By Doug Shapiro
Open Drink Shop?ShangTong-advicing &equipment provided. Sharp Price!
Customizable training materials to teach soft skills workshops.
Personalized Steak Brands. Hand made on a Texas ranch.
Hey there, my brothers and sisters!
Put on your miner's hat and make sure you packed a sandwich, because we're going even deeper into the idea of branding today.
When we talk about branding for artists, many of us tend to go straight to the celebrities.
You bring the masculine sensuality of Antonio Banderas with the voice of Fran Drescher.
You're Al Roker with Channing Tatum's dance moves.
Excellent! Now your targeted list of agents and casting directors have a mental short-hand for what you bring to the table.
But wait! There's more. Your brand must also reflect your values.
I'll share. When I was challenged to come up with my top two values, I discovered my main motivators are:
Love and Influence.
And now you can take out the sandwich I mentioned earlier because it's story time.
Recently, I was faced with a difficult decision. A brilliant composer/lyricist (and husband/wife) team, not to mention dear friends, had cast me in a reading of their musical. There was a top-notch group of artists participating and I was going to get to duet with one of my all-time best buddies from my teenage years in drama camp (French Woods, for those of you that are curious).
The creative team had shown up in the best possible way, sending scripts and recordings well in advance and I was incredibly excited to sink my teeth into a great project in its early stages.
Then I got the e-mail requesting me to sing a benefit for an incredibly successful theatre company.
A concert version of BABY.
With a group of Broadway powerhouses.
At the Lucille Lortel Theater.
With Richard Maltby and David Shire and the original cast in the audience.
In direct conflict with my friends' reading.
Oy.
Once I realized there was no way to do both, no matter how cleverly I enrolled both parties in my vision, I had a decision to make.
I am running a business. The concert was the better business decision.
This is where my values of Love and Influence come in. I will not leave people I love and respect in a difficult situation. When I know of a job opportunity, I am compelled to get one of my people in there.
I keep of list of guys who are a similar type and vocal range to me for the sole purpose of being able to make a recommendation when I can not take a gig. I called my top go-to guy and he was both available and interested.
Then I CALLED my composer and lyricist friends and spoke with them directly. I did not text or e-mail or leave a voicemail or leave a status update on Facebook and hope they saw it. I spoke with them directly, explained my choice, and let them know I had an amazing actor ready and willing to take my place. The situation resolved with all parties feeling taken-care-of and excited about each other's success.
And then I sang the score of BABY for Maltby and Shire. Holy Potato, what a night!
So I ask thee, Actors, how do you want to show up in the world? This is an essential part of your brand, what you are selling.
Your brand informs what headshots to use, which audition materials to pick, and how to phrase your correspondence. Yes! And now you need to make sure your brand shines also through your social media status updates and in your day-to-day dealings with your colleagues in that same consistent manner.
How you show up for your colleagues is a sacred and wonderful part of your brand.
So Actors, here's your challenge. Take a step back and ask yourself what is important to you as a person. Is it family? Love? Money? Power? Influence? Reputation? Prestige? Physical Appearance? Saving Face? Political Beliefs?
Take some time and choose two defining values.
Now, choose to show up in the world, true to your brand, in your very own brilliant, authentic way.
No comments:
Post a Comment