Acting Business Boot Camp

Ask Me Anything Letting go of timing Be humble to the moment "Time thou must untangle this, not I. It is too hard a knot for me untie." That nagging feeling of like, "why isn't it moving faster?" That's what this is all about. The Language of Letting Go "When the time is right. How often have we heard those words from a friend? From the universe. From anyone. We sometimes want things so badly: that job, that check, a relationship, a possession. We want our life to change. So we wait sometimes patiently, sometimes anxiously wondering all the while, when will the future bring me what I long for? Will I be happy then? We tried to predict, circling dates on the calendar, asking questions. We forget that we don't hold the answers. The answers come from the universe. And if we really listen closely, we will hear them. When the time is right. When the time is right. Be happy now." And when it comes to being uncomfortable, meaning being in process, that makes even more sense. Because who wants to be in process? We want to get there. If I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, I have the power to change my life. Because in order to make that kind of a change, like a huge change in your life, you're going to have to do things that you're not so comfortable doing. Exercise: I want you to think of the things that you so want to have happen. And then I want you to also think about how you will need to change in order to make those things happen. I also want you to look at how you can enjoy the process of making it happen.

About Michael: Michael Kostroff is an established TV and stage actor best known for his role as unscrupulous gang attorney Maury Levy on HBO's legendary series, The Wire. In addition to his many television gigs, he's toured with The Producers and Les Misérables, appeared on regional stages all across the country, served as an advice columnist for Backstage, created the popular workshop "Audition Psych 101" (which focuses on the psychological side of auditioning), and written four books, including his recently published manual, The Stage Actor's Handbook: Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional. The gospel of low expectations. My philosophy is very different from the popular philosophies—no one's entitled to a career. If you decide this is what you want to do, then you're signing on for the unemployment, the insecurity, the inconsistency, and you don't get to complain about it. Yeah, I love being an actor, but it's not dependent on credits or being employed. It's who I am and what I've chosen to do with my life. So sign on for the whole thing. Not just the days when you work. Remind yourself that this is a job, and you are being paid to do it, so you need to show up and do it. The reason that the psychology of auditioning is my specialty is because I was miserable at it. I hated every moment of it. I was terrible at it, and I was all in my head about stuff. And I had to pick it apart to get to the place where I am now, which is I enjoy it. Most auditions do not result in jobs. That's math. It's not because we suck. It's just applying mathematics. And I realized that I was putting all my energy and focus into figuring out how to get a job. And when I realized that is not going to happen 99% of the time, there has to be another reason to go to an audition. And now, I relish the opportunity to be an actor and play a role. And I have a much better time auditioning. And as soon as I said, You're not getting the fucking job; I started to go, Oh, okay. Well, then, I'm going to make the choices I would make if I had the role because I'm only going to do it for one performance. Let's. Let's invest in it. Let's make the decisions. Let's do all the choices. Let's do it my way. Because I can't guess what they're going to like or not like. I think self-knowledge is essential for actors. Because I really know myself. Thank you. Thank you. I'm able to morph into these other characters from it, from a place that's truthful and neutral. I think that to really play those roles well. You know, you have to make a case for your character. You need to be the best advocate for your character. That is sometimes difficult because sometimes the person who we have the hardest time advocating for is ourselves. I really want actors to step into their authority as actors. Trying to predict what people will respond to is the enemy of good acting. Just going, "I don't know if they're going to pick me. Probably they won't. But here's how I'd like to play this scene today." It's hard for us to believe in our own work. I think that's very challenging. It is more effective for me not to think in terms of whether I am a good actor or not a good actor. Instead, I've got stuff to do in this scene. Get yourself so busy with the thoughts of the character and the objectives of the character. I always say when I'm in the scene; there's nobody else who can do it. I'm the only one who can convince these people that my wife is trying to kill me. My mantra is you're not getting the fucking job. Trying to get the job is not conducive to getting a job because nobody wants to watch an actor try to get a job. You're not getting the fucking job. There's no fucking job. Now, convince these people that your wife is trying to kill you. That's what you got to do. You do your prep, and then you've got to throw the Frisbee. You got to let it go. And that's scary. That's risky because you're your ego wants to control it. My best days are the days when I'm the passenger; I'm the copilot. I'm here to show up and to be of service on this day. Rip off the Band-Aid and deal with it because it will not get easier. I really have no tolerance for actors who are always going on about how unfair the business is. Correct. What do you want to do now? Keep the focus on yourself. When somebody is bitter about that or something else, I always ask, "so what's the payoff? Okay, so they're going to be casting more actors of color. So does that mean you try less? Oh, oh, I get it. So you don't have to take responsibility now." Whenever I'm in some negative place, I ask myself this question, What are you not taking responsibility for? Take your emotions out of your to-do list. I'm trying to take judgment out of my to-do list, also. The Stage Actors Handbook And it details our traditions, our protocols, our superstitions, our particular language, and our particular chain of command that you just mostly learn from screwing up. Alfred Molina said, "l

About Christin Baker: Christin Baker (A Baker Production) is an award-winning director and Emmy-nominated producer. She has been playing with video producing and storytelling since she was 13 after her family got their first VHS camcorder. She started out directing music videos, and SNL parodies with the neighborhood kids and moved on to start her own digital distribution and production company, tellofilms.com. She is the co-founder of Tello Films, which focuses on stories for the lesbian/queer community. Tello is the first lesbian/queer network to receive an Emmy Nomination. The series Secs & EXECS has received a 2017 Emmy Nomination for Mindy Sterling, Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy/Drama Series. In 2019 the series "Riley Parra" received 2 Emmy nominations for actresses Liz Vassey and Carolyn Ratteray. Christin is passionate about telling relevant and meaningful stories. Christin was early in the streaming content creation and founded Tello Films in 2009. She is an expert on distributing and creating original content (features, shorts, and series) as well as creating a platform for monetizing niche entertainment. Christin is also passionate about directing and was awarded Best Director for her work on Maybelle at the 2016 London Raindance Film Festival. Christin is a member of the Producers Guild of America as well as the Television Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Christin just wrapped directing her 4th Lesbian/Queer Holiday RomCom "Merry & Gay" and is working on the 2nd feature for her Thriller Franchise Scare BNB called "Scare BNB: Double Booking." That follows "Christmas at the Ranch," "I Hate New Year's," and "Season of Love," which was the first Hallmark-esque Lesbian/Queer Holiday RomCom. Actors wanting to keep up with Christin as she develops and casts her movies can follow her on social media @christintello (Twitter and Instagram) and follow "A Baker Production" on Facebook. Actors making their own content and the power that has for them. As a director and producer, I love when I know an actor has tried their own hand at making a project because their respect for what we're going through is significantly greater. I think so much of acting is waiting to be called upon. Right? Like you go to an audition, you send in your tape, you send in your tape, and then you sit back, and you wait for someone to say yes or no to you. And so I think any time you can put your energy into something active, that's like telling your own story, I think just energetically that helps you and puts you in your own action. I always think work begets work. If you can, it can be very helpful when the gender of the person you're acting with is the same as who's reading with you. Don't have the camera too close to your face. So I've seen some audition tapes, and this is for people who are probably very green, who are listening to your podcast--I've had audition tapes sent in where no one is reading with the person on camera. Do your best to have someone reading with you that that's going to give you, you know, something even if it's yourself. I can sometimes tell within 10 seconds. And if the person isn't right, I move on. The most important thing is to like make a choice, make a bold choice that I can see. I'm an actor's director. I love playing with actors on set. I love that, like knowing if they can make a choice. And if I don't like that choice, I'll make a correction. But I know that like they're going to come to the table having thought about it and giving me something interesting. Favorite qualities of actors who you love to work with: I really love working with an actor who can make a quick pivot. The eyes are so important, you can literally see that shift in the eyes, and it's absolutely like it's incredible. I love actors when they have that instinct to move. What is the process of how you make an independent film? You have to kind of figure out the business of it. I wanted to get investors, meaning you have to set up an LLC. Then you have to ensure that LLC owns the rights to the script in the movie and the project. And often, those LLCs will be called like the name of the film. A crowdfunding campaign. For me, that was a perfect place to start. Accredited investors There are certain producers out there that have investors who are sitting out there waiting to invest in projects. And I know that sounds crazy. And I think it's like this magical fairyland, but it is true. And so when they get A-list stars or a big name, they can go back to their, you know, multimillion-dollar or billionaire pockets and go, "hey, we have Nick Cage. We need another $5 million, and those people will give it to them." If you don't have those people, casting an A-list star in your movie will not get you investors. What it will get you on the backend is like press and a decent distributor. It lets you have those multimillionaire billionaire people. It will not get your money on the front end. What do you think are oth

Ask Me Anything! Being the Alpha Class for SAG-AFTRA "Most of us want to be liked. We want other people to think of us as nice, friendly, kind, and loving. Most of us want the approval of others." What I started to learn was that people not liking me was survivable. That not everybody had to like Peter. Not everybody had to approve of Peter. But the number one person who did need to approve of Peter, who did need to like Peter. Who did need to love Peter was Peter. "Since childhood, some of us have been trying to get approval, trying to get people to like us and think highly of us. We may be afraid people will leave us if they disapprove of our actions." I survived. And not only did I survive, but I also thrived. Because I no longer was looking for that person's approval. I was looking for my own. What was so scary about people leaving me was that I didn't know how to love myself. But guess what I learned? I learned. It's something that you can learn. Please guide me. Please guide me to love myself. Please guide me to approve of myself. So I don't ask agents, casting directors, and managers for it. Because guess what? Them approving of you is not their job. "In order to live happily, to live consistently with a way our higher power or the universe wants us to live and to tap into a way of life that is in harmony with the universe. We need to let go of our extreme need for approval." If that casting director, agent, or manager doesn't like you, and that's probably not what it is, they're just passing on you because they don't feel they can serve you. You will survive. But it's about you gaining perspective on yourself. And you approving of you. That is so important. "These unmet needs for approval and love from our past give others control of us today." I can control whether I give my power away. "These needs from the past can prevent us from acting in our own best interest and being true to ourselves. Acting in her own best interest." I want to act in my own best interest. I don't want to give my power away anymore. I want to be true to myself. Even if it upsets the people who mean most to me in the world, we can approve of ourselves. In the end, that's the only approval that counts.

On Camera with Katie Flahive "Too often, we try to gain a clear perspective before it is time. That will make us crazy. We don't always know why things are happening the way they are. We don't always know how a particular relationship will work out. We don't always understand the source of our feelings why we've been led down a particular path. What is being worked out in us? What we are learning. Why do we need to recycle? Why we had to wait? Why we needed to go through a time of discipline, or why a door closed? How our present circumstances will work into the larger scheme of events is not always clear to us. And that is how it needs to be. Perspective will come in retrospect. We could strain for hours today for the meaning of something that may come in an instant next year. But let it go. We can let go of our need to figure things out. And we can let go of our need to feel in control. Now is time to be. To feel. To go through it. To allow things to happen. To learn. To let whatever is being worked out in us just take its course. In hindsight, we will know. It will become clear. For today being is enough. We have been told that all things shall work out for good in our life. We can trust that to happen. Even if we cannot see the place, today's events will hold in the larger picture." I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to force a decision. "Time, thou shall untangle this, not I. It is too hard a knot for me to untie." That will allow me to have perspective. Unfold before me instead of me trying to unfold it. "We don't always know why things are happening the way they are. We just don't. I don't know. I haven't got a clue. But sometimes it's best for me just to say; you know what? I don't know. And you know what? There's no shame in saying you don't know. There's no shame in it. You don't have to know everything. All you have to do is suit up and show up and do the very, very best you can. The time that we need in order to gain perspective. It's not something that we can force, but what we can do while we're waiting for that perspective is we can take care of ourselves. "We do not always know how a particular relationship will work out. We just don't. But we can ask for guidance. Guide me. Show me what you need me to do in this particular relationship. We don't always understand the source of our feelings. "We don't always understand why we've been led down a particular path. Guide me. Show me. Show me what you need me to learn on this path. Show me what you need me to learn in this particular day." Lessons are recycled in us. And when I just kind of say, yeah, I'm not going to deal with something, or I'm not going to take responsibility for whatever this particular lesson I'm being taught in life is, I find that that lesson recycles. It recycles with just a little more urgency and just a little more; I hate to say it, pain because pain is an excellent motivator. Along with perspective and waiting for perspective on your life, I find that takes a lot of humility. And humbleness. Because to gain perspective, we need to say, "I don't know." And to obey a higher power or a universe, we need to say, "I can't. You universe can. So I'm going to let you universe take over." If you have discipline, you can do anything. And that includes waiting to gain perspective. And this question, Why did that door close? "Look back, don't stare." And again, remember, forgiving is not forgetting. It's letting go of the past. Perspective will come in retrospect. "Now is the time to be. To feel. To go through it. To allow things to happen. To learn." To be curious. "Let whatever is being worked out in us take its course." So that is the challenge I put before you today. And listening to this podcast is to implement those tools of asking for help and asking for guidance in trying to gain perspective in your life and in your acting career.

