Most of my clients come to me with one common goal:

To get more auditions.

As though this elusive and general goal of “more auditions” would provide a solution to their career struggles.

It doesn’t.

In fact, in my opinion, the pursuit of more auditions just for the sake of more auditions is a waste of time.

Without clarity, focus or a strategic plan, the blind pursuit of auditions can turn you into an obsessed little junkie.

Like any addiction, as soon as your latest fix wears off, you want more.  No matter how many auditions you get, you will never be satisfied.

In today’s video, I want to help you break the habit!

Special thanks to Kelly Ryan for excellent trench-coat acting.

Be honest.  You don’t actually want more auditions.  NO ONE does.

What you really want is more work.

Auditions are one way to book work.  But they aren’t the only way.

Try putting your focus on connecting with the people who can hire you.   Set your future self up to get offered the role without having to audition at all.

Not sure how to do that?  Join the free webinar.

When it comes to questions about appropriate behavior on twitter, here’s a good rule of thumb:

If you wouldn’t do it in real life, you shouldn’t be doing it on twitter.

Now, I have a sneaking suspicion that you dear actor – you sensitive, compassionate, sensible, brilliant person, you will likely not fall into this category of “What NOT to do.”

But just for the hell of it, I’ve put some of the biggest twitter blunders I see actors making into physical expression for your amusement.

Get it here.

And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to reserve your spot for the FREE MAY 7 Webinar:

The 5 Biggest Blunders Actors Make on Twitter (And what to do about it)

So you can be sure you are using twitter to the best possible extent.

Click here to grab your spot.

Got questions about twitter etiquette?  Leave a comment below.

I love twitter.  The potential of connecting with ANYONE, whether in the entertainment industry or otherwise, anytime, from anywhere is pretty amazing if you ask me.

But it doesn’t solve the issue that most people have with twitter, which is that they just don’t know how to use it properly.

I get weird tweets, questionable tweets, inappropriate propositions, spam and in some cases, what looks to be another language complete unto itself via twitter all the time.

Why keep it to myself?  This is the What NOT To Do series after all.

This week’s video is all about what NOT to do on twitter.  I’m even highlighting actual tweets I’ve received to shine the what-not-to-do light brightly.

All names have been blurred out to protect the…well..I wouldn’t say innocent, but at the very least, to protect the “don’t know any betters”.

In addition to what NOT to do, this week I’ve got a special treat. Check out the video to find out what it is.

Ready to find out what TO do on twitter?  Click here to join the FREE webinar on 5/7:

The 5 Biggest Blunders Actors Make on Twitter (And What To Do About it).

And leave a comment below.  What is your biggest challenge with twitter?  What are your biggest questions about using it effectively for your acting career?

Sound off in the comments.

Remember that Destiny’s Child song, “Say My Name”?  Sometimes in my actor brain I switch out the words and replace them with “Slate My Name.”

Because that’s how my brain works.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way.

It leads me to this weeks What NOT To do video.  Slating your name.

I’m sure you’ve seen those actors who do their little actor button with their name slate.  I get it.  It’s all about branding yourself and standing out.  I just find it particularly funny that so much thought practice and rehearsal can go into simply saying your name to camera.

Should you be quirky, self deprecating, bold and confident, flirtatious?  What if your scene is really heavy?  Should you switch from a friendly welcoming slate to the depths of despair?  Should you slate with the grief or jealousy or disgust the scene calls for?

Oh acting.  Auditioning.  It’s such an unnatural thing to do.

You’ve just been confronted with the news that you’re dying of cancer AND your husband is having an affair with your best friend.  We really need to see the devastation, fear and betrayal you are going through. 

BUT FIRST – put on your most outgoing, approachable fun self because we REALLY NEED to see how great you are to work with on set.  Because it’s super easy to switch from bubbly to distraught at the drop of a hat.

And GO.

Well.  You probably know what’s coming next.

It’s this week’s video.  Once again I discover the joys of acting with myself.

What NOT To Do – Slate Your Name

Leave a comment.  How do you feel about slating your name? Any slate-gone-bad stories to share? Pipe up in the comments.

Big News! The brand new Actors Tweet Program is here.

