Happy Tuesday, guys and girls! 

I recently re-posted an incredible interview with Los Angeles Commercial Casting Director, Francene Selkirk.  (Here's the link!).  Francene was such a wonderful guest on my YouTube Channel, and the information that she shares for actors is truly invaluable.  

One of the most important lessons that I learned from Francene (and a lesson that I've learned throughout my experience here in Hollywood) is that as an actor, you're running your own small business.  And when you're running a business, there are sooo many things that must be done in order for the business to run smoothly and efficiently.  

As artists, we are inclined to use the artistic side of our brain - which is fabulous - but it's equally crucial to learn to become business savvy, too, and tap into the business side of the brain!  

To be completely honest, it took me until my 30th year to start paying closer attention  to my finances and start planning for my future responsibly.  I never wanted to think about money, I just wanted to have fun!  However, if you're running a business without thinking about money, it's definitely going to be tough for your business to grow. And I was learning that the hard way.  So, what can you do?

First, awesome actor friends, I'd suggest that you check out some of the interviews that I've conducted with some of LA's top casting directors and industry professionals.  (Click on the "Interviews" tab above on the top of the page.)  The men and women who I've interviewed have shared an immense amount of helpful information!  This information includes many tips and suggestions for actors, including information about when to switch agents, how to impress casting directors and how to be the best actor that you can be.  (And that's just a tiny bit of what you'll learn!)

Secondly, I'd suggest that all of my artistic friends take some time to become familiar with finances.  There are lots of websites that can help you do this, and now is the time to start saving and planning for your financial future!

Thirdly, I suggest focusing on ONE THING at a time.  If you dedicate your mental focus to one thing, one area of the industry (let's use TV shows for example,) you'll be able to see more results, more quickly.  When we focus on too many things at the same time, less is accomplished productively.  

I'll be back with some more tips soon.  

Give yourself a lot of credit for being brave enough to pursue your art!  You're doing a great job.

Jesse x   

Guys and girls!  Happy MLK Day to all of you!

I posted a new video on my YouTube Channel today in which I explain 3 quick tips for success in 2018!  I hope that you find the quick 3 tips to be helpful.  (Please comment if you like the video!  Benice the tiger will appreciate it!).

Friends, "success" has everything to do with how we define it. The idea of becoming "successful" in itself, in my opinion, is really a collection of lots of small choices and actions that lead to something pretty incredible.  Simply making the decision each and every day to try your best will align you with and prepare you for much success in life.  
 
I want to share an amazing quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that sums this up perfectly.  MLK said, "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way."  

We can all positively contribute to our world in small ways, starting with making the decision to try our very best each day.   

Make an important commitment to yourself to do the best that you can every single day. That way, regardless of what happens in your life, your only outcome will be success!

Lots of Love, 

​Jesse

What's up guys and girls!!  Happy Friday!  
I hope the new year is treating you well so far.  

My year is off to a good start and I hope that you've set some goals and that you're on track to achieving those goals that you've set for yourself!  Personally, I've set some goals to continue to grow my business endeavors as an artist and in other areas of business, too, such as real estate!   

You know, one of the most profound lessons that Hollywood and the acting biz has taught me has to do with learning how to successfully run a business.  As an actor, you are running your own business and essentially you're "selling" yourself as a product. And as is true in any other business, there are times that are busier and times that are slower than others.  

For those of you who are reading this who are actors, you likely know that the entertainment industry basically shuts down for the holidays in December and through about the second week of January.  (There are exceptions of course!)  However in my experience, many productions stop filming around the 2nd week of December and resume operations around the 2nd week of this month.  

So, in the meantime, it's important to find ways to earn some extra cash before the auditions and gigs start up again.  You've come to the right place!! 

I wanted to share with all of you a link that I found through The Penny Hoarder website. The website lists a survey here that will earn you a quick 25 BUCKS for simply asking a few questions about your health insurance.  If you're like me, you're a self-employed actor and must obtain health insurance on your own, out of pocket and not through a conventional employer.  

I use Kaiser as my health insurance provider, and I took this survey through a company called JOANY, and 25 BUCKS is now on the way to my PayPal!  Check it out and take the survey here.  (It's free and took about 10 mins!   Yes, this really worked and isn't a scam.)

Click the link above and let me know how this works out for you!  I'll continue to pass along any other opportunities to earn cash, too!  Thank you to "The Penny Hoarder" and "JOANY" for the opportunity to earn some quick cash!

Actor friends, (and anyone out there who is running their own business!) it takes A LOT of courage to be in business for yourself.  Don't ever give up, and take every opportunity to keep moving forward in your business endeavors!  There are many ways to earn cash while you're in between gigs and I hope you'll find lots of ways to do so!  Good luck! 

Jesse x

Guys and girls what's up!  Happy 2018!!

This is my very first post of the new year and a YouTube video will follow this post.  (It'll be uploaded to my channel tomorrow!)

It's a brand new year and a brand new chance to pursue your passions.  I'm a firm believer in the importance of setting goals and resolutions, and not only at the beginning of the year.  Every single day is a new opportunity, and if you set tangible goals for yourself every day, you will consistently be moving toward achieving them.

I'll be discussing more about this subject in my video tomorrow, along with talking about vision boards, so please be on the look out!  

Here's to lots of great experiences and lots of love in 2018!!

Jesse x