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®

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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

The Price of Success

Now that Oceans Thirteen has made it to cable television, it would appear that every cable channel is running it. At least that’s how it feels every time I turn on my TV!

By now I’ve probably seen the movie 5 or 6 times, but I must say this: I really enjoy the relationship between George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Not only are they fun to watch in these movies because of the great friendship their characters have, but you can tell that they’re also good friends in real life. Because they share the bond of “celebrity,” they also share the understanding that true friends are very hard to make in Hollywood.

Last week I had a coaching call with one of my clients and during the course of our conversation, she told me that the more successful she became, the more friends she lost. Sadly, I wasn’t surprised.

When my grandmother first started out in the fabric business (of which she knew nothing about), one of her suppliers took her under his wing to teach her the business and help her make other industry contacts. At that time, one of the most important things he told her was that as her business grew and she became successful, she would also lose friends. He then told her that she would meet new friends along the way, and he was right: on both accounts!

When I became an agent, I suddenly found myself with a LOT of new “friends.” However, the truth of the matter is that these people were more interested in what I could do for them, than they were in being my friend. Fortunately, I figured that out early, because as soon as I quit the agency and started my own company, a lot of those people dropped out of my life. No surprise there!

Once my business started growing, I also lost some friends who couldn’t relate to being an entrepreneur, and I chose to let other friends go because I realized that they were not supportive of me, or my business.

As your career grows and you become more and more successful, you may discover that your circle of friends grows smaller and smaller, because true friends are few and far between.

So if you ever find yourself in the position of losing friends, make sure you take the time to grieve your loss, trusting that you WILL make new friends along the way; friends who want nothing but the best for you and who will be there to share in your success because they’re genuinely happy for you.

Success does have a price tag attached to it. It may not be immediately apparent, but it’s there, nonetheless. The good news is that you’re not alone on your journey – I’m right there with you!

To Your Success,
Sharon


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