Time Management Workshop The Language of Letting Go "The more I cling to my past, the more I'm wasting my energy." When you have a computer, and you have a program minimized, understand that that program is still using battery life on your computer. "Not even God can change the past." "Holding on to the past, either through guilt, longing, denial, or resentment, is a waste of valuable energy. Energy that can be used to transform today and tomorrow." I want to transcend my past so that I have more energy to fulfill my day. "I used to live in my past. I was either trying to change it or letting it control me. Usually both." An audition where I didn't feel I did my best with the casting director, and then that casting director called me in again. What I used to do is then go, Oh, that casting director doesn't like me. So yeah, I will probably mess this one up as well. Instead of going, Wow, that casting director called me back even after an audition where I didn't feel I did so well. Hey, wow. This is an opportunity to show that casting director how good I am and do an audition that I feel good about. But when I'm holding on to my past, I'm not in the frame of mind where I can do that. But when I've let go of that past, when I've transcended that past, I am in a place of power. I am in a place where I can claim who I am and show the best work that I know I can do. "I constantly felt guilty about things that had happened, things I had done, things others had done to me, even though I had made amends for almost everything. The guilt ran deep. Everything somehow was my fault. I could never just let it go." One is, is that the definition of shame is believing that there is something fundamentally wrong with you. "I held on to anger for years, telling myself it was justified. I was in denial about a lot of things. Sometimes I tried to absolutely forget about my past, but I never really stopped and sorted through it. My past was like a dark holy crap cloud. I can speak cloud that followed me around, and I couldn't shake clear of it. I guess I was scared to let it go. Afraid of today. Afraid of tomorrow." That's the other thing when we don't work through the anger. The frustration, then, why hasn't it happened for me in our acting careers? The only thing it does is hold us back. And I think it's impossible to force yourself to forget something. There's a fear of success and a fear of failure. I always say those two things are opposite sides of the coin. But, what it is, is about taking responsibility for your past choices—taking responsibility for where you are today—and then understanding that you have a responsibility. And most importantly, and this is what is exciting, is the opportunity, the incredible opportunity I have. You have. We all have to shape our future. Trace it. Face it. Erase it. And then that is how it will be. Let go. Forgiving is not forgetting. It's letting go of the hurt. "I've even developed gratitude for my failed relationships because they have brought me to who and where I am today." All of the "failures" have actually been opportunities to learn. I automatically develop peace with my new past.

Time Management Workshop About Jeremy: Jeremy Redleaf is an Emmy and Streamy award-winning artist and entrepreneur. He tells stories and creates experiences through his Brackets Creative shingle, including "Odd Jobs," the Streamy Winning web series, "3rd Street Blackout," a feature film (Available on Peacock), and the SYFY special "Who Won the Year?" He's the co-founder of Caveday, a global community built around having a healthier relationship to work. Follow him at @jeremyredleaf on all the platforms! The ultimate multi-hyphenate. "Every time I was waiting for the phone, he was going out to make something. And I started to get a little jealous of that because it can be disempowering to wait to hurry up and wait or just to wait." How empowering it is to make your own films, to make your own work. Successful working actors are very curious. Curiosity sometimes just comes out of necessity. "Well, as soon as I built some self-esteem, I encountered, you know, fiercer dragons." At some point, I started to identify with being brave and being and being like in the arena and facing the dragons. The most successful people do what they most don't want to do by noon. I find for me that being in a community helps a lot. You know, just to know that other people are fighting similar battles is enough for me usually to sort of go like, "cool, I'm just one of the gang." We all have these sorts of voices of self-doubt. When I'm faced with a challenge, I go, "Okay, now, if I don't deal with this now, this sucker is going to repeat this kind of situation is going to repeat itself down the road, and it's going to be more painful and more uncomfortable." There's ego, and then there's the universe or divine or spiritual. And with ego, it's finite because it ends and begins with me. But with the universe, it's infinite. And so, do I want to tune my radio dial into Infinite, or do I want to tune my radio dial into Finite? When you act and are in the flow , you transcend your ego and are connected to the infinite. Yeah, the best way out is always through. "I am willing, I am willing, I am willing." I don't think that we're talking enough about the pandemic in terms of like what it has done to our sort of artists' souls.

Monologue Class with Andrew Time Management Class The victim trap. Being a victim is just a way for me not to take responsibility for my life and when I am, quite frankly, scared. The Language of Letting Go "The victim trap. The belief that life has to be hard and difficult is the belief that makes us a martyr. We can change our negative beliefs about life and whether we have the power to stop our pain and take care of ourselves." Assignment: Ask yourself Do I believe that life has to be hard and difficult? And then, if I believe life has to be hard and difficult, how do I operate out of that? What are the things, what are the thoughts that I think, what are the actions that I do that indicate that? Because what we're trying to do here is to spot where we are a victim. So I'm immediately in this podcast episode just slamming you right into homework, giving you assignments on how to change so you can get out of this harmful thinking and belief pattern. "We aren't helpless. That is the Truth. With a capital T, we can solve our problems." I try and think of my problems as challenges. They're challenges for me to face. And every time I meet a challenge, I become more successful. Why? Because I gain more self-esteem. Assignment: Make a list of challenges in your life and start putting them into categories. A category of what is mine to solve and a category of what is not mine to solve. And then those that are not yours to solve, what you want to do is you want to put them aside. And you want to focus on that list of challenges and problems that are your responsibility. Taking responsibility for ourselves pays enormous dividends. Using each problem that comes our way to prove that life is hard and we are helpless. Well, this is something called codependency, and it is the victim trap. "Life does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can be smooth. Life is actually good. We don't have to "awfulize" it to ourselves or to anyone else. We don't have to live in the underside of life. And I just want to add that we can be on top. Now, that doesn't mean that we're not going to have challenges that sometimes feel insurmountable." We do have power. More power than we know, even in the difficult times. And the difficult times don't prove life is bad. They are just part of the ups and downs of life, and often they work out for the best. We can change our attitude. We can change ourselves. And sometimes we can even change our circumstances. Life is challenging. Sometimes there's more pain than we asked for. And sometimes there's more joy than we ever imagined. But it's all part of the package. And the package is good. We are not victims of life. We can learn to remove ourselves as victims of life. By letting go of our belief that life has to be hard and difficult, we can make our life so much easier." Whatever challenge I'm going through, it is survivable. And not only is it survivable, but by surviving, I gain that thing that can only be earned and not be bought no matter how much money you have. And that is self-esteem. And for an actor, self-esteem and confidence are the two magical ingredients that core work gives you.

Time Management Workshop Letting go of chaos. Language of Letting Go, Melodie Beatty What causes chaos? Well, what causes chaos is control. "No good work comes from unrest." And what I have learned about that is how true that is. Because if I don't rest, if I don't fuel up, I cannot be of service to other people around me. Wake up in the morning and say "Good morning, universe. This is Peter, Pamela Rose, and I am showing up for duty." And I know that kind of sounds crazy, but it takes a lot of pressure off the day. When I get overwhelmed, all I need to do is simply ask for help, ask for strength, ask for wisdom. And what does that look like? I'll do it right now. "Give me strength. Please guide me. Show me, show me what it is you want me to do. Show me the things that you need me to do today so I can be of maximum service to other people on this planet." "Unrest, fear, anger, or sadness may motivate us. These feelings are sometimes intended to compel action. But our best work emerges after these feelings have been replaced by peace. We will not accomplish our task any sooner or any better by performing it out of a sense of urgency, fear, anger or sadness." And that's also why I think it's so important to do what I just did: stop and take a step back. And asking for wisdom and asking for guidance and asking for strength, asking for concentration, asking for brainpower. Or for more bandwidth. "Let go of unrest. Let peace fill the void. We do not have to forfeit our power, our God-given or universe-given personal power, or our peace. Our peace to do the work as we are called upon to do today." And again, sometimes I need to think that what the universe wants me to get done in a day and what Peter Pamela Rose wants to get done in a day are often two very different things. And the universe is much kinder. What's amazing about that is that I can plug into that universe any time I can ask for that guidance. I can. Ask for that peace. I can ask for that wisdom. And I love that phrase "to do what we are called upon to do today," because I'm only responsible for today. I only need to do today. I can't live for yesterday. I can plan for tomorrow. I can prepare for tomorrow. I can do something today that my inner self will thank me for a year from now. But the fact of the matter is, I can only do today. And that acknowledgment helps to let go of the chaos. "We will be given all the power we need to do what we are meant to do when it is time. Let peace come first. Or I like to say let prayer come first or let asking come first, then proceed. The task will get done naturally and on time." You're taking your hands off the wheel and trusting the universe, which is the pilot, to steer.

Time Management Workshop About Molly: Molly Noerenberg is a life and embodiment coach for performing artists. As a coach, Molly helps people make transformational changes in the way they connect to themselves, their bodies, and their unique nervous systems so that they can bring their most authentic selves into the world. Working with Molly means you will have someone on your team with unwavering belief in what is possible for you. As a coach, Molly has an incredible passion for helping performers connect to their truest essence and finding ways to express themselves that make them feel truly alive. A fellow performer and singer, Molly has spent her entire career supporting the hearts, minds, and lives of performers. Molly is a certified Life Coach from the Health Coach Institute(formerly Holistic MBA), received her Bachelor of the Arts in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, her Masters of the Arts in Vocal Performance from New York University, and her Advanced Certificate from NYU in Vocal Pedagogy. Molly is the founder of the coaching practice ExpressedLife.com, in addition to serving on the faculty of NYU Steinhardt, and being the co-founder of the NYC Vocal Studio. The unchecked thoughts and beliefs are actually standing in the way of us just showing up. It creates that feeling in your body too. Catabolic energy and anabolic energy if it's always someone else's approval, permission, or job to decide if you're good enough, then what a miserable experience that will be in your life. Most artists want to perform at the highest level. But at each new level of success, we unlock a whole host of mindsets, stories, theories, and thoughts that we have to unpack and look at. It's tolerance of really uncomfortable, painful feelings. Walking through that fear is far less than continuing to live with it. One of the things I learned about anxiety was that it's survivable. I always thought it was going to kill me. Anxiety is Manageable, Survivable, and I can handle it. Actors who have performance anxiety: Number one, go to your body. Ask: How am I feeling? Have a systematic way. What does this body, what does this brain need to feel the most connected to myself, to be free to do the work that I came here to do? The clarity and the courage to look at, "who am I? Who do I want to be in the world? How do I contribute? What makes me feel alive?" And for so many actors, it is their acting work. And so what am I willing to do? Or find a way to do so that I can put myself in the position to be in my zone of genius? Like, how am I willing to work on this? Celebration and revelry of what you have the gift to do and to really like prioritize if there's something that makes you come alive. Do you know how many people are walking around just feeling like shells of themselves? The world needs more people who feel like themselves to connect to whatever they're doing. We deserve to find a way to get to that place, free ourselves, and be in a position to do the work we came here to do. Obsessive versus harmonious passions. And for many of us, we were kind of like taught and trained that the only way to succeed is to have an obsessive passion, and that is a way to succeed. And a lot of people find a lot of success that way. But there are a lot of other people who are much more fulfilled through a harmonious blend of our passions. "I want to feel good." We're not taught how to feel good or how to honor our feelings, or how to notice how even just notice how we feel. Schedule a free consult with Molly

