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Raving Fans
"Jessica Sitomer's book reminds me of the old adage: 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.' There is no shortage of books on bookshelves in bookstores offering up the Hollywood hopeful a fish (or in most cases, something fishy). Sitomer provides a strategy on how to create a career so you will work (and eat!) for a lifetime."
-Andrew Kreisberg, Co-Executive Producer, Eli Stone, Writer, Boston Legal, The Simpsons
"Jessica with AND.ACTION! has created a productive and effective way of not only guiding the reader through a method of setting attainable goals but also providing for them an enjoyable process in the journey of self discovery."
-Ana Lucia Cottone, Television Programming Executive
"Thinking outside the box and nurturing relationships is the key to being a successful actor. Jessica Sitomer's AND.ACTION! will teach you how to do this. The same career building tools she shares here will also help you balance your life when you get to wear many hats in this field. Run to get this book!"
-Diane Farr, Actress, Numb3rs, Author, The Girl Code
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Thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Jessica Sitomer and I am a Career Coach for the entertainment industry. I’ve had the privilege of working with people in all stages of their careers. Wherever you are, if you have questions about the “biz,” I have answers. In my blog, I will be commenting on the many challenges that come up for people in our industry and how to overcome them. The quote, “Perseverance, perseverance, perseverance,” has come up in so many speeches I’ve heard through the years. I believe that to succeed, you need tools and mindsets to help you persevere in this highly unstable, ever-changing industry. I'm always looking for new ways to better serve the entertainment community, so please click here to ask a question and learn more about my programs. Whatever classification you’re in, come on back and find out the latest about how to advance your career and achieve the success you desire. Please take a look around, get to know the place, and visit often. One last thing: tell a friend!!
Thank you,
Jessica
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UP What Are You Waiting For In Your Career?
By Jessica Sitomer
78-year-old Carl Fredricksen ties thousands of balloons to his home to lift-UP for an adventure of an unfulfilled life long dream- visiting South Africa. Unfortunately, it took the grief of losing his wife and the threat of being pushed out of his home to force him into action.
What are you waiting for? Do you have unfulfilled career aspirations that you aren’t fully going for due to fear, embarrassment, or lack of knowing what to do? You can keep making excuses, and you’ll find yourself like Carl- 78 and looking back with regret!
OR you can start truly living TODAY! One great way to expand your career comfort zone is to expand your “life” comfort zone. What’s my reasoning behind this? Because you have no attachments to life adventures so you are more likely to do them. If I gave you a choice between a career adventure (crashing a movie premiere and asking the director to be your mentor) or a life adventure (do something you’ve never done before; hot air ballooning, paddle boarding, volunteer at a camp for underprivileged kids), which would you more likely do?
The secret is, when you push yourself in life, you are not only expanding your comfort zone, you’re also building your confidence, which naturally helps your career pursuits.
Here are 5 lessons I learned from my hot air balloon ride that can help your career:
1. Fear is in the eye of the beholder. Yes, I could have allowed myself to worry about all of the things that could potentially go wrong on my flight and not signed up. I could have made myself a nervous wreck the whole flight since I don’t like heights. INSTEAD, I decided I wanted to take the trip, I imagined the outcome I wanted from the time I took off until the moment I landed, and decided that’s how my trip would go. Therefore, I didn’t worry. I also decided that the moment I stepped into that basket, the journey was out of my hands so I had a choice: I could be nervous the whole time and miss out on a magical experience, OR I could be in the moment and enjoy every second of this peaceful adventure. I chose the later. It’s the same for your career worries and fears: Enjoy the journey, and imagine the outcome you want and focus on that and only that.
2. Dream Fulfillment Takes Patience. My trip was rescheduled twice. Was I disappointed? I could have been, but that would have been wasted energy. I knew I was going to go on my adventure, so I was patient. When the weather conditions were safe and perfect for flight, my dream to go in a hot air balloon was fulfilled. Are you being patient with your dream? Or are you allowing yourself to wallow in disappointment and frustration?
3. Put Yourself Out There To Meet Likeminded People. Going on this adventure alone gave me the push to meet new people who had similar adventurous spirits. Ever notice in an elevator, you can be standing next to another human being and you don’t say a word to each other? To me that is so weird! It’s a person not a plant. Why wouldn’t you at least greet each other? In a hot air balloon, strangers become instant friends. When you push yourself in your career to go do something with likeminded people (like volunteering) you immediately have a common ground for building a relationship.