Are you making a bad impression on twitter without knowing it? Do you want to tweet your way to acting success?  We can help you tweet like a pro. Join this program right here.

Though I didn’t know Roger Ebert, I had great respect for him, his love for the movies, and his incredible ability as a passionate and articulate film critic.  He was more than just a critic.  He was a true lover of film who was not afraid to passionately express both his utter displeasure with films he didn’t like, but also to champion and go to bat for films he did.

I was going to make a funny “what NOT to do” video about reviewing movies, but it just didn’t sit right with me.  I loved Roger Ebert.  As much as you can love a television personality. But he was more than that.  His impact on me as a kid has never waned, even as I’ve grown into an older, wiser, sometimes more jaded adult.  Ebert’s enthusiasm for film has never wanted, nor has his influence or impact on film lovers everywhere.

His death feels like the end of my childhood.  Yes, that sounds extremely dramatic.  But I can’t imagine another film critic with his intelligence or influence will come along in my lifetime.

I love the movies.  I love being in movies. I love watching movies. I love sitting in the theatre just before the lights go dark.  There is a quickening of my soul.  Something special is about to happen.  The room is ripe with anticipation.

And like anyone who truly loves film, I can’t help but equate that love as synonymous with Roger Ebert.

As a kid, I LIVED for Siskel & Ebert and The Movies.  Nothing was cooler than to watch these two give passionate opinions about upcoming films.  Sometimes throwing digs at each other, sometime outright insulting each other.  It made for exciting television.  But more than that, it made movie going an event.

As an adult, I had a ritual.  After seeing a movie, I’d immediately want to read Roger Ebert’s review.  Nine times out of ten he would be able to eloquently articulate my own personal feelings about the film.  If I knew it was lacking but couldn’t put my finger on why, Roger Ebert could.  If I loved it but I wasn’t able to express the details of what was special about it, Roger Ebert could.

This past weekend, in between finishing my taxes (ugh), and creating some Actors Tweet videos, I happened upon his memorial tribute.  Of course I couldn’t help but watch it.  It’s a beautiful service full of story after story of people sharing their memories.  At 3 hours, it’s not a casual viewing.  But if you do have the time, you can check it out here.

Roger Ebert is an incredible example of the power of following your passion.  Not only was it powerful to him in terms of his undying enthusiasm and ability to produce endless content about movies, but powerful to all of us film lovers.  Here was a man who mastered his craft (journalism, criticism, writing skills, communication, film making) and used that mastery to create an incredible platform to bring that love of film to the world.

He didn’t love every film, of course.  But he appreciated a film for what it set out to do, and judged a film based on that film’s potential.  He was brutally honest when he didn’t like something, but it was always in the context of the work, and never personal.  And when he found something he loved, he let the world know how, when, where, and why they MUST see that film.

In addition to that, he changed with the times.  Even when he was facing death, suffering from cancer, had his jaw removed, and unable to speak, his spirit was still indomitable.  He turned to twitter and blogging to communicate.  Think of all the new millions of people he was able to communicate with by embracing technology.  When he easily could’ve retired from public life, he created more visibility, more content and kept going.

To me, the most generous gift you can give to others is the gift of your time.  And what was said over and over at the memorial service was that Roger gave his time to everyone.  Always ready to listen, always willing to engage.  His memorial was filled with life long relationships.  And his legacy leaves behind multitudes of life long fans (myself included) who never had the pleasure of even meeting him.  The impact that one person can have is astounding.

And with that, I want to say a very special thank you to YOU.  Thank you for giving me the gift of your time.  Thanks for reading this.  For watching my videos,  If you’ve read an email from me, left a blog comment, or shared a piece of my content. THANK YOU.

Life moves quick, and whenever someone who has touched your life in some way passes on, it’s both sad and inspiring.  Inspiring to get your butt in gear and go out and do what you love.

I encourage you to fully, passionately do what you were meant to do.  Master your craft and give it to the world.  I’ll do the same.

There will never be another Roger Ebert.  But there will never be another you, either.

So get to it, my friend.

And I’ll see you at the movies.

When it comes to self submissions you want to make yourself stand out.  Of course you do.  You are freaking awesome and when you’re perfect for a role you want to get your point across in a powerful effective way.