Making The Most Of Casting Director Workshops Two Week Monologue Slam Three-Week Commercial Workshop Time Management Workshop Surviving Slumps I'm talking about not only slumps in your career but also emotional slumps. "A slump can go on for days. We feel sluggish, unfocused and sometimes overwhelmed with feelings we can't sort out. We may not understand what is going on with us. Even our attempts to practice recovery or core work behaviors may not appear to work. We still don't feel emotionally, mentally, and spiritually good as we would like." "Don't play yesterday's rehearsal." When you're feeling shitty, you're trying to understandably recreate the feelings you felt so great about yesterday. But it's kind of like eating. You can't eat for yesterday, and you can't eat for tomorrow. You can't breathe for yesterday, and you can't breathe for tomorrow. The only day you can eat and breathe and drink for is today. When I am in a slump or negative space, the best thing I can do is accept it. The Three A's: awareness, acceptance, and action. Use your mind to govern your brain, to notice your behaviors. It's better that you just accept: You're not going to get a lot done today You got so much done on Monday and Tuesday. You were operating at number ten, energy solving lots of number ten problems You're tired; you're burnt. When I'm overwhelmed with feelings, I find the best tool is to stop. Magic happens when you put a pen in your hand, and you write and allow those feelings to come out. Don't try and live yesterday. Stop. And try and be and get yourself to where you are at and go into that awareness. And acceptance helps you to get out of that slump faster. "In a slump, we may find ourselves reverting instinctively to old patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, even when we know better. We may find ourselves obsessing, even when we know that what we're doing is obsessing and that it doesn't work." Have you ever had a day where you're exhausted from thinking? It's such an emotional hangover. But what can we do? I'm always about what I can do to help myself, transcend that slump, and transcend that time. When I find myself reverting to an old pattern, I go through the steps that I've talked about before in these podcasts: Stop. Take a step back. Observe. Ask myself, "is this healthy for me or unhealthy for me?" And then make a choice to respond to it. When you do it, you want to physically stop, and then you physically want to take a step back or adjust yourself in that seat. Distance so you can ask yourself if your thoughts are healthy or if your actions are healthy or unhealthy. And then you can respond to it. "A response is a reaction with a thought and a pause behind it." "We may find ourselves looking frantically for other people to make us feel better the whole time, knowing that our happiness and our well-being does not lay with others." My happiness comes from within. My happiness is my choice. Dr. Wayne Dyer has a great phrase. "I want to feel good." Because when I feel good, I can give goodness to others. And I always feel that that is my purpose on this planet. My purpose on this planet is to give good to others. "The other thing that when we are in a slump is that we may take things personally that are not our issues and reacting in ways we've learned all too well that does not work. Remember that when you're in a slump, it won't last forever. These periods are normal. Even necessary. They are. These are days to get through or, as I like to say, days to transcend. These are days to focus on core work behaviors, whether or not the rewards occur immediately. " These are sometimes the days to let ourselves be and love ourselves as much as possible. Sometimes you need to give yourself a break mentally. And sometimes, it's about taking the foot off the gas a bit. "We don't have to be ashamed. No matter how long we have been doing core work, we don't have to unreasonably expect more from ourselves. We don't ever have to expect ourselves to live life perfectly." When a plane is on autopilot, it's only on course 10% of the time. And then the other 90% of the time, it's trying to find the course. Get through the slump, and it will end. "This too shall pass." And that means for the good stuff as well. That's why living in the day is so important. "Do something today that you one year from now will thank you for." Understand that it's all part of the process if you're still in that slump and are still trying to get better mentally. "Practice, one recovery in one small area, and we begin to climb uphill. Soon the slump will disappear. We can never judge where we will be tomorrow by where we are today." Surviving slumps is so darn important because it can change at any time. We must stay balanced because this is such an up and down business, and that's just the business part. We haven't even gotten to the work. And when you find yourself in a slump, understand that it's not permanent. You will get better. You

Katie's Interest List David Cady Commercial Class Andrew Dolan's Monologue Slam About Rick: Rick first started acting in 1990 when he was cast as Tony in the long-running Off-Broadway hit Tony N' Tina's Wedding. He later made his Broadway debut in the Neil Simon comedy Proposals. His first film role was in the 1996 short film The Dutch Master, which also starred a young Mira Sorvino. He recently appeared in Mank, directed by David Fincher. In addition to numerous TV roles, including Friends, NCIS, and General Hospital. Rick also does voice-over work for commercials and video games. Some of his more notable works include Civilization V, Halo 5: Guardians, Batman: Arkham Knight, The Darkness II, and Grand Theft Auto V. In 2010; he voiced Vito Scaletta, the main protagonist of Mafia II and its 2016 sequel, Mafia III. He is the co-writer and star of the one-man touring show "Channelling The King." "You need to believe in yourself that that's what you want for yourself." Know your place on the set. Professionalism: Show up Know what your job is You're bringing something that they need Know your worth Do it to the best of your ability "The job of an actor is to know that you are enough." How being physically fit benefits you as an actor.

Make The Most Of Casting Director Workshops Two Week Monologue Slam With Andrew Dolan Three-Week Commercial Workshop "If there is anything I've learned with the astounding amount of core work I've done, it's these three things: Give up living in the past. Be in the present. And don't allow yourself to project into the future." It's so freaking simple, right? And yet I find it so hard. "Not even God can change the past." The mistakes I've made and my regrets, in some ways, informed the person I am today. I don't want to beat myself up for that anymore. Try to find the compassion and to really look at it and "go, wow, you are really scared. You know you are really brave." Compassion, but also understanding how much strength it took to get through those difficult moments and then using that strength to help you in your present moments when you get scared. So if you're someone who likes to live in the past: Look at those times Go back and listen to Episode 102; What is Your Strength Story? Jot down and remind yourself of how resilient you are Let's talk about the present. What I find interesting about me, at least in being in the present, is how much I avoid it. Use your mind to govern your brain. "What if--? Peter, is that the present? Okay. What are you doing in the present? Okay. I'm brushing my teeth. Okay, well, let's be here and brush my teeth. But what if--. Peter. You're not in the present. What are you doing now? Well, now I'm washing my face. Okay, so why don't you wash your face and just be here in the present? Okay. Wash my face. Wash my face. Wash my face. But what if--." This is an old habit of mine, projecting into the future the "what ifing." And the fact of the matter is, that makes you cuckoo. One of my dearest childhood friends taught me this lesson. And her name is Beth Singer. And I remember being in junior high school and always wanting to be the more popular kid. And yet I hung out with these three young girls. There was just something about Beth, and she always made me laugh. She was just hilarious. She loved fresh fruit as I did. She had the greatest cackle laugh. And I think back to that time that in that present moment when I was growing up with her, how could I ever have wanted to be with anybody else? She passed away from liver cancer on Mother's Day, her 39th birthday. I was lucky enough to visit her before she passed, and she said to her husband as I was leaving, "Pam and I had a nice visit." And what kills me about that? It's such a simple thing. It was such a simple thing. I got to hang out with my childhood friend six months before she passed. And it was something in the present moment. With the present moment. You're never going to get it back. And I'm never going to get my friend back. I have my memories of her, but I will never get her back. And if there's anybody who has taught me about value, the present moment, and its Beth. I encourage you to think: From your past, what you're thinking of is those moments when you had so much strength and tenacity. And in the present moment, what are those moments that you really were in the present that you would never give up? So now I'm going to move to projecting into the future. "Remain fluid." When you're projecting into the future, what you're really trying to do is control. Except the thing is that's not your job. Your job is to manage. Your job is to handle your life. Your job is not to control it. The future will come. It will come faster than you even can imagine. When I'm projecting into the future, I'm actually not preparing for it. When I'm projecting into the future, I'm trying to control it—but not doing what I need to do to create the future I really want to have. "Do it, or it's never going to happen." If you don't change this particular habit, the things you're trying to do for the future aren't going to happen. Instead of projecting into the future, instead of trying to control the future, you need to be preparing for it by staying in the moment. When projecting in the future, I start to go a little crazy because I'm trying to control the uncontrollable. Instead of projecting into the future and what you want to have happen and maybe the fantasy of being whatever it is you want to be, ask yourself, Well, what do I need to do now to prepare for it?

Upcoming Classes: Jason Sasportas Andrew Dolan David Cady Katie Flahive The Language of Letting Go: "Have you ever been around people pleasers? They tend to be displeasing. Being around someone who is turning themselves inside out to please another is often irritating and anxiety producing." "If you spot it, you got it." So notice that if someone's irritating you, ask yourself, "what is it about that person that is irritating me? And is that also something that I do?" "People pleasing is a behavior we may have adapted to survive in our family. We may not have been able to get the love and attention we deserved. We may not have been given permission to please ourselves, to trust ourselves, or to choose a course of action that demonstrated self-trust. People pleasing can be overt or covert. We may run around fussing over others, chattering a mile a minute, and when what we are really saying is, I hope I'm pleasing you. Or we may be covert, quietly going through life, making important decisions based on pleasing others." If you grew up in a family that question when you do something that is good for you or will question your choices or will question your judgment. That and those formidable, formidable years of your life will make you doubt yourself. Anxiety is about not feeling that you can handle a situation. The connection between people pleasing and anxiety If you grew up, if your background was trying to stay out of trouble, if your background was trying to protect yourself, that is the fertile ground for which anxiety can then grow and flourish in your adult years, which is all about feeling that you cannot handle a situation that is in front of you. Understand that we will never be given more than we can handle, but we will be given more than we can control. Overt Energy Actors— "I hope you like me. I hope you like me. I hope you like me." Or Covert--- we just will allow other people to make big life decisions for us. Because we feel that we don't have the right to make such a big choice in our lives. Have you ever been in an audition where you walk into a room, and you just cannot stop talking? This gives your power away as an actor. But also, what it does is basically you're asking the casting director for validation. And that is one hell of a responsibility to put on them. And one that I actually feel very uncomfortable doing because who the hell am I to do that for you? Because the person who needs to be doing it is you. As a casting director, I want you to come into the room or into the session, and I want you to know that you are enough, that you can do the job that I have hired you for or brought you into the audition for. And I know that I'm in good hands. Not the actor who keeps repeating, "like me." Or, "Hey, is this okay? Is this okay? Is this okay? I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. " That makes me feel like you want me to do the work for you. You are unprepared, but also that you don't have the confidence in yourself to do this job or to do this audition. No matter how talented you are, by the time you do that audition, I already have that seed in my mind. "When in doubt, leave it out." In other words, it's okay for me not to say so much. "Taking other people's wants and needs into consideration is an important part of our relationships. We have a responsibility to friends, family and employers. We have a strong inner responsibility to be loving and caring. But people pleasing backfires. Not only do others get annoyed with us, we often get annoyed when our efforts to please do not work as we have planned." "Expectations are premeditated resentments." "The most comfortable people to be around are those who are considerate of others but ultimately please themselves." As a casting director, the actors that I like to bring into casting sessions and the actors that I like to hire for jobs are those actors who I know that they are enough, who know that they can do that job, who I know have done the work. And so I know that I am in good hands. Those actors who are not going to be focused on pleasing me, but focused on doing their job, which is to act.