4. Stand Out From The Crowd. Upon landing, after helping the other 3 passengers out of the basket, the pilot asked me to stay in and gave me instructions to help him “roll the basket.” Later as we all helped to pack up the balloon, I heard him say, “Of course Jessica would find the heaviest section to lift.” Whenever you go the extra mile and stand out from the crowd, people take notice. Incorporate this into your career. What can you do to go the extra mile for someone?
5. It’s Over Before You Know It. After 3 months of planning, my adventure is over. Yes, they’ll be more (at least 1/month this year) but the point is, don’t get stuck in a mundane pattern. Constantly give yourself projects and adventures to look forward to so you don’t get the “After Christmas Blues” (a phrase coined by Greenlight Mentor, Actress Diane Farr when referring to the let down you feel after a job comes to an end). If you are spending your days in pretty much the same way, every day, it’s time for a new strategy!
You’ve heard it before “life is short”. I’ve been hearing the theme “No Excuses” popping up in television shows, Facebook posts, and in the gym. There is no better time than the start of a new year to decide to live your life differently! Add some adventure into your life and not only will you be more fulfilled, you will discover the rewards will seep into your career as well.
And Action!
1. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being TOTALLY Mundane and 10 being COMPLETELY Fulfilling, how would you rate your life right now?
2. If you are anything less than an 8 decide to shake things up with a little adventure! Commit to doing something adventurous in February by posting your adventure on my FB wall for everyone to see! You will create new relationships in the community and have accountability. https://www.facebook.com/TheGreenlightCoach
Carl’s adventure did not go the way he planned, it went better than he ever could have planned it. Why? Because his mindset wasn’t in a positive place when he made his plan. The adventure changed his outlook on life. Change your outlook on life and you will soar up, up and away! |
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TRUE LIES Thrust Yourself Into Adventure
By Jessica Sitomer
Helen Tasker (Jamie Lee Curtis) an ordinary wife married to an ordinary computer salesman decides she needs some adventure. When her husband Harry (Arnold Schwarzenegger) decides to give her some, his double life as a government agent is revealed when he and Helen get kidnapped by terrorists. Helen is thrust into far more adventure than she bargained for, yet, by the end of the movie her life went from ordinary to extraordinary!
Do you want your career to go from ordinary to extraordinary? Then like Helen, you have to shake things up, seek out adventure. What you’ll find is, when you can be adventurous in your life, you will become adventurous in your career. So start with some cool life adventures to build your courage muscles. Once you build the muscle you’ll be able to flex it whenever you need it in both your personal life and your professional life.
Here are some ways to thrust yourself into adventure:
1. Sign up for deals. Services like Groupon and GottaHalfIt offer daily deals on everything from exotic restaurants and hot stone massage to NASCAR driving and tandem skydiving. Not only can you get a great deal, you will also get great ideas for adventures you never thought of.
2. Crate an A-List. You’ve heard of a Bucket List? It’s a list of all of the things you want to do before you die. An A-list for this purpose is an Adventure List. Make a list of 12 adventures you’d like to experience this year. If you focus on it, you’re more likely to do it.
3. Get people involved. Great reason to do something non-industry related with industry contacts AND it will bring you closer together.
This is one of those life and career changing crossroads. When you push yourself out of your comfort zone it grows. With each adventure you expand, until perhaps, discomfort becomes a thing of the past.
And Action!
1. GO FOR IT! Plan an adventure.
Once Helen lived through her adventure, there was no way she could go back to being an ordinary housewife. Her future was changed forever, as was she. If you spent the next year building your adventure muscles, where and who will you be 12 months from now? |
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ALONG CAME POLLY Are You Going For It?
By Jessica Sitomer
Reuben Feffer played by Ben Stiller, was not an outgoing guy. He went so far as to find comfort in a job that was all about risk management. So when his best friend Sandy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) invited him to a party, Reuben did not want to go. Lucky for Reuben, there was no saying “no” to Sandy.
Parties are a great way to meet people, yet many people avoid them for a myriad of reasons: I’m shy, I don’t know what to say to people, and I don’t know about any parties.
I want to address that last one, but first my quick networking shpiel: In-person networking is one of the most important things you can do for your career because communication is 55% physiology. People also like to meet people face-to-face. You can meet a lot more people in a shorter amount of time at a networking event.
Shpiel over. Now that you know you must network let’s address the “I don’t know about any parties” AKA I don’t hear about networking events.
Let me ask you a question. Do you think you are more likely to have better results in your career if you are actively “going for it” or if you wait around to “hear about things”?
If you let yourself off the hook for networking because you “don’t know of any networking events” it is a pretty good indicator that you are passive in many other, if not all, areas of your career pursuit. You can’t afford to be passive! There is too much competition! Are you up for it? Because if you’re not, and you continue to be passive, you’re on a long slow road which just might lead to no where.