But this of course, is the what not to do series.  Because when you want something so badly, the scent of desperation rises up to announce you, and even the written word can give away your frantic attachment to a specific outcome.

We’ve all done it.  We’ve all wanted something so badly we kick common sense to the curb.  We’ve been desperate for an opportunity and suffered from foot-in-mouth-syndrome.

Don’t despair.  This week’s video will (hopefully) bring a humorous pov to the behavior we have all engaged in.

Want more than just a funny video?  Scroll below the video for some real world marketing tips on working self submission notes to your advantage.

But first…

What NOT To Do: Self Submissions

And for some what TO do’s on self submission notes:

If you’re using Actors Access, it is similar to twitter.  Only a limited amount of characters show up with your submission, so get to the point quickly.

Some things to include:

Relevant info specific to the needs of the character.

If they need a Russian speaker and you are fluent, get to that helpful gem right away.  Do they need a trained, professional gymnast? Let them know you have what they need!

Highlight the fact that you are booking

Have you been hired recently by someone else?  Use that to your advantage.  Capitalize on the “me too” mentality.  They hired that guy?  I want to hire that guy too!

Have you recently booked work similar to  what is being cast? Shout it out in your note.

*A note on this – I’ve heard casting directors advise that they want to know you’ve booked similar work. BUT if you’ve booked a similar role on the same network, it can work against you.  If you worked as a lawyer on an NBC show, and are auditioning as a lawyer on a different NBC show, don’t draw attention to that credit.

Are you in the club? Pull the “one-of-us” card.

Do you have a past connection to the material and/or someone on the creative team? Let them know.  Everyone likes to work with someone who has an endorsement from a trusted colleague.

Have some other helpful tips to share when writing self submission notes?  Leave a comment below!

Announcing the Actors Tweet Scholarship Winners

Drum roll please!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the Actors Tweet scholarship, and for all your help spreading the word.  We had entrants from Australia, the UK, and all over the US.

After personally reading every submission, we have narrowed it down to the recipients.  (And as seems to be customary for me, I couldn’t pick JUST two).

Congrats to these fabulous folks!  Check them out on twitter, give a congratulatory shout out.  I am a firm believer in building a strong supportive community that can celebrate the success of others.  So whether or not you “won” – when you show up with your best self, it’s a win for everybody.

Lauren Galley

This actress and model has a non-profit organization that mentors teen girls.  Check her out on twitter: @LaurenMGalley

Suzanne H. Smart

This awesome lady raised her son as a single mom by focusing on Voice Over. Now that he’s grown, she’s ready to get back in front of the camera.   What better way to connect with the folks who can hire her than twitter? Visit: @SuzanneHSmart

Kari Nisenna

This upbeat actress/producer is a total go-getter!  She kinda sorta knows twitter and is ready to up her game big time.  Give a shout to: @KariNissena

Paul Lange

This proactive actor is a twitter newbie and ready to rock this social network! Get this guy some new followers at: @paulwlange

Cameron J. Oro

This proactive actor needs a solid twitter marketing strategy to bring visibility to all his great projects! Check it at: @CameronJOro

Bridget Nason

She’s avoided twitter because she wants to maintain her privacy.  But this newbie is ready to brave her discomfort and embrace the power of twitter.  No twitter account yet! I look forward to changing that asap.

*I’ll be reaching out via email to all the winners. Stay tuned and congrats!*

It’s April Fool’s Day!

Whether you are a trickster at heart or chronically gullible, it’s a day to enjoy the lighter side of life.

Personally, I’m not really down with tricking people to make them look like a fool.  If you’ve been following my What NOT To Do video series, you know I like to play the fool to help others recognize and find humor in their own silly behavior.

In fact, rather than play a trick or bring you the usual weekly video, I simply want to take a moment to say:

Thank You!

Thank you for being here, reading this, watching my videos and letting me entertain you by acting the fool.

Thank you for being “foolish” enough to pursue your acting dreams, for being free enough to act the fool as a means of entertainment.

In short…just thank you.

The world needs more brilliant fools.  Because it is through storytelling that we recognize ourselves and are inspired to grow.

We actors play the fool to entertain, yes.  And that entertainment is also the means by which we all become better versions of ourselves.