Get the Free MP3 Humility and being humble Where is that balance between showing off, which is what some of the best Actors do, but then in the promotion or acknowledging success, finding humbleness? That emotion of humiliation: I've been at this so long, and how come I'm not making a living? Or How come things aren't working for me? I feel so humiliated. "Humility was a tough concept for me to comprehend. Taught from childhood to place the wants and needs of others always above my own. I equated humility with taking care of others. And ignoring my own feelings and needs." Being taught, you always think of the other person first. And although that is a lovely concept, if you're always thinking of other people, you are drying up your own well. The problem is you cannot give from a dry well. You cannot give money from an empty pocketbook. Because when you truly take care of yourself, you can truly take care of other people. And it is only when you have a full well that you can truly give to others. The problem is, is that when you're giving from a dry well, what happens is that resentment builds up. "I have learned that true humility is not degrading. It doesn't require that I neglect my own needs. In fact, humility is not measured by how much I do for other people. But my willingness to do my part in my relationship with a power greater than myself and my understanding of that." Say these words: I am willing, I am willing, I am willing, I am willing to show up. I am willing to do what is required of me. I am willing to learn my lessons. Humility is learned often when there has been maybe a touch of humiliation, or I'm feeling overwhelmed. Actors, as artists, are to be vessels for the universe's work, to be vessels for the universe's work. But to do that, we need to be willing, and we need to have a certain level of humility about where we are at. Responsibility is being willing. By saying, "I'm willing to take responsibility. And what I'm saying I'm willing to take responsibility for is doing those things that will move me to that next level and learn that life lesson." Take responsibility for the thoughts that go on in your head. We're not responsible for our first thought. But we are responsible for our second. And so when I say I'm willing and I'm in that place of humility, I can say, "Hey universe: I am willing. I am willing to step up, I am willing to dress up. I am willing to show up. I am willing to take responsibility for my life, happiness, and career. My health" "As my understanding of humility becomes clear, I am better able to do my part. I take responsibility for myself and for others. And I also realize that it is better. That when I need strength, or I need help, that I go to that higher knowledge, that higher power, that energy that makes the sunshine, that that is a better use of my energy and my time." "Part of learning humility is learning to contribute to my own well-being. Today, I will do something loving for myself that I might normally do for someone else."

Negotiating conflict in your career and in your life. Get the free PDF Guide- Owning Your Power as an Actor Melodie Betty's Beyond Codependency "Core work is about more than walking away. Sometimes it means learning to stay and deal. It's about building and maintaining relationships that work." Core work is about more than walking away. And there's a great quote from Richard Bok that says, "The best way out is always through." We're not responsible for our first thought, but we are responsible for our second. My first thought in this conflict situation was, "I'm out of here." But my second thought, which is the one I was responsible for, was a very healthy thought. And it was, "the best way out is always through." It's about building and maintaining relationships that work. Not everybody's going to like you, and not every work relationship is going to be perfect and brilliant. It is important to cultivate relationships with those people who you do gel with, who you do want to work with, who you do have that synchronicity with, and have those people be a part of your tribe. "Problems and conflicts are a part of life and relationships with friends, family, loved ones, and at work. Problem-solving and conflict negotiation are skills we can acquire and improve with time." And the words there that I really want you to pay attention to are and improve with time. Because another one of my favorite slogans is "progress, not perfection." Progress, not perfection. Sometimes when I'm dealing with a conflict that I find particularly uncomfortable, just the fact that I pick up the phone and tell the person or meet the person and say, "this is uncomfortable," is half the battle. The best part is, is if I can state how I felt or how I feel and what I need with leaving the word "you" out. You express how you feel and what you need, but you leave that critical word "you" out so that you keep your needs and your feelings with you and not put them on the other person. "Not being willing to tackle and solve problems in relationships leads to unresolved feelings of anger and victimization, terminated relationships, unresolved problems, and power plays that intensify the problem and waste time and energy." I don't really have that much time, nor do I have that much energy to waste. So I need to make sure that my time and my energy are spent as efficiently as possible. Those conflicts that I need to negotiate need to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Imagine a computer, and imagine programs running on the computer, and you minimize the programs so that they're just sitting on your toolbar at the bottom. The fact of the matter is, is that those programs are still using energy battery from the computer. When you don't negotiate conflict or some challenge or some issue in your life. That little program just keeps burning your battery. It just keeps burning your bandwidth. It's taking away from the energy that you need to be focusing on the things that you really want to be doing. Because we need that energy to manage our time and to do those difficult tasks. "Not being willing to face and solves problem solve problems means we may run into that problem again." If you don't take responsibility for the conflicts in your life, how the hell do you expect to have success at a higher level where you're going to be negotiating far bigger conflicts? "Some problems with people cannot be worked out in mutually satisfactory ways. Sometimes the problem is a boundary issue we have and there is no room to negotiate." When working on a conflict, look for a win-win situation. "In that case, we need to clearly understand what we want and need and what our bottom line is. How you figure out what you want and what you need: Get out paper. Get out a pen. magic happens when a pen gets in the hand and you put it on the paper. I want you to write your "fuck you letter" to this person saying everything that you wanted, everything that they disappointed you with everything you ever wanted to say to this person. And then I want you to go for a walk or run or, you know, go exercise or go clean your house or just do something. And then I want you to come back to it. And maybe that's after a night's sleep. And I want you to read what you wrote. I want you to read your fucking letter, okay? And I want you to really write down the facts of what you wanted, what you needed, and what your bottom line is. And then look for a way to healthfully communicate that to that person so that you're taking the hurt or the sting or the heat out of the wound. Because it's so important that when we are dealing with conflict, we are responding and not reacting. "A response is a reaction with a pause and a thought behind it." "Some problems with people, though, can be worked out, worked through, and satisfactorily negotiated. Often there are workable options for solving problems that we will not even see until we become open to the concept of working through problems in rela

What is holding you back? Anger towards the Industry. When you have felt like: Well, maybe this isn't for me It seems to be a club that I can't get into. Or it feels like everybody who has any power hates me. And how can I want something so badly but not be accepted into that club? What is wrong with me? Am I defective? Am I not good enough? And all of that can sometimes lead to a tremendous amount of anger. And there's nothing wrong with anger. Anger is just an emotion. I'll let you in on a secret: It doesn't kill you. It's survivable. Anger, confrontation, all of it is survivable. From the book Courage to Change. "It seems to me that many of us deal with our anger in inappropriate ways, denying it, we stuff it, or we go off in a fury directing the feelings outward. I, for one, opt for avoidance of any conflict, and then I turn into a doormat." Learning how to deal with anger. Learning how to set a boundary. Write down your feelings. It's taking the heat out of the emotion when you do that journaling. Then look over it and then say, "this is how I feel, and this is what I need." Now you can do this directed at the industry as a whole. How do you feel? What are your angry feelings towards the industry, and what do you need from the industry? So the exercise is writing a letter, note, or email, if you'd like to, the industry as a whole. "It says denying it meaning, denying anger or denying our feelings. We stuff it, or we go off into a fury." So it's again, it's that pendulum. We're either doing nothing, or we're going way off, you know, way off our rocker. And the other thing that it says is "opt for avoidance or conflict or turn into a doormat." Neither one of these are helpful. What is helpful is transcending our feelings. There's that wonderful quote from Richard Bock. "The best way out is always through." "The 12-step programs encourage us to acknowledge our feelings and to be responsible for how we express them. The problem is not that I get angry, but I do not know how to direct my anger appropriately." And again, feelings aren't facts, but it is important that we feel them. That tool of journaling and writing out the answers to these two questions how do I feel and what do I need? We are responsible for how we react or respond to our feelings. "A response is a reaction with a pause and a thought behind it." Ask: What is an appropriate way for me to express this either to the industry as a whole or to another human being? I want to work with an actor who is excited about the industry. "Lately, when I feel like hitting somebody, I take my pillow and beat the daylights out of my bed. When I want to wipe someone out, I attack a dirty oven. I try to release my anger as soon as I can so that I won't build resentments that will be harder to get rid of later." When you have anger, I can do a couple of things. One, you take a pillow if you have workout gloves, that's great because again, you want to love yourself through the process of getting the anger out and you attack your mattress with your pillow. Two, when you do that have your pen and journal right there so that you can then even get out the mental emotion. Writing how you feel and what you need. And then again, taking that step back and looking at it and saying, okay, how can I say this in a healthy way? He says, "I'm learning to communicate my anger to I may not do it gracefully, and my words may not be well received." Progress, not perfection. "It means facing the awful discomfort called conflict. But I can't run away anymore." We don't want to go through that discomfort of our anger at the industry because it's something that we so want to be a part of. But I do think what is so important is that we deal with that anger, that we transcend that anger, that we walk through that anger. Feelings are learning how to be with you. It's important to learn about your anger as well and look at your anger in terms of what you want so desperately: to be a working actor and be in the industry. So looking at that and your resentment is such an incredible gift to the artist and performer you are.

Email [email protected] for Katie's FREE Class July 19th. The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beatty. "How sick and tired we may have become of people telling us to be patient or learn patience. How frustrating it can be to want to finally have something or to move forward and then not have that happen. How irritating to have someone tell us to wait while our needs have not been met. And we're in the midst of anxiety, frustration, and inaction." Anxiety is always about fear of the future. And in terms of patience, it's, of course, that we're afraid it will never happen. Working actors take the action and let go of the result. And our patient. "Well, maybe it'll never happen. Maybe. It won't happen for me." If we can turn that energy of frustration into action as opposed to inaction The lowest form of energy is victim. It's where we feel we can't do anything. We're totally powerless. You can use your patience and feel the patience. We want to move from inaction to being in action and to take responsibility. "Don't confuse the suggestion to be patient with the old rule of not having feelings. It is essential to feel our feelings." The three A's are awareness, acceptance and action. Now, what does feeling the feelings look like? Making yourself a cup of tea and journal It doesn't matter what you write. Write crap. It doesn't have to be good. Do a brain dump. Write it down. "Being patient does not mean we go through the sometimes grueling process of life and recovering ourselves without having the feelings. Feel the frustration, feel the impatience, get as angry as you need to about not having your needs met, feel your fear." And that fear again that we're not going to get what we want. Your goals, your thoughts, and your actions. So if your goal is to be a working actor, your thoughts all need to be aligned with that goal. All those action steps also need to be aligned with those thoughts, with your goal of to be a working actor. "Controlling are feelings will not control the process. You cannot control the process. But what you can do is handle it." You can't control the process, but you can handle it. How do you handle it? By using your mind to govern your brain through your thoughts, and also taking the actions that are required in order to achieve your goals. You take those actions, you let go of the results. We find patience by surrendering to our feelings again. That's that process of acceptance. "Patience cannot be forced. It is a gift. One that closely follows acceptance and gratitude." When we work through our feelings to fully accept who we are and what we have. We will be ready to be and have more. Because the universe is infinite and your success can be infinite. You just need to practice patience, awareness, acceptance, and action. And taking the action and letting go of the result.

Katie Flahive's Free Demo Class I just don't have time to get sick! How I deal with overwhelm. Get grateful Ask, is that something that I actually want in my life? Remember, "No is a complete sentence." Another way I deal with overwhelm is excellent time management. So the first thing about overwhelm is this. Again, if you're overwhelmed, look at what you're overwhelmed with. So I've got two choices. One, I can choose to eliminate something I really want to, or I can fucking deal. Take your emotions out of your to-do list. Overwhelm is about avoiding doing the things that, if I did them, I wouldn't be overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed because I'm spending so much emotional energy and emotional time not doing the thing that if I just did it, it would help me to feel less overwhelmed. "Feeling overwhelmed isn't surprising. Being surprised about it is." The feelings of overwhelm go hand-in-hand with anxiety. The fact of the matter is, is that we will never be given more than we can handle. But we will be given more than we can control. And that is the thing about overwhelm; you are the one who determines whether you are overwhelmed or not. Maybe you're not feeling as optimistic as I am about overwhelm. Maybe it's getting you down. If that is the case, I want you to take 15 minutes. Get a cup of tea or coffee or something that soothes you. And just sit down and think about your priorities and what it is you really want in your life. And what really needs to get done? Think of your days in terms of 24 hours. What do you need to do today that really needs to get done And what can wait for tomorrow, the next day, next week, or next month? Be good to yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Love yourself. And know that no matter what, you can handle it.