Get off that path and start pursuing your career using this motto: If I don’t know something, there is a way for me to find out!
Here are some ways to actively find networking opportunities:
1. Ask people. Sounds obvious right? Someone you know has to know about parties and networking opportunities (and if they don’t, see 2 & 3). Many of my clients want to reach out to their contacts but don’t have a reason other than to ask for work which they know I discourage in most situations. This is the perfect reason to re-connect. Ask your contacts if they are members of any networking organizations or if they are aware of any open invitation parties happening this season.
2. Google/Social Media. Google “entertainment industry networking events (insert your city here)” or ask on your social networking sites. You may be surprised to learn one of your FB Friends has a blog on industry events such as Industry Happenings.
3. Be philanthropic. This is a great time of year to volunteer to help others in need. Another great reason to contact your peeps. Ask if they are involved with any philanthropic organizations for which you can volunteer this holiday season. Then not only are you giving back, you’re doing it with other industry people. An example is From The Heart.
4. Throw a party. If all else fails, throw your own party. Choose a place and invite people. It doesn’t have to cost you a cent or you can go all out. It’s up to you. But you are guaranteed to be at a party if you throw your own.
No more excuses! If you are not going for it, someone else will and you’ve been missing out for long enough!
And Action!
1. Find 4 opportunities to network in December and put them in your calendar.
2. Make a list of networking and philanthropic organizations and get on their email list so you always know what’s happening.
If Reuben hadn’t gone to that party, he wouldn’t have been reunited with Polly. Who are you missing out on meeting because you’re not at the party? |
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THE WEDDING PLANNER Seize Opportunities
By Jessica Sitomer
Imagine having a dumpster barreling down a steep hill headed straight for you and you can’t move because your high heel is stuck in a manhole cover. That’s exactly how Mary, played by Jennifer Lopez and Steve, played by Matthew McConaughey met as he heroically pulled her out of harm’s way. Mary’s response? “You saved.. my shoe.”
You never know when you’re going to meet that certain someone who’s going to change your life. In your case, the person who can change your career. In Hollywood, anytime you meet someone it can potentially lead to work. It’s the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Rule. If the person can’t directly hire you he probably knows someone who can, or knows someone who knows someone who can. And yet, so many people let these magical meetings filled with opportunity slip through their fingertips. Do you? Do you know how to turn a brief encounter with a stranger on line at the check out counter into an opportunity that can lead to work?
Here are some tips that will help:
1. Change your perspective. Many people I’ve worked with over the years have no problem talking to people who have nothing to do with the industry. The moment they meet someone whom they recognize as someone who can potentially hire or help them, they become “shy” or “don’t know what to say.” Changing your perspective means seeing every person as an equal. Yes, some may have had opportunities that make them a Rockstar in your eyes, but they put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else. Until you believe that you are worthy of having conversations with any person you meet, you will continue to miss out on opportunities to welcome these amazing people into your life.
2. Practice. Another huge obstacle for people I’ve worked with, is that they don’t know what to say. Was “You saved my shoe” the best opening line? It charmed him, that’s for sure. But Mary wasn’t prepared to meet the man of her dreams that day. You can prepare what you will say should you stumble upon an opportunity with someone who would normally leave you tongue tied. The key is you MUST practice if you want to have confidence. In my seminars, I always have the participants practice so they get it in their physiology that they know what to say and feel confident saying it.
3. Make your own luck. How many times have you heard, “I was in the right place at the right time,” and then think to yourself how lucky that person is? Well, that person wouldn’t have been lucky if she was at home sitting on her couch watching TV. You can make your own luck by going to the “right place” and then it will become the “right time.” Think about places where you can meet people who are in the position to hire or help you and then GO!
4. Follow Up. If you do tips 1-3, and meet extraordinary people, and have a great conversation with them, and then let them walk away without any plan to follow up with them and without their contact information, you’ve just come pretty close to creating a situation you’ll regret for the rest of your career. Do you have moments like that already? You met someone early on in your career and didn’t stay in touch and now they’re huge and you’re kicking yourself for not staying in touch. If you do have those moments, great! Then you know you don’t want to have them again. So be sure when you’re talking to new people you meet, you find an authentic reason to tell them you’ll follow up and ask for their contact information.
The number one reason people are out of work is because they don’t know enough people who can hire them. If you fall into this category you must meet new people. If that makes you feel nervous, you now have new ideas for building up your confidence. Like any skill, it takes practice and giving up is not an option.
And Action!
