It’s All About the Hustle
It’s getting harder and harder to survive in this world. No one is going to do your work for you.
Acting is not limited to a certain age group. People are choosing to go into the field as second and third careers.
So you need to HUSTLE if you want to make a living in show business. You need to take your business to the next level.
There should not be one day that goes by where you’re not working on something related to your craft, whether it’s taking classes, working out, networking or auditioning. Acting is not a five day a week, 9-5 job. It’s all year round, every day.
It’s easy to fall behind when you’re running your own business, which is exactly what you’re doing as an actor. The most important person to rely on is yourself.
IT MAY TAKE YEARS
The overnight sensations you hear about really aren’t overnight sensations. Taylor Swift started singing at local events at age 10, but you really didn’t hear about her until she released her first single Tim McGraw in 2006. Even then, mainstream listeners had no idea who she was.
Taylor Swift is just one example of a hustler; someone so dedicated to her craft that nothing could stop her.
NO DISTRACTIONS
Think back to when you were a kid with no worries at all. What was your favorite thing to do? Rubik’s Cube? Reading? Sports? You didn’t stop until you accomplished your goal.
You need to take those memories and push them to NOW. Nothing should distract you, not dreaming about your big break, not social media… nothing.
The ‘no distractions’ phrase is probably the hardest to accomplish. You need self-discipline. You need those blinders that horses wear during a race.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is big right now and it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting caught up in it for hours. But you need to FOCUS. Check your social media pages when you’re on the train on the way to a class, when you can’t really do anything else. But only after you’ve memorized your lines. Don’t say, “I’ll just go on for five minutes because I have a half-hour train ride.” — Before you know it, that half-hour is GONE. Learn your lines first, then if there’s five minutes left over, you can check social media.
HELP YOUR AGENT
Agents love actors who are go-getters. Don’t just sit at home waiting for your agent to find an audition for you. Do your research to see what new opportunities will be in your area and then see if there are any roles that fit you. If something catches your eye, run it by your agent.
SET UP A CALENDAR
You probably already have a calendar, but if not, this is one of the most important items needed to further along your career.
Most phones today come with a calendar app. I find the Google calendar very useful because you can sync it to your Gmail.
You should have every slot in your calendar for at least eight hours filled with something that has to do with acting (Watching your favorite TV shows so you can ‘study’ other actors does not count.)
So just as you would work an office job for eight hours, you should have eight hours a day of related business in your calendar. Be sure to leave some time to eat!
POP QUIZ
1. Your friends are playing video games and invite you over to play and eat munchies. You…
a) Head right over and play Legend of Zelda for 24 hours straight until your eyes bug out and you can’t stand up because you’ve been in the same position for a day.
b) Go shopping for a new car to keep your mind off playing video games.
c) Politely decline and find a karate or yoga class to attend.
2. You’re reading this article when all of the sudden, your phone beeps. You…
a) Finish reading this article because you’re working on not getting distracted.
b) Check your phone because it might be a message from your agent.
c) Think that this is a trick question, but it’s really not.
3. It’s Sunday, the only day you get to sleep in. You…
a) Push yourself to get up and head to the gym.
b) Push the snooze button to wake you up in 10 more minutes, which turns into two hours.
c) Check NYCastings to see what’s Casting Right Now and what Agencies are looking for Right Now.
BE GREAT AT THE HUSTLE!
You should be eating, breathing and sleeping show business. There’s no room for laziness. If you want to make it in this business, you have to hustle, and you have to be GREAT at it.
Hustling is the key to success!
P.S. A LIFE TIP
Always help others. Be kind and respectful during your hustle. Be prepared to fail and fail again. Be your authentic self. Turn your dreams into reality! Many have done it, and so can you!