About David: DAVID CADY is currently a professor of commercial and musical theatre performance at AMDA, NYU, and Pace University. Prior, he was a casting director for Donna DeSeta Casting for close to 30 years. In addition to countless commercials, his casting credits include the original Dirty Dancing, Disney's Enchanted, Michael John LaChiusa's The Petrified Prince for the Public Theater, and the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's Whistle Down the Wind, directed by Harold Prince. He was an original cast member of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along, and can be seen in Lonny Price's film about the experience, The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened. Actors don't think like the rest of us. They have a very, very particular way of doing things, and that can lead to actors getting stuck. You need accountability. It's important for actors to engage with that other part of their brain and realize that it is a business. It's important that you do something for your career that makes you want to vomit in your mouth just a little bit every day. In order to be successful, you need to do things that push you out of your comfort zone. You need to do things that get you to that next bit, to that next level of success. It's such a competitive business, and every single actor is competing, and you are competing with yourself. It isn't just about your talent. Your agent is probably not going to do much more than submit you for work. The misconception is that agents are going to mold your career. Actors are sensitive people, but, in David's experience, agents, managers, and casting directors are not sensitive people. The first job is being the best actor that you can be and continuing to study and be in class and get better at what people are ultimately going to hire you to do. And then the second job is to learn how the business works. Understanding yourself is going to make you just a better craftsman, but it's also going to help you as a person get out of your way. If you don't understand what's holding you back, then it's just going to keep holding you back. I think the people who are going to get furthest are the people who love it, love the work, who love writing letters, sending out pictures and resumes, and doing the mailings. They're jazzed by it. They're excited by it. It's about having the confidence to meet yourself before anybody else tells you that you're good.

The first tool when dealing with procrastination-- awareness. Using your mind to govern your brain. And I'm going to put a challenge to you. Whatever day you're listening to this podcast, I want you to see if you can separate yourself just a little bit from your procrastination. Put your hand directly on your face. You can't see; you cannot be aware. But then, when you remove your hand from your face about a foot, well, you're in a place to observe your hand. You can see the lines. You can see the veins. And that is the place of power when starting to look at changing something. Becoming aware of when you procrastinate and how you procrastinate. Take your emotions out of your to-do list. The second part of change is acceptance. Accept how you procrastinate. Then we move to action. This is when you need to start asking yourself, how bad do you want it? "Do something today that you'll thank yourself for a year from now." One of the things that I started to look at was the difference between how I was spending my time and how I wanted to spend my time. What are the real goals that you want to be looking and want to be achieving? Time management course that I am teaching on June 21st and June 28th. Empowering questions: What do you want to be spending your time on? What do you actually want to be spending your time on? And I think one of the biggest parts of procrastination for me is that my next steps are vague. So if my next steps are vague, I'm not going to do it. How do you create a goal? If your actions are vague and your goals are vague, guess what? The universe is going to give you a whole buttload of vague. Deciding what you want, why you want it, and how, and then how to make that specific. You need an ego-proof way of making sure that stuff got done. The huge thing about "shoulding" all over yourself is that it takes up your energy. And that energy is the energy you need to get your goals done. Get life to work for you instead of against you. Don't procrastinate. Procrastination is really understanding why. What makes you tick? And I think the more we understand how we tick and how we operate, the better. We understand ourselves as actors and how we act.

About Don: Don Fullilove is an American screen live-action and animated voice-over actor who has had roles in numerous projects over the course of his fifty-year-plus career in both films and television. He portrayed Hill Valley Mayor Goldie Wilson in the first Back to the Future film, as well as Goldie's grandson, hovermobile salesman Goldie Wilson III in Back to the Future II. Donald, who graduated from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles in 1976, currently resides in Burbank, California. "Maintain the cockiness. Don't be an asshole because the cockiness is your strength against what the business is going to throw against you." "At one point in my career, I wasn't working, and I said, well, maybe your ass needs to go to school." Putting the ego aside and learning to love the work.

Sign up for Time Management Workshop Melody Beattie and her book, Language of Letting Go. Spokes on a wheel metaphor When you want to up your game, everybody else around you wants to keep the status quo. Often, the people you love most and are the closest to you are the ones who are the least supportive and accepting of you wanting to achieve a whole new level. The Bubble Suit: going into difficult work situations friendship situations situations when it's not totally comfortable saying, but you need to speak your Truth. In your bubble suit, you are loving and protecting yourself. "And what is most important for me and what is most true for me." When you want to up your game and achieve something that maybe you just haven't yet, but know in your gut and your heart you can do and you're working so hard, yet those people aren't supporting you. And Melody Beattie says, "many of us have anger towards certain members of her family. Some of us have much anger and rage, anger that seems to go on year after year, day after day, month after month. For many of us, anger was the only way to break the unhealthy bondage or connection between a family member and ourselves." And I call this, and many other people call this detaching with an ax. And sometimes, when it becomes abusive, verbally abusive. Sometimes that's what you need to do. That is a choice. The number one thing you must do is protect yourself. She goes on to say that "it was the force that kept us from being held captive, being held captive mentally, emotionally and sometimes spiritually from certain family members." And the fact of the matter is that sometimes I would go along with things that friends would say or something that a family member would say because I could go along with them and then not take responsibility for my talent, dreams, or goals. Ultimately, what happens is that those dreams do not get achieved. Those goals do not get done. The importance of putting your feet to the fire every single day to get those things that you want to do to up your game. They do not do it without your cooperation. It is essential to allow ourselves to feel. To accept. Awareness, Anger, and Action. Our anger or feelings towards family members without casting guilt or shame on ourselves. And it's also important to examine our guilty feelings concerning family members, as anger and guilt are often intertwined. Shame is believing that there is something defective about yourself. And my sweet darling honey bears. There is absolutely nothing defective about you. Melody Beatty says, "We can accept. We can even thank our anger for protecting us. We can also set another goal which is taking on our freedom. And the thing is this is that understand that freedom has a price and that price is this, that we are responsible for freeing ourselves and then maintaining our freedom in everything we do. Once we take back our freedom or our own power, we will not need our anger." We want to think healing and loving thoughts. The point of power is in the present moment. Thank the universe for your feelings. Feel them. Release them. Ask the universe to bless and care for your families and for yourself.

Time Management for Actors May 21st and 28th 7-10 pm EST Learn more HERE Two Day TV Script Analysis Workshop w/ Katie Flahive Saturday & Sunday June 4 & 5 3-6PM $199 8-10 students Sign up HERE This class will be a 2 day intensive that helps the actor develop the understanding of how to break down acts/character/plot points/tone/tempo in a network and streaming platform pilot. Day 1: Elements will include: the table read, the breakdowns from casting Day 2: Implementation of script analysis with a mock audition. Actors will choose from the script/breakdowns which role they want to read for- adjustments for camera/audition will be given and feedback with the room will be offered. Katie Flahive TV Class - MONDAYS or WEDNESDAYS MONDAYS 6-9PM EST June 13, 20, 27, July 11 (skipping 4th of July) SIGN UP HERE WEDNESDAYS 7-10 PM EST June 15, 22, 29, July 6 SIGN UP HERE In this class, we will look at how to break down scripts for episodic, streaming platforms, pilots, and network hour and half-hour drama/comedy. Sides will be sent to each person, specifically addressing type and where they are in the industry. Audition style setting will be the main focus in the class (students will be working with materials each week under the timeline and expectations of what they would be in the real-world scenario of the audition). About Katie: Katie Flahive is Ted Sluberski's right-hand woman and is an accomplished actor and singer working in theatre, film, TV, animation, audiobooks, and commercials. Katie is also a company member of The Actors Center in NYC. She recurs on the Hulu Series The Looming Towering and the seventh season of Venture Brothers on Adult Swim. Her other recurring and guest role appearances include Law and Order: SVU, Chicago PD, Glow, The Affair, Nurse Jackie, Feed the Beast, and Blue Bloods. She has worked as an on-set coach in both LA and NYC. Katie is THE person to train with if you're looking to break into film and TV or if you're looking to deepen your on-camera performance. Why acting training is so important How to get the job! The difference between the audition, the callback, and the job. How you behave in the world is how you're going to be as an actor. Your job is to be available, flexible, and willing to play. Maturity is knowing what you can actually get done in a day. Take your emotions out of your to-do list. How bad do I want it? How to change limiting beliefs to thoughts that work for you. The need for a communal approach.

Vulnerability is an actor's greatest asset in their work, but it's also the greatest liability outside of their work and in their business. My own journey with vulnerability. I felt that as an actor, I wore my heart on my sleeve. And although that really helped me in my work, I found it to be a real problem was when wasn't getting a callback or I wasn't getting the job, and that it made it very, very difficult for me to live my own life. The emotions must live in the work, and you have your own life. CORE WORK: Go to the core work episodes, listen once, then go to a coffee shop, listen, pause and journal. You must feel safe going to those emotional places, then leave it in the work. Understand that the work is not yours. Once you do it, it is the world's. From The Language of Letting Go: "So being vulnerable and quoting kind of little bits from melody, body and language of letting go is about learning to share ourselves with other people and learning to admit our mistakes and expose our imperfections, not so that others can fix us or rescue us or feel sorry for us, but so that we can love and accept ourselves. So that we can love and accept ourselves." When we are auditioning, we are putting forth our imperfections. And then when we're putting that into work and then passed over, that can hurt. But again, I ask you to give it that separation, and if you have a hard time giving it separation from work to who you are. "Many of us are fearful of sharing our imperfections or our vulnerability because it makes us feel so vulnerable, overvulnerable. Some of us have tried being vulnerable in the past, past, and people have tried to control, manipulate or exploit us or they made us feel ashamed." If that is true for you, think about how difficult that would be for you as an actor. The importance of understanding how you tick and who you are. Feelings aren't facts. They are energy, not facts. It's only a thought, and a thought can be changed. "Some people have been hurt by being vulnerable. They have shared things with people who didn't respect our confidence or may have told someone something at the wrong time. And that scared them away." Some of the best actors have had immense pain in their life. And they know to use that pain in their work, but not indulge in it in their life.

About Eric: Eric Nelsen is a 4x Emmy Award & Tony Award-winning actor and producer. He is currently starring on the Paramount+ hit tv series, 1883 alongside Sam Elliott and Tim McGraw. He has been seen on the big screen in NIGHTMARE CINEMA, opposite Academy Award Nominee Mickey Rourke, in RAVAGE opposite Academy Award nominee Bruce Dern, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES opposite Academy Award Nominee Liam Neeson, and COMING THROUGH THE RYE opposite Academy Award winner, Chis Cooper. Some of his favorite tv roles include a series regular in Hulu's revival of ALL MY CHILDREN, a recurring role in Showtime's THE AFFAIR and working opposite Kevin Bacon in THE FOLLOWING, opposite James Spader in THE BLACK LIST, opposite Adam Driver in GIRLS, and opposite Denis Leary in ERASE. Notable producing work includes WAKEFIELD starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner, and THE INHERITANCE on Broadway. Instagram: @EricNelsenOfficial Just ask. Remain teachable. Actors who have longevity are open to learning.