Some dude

Some guy named Shakespeare (never heard of him) wrote this:

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

Thank you, you beautiful fool, for letting me into your life, for engaging in this community, and for taking inspired action in your own career.

(I just discovered this hilarious twitter account Shakespeare Lyrics, which tweets “Songs/movie quotes/phrases in archaic language.”)

And here’s an extra special sign of my appreciation.  Something free.  We are about to launch the official Actors Tweet program.  But before we do – we are giving it away FREE!

Enter to win a scholarship to Actors Tweet (deadline to enter is 4/6).  So hop on over here to win. (This is NOT an April Fool’s joke)

Self sabotage is a dream killer.

I sabotage myself all the time.  I don’t mean to do it, but it happens.  More than anything, it’s a long standing habit.  And as you know, habits are hard to break.

Sometimes I become aware that I’m sabotaging myself.  In cases like that, I might try to motivate myself out of that kind of behavior.

How?

By telling myself how dumb it is to practice self sabotage.

Notice what just happened there?  I found a whole new way of sabotaging myself, by tricking myself into thinking I was being helpful.

Know what I mean?

It’s kind of like saying,

Get happy you miserable dumbass!

Go to the gym, fatso!

Try to be smarter, idiot!

Crappy self talk is another form of self sabotage.  It’s just sneakier and more devious.

Don’t fall for it!

It’s so easy to recognize when other people are sabotaging themselves.   And much harder to catch yourself when it’s you.

Now, today’s video is an exaggerated version of crappy self talk (with booing crowds for extra emphasis).  But the truth is, the thoughts we choose, the way we talk to ourselves on a regular basis, has a huge impact on how we feel, what we do, and how we show up in the world.

Watch today’s video, then meet me below for some tools you can use to treat yourself real good.

What Not To Do: Self Talk

Here are some of my favorite tools for handling life (especially when life currently sucks):

Morning pages

Learned this one from Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” and it works.  Keep a notebook by the bed. When your morning alarm goes off, grab that pen and paper, and free write (without stopping, censoring or editing) for 3 full pages straight.  When you reach the third page, you’re done.

Do this daily for at least 30 days and watch your life and outlook change drastically.

Why it works:

Julia Cameron calls it “brain drain.”  The first experiences you have in the morning generally set the tone for the rest of your day.  The days I reach for the alarm on my phone and immediately start checking email, facebook, texts, twitter, I start my day off on the wrong foot.  I’m not centered, my mind is full of all the crap I have to get done, I feel immediately stressed and rushed.  That’s no way to start the day.

Getting out any residual negativity from the day before, distracting thoughts, unresolved feelings onto the page, makes room for you to fill up with better feelings.  Things like gratitude, creative ideas, and inspiration. The trick is to push through your resistance to complete all 3 pages.  Typically that final half page is where the good stuff happens.  Try it out!

10 minutes to feel

What the hell does that mean?  Most human beings will do anything to run away from their feelings.  Here’s the problem with that – you can never outrun your feelings, and the harder you try to avoid them, the more likely they are to express themselves in a very unhealthy way.

Bust out the meditation cushion, set a timer, and give yourself permission to fully feel whatever comes up.  Notice where you feel the emotion and sensation in your body.  Observe how many times your mind tries to distract you with other thoughts.  Stay present and available to feel it all for 10 little minutes.  You don’t die.  I promise.  And you’ll probably feel better afterwards.

Here’s why it works:

The only way to get past feeling crappy…is to let yourself feel crappy.  Trying to pretend everything is great when it’s not is the problem.  The fastest way to feel better is to let yourself feel what’s actually there.  We’re taught about gratitude, and finding the lesson or the gift of uncomfortable experiences.  That is a fabulous thing to do, but you can’t skip over the step of feeling the uncomfortable feeling.  You can’t jump past your anger, or hurt or disappointment or heartbreak.  Sure, you can avoid those feelings, but they will wait patiently to catch up with you later.

One of my mentors says, “The only way out is through.”  The sooner you go through it, the sooner you’ll get to the other side.

Exercise

I know I know. Everyone knows that exercise is a great tool for mood enhancement.  But knowing it and doing it are world’s apart.  If I’m in a super funk and I just can’t bring myself to exercise, I’ll try a few different things.

