Whenever I am preparing for a run of Basic Training I have to find new ways to motivate myself to rehearse – which for me includes 5am runs and consistent physical conditioning.

A few years back I had dinner with Little Richard.  I won’t tell you how I know him because although it’s a hilarious story, it’s another post for another time.

He lives in a hotel in Hollywood and he’s just as dynamic in person as he is on stage.

As I sat there with one of the few true legends of the music industry (there would be no Coldplay, Madonna or Lady Gaga if it wasn’t for Little Richard) his stories inspired me to get off my ass and do more with my talent.

‘In those days all we did was rehearse because that’s all we could do’, he said.  ’You could get hanged or shot in the head just for looking at a white woman and we damn sure couldn’t go to the mall and hang out because folks of our color didn’t have malls.  So we found solace in our talent.  Even then it wasn’t a fair playing ground but we didn’t have time to worry about fair.  Performing was the only way out of our situation.  If you thought that your talent was the only thing that could rescue you from, you know, bein poor or the police messin with you- you would rehearse until you were dead.  Just for a chance to get on stage and wow folks. To prove yourself.  And honey, prove myself I did.’

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So many years later his words still ring true.  He had every right to make excuses and he didn’t.  I need to rehearse as if this talent was the only thing I have left, my only way out.  If Little Richard can find the time to rehearse and stay on top of his game, so can I.   How about you?

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If that don’t light your fire, you got wet wood.

-Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

A Career Built On Talent Alone Is Like A House Built On Sand.

Sudds and I were in a meeting yesterday with a young, energetic and immensely successful theatrical show producer.  This guy is at the top of his game and has the branding and successful shows to prove it. 

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Among the many things we discussed was the unforgiving nature of the business and how if you aren’t careful with your reputation you may soon find yourself without one, scrambling to pick up the pieces while you beg people to hire or book you again. 

Here’s what I learned from this meeting:

It doesn’t matter if you are amazing on stage.  If you don’t carefully manage your brand reputation off stage your career will suffer significant setbacks and it may not fully recover.  Like a house built on sand it may look impressive and last a little while but at the first sign of adversity or bad weather it will slowly sink, leaving a large hole to be filled by someone else.

The media would have us believe that we may end up like Mickey Rourke or Robert Downey Jr, who bounced back from ruined reputations and drug riddled oblivion to win the hearts of many. 

 Two things about those situations:

1. They are the exception, not the rule. 

2. What they went through to recover pales in comparison to what they got out of it.  We only see the movie premieres and magazine covers, not the decade of rejection, pain and irreparable harm they caused family, friends and colleagues because of selfish decisions. 

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Why should you care?

Whether you work in an office or onstage the first thing that arrives for work every day isn’t you.  It’s your reputation.   What do people think when they hear your name or your brand?  What they think is exactly what you’ve built.  We all get tough breaks and sometimes things don’t go our way but the magic isn’t in what happens to us, it’s in what we do with it.

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Here’s how to strengthen your brand reputation:

1. Stop thinking that your brand is so strong it can’t happen to you.

2. Thank the people behind the scenes – the waiters, waitresses, technicians, the assistants.  These people are the heartbeat of this business and being kind to them will provide priceless advertising.   Want to know who’s truly great?  Ask these guys and gals.

3. Take the time to get to know your audience after the gig.  Shake some hands afterwards and don’t talk about yourself – ask about them.

4. Provide a way for your audiences and clients to give you anonymous feedback such as a poll or a survey.  www.surveymonkey.com helps you build free surveys that are super easy to customize and distribute and www.polldaddy.com has some inventive formats for simple polls that you can post on facebook or attach to emails.

5. Keep a close eye on your competitors and learn from their success and mistakes.

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The days of being the only game in town are over and the way we play the game has never been more crucial. 

-Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

This is a guest post from our colleagues at TheSavvyActor.com, a groundbreaking website with countless proven and effective resources that encourages actors and performers to think like small business owners.  Thanks to Jodie Bentley and Kevin Urban (Savvy Actor head honchos) for contributing this valuable post to GigSmacked.com. 

For our readers:  Remember, this can be applied to any artist relationship, not just actors – agents.

 

Jodie Bentley

The Secret to an Ideal Relationship with Your Agent

By The Savvy Actor

Excerpt from The Savvy Actor Career Manual

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At some point an actor will inevitably begin their search to get an agent. Many actors look at the agent relationship as the be‐all and end‐all. Really, that’s when the work begins, but on a different level.

When an actor gets an agent, we often find that one of two things happen:

1. They’re at a loss as to how to proceed.

2. They rely too much on the agent, and stop their own self‐promotion.

Both of these can hurt the agent relationship.

At the Savvy Actor we have created the Five P’s to a Productive Agent Relationship to help you unlock the secret to building the ideal relationship with your agent.

 

Five P’s to a Productive Agent Relationship:

 

1. Proper Setup of Relationship

The first step, mainly with legit representation, is making sure they agree with what you sell. This is why packaging and aligning your brand is so important. If you have done all your branding homework and know where you fit in the industry, and they agree, then the relationship will thrive.

In beginning any business relationship, setting up proper communication is vital. Do they prefer email, phone, or dropping by? If there is a project you’re right for, how should you communicate that? These are important questions to answer because if you establish the communication style upfront you never have to second‐guess or worry when contacting them. When you do contact your agent, it must be for a reason – not just to check in. 

 

2. Peer and Partner Thinking

Your relationship with your agent is a business partnership, it’s not a time to be passive! Remember, they only get 10% commission. It is your job to do 90% of the work. It’s your career, not theirs.

Think of them as a peer, not an authority figure; ask for what you want and need without fear. Being afraid of your agents is not the way to have a relationship. When you come from a place of fear, you are not being your authentic self. It’s harder to function in a productive way.

 

3. (Be) Proactive

You’ve got to be proactive with your agents. This means filling them in on what’s going on in your career and giving them the tools to sell you.

Tools that “sell” you would be:

• Feedback you get in the room when you audition.
• When someone you know is directing/casting/producing/musical directing/ writing a project.
• Casting directors who know you and what they’ve said about you.
• Maintaining and updating information on your website and submission sites.

 

4. Professionalism and ‘Preciation

You are a small business owner, and it’s of the utmost importance to be professional. Actors tend to complain about their agent situations – whether they don’t have one or they feel their agent isn’t working with them. A small business owner would not complain but rather take steps to fix it. If you treat your agent with professionalism, they will do the same.

‘Preciation or gratitude is the key in maintaining relationships and being professional. Thanking your agent for negotiating contracts and getting you in for auditions is just good business practice. Thank you’s are a must.

 

5. Position of Trust

When you start working with an agent in a freelance or signed capacity, both parties are really saying,“ I trust you to do your job.“ The actor must trust that they are being submitted, and the agent must trust that you are doing your best work in the room and being professional.

Yet, agents hear these words countless times ‐“Can you submit me for this?” What actors don’t realize, is by asking this question they are basically saying, “I don’t think you did your job, so I have to check up on you.” There’s a big difference between saying, “Can you submit me for this?” and “ I’m sure you submitted me, but I’m very interested in this project” or “I’m sure you submitted me, I just wanted to let  you know the director knows my work.” By demonstrating trust, your relationship will be based on a foundation of respect and, inevitably, grow.

Use these five P’s and you are guaranteed to create a successful, savvy partnership with your agent.

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--Jodie Bentley, TheSavvyActor.com