We are dropping this podcast in honor of Mother's Day but also on the actual day she gave birth to me! Food, Drink, and Celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch (American Palate) Her Latest Cookbook Advice: "When I'm stuck in a story, I talk to someone else." Keep doing what you're doing and enjoy it! Learn more at peterrose.com

Work hard to keep your brain tight so your nasty messages in your brain don't have power. Having a relationship with their highest wisdom, that will help you solve all your problems. "Hell no! I am not under any circumstances going to let this happen." Is this real or is this my ego? "It is coming, it is baffling, it is powerful" Take care of yourself and do what you set out to accomplish. Managing Emotions

About Amelia: Amelia Campell was most recently in the Lucille Lortel nominated Coal Country at The Cherry Lane Theater. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her first Broadway play Our Country's Good in 1991. Additional select theater: Broadway: A Small Family Business; Translations; The Herbal Bed; Waiting in the Wings; A Streetcar Named Desire. Off B'way: Middle of the Night(Keen Company); Taking Care of Baby(MTC); The Exonerated(Culture Project); The Fall to Earth(59E59); Philip Roth in Khartoum(LAByrinth); The Misanthrope(NYTW); Tryst(Promenade); Love, Janis(Village Theater). Regional: A Midsummer Nights Dream; The Night of the Iguana; Desire Under the Elms. Film & T.V includes Anthony Arkin's "Sender"; "Things Like This"(upcoming); "I Am Michael"; "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors"; "Coming Up Roses"; "Leaves of Grass"; "The Paper"; "Bull"; "Mindhunter"; "The O.A."; "Alpha House"; "Third Watch"; "Law&Order"/"Law&Order Criminal Intent"; "A Dog Year"(HBO) "My Louisiana Sky"(Showtime). Amelia has been an acting coach since 2005. She co-created the audition workshop "What's Stopping You?" with Jack Doulin at HB Studios. She also co-created the groundbreaking on-set/on camera workshop "Being On Camera" with Anthony Arkin, which they have been teaching together since 2012. They currently teach their workshops at Primary Stages school ESPA. Amelia teaches at Pace University in their FTVC B.F.A. Acting program. What makes Amelia nervous about auditions: Expectations for what good means What is your personal best? Rejection is constant That little voice still shows up "The biggest thing you have to sell is yourself." Humans are messy and flawed, and you have to remember as an actor you have to be that too. Prepping for an audition: First step: Script analysis Start to get a sense of what I'm wearing and hair Shoes can even help Read it and move around You have to think of an audition as your role for the time you are working on it "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever has." Learn to apologize less. Tips for Newbie Actors: Pay attention You don't know everything Be interested and curious Want to learn and grow Choose to grow into the best version of yourself What is that? What does that look like? It's ok to be new and it's ok not to say anything. When in doubt leave it out. Listen and absorb.

Sign up for Adrienne Stern Monologues with Andrew Dolan Katie Flahive Classes Feeling triggered by other people's posts. "Sometimes I feel social media affects my confidence or self-esteem, even though I know it's primarily used as a highlight reel. Some actors post every single audition they go on to Facebook or Instagram. Others post throwback photos from past shoots or opportunities that they've had. And it can trick us into thinking, Well, why am I not there yet? A good example for me is there was of another actor same age as me, kind of type wise, playing similar roles. You know, we're different, but we're not different kind of a thing. And you know, she has some really good credits on stage on film, and she also has the advantage of, you know, coming from, you know, people who have been in the business before. And she loves posting a lot. And sometimes, you know, I feel like, I don't know the answer to how I should be investing energy into social media and how much, you know, I should be investing in myself." And really, the question that she's asking is, you know, how much stock do you put in this kind of a thing? Why not me? And I kind of want to turn that around and say, well, why not you? "Losers focus on winners. Winners focus on winning." Keep the focus on your life. You've only got one. I can't focus on somebody else's life because it's not mine to live. I only have mine. Ask yourself: How I can make it the best possible life I can? What are the things that are required of me to do that? Get the focus off of other people and get it onto yourself Write down areas of your life: Social Career Finances Family Hobbies Health Ask for each: Where am I and where do I want to go? Because if you want good health, but you're thinking, "I'm always sick", that's not working. That needs to be aligned. "I feel good, I want to feel good." And then also it's about the actions. EX: I really want to be in great shape. Your thoughts need to be "my body works wonderfully for me. I'm in fantastic shape." How social media can be helpful: When you see a friend starting to get real success, here's an idea. Support them. Somebody else's success does not take away from yours. That's ego talking. That's little t truth. Universal Truth is infinite. There is enough success out there for everyone, so if Joey just put the lead in a Broadway show or the lead opposite Denzel in a film that does not take away from you? Say if they can do what I can do it too. Get closer to that person. You want to know how they did it. What did these people do? What did they think? What was their process before they became successful? Ask them: What was it like? What is it like when it's tough? What is it like, when you just started out? Because it's from that that you can get the inspiration to apply it to your own life. So when it comes to social media and seeing your friend's success. Embrace it. Embrace it. Turn it on its head, let it motivate you to focus on what you want, and if you don't know what you want. What is your ideal career? It's one of the first things I ask. Because then we got to align your thoughts. We got to align your actions, and we've got to get your acting training up to snuff. So in terms of the trap of social media for actors, again, I ask you to turn it around. Practice contrary action. And that is not only with your actions but also with your thoughts. Instead of resenting, support. Instead of wanting to pull away from that person, go closer to them. Congratulate them. Ask how they did it. What advice they would have. Be curious, be curious about your friend's success. That's how you learn. That's how you get successful. I so, so strongly believe that you need to do that, the thing that scares you most in life. Is the thing you want to learn how to manage and handle and transcend. So that you can ultimately shine your own light. Because the world needs you. So don't get stuck in the trap of social media. Embrace social media and the success that it can give you to motivate you to get the focus on your life and get you into that real positive stream of energy that is out there for you.

About Andrew: Andrew Dolan's credits include American Daughter (Broadway), Strictly Dishonorable (Vineyard), Pink, Ted Kaczynski (SPF), What Then (Clubbed Thumb), Tree House (NY Stage & Film), Measure for Measure (Target Margin) UK: Edmond (National Theatre). The Woods (National Studio), Boy from the Book (English Touring Theatre). Regional: Mamba's Daughters (Spoleto Festival), Burn This, Marco Millions, Cyrano, 12th Night, Hapgood (ACT), Substance of Fire. Savage/Love (Magic Theatre), Loot, Amadeus (Arizona Theatre Co.), Road to Nirvana, Down the Road, Boy's Life, Coming Attractions (Encore Theatre). TV/Film: House of Cards, Your Honor, Chicago Med, Blue Bloods, Bull, Elementary, Good Cop, Blacklist, Handsome Harry Unstoppable, Partners in Crime, 28 Days, Being Human, David Letterman. all Law & Orders, Conviction, Return of Jezebel James. Training: Bowdoin College, American Conservatory Theatre. He is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. His play, The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King won the Ovation Award for Best New Play in Los Angeles. He also has an extensive voiceover career. He has taught at Stella Adler, ACT, AADA, and TheFreemanStudio. Operative words and images and how much you can throw away. Identify the core emotion of the script. Find the words and phrases you can act upon. That's when you lean into everything you have to give. "Find the good stuff." Your body needs to be engaged even when your full body isn't on the camera. Mentality: practice as hard as you play. One quality a CD looks for in an actor: I know I am in good hands with them. Self-esteem needs to be earned by yourself. Monologues: Find a cut that works Always leave them wanting more Catalogue of works Casting yourself is 70% of the game Don't be lazy, find material that works for you Sign up for Andrew's Monologue Class Ground yourself in the realities so you are ready to play. The purpose of technique is to fill in the gaps when the inspiration fails. Use the conscious side of your brain so your unconscious can be free. So you can feel: I got this.

"By working on your acting training, you become more qualified for better acting jobs." Core work--> so you can clean out the gunk that stands in the way of receiving opportunities that you have previously prevented yourself from receiving. Matt Corboy Interview: "Don't put me into the role; put the role into me." The chunk of ice metaphor. Talent is undeniable. Use your mind to govern your brain. One baby step by one baby step. How do I counteract that negative voice inside of me? Practice contrary action. One moment at a time, one minute at a time. Louis Haye: Affirmation: It is safe to look within "My Life Doesn't Work: I never get to do what I want to do. I can't please anyone. I don't know what I want to do. There is never any time for me. My needs and desires are always left out. I'm only doing this to please them. I am just a doormat. Nobody cares what I want to do. I have no talent. I can't do anything right. All I do is procrastinate. Nothing ever works for me, and so on. Plus, whatever else you have created for yourself. All these I have heard and more. Whenever I ask a new client what is going on in his or her life, I usually get one of the above answers. Or maybe several of these answers. They really think they know the problem. But I know these complaints are only outer effects of inner thought patterns. Beneath the inner thought patterns is another deeper, more fundamental pattern that is the basis of all the outer effects. I listen to the words they use as I ask some basic questions: What is happening in your life right now? How is your health? What do you do for a living? Do you like your work? If yes, why? If no, why? How are your finances? How is your love life? How did the last relationship end? And the one before that? Tell me about your childhood briefly? I watch the body postures and the facial movements. But mostly, I really listen to the words they say. Thoughts and words create our future experiences. As I listen to them talk, I can readily understand why they have these particular problems. The words we speak are indicative of our inner thoughts. Sometimes, the words they use do not match the experiences they describe. Then I know that they are either not in touch with what is really going on, or they are lying to me. Either one is a starting point and gives us a basis from which to begin." Relationships: I attract how I treat myself Outer effects of inner thought patterns Underneath the thoughts are your belief systems. How to change your belief system. Actions create a new motherboard. "It gets better; it gets worse; it gets different; it gets real." When it gets hard, resiliency is being built. Whatever challenge is being given. It is only going to help you in the long run. Stop rest, deal with the tired, then realize your life is getting bigger.

About Matt: Matt Corboy is a journeyman actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows and movies as well as over 125 national commercials. Most notably, he was Cousin Ralph in the Academy Award-winning movie, The Descendants, alongside George Clooney; Officer Ray Carlson on Emmy Award-winning television series The Shield; and most recently, four episodes as Matt Dickson on This Is Us that aired this February on NBC. When you're new, it's OK to be new, and you don't have to pretend that you're not. That goes back to like being your authentic self. Nobody expects the first time you're on set to just be like, "Yeah, hey, I just came from my trailer, and I'm ready for it." You don't have to put on airs of anything. Keep your mouth shut, observe, let it happen to you, and learn. There's nobody on this planet who does you better than you. The sooner you realize that authentic you is good enough. The faster you will start booking. "Don't put me into the role; put the role into me." The more you do that; the more people will say, "Oh my God, that's not how we saw it, but God, this guy just owned it." The actors that continue to work have that enthusiasm every time they're on the set.

