June Insights, Tips, & Discounts

Coach Me and Grow With Me
by Jodie Bentley

For years I thought I could do everything myself. Whether it was saving money, or ego, or not enough time, or whatever other excuses I could come up with --I tried to do it all. From teaching myself to do a pirouette, to working on my monologues, to correct vocal technique- and I will be the first to say I wasn't as successful then at any of it! It took me awhile to realize the importance of having a team. A team of coaches I could turn to at a moment's notice, so I am always fully prepared and empowered for what comes my way.

So what do coaches do? They allow you to take your ideas and refine them, strengthen them and streamline them. It is easier for someone else to see what we are missing. We need that outside eye, both in our craft and in our business, to open us up and get us to that next level. A coach should be a heartfelt supporter, someone who is working with you so you can be the best you can. As actors we need coaches. Can you imagine an Olympic athlete without one? Being our own product even intensifies that. Coaches give us new ways of looking at things, especially when you can't see the overall vision. I have said it before and I will say it again - Erase the go it alone mentality!

I wouldn't be able to belt an 'F' without my voice teacher, and I know I owe many many many call backs and bookings to my vocal coach and acting coaches. A life coach I worked with had such a way at zeroing in on what I needed that we were able to strip away old beliefs about myself I was holding on to. The folks at Acting Success Now (our featured resource), made me examine my mind in ways I never had so I could stop the self sabotaging I was doing. I wouldn't be where I am today without every person I have worked with and hand selected to be on my team. You know what, I bet they feel the same way. The wonderful thing about a partnership with a coach is you both get to grow together and truly help each other.

We all are striving for excellence in our craft and in our business. The summertime is a perfect time to find, create and use your team. Let's all be prepared for the fall and excel in our auditions, and interviews. With vocal coaching or dance, we all know it is a learned behavior in our muscles, and the body needs to learn it through repetition. And learn it correctly under the watchful eye of a coach. Honestly, the same can be said of career coaching or acting coaching as well. Train, learn, and embody business principles and acting technique, feel it in your muscles. Own it, embrace it, it will become a part of you. And in the fall you will be focused and fearless.

My favorite thing is when my agent calls with an audition 2 days away that is perfect for me, with 12 pages of sides and 2 songs to learn. I just go to my team list and call one of my coaches.

Helping Our Community

Someone You Should Know

I met these folks back in 2004 and they helped me in so many ways that I can't even put it into words. I was at a funk in my career, not sure why things weren't working, went to their free seminar, and immediately signed up for their 3 day course. I had the business side down, what I didn't have down was my own inner game. Go to their free seminar-- it will change your life.

At Last - The Revolutionary Acting Success Now FREE Seminar is Here

• Has your career plateaued?

• Do you feel trapped in your survival job?

• Would you like to know the key to having acting success now?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions we guarantee you don’t want to miss a minute of this extraordinary One-Hour Free Seminar!

You'll learn:

· The crucial dividing line between success and failure

· Why success is not a Secret

· What's "really" standing in the way of your acting success

Plus...

· The power "presence" plays in your success

SEATS ARE LIMITED!!!

"Since the seminar, I booked a commercial, a role on a tv show, met a director I've been trying to meet for years, shot a short film, booked a voice-over gig, and wrote a new short screenplay that I am going to produce, direct, and star in". -Brian Hyman, Actor

“The actors I work with who have taken Robert & Michelle’s Acting Success Now seminar have an energy and focus about them where fear does not exist and the goal is clear. I highly recommend their free seminar to any and all actors and non-actors.” Holly Powell, Emmy Award winning Casting Director

Tip of the Month - Prioritize

How many of us have found ourselves living in "class land" for a prolonged period of time? Where we seem to have forgotten even why we took the class on Cold Reading in the first place when we are trying to get Broadway? Or why we are in the Shakespeare class when we have branded ourselves as a contemporary actor? Well, "class land" is safe, and scary, but always fun because we are feeling proactive and we are growing as artists. We are growing our craft, yes, but we are business owners and it is important to strategize the moves you make and be smart in your business decisions. Sometimes it's best to break free from "class land", jump in the waters and test out your material and your brand to truly see what your next move will be. You can always go back, but go back with a clear yearly vision.

I am sure we can all think of 4-5 classes we would like to take now. Create a worksheet for yourself with each month listed across the top of the paper, sort of a yearly overview sheet. Write down in the left column all the classes or coachings you would like to do and then checkmark which months they will occur. Think like an entrepreneur when creating this sheet. Perhaps a class in March is exactly what you need to get focused for the audition season or perhaps you start feeling overwhelmed by all the auditions and need to take class at a different time. There is no right or wrong answer it is simply doing what feels best for you and your business, and prioritizing yourself will keep you from drowning in "class land" and being even more productive.

Classes & Seminars:

Hope to see you at one of our FREE monthly seminars on Marketing & Mailings!

"Mailings: Faster, Smarter, Cheaper!"

Mailings are a very important part of our acting business. Yes, we know, they can be tedious, time consuming, and not always affordable. Most of us will do them without the consistency truly needed to both brand ourselves and maximize the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.

We will show you how to save time and money with a service where you can CREATE, PRINT, STAMP, and MAIL your personalized cards and postcards – at the click of a button!

Day: Wednesday
When: June 25th
Time: 7:00-8:30pm
Cost: FREE

We will have more "Turn Your Craft Into Your Business" classes coming in September. Stay tuned!

Two Books We Love:

Savvy Testimonials:

"Being new to the entertainment industry, The Savvy Actor is, without question or embellishment, heaven-sent. Just one quick testimony: In the seminar, Jodie & Kevin asked us to write down our goals & explained the power of vision. One of my goals: "have an agent" - within 10 days of writing this down, I was called in by Archer King's office for a visit! I was extremely confident during the visit AND knew exactly how to present myself because of the meticulous coaching I received from Jodie. I could go on. Thank you Jodie & Kevin for being unselfish givers...it shall be given back to you!" -Sandi Holland

"Ever since I found Jodie and the brilliant website she and Kevin have painstakingly put together, I have felt much more in charge of my career. Thanks to Jodie's coaching and constant willingness to dispense advice, I now feel more at ease in interviews, my resume looks sharper, and I have a much stronger sense of how to go about marketing my product. I was told how smart I was no less than five times by a casting director recently who liked the way I'd been handling my mailings and my cover letter, in no small part because of tips Jodie had given me on how to format it in an eye-catching way! Thanks to these guys, I have found the freedom to be firmly myself in the business, not just in the artistry. Wahoo to actor empowerment!"- AmyJo Jackson

Jodie & Kevin
The Savvy Actor creators

Together, Jodie and Kevin have almost 20 years experience in the business. They are both signed (and working!) with legit and commercial agents, and book work consistently in all areas. They have learned a lot from trial and error over the years and put what works into The Savvy Actor.