Sunday, July 19, 2015

What did you do this week


• “What did you do this week”

24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 365 days in a year. If you are lucky you'll get about 80 years, 60 of which are great if you take care of yourself. How old are you now? 30? Well that's half your life gone before your body says “slow it down”. What if you can live a full 80 years? Than are you 40 yet? Your age is a countdown to an end in a way that should motivate you. How many days and hours do you give to a life you are not happy with? Do you love your job, people around you, relationships? When you wake up, are you excited to get your day started? If you are not happy, start working toward the life you want. You deserve it.

Life is fleeting, but exhilarating if you let it be. Each day I do one thing at minimum to forward my life into maintaining a directing I want. I live the life I want. My earnings come from entertainment. What if I wanted to be a teacher? Well then I would do whatever it is I had to so I could be that teacher. In these passing seven days I went into the city three times. Went comedy club hopping, worked on fighting choreography, had meetings with entertainment lawyers, met up with people, did 6 client hour long meetings, wrote two blogs, edited video, worked on my book, went to the gym all week, and memorized lines to a movie.

I work hard, but this is the life I want so I must work hard. I don't get to go into a job I hate and do it with the minimal required effort to keep that job. This is my career. I have to push hard each day so that I am growing. That my career is going from here to there, and there is upward. It is my job to wake myself up. It is my job to live the life I want by making sure I completed my daily tasks. If it ever comes to a point which I don't want this life anymore, I will have freedom and strength to change it. That is just it though, the changing it up. It is okay, no matter what age you are, to change it up. Find your happiness, but DO IT. Go out there and live.

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)

Thursday, July 16, 2015

The perception of success


• “The perception of success”

There are many ways success can be obtained. Those achievements come with very specific rules. Being aware of the rules increases a person's chances to live their dream as a career. Some individuals unknowingly find resolve while on this path through luck (Hard work?). Another path, which always leads to failure, is traveled more frequently. Both roads are designed by different rules. An interesting perspective: If thousands of people fail doing it one way, why could it work for you? Are you really that awesome, amazing, and unique? Follow a path less traveled by those who have seen the mountaintop and constructed a nice house there.

My path, a path taught to me, and refined through research, is basically this; Have a plan, focus, be capable, and good at what you do. What does that all mean? Ready, I will show you. 1) Budget / save up 18 months of income / quit job / focus on career. 2) Network, Market, Practice; even before quitting a job. 3) Learn to manage time, money, and people. 4) Learn to organize money over expense to secure, invest and enjoy that wealth. 5) Life is a business, treat it that way. Earn vacation time, earn freedom, earn it all. Working to find balance in a life lived deep in debt; That is a failing business.

There is a path where the road is covered in thousands of footprints. Within this destination is a mentality which suggests: “A person need only be really really good at their craft.” This notion of greatness will get people to notice. Once noticed, all doors to a big chance open! Ultimately, more awesome, amazing, and unique, the further a person will go. Ego will close more doors than open them. How many Twitter followers or total Social media numbers do you have? How many friends do you keep in touch with? If you believe you don't need anyone, you are in the wrong business. Any business you are in, you will need everyone.

Also... have fun in life. If you are sad, miserable, or tired of what you have going on; change. That's correct; change your life up. If you are in the same place after three to five years and you are still sad, miserable, or tired of what you have going on then it is time to change. Now get out of here and go make changes!

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Busy Bee



• “Busy Bee”

They call me the “YES” man. Just keep swimming! This is a motto I learned from a fish. Always stay in motion, like a shark does to keep on breathing. For me, working in entertainment is a constant fight forward finding/creating the next job. Growing up in entertainment “NO” was a normal answer. To get that mysterious “YES” a change in my life had to be made. No longer was I waiting for others to “Help” me to succeed. I ran from the idea of relying on a Record Label, Agent, Manager, etc to give me a chance to prove myself. It was my job to prove myself and no one else.

In life, it is about proving your worth on your own. Rise to the top until you cannot go any further. The secret is to run your life like a business. You want to be in movies, start filming movies. You want to be in a band; start up a band. I have received a great many “no's” in my life that when I made it happen on my own it was to rave reviews or praise. Example: I was told I couldn't write, so I wrote a play and it was on the news. I was told I couldn't be Hamlet, so I produced the show and I was Hamlet, later being told by a stranger I was better than Kenneth Branagh. (I don't think that's true)

The point is, make your life happen by going out there and opening the doors you create. Who cares what people say to you. They are only telling you what they know from their perspective. When a person tells you “no” it means to try harder at getting a “yes”. Either from them or from yourself. If you feel you can do it, then do it. If you think you are better than that person on stage then get on stage, film a movie, do stand-up, open a business! The idea is stop waiting for approval. The only person that needs to say “YES” to you, is you. This is way I rarely sleep, I am always setting up the next step and thus a very busy bee!

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)

Saturday, June 13, 2015

To inspire


• “To inspire”

It is the responsibility of successful people to inspire those wanting success in life. If you are successful, help open doors of hope, whether it is to be a successful business person, comedian, or politician. Inspiration is not gloating, showing off, or being a larger than life bragger of what you have over others. Inspiration is showing behind the scenes with how much hard work it takes to accomplish so much from so little. Coming from zero, to earning a career you want. So many times we forget how important it is to allow others that dream of possibility. It is not our stage, but the world's stage. Give it that respect. Let others up on it.