SIGN UP FOR KEN REA'S MASTERCLASS The Language of Letting Go: "When I meet people or get in a new relationship, I start putting all these repressive restrictions on myself. I can't have my feelings, can't have my wants and needs, can't have my history, can't do the things I want, feel the feelings I'm feeling, or say what I need to say. I turn into this repressed, perfectionist robot instead of being who I am. Me." In auditions in the past, I would put restrictions, repressive restrictions on myself. Don't laugh too hard. Don't push Don't flub. The fact of the matter is, I'm far more charming being imperfect. If I am repressing myself and feeling like I can't have my wants in my needs, and I need to make this podcast absolutely perfect or, people aren't going to listen to it. It's actually the opposite. When you have the courage to be yourself. You are magnetic, people are attracted to you. Sometimes we feel like, "Oh, I'm going to be judged" or "What would they think of me?" Or "what are they thinking of me?" And the funny thing is that, especially in acting, if you're worried about what they're thinking of you, you're not acting in that scene. And therefore your work is not moment to moment. It is not special. It is not courageous. It is not playful and dynamic. But, who else can we be? Who else would you want to be? We don't need to be anybody else. "I just need to allow myself to be my imperfect self, living, and breathing, and being here as I am." That is that's neat. That's cool. That's magnetic. That's playful. That's fun. And that is what gets the job. Not even the job, but the connection with the casting director. You don't audition for the job. You audition for the relationship. We may be afraid that if we just relax and be ourselves, the other person will shame us. And shame is a belief that there is something defective about you. And shame is tough to heal, but it's not impossible. When we have shame and we feel that maybe there is a part of us that is not good enough and there's that fear that somebody else might see that too. But the Truth, the truth with a capital T (the energy that knows best, the universal Truth) is, of course, that is bullshit. There may be damage, but that damage can be healed. And the only one who can heal it is me or you. When we are relaxed and we accept ourselves, we then thereby give permission to other people to do the same. And isn't that the greatest gift? "By you letting your light shine. You thereby allow others to let their light shine."- Marianne Williamson. I no longer want to dim my light so that other people will feel more comfortable. I no longer want to lessen my own power so that others will feel more powerful or less insecure. How do I take that energy, that passion within, and just allow it to explode? If others don't appreciate us, do we really want to be around them? Do we need to let the opinions of others control us and our behavior? Empowering Questions: How do I let the opinions of others control me and my behavior? How can I start to let that go? And what will that look like? What will my life look like when I allow myself to let that go? Giving ourselves permission to be who we are can have a healing influence on our relationships. The tone relaxes We relax The other person relaxes Everybody feels a little less shame Truth: Who we are is all we can be, and it is enough. One of my favorite affirmations: I am enough, I am enough, I am enough. "It gets better, it gets worse, it gets different, it gets real." "When I'm in that feeling of being enough. I give others permission to know that they are enough." So today, whatever day you're listening to this. Give yourself permission to be enough.

This is the miracle of Core Work: you can discover a new level of confidence, on a whole other level of self-assuredness, in a whole other level of the courage to be yourself. The courage to be "Peter Pamela Rose," and show the world who that is, and be totally delighted whether the reaction is, "oh, I love her" or "oh no, thank you." That feeling of being alive and that feeling of utter gratitude for my love, for my life and for what I have, and for my future. And it's an incredible, incredible place to be. You may be asking: Well, how do I get there? Go back to some of my previous Core Work Lessons. Listen to the episode, you can be at Whole Foods or, you know, walking down the street, listen to it once. Then go back when you're sitting at home or in a coffee shop and listen to it. And write down the questions and take notes. And when I ask Empowering Questions like, "why does this make me feel that way?" Set your timer for each question for 10 minutes. Just start at five or 10 minutes. I really encourage you to go to 20 minutes. And you don't know the answer to those questions, what I encourage you to do is just say I don't know. And then I want you to ask yourself, but what would it be if I did know? What would it be if I did know? If you are looking to change and you're like, "I need more help than that," then SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AT [email protected]. And just say, "I want to get more in-depth with core work!" Then let me guide you and help you there. The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie "When I meet people or get in a new relationship, I start putting all these repressive restrictions on myself. I can't have my feelings. I can't have my wants and needs. I can't have my history. Can't do things I want, to feel the feelings I'm feeling, or say what I need to say. I turn into this repressed perfectionist robot instead of being who I am. Me." -Anonymous And the thing that hits me so painfully and so deeply about this is this is so how I used to be. The core work is the power of turning from someone who is a repressed perfectionist robot into someone who has the ability and the courage. That is something I've earned. Like exercise, but in some ways much harder. I know, it's very difficult to look at questions about yourself that are so searing and so painful, and I remember when I first started doing this work, I would get sleepy. What happens is, is that our systems shut down to that new, almost invading message. New information, those new probing, Empowering Questions that are going to lead us with time, effort, and energy to have the courage to be ourselves. Think about it in terms of acting and being free to act in front of an Agent, a Casting Director, or a Manager. It is magnetic. It's sexy, people want a piece of it when you go into a room being totally comfortable with who you and you own that room from the second you walk in. You are not auditioning for that job. You are auditioning for that relationship. And guess what, you might actually get the job too! No matter what is thrown at you on a set, your concentration, your ability to exercise your skills as an actor has to be there. This core work is the magic sauce. You'll start doing this. You get your acting training at the highest level it can be. You get your business skills up and going, and then all of a sudden by magic, things start happening. Why is that? Because you are learning the courage to be yourself! I can talk about this with utter passion because I used to be that actress, that repressed person, who would go into an audition, and all I would want it to be was perfect. As opposed to going into an audition and letting it be and letting it fly and letting it live and letting it breathe. Today, I encourage you to be yourself and to show the world how magnificent you really are and just let it fly.

About Annie: Annie Tippe is a director and creator of new work, film, and music theater. Recent: Premiere of Dave Malloy's OCTET at the Signature Theatre (Lucille Lortel Award for Best Direction, SDC Callaway Award Finalist) and GHOST QUARTET (Premiere, The Bushwick Starr, etc...), Leslye Headland's CULT OF LOVE (Premiere, IAMA Theatre Company), Bess Wohl's CONTINUITY (Goodman Theatre), Molly Beach Murphy + Jeanna Phillips' COWBOY BOB (Village Theatre; New York Stage + Film), James + Jerome's INK (w. Rachel Chavkin, Under the Radar/Met Museum) and THE CONVERSATIONALISTS (Bushwick Starr). Former Ars Nova Director-in-Residence, Drama League Directing Fellow, Williamstown Directing Corps. Upcoming: OCTET (Berkeley Rep, April 22); LIFE AFTER (Goodman Theatre, June 22). www.annietippe.com Pursue people who inspire you. Follow good taste. The power of saying no: You cannot take things that do not excite you. You have to say no in order to open up the possibility of something better will come that you can say yes to. You have to know your value. See something surprising.

Energy Vampires= people who take away valuable energy you need to push past the things that are standing in the way of your dreams. Level 10 energy Who to watch out for: People who zap your energy. How do we protect ourselves? Put on an imaginary bubble suit. Their stuff does not need to affect you. You have the opportunity to arrive late and leave early. Other kinds of Vampires Other Actors on set. No is a complete sentence. People preying on the actors in the Industry. Family who is not supportive. Tips and tools: Get the focus off of you No is a complete sentence Don't cosign on someone else's drama Ask yourself, is this going to be a healthy thing to be involved in or unhealthy? Your life depends on deflecting the energy suckers Don't treat someone like a priority who treats you like an option Be kind to these people, if they could be doing better they would.

About Ryan: RYAN ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM (she/her) is a queer writer/director and Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer who recently launched the development company Running Woman with the goal of telling stories that haven't been heard before. She represented the TV projects THE FUGITIVE GAME (2018), TRANSMANIA (2019), and MARY (2020) in the IFP (now The Gotham) Project Forum. Ryan is very passionate about promoting equality, women's issues, LGBTQ+ stories, and neurodiversity in her work. She's EP/Director on the standup special ILANA GLAZER: THE PLANET IS BURNING (Amazon), the docuseries EXPECTING AMY (HBO Max), and an upcoming Pride special for Showtime. Select TV producer credits include BROAD CITY and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (Comedy Central), SEARCH PARTY and THE LAST O.G. (TBS); LOUIE (FX); STRANGERS (Facebook); THE SHIVERING TRUTH (Adult Swim); HORACE AND PETE (Hulu); THE ELECTRIC COMPANY (PBS), as well as several prominent stand-up specials for Netflix and HBO, including Executive Producing AMY SCHUMER GROWING for Netflix. Film producing credits include Rachel Israel's feature KEEP THE CHANGE, starring the first leading cast of actors on the autism spectrum and winner of Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca Film Festival 2017; BECKS, winner of the LA Film Festival 2017; and the ill-fated I LOVE YOU, DADDY, directed by Louis C.K., which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. She has also co-owned the NYC-based post house Running Man for the last decade. She lives in Brooklyn with her 10-year-old daughter who is on the autism spectrum and likes to build large art installations in various places around their apartment. Ryan is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and co-chair of the RISD Fund, as well as working as an adjunct professor for the film department. Focus on the job, not the ego. What did I learn? What can I take forward with me? Comedy is the ultimate puzzle. Qualities: Utter commitment Inside and outside of art Up your game: Time management Hire the right people Delegation Television is fast You need a team you can trust Actors creating your own work: Work in an outline form before you start scripting. Learn to pitch. A pitch makes them want to know more. Record yourself doing it and watch it back! The best actors LISTEN! If you're not open to notes, you're not going to have a strong performance. Be able to identify what's working, what's not working, and have suggestions to make it work better. Learn how to take critique.

Fantasy can become a liability. It can become a crutch, "one day I'll ______" You keep pushing to the future and you don't deal with the reality of what needs to happen NOW. Spiral it out to get to the seed of what you really want. Why do you want to become an actor? Well, why do you love acting? Continue to break down the reason. Continue asking why. Then what is the reality for me around this want? Once we unpack the fantasy, we can turn it into a reality Fantasy can also destroy the good seed of why you want to do it. It's your ego. It takes away the beauty. Ask yourself: How does my fantasy about becoming a famous actor, corrode my love for the art of acting? Reality: Every day we need to be doing actions that move us closer to our goal. It's hard work. You need to focus on The Three Pillars: Acting training Business skills Core work

Send your picture and resume to me: [email protected] About Colleen: Colleen Labella is the Director of Development for Leslye Headland's company, Shoot to Midnight. She is a producer on the new Freeform hit series SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE. Colleen worked on Fox's ALMOST FAMILY and Showtime's BLACK MONDAY, and she currently has a number of projects in development under Shoot to Midnight with 20th Century Fox. Colleen also directs theatre in the greater Los Angeles area. Credits include: fml: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life at the University of San Diego, Canyon for Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and a journey through minimalism at the Walt Disney Concert Hall featuring the LA Philharmonic. She holds her BFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut and trained at Tisch's Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU, as well as Shakespeare's Globe in England. Colleen focuses her work on women, collaborative storytelling, ensemble-based projects, and the LGBT experience. Get good at asking for what you want. I Am That Girl "No is survivable" Qualities of good auditions: When I was surprised Energy Who you are and what you brought to it Value in looking your best for that role Make the CD's job easier Energy matters in space It doesn't mean you're a bad actor if you don't book the role! Win the room! A Life in Parts The Power of Saying Thank You!

Listen to Episode 161: What Do You Want and How Do You Get it? What you think, what you want, and what you do. You need to train your brain to be more acute, more aware. You want to handle your level 10 problems at level 10 energy. How your Mindset works: What is the function of your thoughts? What is the function of your emotions? Of your actions? "Here is a breakdown of how your mindset works." We want a mindset that works 100% FOR us, not against us. Excerpt from You Are a Badass at Making Money: "Your beliefs are driving the bus. They take you where you're going whether you're paying attention or not. Your thoughts are the tour guide, the person upfront with the microphone and the clipboard—she can lean over and yank the wheel, slam on the brakes, step on the gas, flip the bus—she can do whatever, whenever she wants. She usually works in harmony with your beliefs, but she has all the veto power. Your words are the assistant to your thoughts and beliefs. Your words back them up, voice their opinions, anchor in the message, they keep it real. Your emotions are the fuel. They are ignited by your thoughts and can change your beliefs and the direction of your life. Without emotions, you're going nowhere new and exciting. Your actions build the road. They pave the path for your beliefs, but will reroute should thoughts and emotions make a change of plans and decide they want to stop at Dairy Queen or something. When all these facets of your mind, body, and spirit are in alignment, focused on the same desire, singing "Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall" as they merrily roll along, you can manifest all the riches yo desire. But if you're thinking about how much you'd love to make an extra five thousand dollars a month and how you have no idea how to do it, if you're feeling terrified and extremely doubtful, believing that people won't take you seriously (yourself included), if you're saying out loud, "I love money and it comes to me easily" every morning in the mirror, and if you're making one sales call per day after which you give up and crack open a beer, you aren't gonna get very far." In order for me to put the left thumb on top, it takes conscious thought. Your thoughts, words, and actions need to back up that want. This business is so damn challenging, you want to have as much working FOR YOU! That is going to get to you where you really want to go. You NEED a success mindset.