1. Find a friend or two and practice what you’d say to someone during a “chance meeting”
2. Research places that are “the right place” so you can go and make it “the right time”
3. Grow your contact list by 5 people this month
Mary and Steve’s journey wasn’t smooth sailing, it never is in a romantic comedy. So don’t expect every encounter to be perfect. Learn from each one and eventually you’ll forget you ever had an obstacle with meeting people. |
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"How To Take A GREAT Meeting That Leads To WORK"
I create seminars based on the needs of my clients. What are my clients biggest obstacles?
1. Knowing what to say in a CD workshop or meeting that makes them stand out
2. Knowing how to continue conversations after the first meeting
3. Knowing how to turn those conversations into offers for auditions and work
Can you relate? Did you know that every time you meet someone, whether it's at a networking event, a coffee shop, through friends, or a work lead like an interview or an audition, if you don't follow up because you don't know "what to say" you are sabotaging your opportunity to get work.
NEVER MISS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY!
In this seminar not only will I teach you how to follow up properly, I'll teach you what to say and when to say it.
If not knowing what to say to people is stopping you from networking, interviewing, getting mentors, and more... YOU MUST ATTEND this event!
Join Jessica Sitomer, The Greenlight Coach for and make your pursuit of work easier and much more FUN!
When: TUESDAY November 8th, 10am-1pm
Where: Art of Acting Studio, Los Angeles
Cost: FREE! (no brainer!)
YOU MUST RSVP to attend, and your confirmation will have materials for you to bring and some prep assignments to get you started.
RSVP to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SUBJECT LINE AofA GREAT Meetings
Space will fill up quickly and will be on a first come first serve basis. RSVP Now while it’s fresh in your mind!
"Marketing Yourself With A Webseries"
“Good seminar allows you to plan out a whole year worth of webseries from start to finish. Seminar covers marketing, creative organized from start to finish. Very organized."- Shay Sanders, TV/Radio Producer
Sure, you may know how to use your Flip camera or iPhone to create little webseries, but do you know how to create a webseries that could propel you to success?
Did you know that studios are changing the way they do casting and that in the future unless you have a top agent who submits your audition directly to the producers, it may be near impossible to be seen?
Did you know that there are people who have been hired by studios and their sole purpose/job is to watch video sites like YouTube and Funny or Die ALL DAY looking for new talent? Is this the new way to be found? Will Casting Workshops become obsolete?
No one knows the future, these are ‘what ifs’, but it is IMPERATIVE that you plan for the possibility NOW, so you can be leading the new trend instead of trying to catch up.
Join Jessica Sitomer, The Greenlight Coach for a 'fill in the blank' content creation workshop! The beauty is, you don’t have to be a writer.
This is also a great opportunity to form “content creation teams.” This seminar is open to actors, writers, directors, producers, directors of photography, editors, and anyone who works in entertainment. Invite people you’d want on your team, and together or on your own, you’ll leave with the tools to create a branded, targeted Webseries or Video Blog.
“I loved the forced accountability.”- Abigail Eiland, Actor/Writer
When: THURSDAY November 10th, 10am-1pm
Where: Art of Acting Studio, Los Angeles
Cost: FREE! (no brainer!)
YOU MUST RSVP to attend, and your confirmation will have materials for you to bring and some prep assignments to get you started.
RSVP to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SUBJECT LINE AofA Webseries Seminar
Space will fill up quickly and will be on a first come first serve basis. RSVP Now while it’s fresh in your mind!
“3 hours flying by so fast. Full of fun and joy. So much great information." -Henning Fischer, Actor |
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CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. Torn between passion and work
By Jessica Sitomer
When Cal Weaver’s wife asks for a divorce, he is completely shattered over losing the love of his life. When he meets Jacob Palmer (played by Ryan Gosling), he accepts that he has to grow, date, and put focus on an area that he’d rather not, because he'd rather focus on getting his wife back.
Cal (played by Steve Carell) splits his time between up leveling his wardrobe, meeting new woman and doing what he’s passionate about, taking care of his wife. Of course the later is done in secret, but he still gets it done.
You love when you’re doing what you’re passionate about but the business to get the work you’re passionate about.. not so much right? How do you motivate yourself to do the necessary “work” when you’d so much rather spend your time being creative and doing what you love?
Let’s start by making some analogies:
1. (For the parents) You love your kids and they bring you a feeling of joy you never thought imaginable. You look at them and feel something so deep that it penetrates your heart and moves straight to your soul. You never knew you could love someone so much. AND there are times when you have to say “no” and be the bad guy. There are also times when your kids rebel and you have to deal with aggravation and sometimes worse.
2. (For the pet owners) You love your pet. The sweet face, the snuggling, the companionship, and the unconditional love. BUT let’s not forget for every pet there is “clean up” and the bigger the pet, the bigger the “clean up.”
