So it begins! A new year. A new decade. A new outlook on your career.

There is so much change in the air right now, it’s palatable. You can feel it, just going out to grab a cup of coffee.

The question is whether that change is going to be positive or not.

It never fails. As the year winds down, I’m always flooded with messages from actors who are looking to make a change.

They are always extreme. They either want to go from where they are now, to starring in Big Studio films or starring in their own show on Primetime, or they want to leave the industry altogether.

There is never an in between, and what’s sort of strange about this is that actors at both extremes of the spectrum are looking for the same thing....

Reassurance.

Either, they want to know that they have done all they can do and go forward into actors retirement with their heads held high or they want to know that they are not completely crazy for sticking with it and that they can actually reach their goals.

I truly believe that with every passing moment, you choose what will come in the next moment.

We can talk about this on many different levels, but let’s keep things focused on the here and now, and what we can quantify.

Most importantly, let’s focus on how you can move your career forward in 2020 and beyond.

To support you in building your career, I have compiled the top strategies used by our Boost My Star tribe in 2019 to accomplish big things.

From red carpet premieres, to roles on primetime, award nominations and so much more. Here’s how they did it and how you can do it too...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Many of us will take the time to catch up with friends and family members.

Others will spend quiet evenings at home. However, something all of us will do at some point throughout the season is: reflect.

As the year comes to a close and we spend time reflecting on the things we accomplished this year, and think of why we didn’t accomplish others, this factor is very easy to miss.

So, today I want to give you something to think about and give you a number of ways that you can give your career a headstart on 2020, by breaking down what the industry’s top performers do to make it to the top of the industry.

Let’s start with the hard part...

Once you get started down this path, it turns into It’s a vicious cycle of self sabotage. Almost every actor does this,but I’ve never met one that did it on purpose.

Truthfully, when someone does this they are usually following what was well intended advice from a trusted source.

So, as we bring the last couple of weeks in the year to a close, I thought it important to clear up one of the biggest industry myths.

This innocent sounding piece of advice is probably something you are following right now, even though it is responsible for more actors getting stuck in their careers, than probably anything else.

The problem is that it sounds logical, but when you really start to question its merits objectively, the logic falls apart quickly.

And, I’ve seen it first hand.

After working with so many actors through the years, I’ve seen actors spin their wheels for years because of this.

I’ve also seen how quickly things can change when you start focusing on the things that really work to make it in the industry...

Here’s why...

One of the first things I do when meeting and working with an actor is go through their “special skills” line by line.

I often find hidden gems that they are not using to their advantage, at least not fully.

More often than not, I even find that they have skills that they don’t leverage at all, even though they could be a tremendous help to their acting career.

See, there are tons of projects that require actors with a variety of skills and you don’t make your skills widely known, no matter who obscure you think they might be, you could be missing out big time.

I’ve seen 1 liners turn into much bigger parts simply because the actor who was booked for a 1 liner had a “special skill” that gave the director an idea.

There is a sort of balancing act that comes into play and if you don’t leverage your skills the right way your talents will be seen as scattered at best, or even as a work of fiction.

So, if you want to be more than just a 1 dimensional actor (and you have to be if you want to be a successful, professional actor) then you have to learn how to balance your multiple talents and how to use them at the right times to give move your career forward.

When done properly, you can unlock new career opportunities most actors or even agents know exist. This leaves you will practically zero competition.

Here’s how...

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...

Most of us will jump into improv class before almost anything else, because it’s the perfect recipe.

It’s fun. It’s low key and low pressure, and you can still get a lot of value out of it even if the class itself isn’t great.

I have always been a big fan of improv, even though it was a big challenge.

See there are 2 components that make up a great improv scene but almost everyone ignores the second one.

Let’s first talk about why becoming great at improv can be one of the greatest moves you will ever make.

Some of the greatest shows were based on a great deal of improv. Here’s why...

Most actors don’t make it in this business.

I don’t say that to be discouraging in any way, but it’s true. Very few will ever make any career progress that is even remotely close to what they envisioned for their career, when they first started.

Booking a few lines here and there and maybe some commercial ads is where most actors stall.

Inevitably, the struggle of trying to make it takes its toll and many actors leave the industry every day, before reaching the goals they had in mind.

What I’ve been interested in for a long time, is figuring out what causes them to leave and what causes other actors to stay the course and build long and prosperous careers.

We just had Veterans day recently, so I thought it would be fitting to talk about veteran actors.

Those that have been in the industry for some time and have built successful careers, and how you can duplicate their success too.

I want to introduce you to someone...

With your top 3 favorite actors in mind, run a few scenes through your head for just a minute.

Really, close you eyes and do this. I’ll wait...

What did you notice when doing this? What do your favorite actors have in common? VO actors have one of the toughest jobs, because depicting an emotion based purely on your voice, is incredibly difficult.

Why?

Because the majority of emotions and human interactions are created through body language, facial expressions and movement.

However, the trick is being able to connect your vocal patterns to what you are doing with everything else.

Otherwise, there will be a disconnect and that’s what will throw off your performance.

When everything is in line, your performance will really come together, even with little preparation in an audition setting and you will stand head and shoulders above everyone else.

In fact, your voice could be the reason that you are having good auditions but not booking as much as you should be booking.

Your voice and the way your vocal patterns interact with your body language can either make you irresistible to a Casting Director or it will make them put your headshot in the recycle bin.

Here’s how to identify what vocal patterns your character calls for and how to nail them every time.