Anything is possible if you place your efforts into motion. A person has one life to make things happen. Even if reincarnation happens, this is current life is right now. Make the best of it. Me, I am writing two books, scripts, directing, acting, working in background when called, music, speaking engagements, consulting a minimum of 13 clients each month, doing stand up comedy, and getting my own things completed. This is my small list that I maintain each week. If I can find ways to make things happen and get stuff done, so could you. Have a plan. Take control back into your life. Control over Time, Finances, and your Team of people.

Each day that comes my way I have to find a reason to keep moving forward. That reason is life. I want these freedoms I have. They make me happy. I enjoy sitting around doing nothing, if I want. I also enjoy working on films/TV when I want. Maybe go out and tell jokes at a comedy club. This thing called life continues to entertain me. I do what I do, because I want to inspire others to take chances. I am not the best at everything I do. Though, I am the best at doing all the things I want to do. Become better than excuses. Become your effort. Say yes when you feel like doing nothing. Make an effort, make a change to inspire.

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Make up the rest


• Make up the rest

I enjoy what I do and how I got there. When I do reflect, I realize there is a lot going on for this resilient entertainer. Setbacks are inevitable. They could come in shapes of cars breaking down, money not coming in, people falling short of their efforts. So much could happen. If we are that passionate about making something of our life we must push on if we are to succeed. We can only work a plan so much, the rest, we must make up. Nothing in this world will ever want what I want more than me. Rely on yourself, your efforts. Extra help, as it comes, is a bonus. Waiting for a miracle to happen from something or someone slows the process.

Inaction of progress, when things slow down, is my fault. It's that simple. If I'm not provoking, doing, or being proactive, then inaction of progress is on me. What I do is different than most people. There are tasks I complete to a point, which were taught to me, that it feels, at times, that I am making up the rest. Truth is, there is nothing made up. I look around, listen to, and deal with people all the time. They are jaded, or stuck in their ways. This method was taught to them by themselves based on “ideas”, thoughts & possible epiphany of this business we call entertainment. It's not my job to judge them. It's my job to keep moving forward.

There's so many opportunities to ignore opposition on my opinion. I get attacked and judged fairly often. It could be my positive attitude. Worse, it could be because I think outside the box. That scares people more when things are happen for me and they can't believe their eyes. How can this guy be doing this? To them I am talentless, short cut taking, non-aware of the “art” of entertainment. My business sense is shun. Weird, all successful people do what I do. Not that they are following my steps, but more like I am following theirs! Learn from the doers, not the don'ts. If all else fails, make up the rest.

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)

Sunday, May 17, 2015

SNL


• “SNL”

There lies the issue with starting a sentence. Said the man waiting for his cue. Saturday night live is a show that has been around for 40 years. That is a long time for any show to be on. It had its ups and downs, moments of creating superstars and also seeing people vanish into obscurity. History from this NBC sketch comedy show performed live at 11:35pm every Saturday is continuously within America's culture. Our lives have those eras. Eddie Murphy bringing life back to it. Chris Farley and the many members of the 90's making SNL something to talk about again. Where are we in that world? Who knows. What I know is... I got to see.

I did an overnight on SNL, shooting a pretaping. A pretape is something filmed outside of the live show. The fake commercials, or video shorts played throughout the program. The privilege to be among the show, even if only an “extra”, was beautiful. First, I had a moment to work with Louis CK, if only from a distances. I was in a pretaping with him. There was a such a pleasure to see him and the crew work so hard to do this 2 minutes taping. I ended up being hidden behind a guy's big head. But, that's not the point. Being involved, seeing the process, and working on this show was more important than “being seen”.

Joining SAG-AFTRA has been one of the most important choices of my life for entertainment. First, it protects my music career. Who knew!? As I am no longer a part of ASCAP. (Musicians; join ASCAP right now). But knowing it could protect me is nice. If I were not a member of SAG-AFTRA I would have never been able to work on SNL. I would never had the chance to be protected working other projects. This year is coming along nicely. Everything I have accomplished is all because of my planning, resilience, and understanding the process in which this business works. Anything is possible. Rely on your understanding, not your talent!

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

“I know what I'm doing!”


• “I know what I'm doing!”

Entertainers have what I call an EGO. It's bigger than their drive, stronger than success, and scariest of all... it lies to them all day with such honesty how could they listen to reason! It says things like: “I'm so awesome, amazing and unique that people will just want to be apart of my world!”, oh, or this “I have no idea why people are not coming to see me perform!”, “Why the hell am I not signed or successful yet!”. Does this even sound like the voice of a person knowing what they are doing? To me, it's the idea of success from watching TV, or reading about success. Doing what others are doing in the spotlight is not what they did to get there.

It can be extremely difficult to see past an idea that manifested in our own heads. This is our own idea, it has to work, because I came up with it. This is where I use to be a long, long, time ago. I would stand around wondering why nothing was happening. I had Shirts, I had CD's, I was even performing every week. Why was my band doing nothing!? Then it clicked, I was working as if I was already successful. I was emotionally attached to my idea of how it works. I didn't want to hear what others had to say. How do they know better than me. This is my idea and I know what I'm doing!

Entertainers have one shot at a chance in success. Unless you vanish and delete everything people know of you to try again; think Jack Roy. Of course if you do your research you know his real name is “Jacob Rodney Cohen”. Learn where successful people came from. The hard work that went into it. I have had mentors, and people who gave me the time of day to listen to them and learn the process. There is more to it than our talent. Success is more than working hard. I say to people “Don't work hard, but be productive”. What we do is important as our time is limited. Be more than you think it is, and listen, research, and shut your EGO up!

Make A Right Left Here (My official page website)
BBR Productions Inc. (Direct company link)
Top Of The Bottom Pile (Comedy Tour I Am On)