We’ve all had “those days” where it seems like there are a million urgent strings pulling on you.

Your spouse forgot their wallet so you have to drop everything and take it to the office. Somehow a bill slipped through the cracks and you have to spend 45 minutes on the phone with the cable company. A coworker at your J-O-B got sick so you have to fill in for her at the last minute.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the email trap: questions coming in from others who need your guidance, small details on projects that must be taken care of, etc.

Yes, we’ve all been there – and of course, those things are important to take care of. But what if you spent all day, every day at the whim of those minute, “urgent” tasks?

Read More

When studying the brain and neurogenesis, scientists are discovering that there is no one magic bullet for improving your mental performance and physical health. Changing your diet is not going to have the same impact if you aren’t also meditating and exercising. Meditation alone is not as effective if you aren’t eating enough good fat. Point of the story: Brain health is best attained by approaching it from all angles.

I think this is particularly relevant when it comes to supercharging your performance in stressful situations. There are a lot of wellness practices that can help, and if I am honest, I think meditation is generally the best. But when you need an extra boost in a high-stakes situation, the strongest strategy is what I call the “Power Trio:”

Read More

Guest blog by Rhonda Musak, acting coach

Eek! The middle ground. That place that is no longer the beginning, but it certainly doesn't match the vision you held for yourself before you took the very first step forward. Back there, right around the first step, everything seemed so shiny and possible. The dream you recall was mammoth, but you felt energized and invigorated by it and everyone around you was cheering you on.

Read More

Not too long ago, actor Michael Kostroff was generous enough to do a Q+A call with a group of actors from the My Big Year program, and it was so incredibly insightful that I just have to share some of what we covered on the blog this week.

Read More

So you booked a great job, congrats! It feels amazing to receive the validation of booking work when you’ve been working your tail off in class, auditioning like crazy, and living the actor life.

But have you ever booked a gig and found yourself feeling like maybe you don’t really deserve it? Or like you somehow “tricked” casting into believing that you’re talented?

I certainly have, and guess what? It’s not uncommon for actors – or any artists, for that matter – to feel this way. In fact, there’s actually a term for this feeling in the psychology community: it’s called Imposter Syndrome. Eek!

Read More