Leaving the house -  just changing your environment alone can start to get you out of unhealthy thought patterns.

Going for a walk – this still counts as exercise, even if it’s not an intense workout.  If you’re moving your body, you’re doing a body good.

Stretch it out – take breaks from the computer every 90 minutes to recharge.

Why it works:

Dopamine. Serotonin. Endorphins.  Science.  You know this stuff already.

My favorite workout

If I want to feel amazing, both physically and mentally, I do a workout called “Shrink Session” created by my friend Erin Stutland.  It combines a fierce workout with powerful affirmations that will kick your butt and inspire you all at once!

This past weekend I got to help Erin out at a big fitness event where she was teaching, and it reminded me of just how powerful this workout is.

Do you live in LA?  I have good news.  Erin is teaching a one-time-only Shrink Session in LA this Saturday. She is NYC based so this is a real treat.  Erin is the most positive, energetic, inspiring, smoking hot people I know! I will be there this weekend and I hope to see you!  Click here to join this class.

Don’t live in LA?  Get on Erin’s email list and get a free 10 minute butt/thigh workout you can do anytime.  Get the free workout here.

**Warning – this week’s post and video is not appropriate for the kiddies.**

Did you ever see that episode from Weeds titled “Good Sh*t Lollipop”?

It was my first ever glimpse inside a California medical marijuana dispensary.

Having spent most of my adult life living in New York City, this is not familiar territory.  California is a whole other world when it comes to the weed.

Now, if you are an actor appearing on camera, it’s common place to be concerned about what you eat.  You have to weigh the instant gratification of your snack of choice against the truth-telling merciless and judgmental eye of the camera.

Over the weekend I happened to be at a house party where I noticed a funky snack.  (Check out the video so see what it is).

It looked like a harmless house party snack.  But this was no ordinary snack.  This snack could f*ck you up if you didn’t read the label!

My anxious mind of course raced to all the dire possibilities of such a scenario. What if there was no label?  What if the person eating the snack couldn’t read?  What if the snack were in a festive party dish with no label whatsoever?

Imagine if that hapless innocent had a huge audition the next day? Or even the same day?

WHAT THEN?

The potential disastrous outcomes are unlimited.

So, this week’s video takes the What NOT To Do spirit to a whole new topic:

What Not To Do – Other People’s Snacks.

(I also have some fun acting with myself! What?!?)

Oh and I really am a huge fan of the web series Burning Love. If you haven’t checked it out DO IT!

Watch Season 1 on E!

Click here for Season 2

No matter how much you love something, whether it be acting, writing, performing, your relationship, travel, exercising, there just comes a time when you run out of steam.  When you hit the wall.  When you just don’t freaking feel like doing it.

It happened to me last week it when it came time to put together the next “What NOT to do” video.

I just didn’t feel like it.

I have the help of the most awesom-ist, fabulous interns on the planet – Erika Jennings (if you’ve caught the last couple of WNTD videos you’ve probably seen or heard her).

We tried to shoot some video but it didn’t look right, it didn’t feel right, and I just fell into a bad attitude about the whole thing.

I’m pretty sure I was pouting for a while there.

Luckily, I had someone there with me to help me get through the rough patch.

I could have just as easily put the video off, procrastinated, or simply not done it all.

My weekly video isn’t something I HAVE to do.  I do it because I made a commitment to put out a piece of content every week.  I stick to that commitment because it’s my way of creating credibility with YOU, that I do what I say I’m going to do, even when I dont’ always feel like it.

To me, that’s the mark of a professional – someone who gets it done, regardless of feelings or circumstances.

I’m so grateful Erika was there to help me realize that all my feelings of resistance, my complaints of “I don’t feel like it,” my dragging of the feet simply WERE the video.

So here it is.  The latest in the What NOT to do series -

How NOT to make a What NOT to do Video

How to do you keep yourself accountable and push through on something when you hit the wall?

I had someone there to collaborate with.  I’ve got some self imposed accountability.

What steps do you take to keep moving forward?

Leave a comment below.

Do you have ideas for a What NOT to do video topic?  I’d love to hear them.