Hollywood throws a lot of crap at you.
It’s an industry that feels like the Mean Girls lunch table.
I mean, you wore pink on Wednesdays, and you’re still not allowed at the table. WTF?
You’re working hard and doing your best, and all you want to do is sit at the table, and be part of the glamorous Hollywood life.
But you keep getting knocked down.
Whether it’s articles you read, or phrases you hear around town, the rejection is so much bigger than a “No” at an audition or interview.
Trust me, I’ve been there.
On my very first TV show, someone on the crew said to me, “Don’t pursue this. Get out while you can.” Pretty comforting, huh?
It’s no wonder everyone has come to the same conclusion: Making it in Hollywood is near impossible.
But when you have this big dream...and it comes from a genuine place deep in your heart...and you still believe in Hollywood magic...that conclusion sucks.
More importantly—it doesn’t have to be YOUR conclusion.
That conclusion, that seeps into your subconscious every turn you make, doesn’t serve you.
It doesn’t create a foundation for your dreams coming true. In fact, it does the complete opposite.
When you ingest negative statements about your ability to achieve your Hollywood goals, it does so much more damage than you may realize.
If you believe the statements, they get locked away in your subconscious, and begin to control the actions you take, making you feel like you keep hitting a brick wall.
Check out my brilliant illustration (I’m a designer, let me have it!):
Because we seek experiences to prove our beliefs to be true.
So if we believe it’s going to be impossible to make it in Hollywood, our subconscious makes us take actions that will create experiences to prove that to be true.
In order to change this, you’ll need to take part in a cliché Hollywood pastime: A cleanse. But don’t worry—this one doesn’t involve green juice. Although, it requires you to dig pretty deep, so maybe you’ll wish it involved green juice. As Mastin Kipp says, “You can’t green juice your way out of this.”
The cleanse (a 4-day detox process to stop blocking success) begins by recognizing the 4 major Hollywood myths that are harming your chances. These 4 myths need to go bye-bye. (Can I add a third “bye”? I can’t resist the urge to make an N’sync reference).
Ok, ready? Here we go:
Myth #1: LACK, LACK, LACK
This first myth is the one that does the most damage. It says that there is LACK everywhere: lack of roles, lack of jobs, lack of opportunities, lack of genuine people. It says you’re never going to make it because there simply aren’t enough opportunities for you.
But Larry Broughton says it best, “You’ll find what you’re looking for.”
So if you’re looking for lack, you will find lack.
If you've been feeling like there aren't enough opportunities lately, your lack mindset is creating that.
So why not look for abundance?
Take a moment and look around. There is an ABUNDANCE of roles. An ABUNDANCE of jobs. An ABUNDANCE of opportunities. If you choose to see it.
Especially in today’s landscape: Hollywood is vastly changing with the internet and new media. The opportunities are ENDLESS.
This is a mindset shift. Choose to change it, and you will rule your career.
Myth #2: COMPETITION MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE
Ah, competition. That word just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, right?
Just kidding. It probably makes you nauseous. (I’ll put a trash can next to your bed, just in case.)
The only time a career approach should give you the sweats, is if it’s pushing you outside of your comfort zone. Nerves are great, when you’re trying something new!
Your career pursuit should not make you queasy. It should not feel gross and icky. And that’s what “competition” does.
The cure for that virus?
Understanding that competition does not exist.
Instead, check this out: everyone is on their own journey, and there is room for everyone.
You wouldn’t be blessed with this talent if you weren’t meant to share it (and get paid for it).
If someone gets a job over you, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t meant to be successful. It means that, for whatever reason, that job was not meant for your path, and it was meant for the other person’s path. You can both find success taking different roads.
One time, at band camp… just kidding. One time, I interviewed for a job on the show Entourage. I had a few connections, so I thought I would definitely get it. But I didn’t. Someone else got the job and I was crushed. I immediately spiraled into the negative self-talk: “I’m not good enough. I suck. They didn’t like me…”
A few years later, I found out the other person who got the job met her husband on that show.
WHOA.
There was a reason bigger than me, why the other person HAD to get that job.
And it had nothing to do with my skills, talent, or personality.
She had her own journey. And I had mine. And after 26 TV shows, I did perfectly OK without that job.
Myth #3: IT’S ALL ABOUT LUCK (YOU ONLY GET ONE BIG SHOT)
I could go on for days about this.
If you dig deep into anyone’s career that has involved “luck,” you’ll find it was so much more than that.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, so it’s all about preparing as much as you can, so you’re ready when opportunities come along.
When you believe that it’s all about luck, you take a passive seat to your career.
You wait and you wait for luck to come your way.
But everyone is capable of creating their own “lucky” moments.
And when you shift your mindset that way, you make room for them to flood in.
When you believe you only have one big shot, you’ll put so much pressure on every opportunity. But, as Abraham Hicks says, “People get to the dock and they think they missed their boat. But there is always another one coming.” There is always another opportunity. There will always be another shot. (See Myth #1)
Your Hollywood dreams will not rest on just one big break or one moment of luck.
If you REALLY WANT your dream, I’m talking, with ALL YOUR HEART, the universe will deliver many moments of “luck” when you’re ready.
Myth 4: THE POWER LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE INDUSTRY
I’m hoping you’re starting to get the picture now—with each of these myths, you’re leaving the power in the hands of the industry. As long as you believe them, you’re creating a world where they are true.
But I want you to understand that YOU have the power. It lies within you. Not to get all Wizard of Oz on you, but you’ve always had the power.
When you believe any of these myths, your power is taken away. And when you lose your power, it’s really difficult to find success.
Choose to take your power back. Choose to see things differently. Choose a high-achieving mindset. Your Hollywood dreams are ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE. And they’ll begin the moment you detoxify yourself of these myths.
