#11: So what attitude am I supposed to have to succeed in Hollywood?
I keep saying “attitude is altitude.” I’ve talked a lot about what attitude you should not have. Now here’s the attitude that will help you thrive in the business.
- In life, you get exactly what you give. Don’t think because you don’t have stature or money that you have nothing to give to Hollywood! Time and simple talents are great assets to everyone. And don’t think that because you do have stature or money you don’t need to give (”I got mine!”). You stay relevant in entertainment by staying connected and useful to everyone around you.
- You’re not competing with anyone. No one can do exactly what you do. You are competing against your own level of ambition, work ethic and self-identity. Concentrate on that, and you will succeed. Get distracted by someone else’s opportunities, and you just lost your own game.
- No one owes you anything. Let that sink in, please. No one owes you a script read, a job, a promotion, a chance, a contact, a way in, their time or even basic respect. If someone gives you any of those things, in any form, recognize that as a gift and THANK THEM. When you let go of what people can do for you and empower yourself instead with what you realistically bring to the table, the world around you makes a giant, fantastic shift. You start to control your experience in this industry instead of reacting to someone else’s.
- If you’re not having any fun at all, stop. There are so many amazing things to do in this world. If you’d met me twenty years ago, you would be shocked to see me now, not being a world-changing United States senator and future president. Be open to change. I was.