Building Your Team: Mentors and Coaches
With any entrepreneurial endeavor, the most successful have their team of coaches and mentors to encourage the road to success. Like professional athletes, the best actors regularly work with acting coaches, to prepare for auditions and hone their craft. I remember sitting in on well known acting teacher, Ivana Chubbuck’s class, where she shared the kind of work ethic it takes to be successful, not only in show business but in any endeavor. One of her more known students has been Charlize Theron. Even when Charlize is shooting her big budget films, Charlize remains in class working. When Charlize is on location, she stays committed and disciplined by calling in to her scene partner. I make it part of my practice to always be in acting class and coach with a teacher especially when it comes to preparing for auditions. Coaches and mentors are as important for anyone in their road to success in whatever it is you chose to do.
For my book, (which also entailed me working with a writing coach to keep me on top of my writing), I had the honor of interviewing some of the most successful entrepreneurs. All have managed to remain in their element of doing what they love and making a very good living from it. The one thing they all had in common was their practice of working with a “Success Coach” to keep them on track in life. Not only did the coaches help them grow their businesses, but the coaches also helped them maintain balance with their personal and family life. As one of my financial mentors, Vanessa Summers says, everything in your life is connected. If one area of your life is not paid attention to, it will affect the other areas of your life. Coaches, amongst other things, will hold you accountable and balanced in your life.
At the end of last year, after a series of four exhausting callbacks, I was cast in a made for cable TV. pilot which actually has yet to complete shooting. Production suddenly halted for unknown reasons. However, I have started to see the blessings in this project. It was through this project that I met acting coach Anthony Montes, who is now a dear friend of mine. I was cast as one of five girls that made up this secret international under cover spy operation. To make sure we had the best chemistry in our scenes, the director hired acting coach, Anthony Montes, to get us in sync with each other. Anthony, whose teachings are based on the Meisner technique, had us do a series of repetition exercises. These exercises required us to stand in front of each other, looking into each other’s eyes, authentically connecting, and make a statement of what we observe of the other person. Now this exercise may seem simple but it actually can be a very confronting and intimate experience. Many of us live in a way that we hide ourselves. One of the things a coach or mentor will do, in a trusting positive environment, is confront you with things that may be holding you back in life. It sounds simple, but in acting and in real life it can be one of the most challenging things -to be confronted with yourself. Yet it is the most powerful catalyst in encouraging your path to a successful life – whether that is in the realm of health, wealth or relationships.
Maybe you want to look into building your team. One advice is to definitely do your research!
Anthony Montes currently teaches classes in Studio City. He teaches not only actors but also non-actors, many of whom are business professionals desiring to grow their business by learning to authentically connect with their clients. To find out more information about Anthony’s classes go to:
www.theartisttheatregroup.homestead.com
Reserve your copy of my book at www. ActFromTheInsideOut.com and/or www.amazon.com
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