Whoa. And thank you. Wow.
Y’all seriously showed up for last week’s question. (Read it here if you missed the last BonBlast — and feel free to share your answers in the comments as well!)
And even though I specifically said not to include things like winning the lottery, dropping 20 pounds, or suddenly being 10 years younger, a significant number of you replied that the ONE THING that would make a difference in your ability to MAKE IT as an actor is… money.
Ah… honey. That’s just not true.
Here’s how I know: I have just as many clients who have all the money as I have clients (or non-client consumers of my advice out there in the world) who are struggling to make ends meet.
Those clients with all the money? There is the exact same proportion of them as those WITHOUT money blocked in the exact same areas. Money has nothing to do with the blocks.
Let’s back up.
Remember I mentioned that I have this theory that there are five areas in which you need to focus your energy in order to MAKE IT as a creative storyteller. And there are another two things involved.
I drew this up while doing a Facebook Live broadcast in our members-only Get in Gear for the Next Tier Facebook group yesterday. (Not a member? Rectify that by kicking off your 100-day journey toward being in LOVE with your showbiz career HERE.)
Let’s start from the bottom of the goodies in the Enoughness 101 circle, here.
Talent. You have to have it. You have to believe you have it. This is the foundation of making it. (Note: I didn’t say you have to have a LOT of talent or *extraordinary* levels of talent. I’m talking a baseline of talent. Ask Keanu Reeves. A “talented enough” actor who knows how to negotiate for producer money.)
Tools. You’ve got to be able to show people your talent. Headshot. Resumé. A clip of your footage. Presence on a submission website. Skills that align with the type of storytelling you hope to do. We can’t just intuit that you’re talented and right for what we’re working on. We need to see it.
Targets. Just like in any business, you must identify your buyers. Who’s most likely to need what you’re selling? Who are the casting directors, producers, directors, writers, showrunners, and fellow-actor content creators out there who regularly need the talents you posses (and that your tools showcase you possessing)? These are your targets.
Team. I’m not just talking about your hell-yes rep, although your agent and manager fit in here for sure. But this is also your support system. Your community. Your interior team of all that self-talk you use to coach yourself day to day. Surrounding yourself with the best people on the planet is going to make a difference in the access you get and how you feel about the journey itself.
Time. Nobody seems to like this one because it’s marching on regardless of our willingness to let it happen, but it’s a factor here. Even with all the items leading up to this one being totally on point, there’s just the TIME it takes for the talent as depicted through the tools to get communicated to the targets with the support of that team… and then that’s all gotta line up for enough iterations (TIME) for there to be momentum that takes on a life of its own.
Okay… and alllllllllll around this list of five things, there’s this bubble of your Thinking and your Trust.
EVEN WITH all five of the must-have items in place, if your mindset is a mess, you’re only going to get so far.
To bring this back to money, here’s what’s important to note. You can have all the money in the world — money that makes your tools better, more expensive, updated more frequently; money that makes you more TRUSTING of your talent (because you’ve taken more classes or gotten more degrees); money that makes you feel more TRUSTING of the TIME this all takes — and still not make it.
Further, you can have NO money — I mean, like a dollar — and make it. Every day someone is showing up with raw talent (no training), basic tools (self-shot footage and a friend-shot headshot), keen awareness of their targets, a support system that believes in them (not necessarily some power agent), and they’re putting in the time while standing firm in the TRUST they have for this whole system… and making it.
Having money may simplify some things, but not having much of it is NOT a block to “making it.” Saying money is the only problem is a convenient way to avoid dealing with your low enoughness about other things.
Let me say that again, with more words.
Saying money is a BLOCK to your ability to MAKE IT is a convenient way NOT to address what actually might need your attention: Your mindset, your faith, your belief in yourself.
Because who wants to work on THAT scary stuff when complaining about money is soooooooooo much easier (and more popular to do)?
Thing is, money doesn’t flow so easily UNTIL those other issues are worked out.
Enoughness 101, baby.
Now, I’m certain there are some strong opinions about this, so I’ll be livestreaming over here at 2:30pm PST on Monday the 18th. Let’s talk about Financing Your Creative Career from a monetary perspective and of course from an enoughness POV as well! [REPLAY BELOW!]
Until then, here’s what I recommend if you’re sure money is all that’s missing for you: Go through every one of the elements here and get ’em all upgraded as HIGH as they can go without the money you’re craving!
