you are, who are not working. It really comes down to how badly you want it, and how long you're willing to wait for it."

Personally, I didn't have the patience to wait for it (perseverance), and I certainly wasn't willing to share an apartment with 3 roommates and live on macaroni and cheese for months on end (positive mental attitude), so I moved over to production and worked as a development executive at one of the major studios, before becoming an agent.

I truly believe that anyone who wants to succeed can succeed in this business. I've seen it with my own clients who have accomplished their professional goals at an astonishing rate.

Look at World Class athletes. They are the perfect example of having what it takes to succeed. Before a swimmer ever reaches the Olympics, a tennis player ever reaches the French Open, or a golfer ever reaches the British Open, they have spent thousands upon thousands of hours swimming laps, hitting tennis balls or swinging golf clubs, because no one becomes a world class athlete overnight. Instead, they continue to persevere and stay positive, even when the end is nowhere in sight, because they know that each lap, swing or stroke will bring them closer to their goal.

Wanting an acting career is one thing. Persevering through the tough times, and staying positive when the auditions aren't coming and nothing seems to be working, is a whole other ball game.

Are you up for the challenge?

To Your Acting Success,
Sharon


Sharon Moist
The Industry Coach®
*********
Website: TheIndustryCoach.com
Newsletter: IndustryNewsDigest
Book: 101 Tips For Actors

Are You an Open or Closed Book?

Are you open to learning something you already know? They say that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But what about people? Do you think it’s possible to teach someone something new, even if they feel like they already know it?

My father is a voracious reader, reading the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal every day, along with the stacks of books he has by his bedside. You see, my dad’s of the belief that just one good idea is the worth the price of the book. That philosophy has now stuck with me; thus the stacks of books alongside my own bed, as well! (In fact, I swear that between the two of us, we could open our own library!)

When I first started out in my career, I was always buying whatever acting book caught my eye. Yes, I probably had 2 or 3 others on the same subject already, but if I didn’t have this particular book, I would add it to my collection. Why? Because a new book often gave me a different point of view – especially if it was written from a different author.

For example: Right now I have about 4 or 5 books in my library, from different casting directors, on the casting process. Now some people may say, “Well, wouldn’t one book do the trick?” And my response would have to be “No” because there are hundreds of casting directors out there, all with different thoughts, opinions and processes they use in casting a project. Therefore, if I just read one book, from one casting director, I could (potentially) miss out on information from another casting director that may actually help me land a job. Make sense?

The same situation applies to workshops. I recently attended a workshop on marketing, and as I introduced myself to the two people sitting next to me, I experienced two very different conversations. The gentleman on my right told me that this was the third workshop he had attended this year on marketing, and that he was really enjoying these workshops because even though he knew most of this information already, he had gotten a couple of new ideas that he was now using in his business and these ideas had already doubled his rate of return – in effect more than covering the cost of the workshop and all of his travel expenses.

Next, I spoke with the woman on my left, and she, too, told me that she already knew all of this information. She also told me that the only reason she was there was because it was another tax deduction for her business and it was a great way to play hooky for a few days without having to do any work.

Two very different people with two very different mindsets, and I would be willing to bet that you could guess which one of these people had a successful career and which one did not.

Remember: All it takes is one really great idea to change your life, and when it comes to your acting career, the one question you need to ask yourself is this:

Am I open to learning something I “think” I already know?

Only you can answer that question.

To Your Acting Success,

Sharon


Sharon Moist
The Industry Coach®
*********
Website: The Industry Coach
Newsletter: Industry News Digest
Book: 101 Tips for Actors

Are Your Goals Too Big?

At the beginning of every New Year, I ask my clients to send me their goals for the year. Usually their lists are very long, their goals are very similar and they tend to look something like this:

• Get my SAG card
• Become President of a Studio
• Get an Agent
• Perform on Broadway
• Sell a Screenplay
• Open a Production Company
• Land a TV series.
• And so on, and so on, and so on …

Last year, however, one of my clients only had one rather simple goal: Send out 1 picture a week to 4 soap operas – The Bold & The Beautiful; Days of Our Lives; General Hospital and The Young and the Restless.

When I asked her to tell me more she said that in the past she’d always come up with huge goals that never lasted beyond the end of January. This time, however, she sat down and analyzed what she really wanted, what she was really willing to do and what was realistic for her to do, and she then wrote out her New Years’ goal as follows:

• What she really wanted: Land a part on one of her favorite soap operas
• What she was really willing to do: Send her headshot and resume out, but only to her favorite shows
• What was realistic for her to do: Spend 30 minutes a week marketing herself, which translated into sending out 4 pictures a week.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our goals that we forget to ask ourselves if a particular goal is something we really want or if we’re just pursuing it because all of our friends are or because we’re too scared to go after what we truly want.

We also get so caught up in the size of our goals, that when it comes right down to it, we forget to break them up into bite-size pieces that we can actually manage. My client’s honesty about what she was willing to do enabled her to stay on track because her plan was realistic and doable for her.

Now it’s your turn to ask yourself these same questions:

• What’s the one thing you’d really like to accomplish this year?
• What are you willing to do to accomplish that goal?
• What’s realistic for you to do?

By focusing on just one goal, asking yourself these questions, being honest with your answers and creating a doable plan for yourself that you can follow through on, the chances of you accomplishing your goal have just increased 100%!

To Your Success,
Sharon

*********
Sharon Moist, also known as The Industry Coach®, is a highly
sought-after professional career coach, whose clients include
Hollywood Power Brokers and A-List Celebrities. After 5 years as a
Hollywood Agent, Sharon left the agency to open her own coaching company.

As The Industry Coach®, Sharon has clients from all areas of the
entertainment industry who represent such projects as: 24, Desperate
Housewives, Las Vegas, The Unit, Navy NCIS, and CSI: Miami, among
others, as well as companies such as Industry Entertainment and HBO,
and talent agencies, including Innovative, Endeavor and the William
Morris Agency.

For more information or to work with Sharon directly, you can visit
her website at: www.TheIndustryCoach.com

To subscribe to Sharon's newsletter, go to: www.IndustryNewsDigest.com

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