3. (For the adventurers) You love the rush. There’s a thrill to doing something that most people never would and a huge sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed another adventure. AND adventures come with bangs, bruises, and sometimes worse.
4. (For the travelers) You love seeing new places and experiencing different lifestyles. BUT it can get expensive, difficult to time with your entertainment career and most travelers have a horror story or two.
5. (For the gardeners) You love to grow your own veggies, flowers, fruits. It’s rewarding to spend a day in the garden and then consume the fruits of your labor. BUT the pesky bugs and bad weather conditions can be a pain in the butt to control.
Are you getting the picture? For everything you love to do, there is a draw back. So how do you motivate yourself to push through the draw backs of pursuing your entertainment industry career in order to spend the majority of your time doing what you love? Here are some tips that will help:
1. Create a schedule. A very simple weekly calendar where you schedule the majority of the time doing things that inspire your passion. AND at least 10 hours a week focused on your business work.
2. Do the fun stuff first. It’s okay if the work you do to drum up business is fun. Set visits are fun. Networking with friends is fun. Going to premiers is fun. So schedule the fun stuff first. If you use your business tools during the fun stuff, you may never need to participate in the dull stuff.
3. Use a reward system. If you must do dull stuff or worse... dreaded stuff, give yourself a time-table in which to get it done and then reward yourself with something that inspires your passion.
Your life’s journey is a give and take. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just the journey. You wouldn’t be able to appreciate how good the great stuff is if you had nothing to compare it to, right? That said, you do have to generate work for yourself so you can have far more of the good stuff.
And Action!
1. Write down everything you can possibly do to generate work for yourself.
2. Put them in order from what you enjoy the most to the least.
3. Design an action plan for yourself and implement one or more of the tips to create the possibility of accomplishing more than you’ve ever done before.
4. Celebrate your success when you recognize that you can do anything you set your mind to when it comes to your business.
Cal was willing to feel uncomfortable and put himself out there, and in the end he got everything he wanted and more. Are you willing to do the same? |
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UNSTOPPABLE Step Up or Step Aside
By Jessica Sitomer
When human error causes an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train, with hazardous cargo, to go speeding toward a city, Frank and Will step up to prevent a disaster. Denzel Washington, plays Frank, a veteran engineer who risks his life for a company that disregarded him and Chris Pine, plays Will, a young conductor who risks his life on his first day of work to save the city where his family lives.
At times, the speed of the unmanned train sent it farther and farther away from Frank and Will. Do you ever feel like the entertainment industry is that runaway train, getting farther and farther out of your reach?
Like Frank and Will, you have two choices. Keep doing what you’re doing and let the train wind up where it may. Perhaps someone else will step up and be the hero. Or, YOU can step up! How about being the hero in your own career story? How about finally stopping that train so you can climb aboard and ride it all the way to success?
If you want to step aside, people will understand. It takes a strong willed person with clear determination to stop a runaway train, but if you do want to step up, here are some tips that will help:
1. Decide. Right now! Frank knew he was going after that train, and Will didn’t have but a minute to decide if he was on board. So, as the veteran here, (well, maybe not the veteran, but the coach) I’m giving you ‘but a minute’ do decide. Are you going to go after your career like it’s a matter of life or death? In other words. It’s time to raise the stakes. No more treating this like a ‘hope’ for work, but instead an unstoppable determination to GET WORK.
2. Analyze. You are the only one who knows what’s really going on in your mind. How much effort are you putting into your job pursuit? How many hours a day are focused on productive, effective job getting actions? What gets in your way? What are your fears?
3. Plan. Frank and Will had a plan. If the plan was deterred or went off track, they regrouped and came up with a new plan. Have you formulated a one-year plan to complete reachable goals?
4. Get Help. If you keep doing what you’ve always done you’re going to keep getting what you’ve always gotten. Frank and Will had each other to bounce ideas off of. How are you getting out-side-of-the-box ideas? Who are you getting help from?
5. Be Unstoppable. You may find with your new plan and your new ideas that your actions may not turn out the results you expected. Re-group and move forward. You may find that you are getting rejected more. That’s because you’re putting yourself out there more. Nos don’t change your life, yeses do. Be unstoppable!
You’ve come to expect in a movie like this, that the heroes will stop the train and save the day. What have you come to expect from your career?
And Action!
You get what you truly expect, so if in your analysis, you didn’t expect with 100% certainty that you’d be unstoppable in reaching your career goals, it’s time to do damage control on your mindset. If not, your unconscious mind will be as destructive as that toxic-cargo-carrying runaway train. |
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