Note from Kristine:
Here’s what I collect:
do-it-yourself success stories.
When someone makes a big, bold, ninja move that’s outside-the-box – and it works! – then I always want to know: HOW did they do it? As in the exact, step-by-step, gimme-all-the-details-so-I-can-learn-something HOW it all went down.
That’s what’s the Library newsletter delivers to your inbox twice a month. A behind-the-scenes success story from someone just like you. Hey, it can even BE you – especially if you apply what you learn at this website. That’s what the folks behind the stories on this page did… they applied what they learned. And it worked.
Sign up for the newsletter so we can stay in touch, then soak up the inspiration from the success stories below. (And if you have a story of your own to share, I’d love to hear it.)
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Check out the success stories listed below…
Antonie: getting cast at the Colony
So often, when folks compete for a job (any job – be it inside or outside of the entertainment industry,) they utilize only one of the two avenues available to them: they audition or they send in their resume and hope they get noticed because of their talent or skills.
But the second avenue you can utilize when striving to get what you want is your network – a.k.a. your relationships.
Many, many times (especially when talent, skills, and experience are equal) relationships and connections are the deciding factors between who gets picked and who doesn’t.
Antonie’s success story is a perfect example of that.
I had been working with Antonie for a while when he requested some strategic guidance about going after the lead role in a play he had been wanting to do in L.A. for a long time. His goal was to make certain that he did every professional thing he possibly could so that, if he did not get the part, he would at least know he went for it 100%.
Earlier this spring, I had seen Antonie in Taming of the Shrew at A Noise Within and was incredibly impressed with his talent. (He is Dutch, but his American accent was so flawless I didn’t even recognize him in his first scene until he took off his hat.) But the fact remained that other truly talented actors would be auditioning for this plum role too…
Here’s Antonie’s story about how he landed the part:
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Mitchell: getting Jon Favreau as a mentor
It’s so easy to believe that “successful people” are way out of your reach. But they aren’t.
With a consistent and professional approach, you can reach out to folks you admire and get a positive response – as Mitchell’s success story proves. This is an excerpt from the audio recording of my Networking BootCamp (Mitchell participated on the “networking experts” panel.)
Here he explains how he got actor/writer/director Jon Favreau as his mentor:
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Liz: creating opportunities for herself
My client Liz dedicates herself to making BOLD MOVES in her career in an effort to expand her comfort zone. Does she get nervous? Yes. Does she do it anyway? Yes, more and more!
In this interview, Liz shares several experiences where she could have chosen the safer, easier, or more comfortable path (and a part of her so wanted to!) BUT, instead, she listened to the other part of herself that said “go for it!” Breaking through her personal resistance led to getting cast in a play in D.C., getting onto the Universal lot to do a drop off, and getting offered an internship opportunity with a high-profile production company.
Here Liz shares some recent success stories:
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Liz: meeting Mindy Kaling
Being afraid of “failing” is an understandable emotion. But getting exactly what you want can often be equally intimidating or uncomfortable. Why? Because becoming successful creates change – those new, weird feelings are your comfort zone expanding! But too often people resist the temporary discomfort that change (a.k.a. success) can bring and they talk themselves out of taking the opportunities that come their way.
This is an update to the interview with Liz, above. The drop off on the Universal lot mentioned in our first interview, was part of her campaign to court Mindy Kaling, of NBC’s The Office, as a mentor.
Here’s what happened when Liz’s preparation met opportunity…
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Reko: courting Brian Grazer as a mentor
Persistence is a key to “networking up.” Sometimes connecting with a busy, successful person will take awhile. (I remember courting a producer for a full year until we were finally able to find time in her schedule to have coffee – but it was worth it!)
Reko has determination to spare and a knack for treating everyone he interacts with as a human being – not as a “means to an end.” That attitude has already paid off for him in his pursuit of producer Brian Grazer as a mentor. The audio clip below is of Reko participating on the “networking experts” panel of my Networking BootCamp.
Here Reko describes his process and progress courting producer Mr.Grazer as his mentor…
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Robert: getting a great commercial agent
“Knowing” how to do something and actually doing it are two different things. Like many other actors, Robert has worked with me privately and participated in several groups events, but what has made the difference in Robert’s career is the expert way he applies the guidance he’s been given.
Here Robert shares exactly how putting into practice what he learned led to him getting his top-notch commercial agent:
Nathan: getting cast at the Intiman
Yes, your life can change in a week. In about that time, Nathan went from “unemployed actor and part-time administrative assistant” to “actor being paid to perform at one of the top regional theaters in the country.”
Most would call this lucky. But, behind the scenes of “lucky” you’ll often find professional, proactive actions and a positive mindset. Nathan’s story of what he did between “casting notice” and “audition” and “booking it” perfectly illustrates this point. Nathan knew the things he could do to help his odds in this situation – but what made the difference is that he actually DID them!
Here Nathan shares the details of his transformative week:
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