And...Action!: mentors

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Monday, April 11, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 765: Why is it important to BCC my mass emails?

Because thanks to my cousin I can now email Judd Apatow, which I'm sure Judd would be pretty pissed about.

Let me start by explaining BCC (Blind CC) for those of you whom are unfamiliar with it. In an email that you are sending to more than one person, you have 3 choices of how to send it:

1. To: specifically to whom you're sending your email

2. Cc: carbon copy- others whom it may relate to, so you feel they should read it

3: Bcc: blind carbon copy- NO ONE you send it to sees who else you sent it to.

What happens if you send to more than one person via "To" or "Cc?"Everyone receiving that email now has all of the email addresses of your colleagues.

In business, this has the potential to create privacy issues. If you violate someone's privacy they may become very ANGRY with you. This may cost you:

1. a relationship

2. jobs

3. money

Be aware of proper email etiquette. Beware you "Reply-all" people. Bcc!!! I don't need everyone in the internet ether knowing my email addresses. Neither do your valued clients, business relationships, mentors, and friends.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 741: Am I too old for a mentor?

His question went into a little more detail that may be helpful to many of you:

I'm 52 years old. I know a few cameramen whom I think would welcome speak with me. Am I too old to ask them to mentor me? I don't want them to think I don't know what I'm doing!

The answer is: No, as long as you have more to learn, you're never too old. The question is, what are you asking for. You want to be really clear:

1. What does the mentorship entail? (business advice & guidance? Craft advice? Shadowing?)

2. You want to set a time frame, so the mentor is clear that this isn't endless ( 3 conversations, 3 set visits, etc)

3. Explain why you've chosen him/her over all other people. It's prestigious to be asked to be a mentor. Let the people whom you're asking know, where you are, where you want to be, and what you want to learn from them in order to reach your goals.

Preparation + Professionalism never = don't know what I'm doing

Last tip, when seeking mentors, go after at least 5 at a time. The reasoning behind this is: if the first 4 say no, but the 5th one says YES, screw the rest! (was that harsh?) To heck with the rest! But you never would have gotten to the yes, if you started with the 1st, got a no, and got discouraged.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 727:How do I get a mentor if there are only a few people who do what I do...

"...and I already know as much as they do?"

This brings up a very universal issue. When it comes to getting mentors, while it's great to have mentors who are doing what you want to be doing already, if you are in this person's position, at the same level, they're not the type of mentor you need.

In this case you'd be seeking out business advice and guidance from either:

1. The classification of people who hire you (so unless you know everybody who hires your classification, this type is good for you)

2. Any parallel classification who gets hired by the same classification as you. For example: If you're an Editor, a parallel classification (ones who also get hired by producers and directors) would be a DP, Production Designer, Actor, Writer, Key Hair & Makeup, etc. Why? Because if they are successful, they can give you advice on what they do. You're all in the same boat, just different classifications.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 719: What order should I do everything in?

This was one of the questions from one of my Mentor Elites, so I'm going to generalize it because the answer is beneficial to everyone. The question was in regards to the different action guides and business tools she was given and she wanted to know "the right way" to do it.

The reason I'm bringing this question to your attention is because, everyone's way is different. There are so many business tools, coaches, articles, mentors, marketing outlets, classes, etc., out there that you can literally get "stuck" if you're a perfectionist and want to do it right.

The most important thing is to be doing something to move you forward. Don't worry about orders, or getting it right, just move forward.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Friday, January 7, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 673:Once I get a mentor, what am I going to talk to him about?

I get this question all the time because people who want mentors worry that they won't know what to talk about once they get them. Worry, in this case, comes from two things:

1. Lack of preparation

2. Jumping ahead of yourself

When you decide on a mentor, do your research and design questions that you want him or her to answer. Once the questions are answered it will lead you to take action and the next conversation will pick up from the results you had based on his/her advice. And so on and so on.

By "jumping ahead of yourself," I mean, you haven't even had a first mentor conversation and you're already worried about what you're going to talk about down the road. When you meet a friend through a mutual friend, find that you get along really well, and make plans to go out to lunch, do you worry about what you're going to talk about three months from now if the friendship blossoms? I sure hope not.

Mentorship is no different. Like friendships, let the relationship happen naturally. Trust that you will always do your pre-conversation work of designing "next-step" questions, and will therefore, know what to talk about.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Saturday, December 18, 2010

entertainment industry coach question 653:Should I be building my reel in film school or taking business classes?

It depends on the business classes your film school offers. You should absolutely be focused on the business side of the industry while in film school, however if the marketing, sales, and business classes are not directly related to the entertainment industry, you will have to get really clear on how what they're teaching, applies to you.