About Stacye: After an illustrious career at Paradigm Talent Agency where Stacye Mayer has represented a diverse roster of actors she recently celebrated a successful year at Webb Sweeney Murphy talent (WSM). Over the expanse of her career, she's been part of the discovery & accomplishments of many actors' careers. The list of numerous commercials she's booked is endless but know that she's collaborated creatively on many national campaigns, regional spots like state lotteries; as well as a long list of ads produced just for social/digital media. More recently she's giving those with a good mic and an in-home studio an opportunity in the VoiceOver space as well. Stacye is constantly looking to expand her commercial roster and cultivate new talent to reach their fame in this industry! It's the agent's job to introduce you to the Casting Director. Once you make that connection, if you are doing callbacks, you are doing it right. It's important that the casting directors know what they are getting when you walk in the room! Stayce reads the resume from the bottom up. Training is KEY! Make sure your special skills are something you can do the next morning. You have to be honest with your team! You saying no does not make me not want to work with you. Union vs Non-Union-- 70% non-union these days. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CONFLICTS.

Exercise: On a piece of paper make three columns: What you Want What you Think Action Write it out as it is right now Ex first column: I want to be a working actor In the second column: What is the first thing you think? Be rigorously honest here Are you thinking I'm not good enough? Are you thinking I'm going to kill it? Use your mind to govern your brain THIS IS JUST WHERE YOU ARE AT RIGHT NOW THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WHERE YOU ARE DOES NOT MATTER, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU ARE REALLY HONEST IN THIS STEP. Now move to the third column What you do: Do you only do actions for your acting career when you feel like it? Do you fantasize more than doing something about it? Do you stay or do you pivot when things aren't working? What you do to support it MATTERS. WE ARE JUST TAKING STOCK. This is not a time to beat up on yourself. Just taking note of the current situation. Now we shift to where we want to be: Talk about again what it is we want. Ask yourself: Why do I want it? What is at stake for me if I don't get it? How would it feel if I got it? How would I reward myself if I got it? Get CRYSTAL CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE WANT Then we move to Thinking: What are the thoughts that I need to be thinking to create new synapses to create new stronger thoughts? Thoughts that work for my goals. Thoughts that work for my life. How do you get your thoughts working for you again? Action: What are you doing? What are your actions? We need to be balanced in all Three Pillars Acting Training Your Business Tools Core Work What you want must be supported by what you think and what you do.

About Ken: Ken Rea is Professor of Theatre at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and author of the bestseller, The Outstanding Actor, Seven Keys to Success. He began as a professional actor and director in New Zealand, working with some of the country's leading theatres and on television as well as running his own company, The Living Theatre Troupe. Later, in the UK he was artistic director of Jet Theatre and Koru Theatre. In addition to his work at Guildhall, he has taught in the national drama academies of China, Indonesia, India, Italy and New Zealand, as well as in Germany, Greece and Canada. He has also worked as a movement coach with many theatres including the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has been a regular feature writer for The Times and was for 15 years a theatre critic for The Guardian. His book A Better Direction, examines the issues of director-training. His plays produced in Britain include The Brave Magicians of Mangalore and Voyagers. His adaptations performed in London include the Swedish classic, Pippi Longstocking and the Italian Renaissance comedy, The Deceived. In the corporate world Ken trains business leaders of global companies. www.kenrea.co.uk Excerpt from The Outstanding Actor: Seven Keys to Success: "The conditions I've described are mostly outside of your control and you may beg thinking well I didn't have a troubled childhood, and I didn't have pushy mother, and I didn't go to Eaton, so all the cards are stacked against me. What's the point? But those factors are not exclusive, they just show how some people seized the opportunity of an early advantage and went on through effort to prosper. The focus of this book is about what you can do now to make a difference. And in the spirit of the growth mindset, there is a lot you can do. This book is about how you make the best of what you have. Your talent, your physicality, and your personality. Because in the acting profession, there is always hope and there is always room for one more outstanding actor. So let's get started." "To keep our faces towards change, and behave like a free spirit in the presence of fate, is strength undefeatable." Helen Keller Be comfortable with risk. Risk— trying something that might not work in order to lead you to a solution to a better one. Heart of adventure and risk, and going in for it rather than running away. "Make it about them, not about you" Forget about yourself and think about the audience. Focus on the work and getting better. Effort trumps Talent Mastery is 10 years of deliberate practice. Real success is being open to change. Enthusiasm is important because it's contagious. We love to be surprised as an audience. If you follow these practices, it can help you step up to the next level. You need that sparkle. 7 Keys to Success: Warmth Generosity of Spirit Enthusiasm Grit Danger Presence Charisma Moment to moment — the more I was in the moment in my life the easier it was to be present in my work. How can I be more present?

Sign up for David Cady's Commercial Class Sign up for Katie Flahive's Script Analysis Class When crazy times come up, I use these: This too shall pass Exercise Nice cups of tea or coffee Eat regularly Nice blanket Keeping close with the energy that knows best Inviting hat energy into my day Keeping as physically, mentally, spiritually fit as I can It's not about doing it perfectly. "Do not treat someone like a priority to treat you like an option." "Anyone can eat an elephant one bite at a time." "Whatever I put before taking care of myself I am going to lose." "If you're hysterical, it's historical." Trace it, face it, erase it.

About Wolfie: Wolfie Trausch is an in-demand voice-over director, casting director, voice actor, and loop group coordinator. He works as a freelance English Dubbing Director for the top dubbing houses in Los Angeles, and directs an array of genres, from dramas to comedies, animated series, and video games. Some top credits include Netflix's To The Lake, Amazon's Parot, and HBO's Laetitia. What is dubbing? How dubbing is different. Rhythmo Band by Voice Cue Leave your baggage at the door and have an openness to play, be present, and be on time. How to be a great dubber: Fully commit to the acting Timing is key You're matching a performance All the technical aspects You are doing one pass You're the principal How have things changed since covid? We were all in studio Internet latency Union vs. Nonunion The rise of Dubbing Biggest Pet Peeves: Being late for a session Difficult to schedule Not honoring your commitments Will bring in for incidentals Check your phone at least twice an hour! https://www.loopgroupwest.com/actors-contact

Check out classes for January! December can feel like a sprint. Take care of yourself first. Understanding no is a complete sentence. Sometimes being with certain people requires your number 10 energy. When you're with them, you need to have number 10 energy to deal with the number 10 challenge. It may be best to limit your time and exposure to them. Melody Beattie's The Language of Letting Go Dealing with your feelings but try not to dwell unduly on them Allow yourself to just be in the day There may be some holiday backlash It's ok because we're all doing the best we can at the moment Allow yourself to embrace and be with the love that IS available

About Jason: Always in constant movement, be it in social media, ADR/Looping groups, teaching martial arts, speaking at VO conferences, or bringing characters to life with motion and performance capture - it's no wonder that Jason has been referred to as the "Jackie Chan" of voice over. Starting out as an on-camera childhood actor in Los Angeles, he quickly understood how to breakdown scripts, and find the "heart" of the story. Jason believes the reason is… The "inner-city." Growing up in multiple rough neighborhoods, and experiencing hardships at a levity different than most, he taught himself to utilize these raw emotions to bring characters he would audition for, to life. With a smile on his face and a cartoon version of himself everywhere, he's known throughout the VO community to be genuine and reliable. His rare ability to translate "director language" into "actor language" at a rapid pace is a skill that he has helped others to cultivate. Jason's art can be heard in countless video games, national college spots, and currently as the voice of multiple video game characters, as well as heard on the tv and radio on a daily basis. What is Motion Capture? Different kinds of Mo-cap You've got to learn your craft! Drop Ship Studios LA Endomorphs, Mesomorphs, and Ectomorphs If you drop a compelling audition, you could be in the next big video game or movie. It doesn't matter if you are a celebrity. "The body does not lie." You have to think about the industry from the Casting Director's point of view. Types of Bards/ Storytellers Performers Thespians Entertainers V Tubing Casting opportunity: go to www.www.dropshipstudiosla.com and go to performers quarters

Send your picture and resume to [email protected] What to get your reps for the holidays: $25 gift is fine Avoid food and alcohol Who to give to: Casting Director who you've booked a few jobs through over the years Agent and/or Manager Casting Director Agent or Manager who you've gotten a lot of stuff through get something a little more expensive What to get: Movie Tickets Amazon Gift Card Find out if they like something Favorite restaurant Donate to a charity Flowers Holiday Triggers: From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie: "There are many positive triggers that remind us of Christmas (or Hannukah): snow, decorations, songs, wrapped packages, a nativity scene, or a star, stockings hung on a fireplace. And these "triggers" can evoke in us the warm, nostalgic feelings of the holiday celebration. There are other kinds of triggers, though, that may be less apparent and evoke different feelings and memories. Our mind is like a powerful computer. It links sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste with feelings, thoughts, and memories. It links our senses - and we remember. Sometimes the smallest, most innocuous incident can trigger memories. Not all our memories are pleasant, especially if we grew up in a dysfunctional setting. We may not understand why we suddenly feel afraid, depressed, and anxious. We may not understand what has triggered our codependent coping behaviors - the low self worth, the need to control, the need to neglect ourselves. When that happens, we need to understand that some innocuous event may be triggering memories recorded deep within us." In 1987 on Christmas Eve, my grandfather passed away. And it was a sad time. Every Christmas Eve I remember him, and I think about the grandpa who took me to the zoo at 5, and when I let go of my balloon by mistake, he bought me another balloon. It's an emotional Christmas memory and that's ok. We need to allow those feelings to come up, and to journal and move through them. Another thing that comes up for me, every December, it seems like it's chaotic for me. The feelings around December can be overwhelming. Map out the month Stay ahead of things "If something, even something we don't understand, triggers painful memories, we can pull ourselves back into the present by self-care: acknowledging our feelings, detaching, and affirming ourselves. We can take action to feel good. We can help ourselves feel better every December. No matter what the past held, we can put it in perspective, and create a more pleasant holiday today." "If you're hysterical, it's historical." "If it's after 11 o'clock at night and you think it's a good idea, it's not."

About Judy: Judy Henderson has been honored by The Ross Reports as one of the top 20 US Film Casting Directors. Highlights include Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series. 2 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series. 4 Artios Awards for Outstanding Achievement TV Series and Theatre Drama Casting. Artios nomination for Independent Film Feature Casting, and 8 Artios nominations for Off-Broadway Theatre Drama Casting. She has cast innumerable national on-camera and voice-over television commercials. She is a member of the Casting Society of America and Local 817 of the Teamsters Theatrical Union. Select Film credits include Before Midnight, Paranormal 2, 12 and Holding, L.I.E. (6 Independent Spirit Award Nominations, Winner of Best Debut Performance Award), and Before Sunrise. Select TV credits include Homeland-(Emmy Award and 2 Artios Awards - Showtime Series), Love And Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story (Fox), and Land of Little Rain (PBS). Broadway credits include Barefoot In The Park, and Anna Karenina (4 Tony Nominations). Off-Broadway credits Invasion (Obie Award), Lie of The Mind (Artios Award), The Kid (5 Drama Desk Nominations), and Hurlyburly (Artios Award). Who Hires You for Projects? How does Judy decide who to call in for an audition? What are the qualities of actors you love to bring in? Thinks of it in terms of what she has to do. Goes to the theater a lot What talent means to her Someone who makes me believe they are the person they are playing Someone who will not melt in a situation that may or may not be consistent Trained