ABOUT
How I went from “starving artist” to helping thousands of actors build a life and career they love…
Before there was a top-ranked business in New York connecting thousands of actors with agents and casting directors – Actors Connection…
Before the career consulting company, 26 audio/video/online courses, programs, private coaching services, and over 80 plus networking parties – Act Outside the Box…
Before the thousands of loyal subscribers to my blog, email list, Gold Standard membership, and social media pages…
Before I headed up the commercial division of a bi-coastal, mid-sized, full service talent agency –
…there was a desperate actress.
A Thousand Little Missteps...
While my high expectations were supported by my parents and I was gifted with a naturally talented singing voice, my navigation into the real world after school (North Carolina School of the Arts and the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music) was a slap in the face. I thought with my drive, training and skill that I was ready for an agent, for auditions and for work.
The shift into the “business of show” was anything but “Welcome Lisa, we’ve been waiting for you, let me show you to your dressing room.”
When I finally did begin the journey of finding and taking professional level classes, vocal coaching, pursuing auditions on my own and seeking representation, I was plagued by a chronic case of second-guessing myself. I had shiny-object syndrome going from one direction to another thinking that that new choice would surely be the better and faster one. My zig-zagging made everything 1,000,000X harder than it should have been.
The first few years were emotionally and financially rough…
I didn’t hit the boards of an Equity theater for quite some time. My television debut was a decade away. In fact my first few gigs were in theme parks, cruise ships and wedding bands.
Every small gig (singing at bar mitzvas and birthday parties; jingles and print work for mom and pop shops; hosting and MC work) was marred by a hint of self-doubt that taunted me with a sense of “not enough-ness”.
Even headlining at the 20th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing (really? The party for the 1st men who walked on the moon) felt too “local”.
When will someone recognize my talent? When will my big break come? When will I become a union member? Will fame and fortune ever be mine?
Painful “heart-to-hearts” with friends and family, desperately trying to convince them that real success was just around the corner were many.
Botched auditions. Rejection and depression.
Half-finished classes and programs. Self doubt, upset and analysis paralysis.
And an industry contact list so small (and growing so slowly) I could literally recite every name by memory.
And when I finally did start to get a bit of traction in my career…
… I finally realized:
“I’m in a freakin’ business”
But what I discovered was that building my own dream acting career was NOT at odds with treating it like a regular business. It was exactly like owning a restaurant or selling a widget.
Huh? Yes!
My lightbulb moment came during the time I had just taken over ownership of Actors Connection, this being my new “flexible day job”. In speaking daily with the agents, managers, and other industry folks that made up our business, they explained to me that acting was the commodity being traded and actors a “product” in a very saturated marketplace. That they had their pick and that marketing is what distinguished actors gaining representation or auditions along with their talent. They went hand in hand…only most actors hadn’t a clue. I sure never thought of it that way before.
Around the same time, someone had given me the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and upon reading it, it solidified everything I was learning on the job. Every business, including show business, is designed to solve a problem, help people, serve people, inspire people, etc. and successful ones also have the purpose of making money with the value that is created. This was the beginning of my own acting career flourishing.
So I doubled down and learned how to do what “normal” businesses did. I learned:
- How to create and promote myself with the thought of what I offered and not what I wanted.
- How to rapidly grow my knowledge of the people, projects, and companies I wanted to work with and get to know their names, preferences, and ways to access them.
- How to leverage time by focusing on one medium, the “lowest hanging fruit” where I could create income and visibility easily and quickly.
- How to target agencies and casting opportunities by narrowing my niche instead of running around trying to be all things to all people just to get a job, any job, in the industry. And;
- How to communicate with assurance, what my “product” offered, uniquely and consistently, in person and in writing and how to attract the right representation for me.
And best of all…
Since learning and discovering, educating myself and becoming successful as both a business owner and an actress, I’ve had the honor of helping thousands of actors and artists like you side step years of struggle and build amazing careers of their own.
How?
Over the years, I’ve developed a reputation for teaching concrete and attainable actions that combined with passion and purpose make a dream acting career a reality. I teach inspired ACTion.
I’m able to do this, because I teach what I know.
I teach what I’ve learned from my own mentors as well as personally done to build a successful and reputable acting career in TV, theater, commercials/print, musical performances, hosting and more. I also teach the skill set I’ve developed over educating myself for 20 years in marketing, which has served both my traditional businesses as well.
Are you ready to take the REAL, momentum-building and inspired action steps for creating an amazing team around you and building a profitable acting career that you love?
I’m here for you when you decide to take your big stand and get REAL traction in your show BUSINESS!!!
A Little More About Me
Started in the biz with my first professional paying acting/singing job when I was 16 years old. Have made money every single year since then as a performer…so a couple of years now (tee hee, I can't help but joke a bit because my dad was a comic).
Can’t get enough of General Hospital.
Embarrassingly obsessed with my
dog Chica and cat Georgie.
Love to travel, travel, travel and drove my RV solo for a year around
the US (with the fur babies of course!)
Can be overheard singing along to music in elevators, grocery stores and elsewhere and not even know I’m doing it.
CLICK HERE if you want to see me Sky Diving for my birthday.
CLICK HERE if you want to see me sing a comedy song from my cabaret.