And I mean all of ’em. HIGH.
Because if your trust is high? Money’s not a problem. NOT having it only makes your fame story all that much more inspiring.
Pretty cool, huh?
Of course, I’m ready for your comments on all of this below! I see ’em all and treasure everything you’re so generous to share! I especially love seeing the connections you’re making with one another. 😉 Really warms my heart.
I’ll see y’all on the Facebook Live! (And yes, there will be a replay at my YouTube channel. You’re subscribed, right?)
Love and rockets,
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
So freakin spot on. So freakin true. So simply broken down and yet just what I needed to hear at this moment. THANK YOU!!
That makes me so happy, Jillian! 🙂 Love you!
Thank you, this is just what I needed to hear right now!! Money is a huge challenge for me lately and I’m working on changing my mindset around this issue. Thank you so much 😊
Thanks for this, Bonnie. Great food for thought!
Per usual you hit a timely topic that happens to have been on my mind so much lately. The oddity for me is that i happen to already make too much money in another field. I’m coming at this with a career in place and the Southern California mortgage to go with it. Not to mention everything my wife, kids, and I spend time and money doing. So I have been struggling with how to climb the ranks without losing too much money at work to continue supporting my family. I often tell young actors I come across they are in a better position than me because they can afford to be broke and I see that, strangely, as an advantage. as always, thanks for getting in my head and keeping me on track.
I have made so many strides the past couple of years and this year with the 100 days and just last week I realized my Enoughness quotient has plummeted. Arrrgh. I revisited Day 15 (non-negotiables) and am again putting my selfcate on the front burner (for more than 5 seconds). But money is a deep-rooted, generational issue for my ancestors that I have made progress on but it still rears itself whenever I need to make a “big” investment in terms of $$ ifor my career. “Waste not, want not” “Is that really necessary?”. I know this is revolving around my Enoughness,my Worthiness. I am acknowledging this uncomfortable feeling and moving forward on these investments and commitments and growing my Worthiness and trust that it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing.
Love that you’re doubling-down on self-care. Keep doing that work! <3
Try this: “I am honored to get to rewrite my family’s story around money.”
It’s only a “deep-rooted, generational issue” because you keep telling the stories they taught you. At ANY time, you can choose to tell a different story. And when you FEEL their story creeping into your self-talk, choose gentleness.
I specifically talk to my mother (who died in 2000) about these things like this: “I know, Charlsie. This is scary for you. I know. I promise, I’m going to show you another way.” And then I give myself more self-care (so, YAY that you’re doing that!!) because changing old beliefs is challenging.
But that’s ALL it is. Every time you make that “BIG investment” in yourself, settle down your mother or your grandmother or your great grandmother or whoever it is that’s repeating stories in YOUR brain. And once you settle all those folks down, it’s only YOU you’re dealing with.
And THAT is when it gets really interesting, because we begin to learn we were keeping around some of THEIR beliefs because they actually protect us from the audacity of success in living our own dreams.
Big stuff.
You’re doing good work!
Amazing! Love this. Exactly what I needed to combat a negative spell. Completely focused the mind and energized me. It’s time to get ’em upgraded! Thank you
100% agree!!! As someone who has been working very hard to make sure the first 5 T’s are in place, without the mindset (thinking) and confidence (trust) the others just take longer to take fruition. Looking forward to hearing insights on how to build upon those last two T’s during the FB live. Thanks a bunch Bonnie
Hey Bonnie! This text is amazing!
It is always good to be reminded to this and of the Enoughess 101 even if money is not the issues coming to mind.
I remember back when I left my job as an English teacher. I still don’t support myself solely from acting, I translate and work as a maps analyst, but all things I can work flaxible hours and from home. I was so afraid of having no money and needing a full time job.
I had enough to live through 7 months to figure things out before I had to find something and almost instantly I started making double, triple of what I did in that school, and now with free time to audition and work.
It was a leap of faith (with some planning, of course) that paid off and made me trust myself more and my capability to take care of myself.
There are many other issues to tackle, but this one felt like an important lesson for me.
“Because if your trust is high? Money’s not a problem. NOT having it only makes your fame story all that much more inspiring.”
I need this plastered on my wall above my desk. So much yes!!!
Thanks, Bonnie, for all these goodies you share! Seeing everything written out definitely helps!