Film school IS for building your reel, perfecting your craft, building relationships, obtaining mentors, and preparing for entering the industry armed with an understanding of the business.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Monday, December 13, 2010

entertainment industry coach question 648: What do I do to stay busy when times are so slow?

Business action ideas:

1. Re-establish with 30 contacts

2. Reach out to 10 business advice mentors

3. Visit 5 sets (if it's holiday time, go to 5 parties)

4. Attend 1 networking event/week and meet 5-10 people at each

Many people spend all of their time in between jobs, stressing out about being out of work and then, once they have the next job, they look back and regret not enjoying their time off.

Off time ideas:

1. Hang out with friends you've been out of touch with

2. Once a week, spend a day doing something you enjoy: the beach, a day trip to another city, a movie with popcorn & soda, a sports event, a museum, the planetarium

3. Exercise

4. Pick up an old hobby

That should keep you busy for a while.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Friday, November 12, 2010

entertainment industry coach question 618: I sent out mentor letters and want to be sure they got it, but I don't want to call. Should I?

Why do you think this has to be hard, or better yet, why are you making it hard? I had this discussion with a Platinum client of mine the other day and I asked him, "If you had to messenger your reel to a company who wanted you for a job the next day, would you call to confirm the reel was received?" to which he responded "yes" without a second thought.

Because there was a job on the line and the stakes were high he would have no problem making the call. Now imagine he makes the call, they received his reel, but he doesn't get the job. Across town, he sent a mentor letter to someone, who in my crystal ball I can see would have wound up calling him for work in 3 months, if only he had called to follow up about receiving the letter. But unfortunately, he didn't see it as high stakes so he never made the call, and the letter which made it to the potential mentors assistant's desk, got lost under a pile and eventually thrown away.

I call that a COSTLY missed opportunity! If you don't want to make the follow up call, have someone else do it for you acting as an assistant on your behalf. You don't have to do everything alone! This is the work that it takes, so I leave you with this question:

HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT?

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

entertainment industry coach question 615: how can I get a referral to an agent. Should I try the mentor approach?

Getting referrals to agents and managers is the same as getting a referral to anyone: you have to ask for it. A referral is an introduction from a mutual friend or work associate. It is not a recommendation (although those are good too.) Basically, you ask the people you already know if they are represented, and if so, if they would refer you to their representation for an informational interview or a meeting. The more referrals you can get to a specific agent, the better.

So if you're going after an agency that reps more than just actors, see if any of the writers or directors you know are repped by them. Aim for 3 referrals before making the call. Then there's the strategy of having 3 people make calls on your behalf to the same agent until the agent wants to know, "Who is this person I'm getting calls about and why don't I know him/her?"

Finally, you asked about mentorship with an agent. One of my first mentors in Los Angeles was an agent. It made sense; I wanted to study at the most respected schools, know the legitimate casting workshops, and get advice on which casting offices to target. It worked for me. And as a bonus, my mentor sent me out on auditions.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

entertainment industry coach question 601:What do you do when you haven't accomplished what your mentor suggested?

A GREAT question asked on my Mentor Elite call today. One of my Elites had been tasked an action by her mentor which she followed through on, but did not achieve the results she'd hoped for. Because of this, she didn't know what to say to her mentor.

This is where most people get stuck and never contact their mentors again. But not my Elites. They are determined to succeed, and so we brainstormed about it on the call and she got her next step.

So if you're stuck because you haven't been able to accomplish the actions your mentor tasked you, here are two possible ways to handle it:

1. That's exactly what you contact your mentor about. You explain the action you took and why you're displeased with your results. Then ask if you could tell them about the process and get their feedback as to how you could achieve better or different results next time.

2. Think outside the box. In my Elite's case, she was tasked to go after a specific company. When there wasn't a position at the company, she wasn't able to complete that action. However, the reasoning behind pursuing that company was still valid, so she decided to pursue other companies for the same reason. Now, she'll be able to tell her mentor that while she was not able to get into that company (yet), she pursued 10 other ones, and then she can report on her results.

Bottom line- never leave a mentor hanging. It's unprofessional and a missed opportunity.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

entertainment industry coach question 581: I'm on a roll dayplaying on 1 show, how do I turn it into more work?

The best time to seek out work is when you're working. If you're working a few days a week on a show, the best way to turn it into more days is to call people (either from set, on your way there, or on your way home) and share your passion about what you're working on. People get caught up in your excitement and passion and want to be around people who are so positive.

If you've had mentors or champions in the past, call them to tell them you're working and thank them for their contribution. If they are working on a show, perhaps ask for a set visit on an off day to maintain the momentum of being on set.