Hello beautiful people!

Before anything else, here's your quality Mala (puppy) content: Each – link – is – an – Instagram – post to enjoy. 😉 We've made it a week. Phew!

And now, the topic of "watering your contacts." It was nearly 30 years ago, in Linda Buzzell's book, that I first read that phrase. It's pretty dang good (and not just for showbiz relationships).

Our contacts are all different kinds of 🌱 plants, and every plant requires a different watering regimen in order to grow, blossom, and thrive long-term.

There's the ficus that needs water every few days (especially if in good sunlight); then there's the orchid, which I'm told does best when fed two ice cubes once a week (I wouldn't know, since I *always* kill orchids within a week); there's the violet who needs to sit in a dish of water so it all gets soaked up from beneath; and then there's the cactus… and you'd best keep that prickly critter dry.

Think about how you have friends that require different tempos of contact to keep the friendships flowing. There's the friend you have to stay in touch with regularly or it gets weird, and then there's the pal you've not seen in years and it's as if no time has passed EVERY time you get back together.

Your buyers are no different. Some you'll need to keep watered well. Updates, baby! Checking in with your agent after every audition. Letting your manager know how things are going in your craft class. That casting director who may never come to your shows but who always loves when you send a postcard about doing 'em or shoot over a tweet to keep her in the loop.

Others may only need a light spritzing of attention now and then. You can go ages between auditions with a casting director and it's always like a party when you're back in the room. Updates would make this buyer feel smothered. I'm a cactus. You can tag me in sporadic updates on social media, toss me a shout-out when you're interviewed, put me in the SPECIAL THANKS credits of your latest project, or thank me when you're holding up something gold and shiny, and go years between auditions for me and still be one of my very favorite people!

So… how do you know who's who?

Consult your show bible.

Yep. This is total show bible territory. AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE IN SHOWBIZ TO KEEP UP A SHOW BIBLE!

Part of your early work in connecting with others includes sussing them out for what sort of plant they might be. Q&A during the CD workshop? Ask how best to stay in touch. And how often. Agent meeting going really well and it looks like they may sign you? Ask right then about best method of contact and preferred frequency. Networking event at which business cards are happily being swapped? You guessed it. That's the time to find out what kind of plant you just met.

And consider this: What kind of plant are YOU? Do you need to get a text from your bestie daily? Do you get blue when your rep doesn't make contact regularly? Are you sure the casting office that used to bring you in all the time has forgotten you exist when it's suddenly a couple of months between requests for self-tapes? How much watering do YOU need?

Treating everyone the same when it comes to networking is, well, bush league, frankly. (Tee hee. I crack myself up!)

Don't overdo it. Don't underdo it.

Get specific. Don't be afraid to have different rules for different people! Stay organized. And plan your garden's feeding schedule with care. Your relationships count on your ability to tend to their needs with authenticity. Just by keeping up with what kind of plant you're dealing with, you're so far ahead of where you used to be!

(If you're woo-curious, I do still have 5 spots left in my year-long Guided Chart Harmony mentorship. Read here for a bit more info. Reply to this email to ask for the link to grab one of the remaining mentorships. I am LOVING this deeply intimate work! The phrase "life-changing" has already come up.)

Thank you for being in my life, lovely ones. As my emotional setpoint repositions itself in a puppified world, I am so grateful to you for the role you play here, for me.

So much love flowing your way!

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!