Chances are, if you are reading this, leaving the industry and retiring from acting is nowhere near the top of your mind at this point.

However, what I have realized from working with so many actors over the years is that the road to retiring from acting starts long before you even realize it and there is almost always the same pattern of events leading up to it.

We’re in December now. Can you believe it?!

As another year comes to a close, I want you to answer this next question honestly to yourself.

How much progress did you make towards your career goals? Seriously, think about it for a minute and on a scale of 1-10 rate how well you did.

For most actors the answer is about 2 or a 3.

Others are not able to even complete the exercise, because setting career goals isn’t something that we are ever really taught about, and that is a huge problem!

More on that in a bit.

What I’m referring to isn’t the traditional goal setting you’ve heard about. It’s a way to measure whether or not you are actually making any real progress in your acting career or if you are just winging it.

It’s a double edged sword. Setting a goal and missing the mark, can be devastating. Not setting a goal and taking things day by day can mask a lack of progress or it can even make progress seem meaningless.

If 2019 didn’t live up to your expectations, don’t worry. It’s actually not too late to put big things in motion.

In fact, right now is the best time to set yourself up for a huge 2020.

Here’s why...

As we head into the heart of the holiday season, the industry prepares to go into hibernation. But do things really stop?

Do studios stop production completely? Do agents stop answering the phone? Do Casting Directors disappear?

Not at all! While most people do start to mentally check out after a grueling year in the industry, top tier decision makers cannot afford to check out.

They remain at the helm, working to make things happen and that is where the opportunity is for you.

Not only are people more open to making new connections during the holiday season, they also tend to be more cordial.

So, if there’s someone you have been hesitant about approaching, they are much more likely to be open to you during this time.

Plus, it’s a great time to show Casting Directors, and other decision makers “some love” without worrying about seemingly being out of place.

Everyone remembers to send a studio head or a top tier agent a holiday card or gift basket, but hardly anyone remembers CDs. It’s easier than at any other time, to cut through the clutter and make an impression.

Just be sure that your gestures are genuine and don’t come off as phony.

This works for making new connections as well as reinforcing existing connections, and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

A simple card with a candy bar would cost you under $3 with postage. You could either express your desire to work with someone in the coming year or thank them for the opportunity to work with them this year.

Throughout the year, mailings can be hit or miss (mostly miss) because hardly anyone takes the time to open the parcel.

However, no one ignores a holiday card because of what could be inside, so your message will be seen at the very least.

It doesn’t have to be a card and a candy bar. Get creative with you can reach out to and how you can personalize your seasons greetings.

At the end of the day, the industry is a people business and it will always be.

So, if your year, didn’t end up the way you hoped for, that’s the place you should turn to first: the people.

Who did you meet that you didn’t fully forge a connection with?
Who did you not meet that could have been a career changer for you?
When actors leave the industry, it is rarely a grand occasion. It usually happens in stages.

First, we tend to take a step back from the industry grind and start to focus on “real world”pursuits and push auditions and training to the back burner.

You start going after a promotion at work instead of scheming ways to take days off so you can go to your auditions.

Eventually you start having thoughts about leaving the industry for good, having not made any moves in a long time.

Where it begins however, is getting stuck in a pattern of lack of progress, which is why I led with asking you about your progress and how you are measuring up against your goals.

What causes actors to stop making progress more than anything else has a simple fix.

It’s rarely about talent, timing, or any of the thousands of other excuses we tend to come up with as justification for not making progress.

It’s almost always about people, because this is a people business.

Understanding how people function is key and I’m about to give you the biggest “hack” to get almost anyone on your side and rooting for your success.

When you meet someone in the industry, because of the number of actors who turn out to be hobbyists that leave the industry quickly, people tend to be skeptical and hesitant to give you a chance.

That’s why I created this.

It helps to put decision makers at ease and trust that you are a professional actor who is in it for the long haul, by improving your industry reputation.

See, when you make a new connection they will always into your history and activity in the industry.

Your industry reputation must match your goals if you want decision makers to take you seriously.

So, if you are meeting enough decision makers but you still are not making the progress you should be making in your career, this could be the issue.

No one wants to invest time into helping build an actor’s career that may not be serious about their future in the industry.

Show industry decision makers that you are a serious and talented professional actor.

Take care of that and then make a list of industry decision makers you can reach out to while everyone else is in holiday mode.

Then, follow through and reach out to them.

If you want to bounce some ideas, remember I’m always only a comment or an email away. I’ll help out in any way I can because my goal in 2020 is to...

See you at the top,
Scott