Fear No More!

The last class I had to take to fulfill my credits for my Drama degree at the University of Washington was Senior Seminar. It was basically a weekly lecture from people working in the business and they would tell their story and give real world advice. There was one piece of advice that I remember word for word. I can’t recall who it was that said it, or what she did for a living, but it definitely had an impact on me. “Don’t wait for opportunities in theatre. Create them.” It really is all about finding a way to do what you love.

This post is dedicated to my old roommate in New York City, who has been very successful in doing just that. She has led her life fearlessly! In just about a year after graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she and her friend/business partner have started their own company which has grown tremendously in just over the year that it has been around. It is called Fundamental Theatre Project and their tagline is “Creating The Opportunities For Artists To Work…”. When I asked her how she decided to start her company her answer was simple. She said she and a colleague that she had met through the industry had similar ideas and just took a leap of faith. It really was as simple as that! Since then, Fundamental Theatre Project has worked with artists like Alec Baldwin, Kate Mulgrew, and Michael Emerson in their shows. Next month they will be headed to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with their show 3D Hamlet: A Lost Generation. It is amazing what they have accomplished in only one year!

When thinking about it, I honestly think their key their success so far was not being afraid. They had a goal and they went for it, into the unknown. Nicola doesn’t have any sort of business degree or experience and that obviously scared her, but it absolutely hasn’t stopped her! She is learning as she goes, and has altered her plan as she learns. I truly think so many amazing things are left undone, because of the fear of failure. I know it is my biggest downfall. A few months ago I waited in line for two days to try out for the X Factor, just to bail at the last minute because I got too nervous. I hated myself for days after that. I really felt that I would be better off leaving without being rejected, than leaving because I was rejected. It is a horrible way of thinking and I am working on it everyday. I think it is why people get stuck in dead end jobs and don’t truly like the life they live. I’m so very proud of Nicola and I am using her as a role model to try and turn my attitude around. I think this is a great lesson for business and life.

If anyone has any good resources on how to overcome this obstacle, please let me know!

Read more »

Avoiding The Scam

What did N*Sync, The Backstreet Boys, Take 5, and O-Town have in common? Other than being very popular boy bands in the 90s, they only had one thing: Lou Pearlman.

Does that name sound familiar? You probably remember him from a few years back when there were news headlines of Pearlman’s inappropriate sexual conduct towards band members. It turns out that he was also sued by almost every single band he ever represented for charges relating to fraud or misrepresentation. Pearlman never won against the bands in court. Suspicions begun to arise when Backstreet Boy member Brian Littrell hired a lawyer to investigate where all their earnings were going. Apparently Pearlman had the budget set up to receive funds as if he was a sixth Backstreet Boy, as well as making a ton of money from the commission he was charging them.

He didn’t stop with the Boy Bands! In 2008, Lou Pearlman was sentenced to prison for 25 years for allegedly swindling $300 million from investors and banks since the 80’s. Here is an article mentioning his sentence. This just goes to show that even managers that have brought their clients lots of success can still be frauds. Obviously Pearlman did want his bands to succeed, but for the wrong reasons. This case has mad me realize how important it is to have a good lawyer initially look at the contract regarding compensation and to have an accountant that you trust be able to look at the books! I think Pearlman took advantage of managing young kids, thinking that they might be too naïve to know what he was up to. It is so unfortunate that there are these types of con artists out there and just reemphasizes the point that any artist needs to be very careful when choosing a manager, even if the manager has a proven track record!

Read more »