Working Actor Life

one of our members just hit a massive milestone:first co-star, first rep, SAG-E status, woo hoo! but instead of feeling on top of the world, she's feeling the weight of how much further there is to go. we've all been there. you work so hard for the thing, and when you finally get it, you look up and realize it's just the beginning. we wanna chat about this specific flavor of overwhelm and why it doesn't mean something is wrong with you/your career.we also get into sam's BI news: she got randomly selected for the SAG Motion Picture Nominating Committee (yes this is clearly v important to her) which means she'll be screening movies before they're widely released and helping narrow down award nominations. which brings us to how FYC events actually work, who pays for them, and whythe awards are kind of purchased LinksJoin The MembershipSam on InstagramGab on InstagramChapters00:00 Sam got selected for the SAG Motion Picture Nominating Committee06:00 How FYC events work and who actually pays for them08:00 "Everything is eyes. Everything is dollars."13:00 One of our members booked her first co-star and she's overwhelmed17:00 Sam didn't picture herself working through adulthood — and why that matters22:00 Is this the mountain I want to climb?24:00 Where you bring your career questions matters as much as the questions themselves28:00 What shifted between then and now?31:00 The two different kinds of self-awareness (and how they both trip you up)40:00 Coffee meetings, bartering, and knowing your worth45:00 Why Sam secretly wants to be someone's assistant46:00 Headshot class is coming and Sam wants it as a birthday gift

Join the LIVE Headshot Class! We're sharing exactly how we're approaching our upcoming headshot sessions, including why we booked two different photographers, how we used our audition histories to figure out what we actually need, and why we're finally remaking The Headshot Class. We break down the process of pulling your character types from real audition data, why you shouldn't be getting headshots for roles you've never been called in for, and what to do when you're earlier in your career and don't have much data yet. We also get into some real talk about Gab's Cape Fear premiere, the nerves that come with seeing yourself on screen, and what it means to finally not be celebrating a career milestone alone.Links:Follow us on Instagram:@samvalentine: https://www.instagram.com/samvalentine/@gabriellebyndloss: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellebyndloss/Join The Membership: https://themembership.co/Chapters:00:00 Gab's coming to LA (and it's already a lot)02:00 Why we booked two photographers instead of one05:00 Sam's new commercial rep and what they're actually asking for10:00 We're remaking The Headshot Class, and here's why11:30 How to use your audition log to plan your headshots13:00 Gab doesn't keep an audition log, and here's how she approached it anyway15:00 Stop getting headshots for roles you've never auditioned for17:30 What to do when you're starting out and have no data yet19:30 It's okay to get the wrong headshots first22:00 Gab's five character types from her audition history24:00 Sam's character types (including the one she really wants to play)27:00 Commercial vs. theatrical: why they need completely different shots32:00 Gab's premiere nerves and what she's actually nervous about34:30 Why it matters to not do this career alone

Trigger Warning: we discuss eating disorders and sexual assault in this episode. Please only listen if this is a safe space for you.Two real booking stories, one booking and one not (yet), and what they reveal about the auditions we almost talked ourselves out of: this week, Gab is dialing in live from Nashville where she's on set for a commercial that put her through one of the most challenging callbacks of her career. Sam shares the not-booking story where being too young was somehow the problem.And we wide up chatting about how the audition process has a way of surfacing things that have nothing to do with acting and everything to do with who you've had to become to survive. We didn't plan to go this deep...but Sam didn't edit it out.LinksJoin The Membership: https://themembership.co/Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samvalentine/Gab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellebyndloss/Chapter Markers[00:00:00] Gab is live from Nashville (on a commercial booking)[00:01:00] The audition that almost broke Gab before the booking[00:02:00] The nationwide callback, the timeline pressure, and the live TM watch party[00:04:00] 30 redirects on one line and what that actually means[00:05:00] When the feedback hits different because of your identity[00:07:00] Why Gab records every callback (and what she found when she watched it back)[00:08:00] The avail, the booking, and the full Nashville logistics saga[00:10:00] The reframe: auditions are not supposed to be fun[00:13:00] Sam's not-booking story: the casting director who said she was too young[00:15:00] The age range spiral and what it means to be stuck between brackets[00:18:00] The healthy stalk that actually helped[00:21:00] Sun exposure, Botox, and whether taking care of yourself changes your casting[00:24:00] The unbothered quality you can't fake and what it actually comes from[00:26:00] How essence can work for you and against you in the same room[00:27:00] Eating disorders, trauma, and this career's way of magnifying what we carry[00:33:00] Why actors might be doing the most important work without realizing it[00:35:00] Wrap-up and a reminder that this podcast is doing very well (Gab still doesn't believe it)

Our in-house Coach Vas is back on the pod, and we brought him on at exactly the right moment: his Deadline article just dropped for his brand new booking on the Netflix limited series I Will Find You, and we could not wait to dig into every part of how it happened. From the audition process + live Zoom session and the day to day of being on the set, this episode is a real behind-the-scenes look at what booking actually looks like from someone who coaches and acts.Vas also walks us through his SELECT framework he developed to make sense of how any actor gets cast. SELECT stands for Skill, Experience, Luck, Essence, Connections, and Timing, and hearing him break it down against his own recent booking is one of the most practical things we have heard on this show.}LinksJoin The Membership (TM)Sam on InstagramGab on InstagramTimestamps00:00 Welcome back, Coach Vas! The Deadline article drop and the Netflix booking news03:00 The full audition timeline: reading for one role, getting called back for another05:00 Live Zoom vs. self-tape: why Vas prefers self-taping and what changed in this session07:00 The director who hated him: breaking down creative differences vs. personal conflict10:00 What it means to be "hated" on a job and why it can actually signal your value13:00 Being loved vs. liked: why authenticity creates polarizing reactions15:00 The Vas-style audition: safety takes, elevated takes, and the four Es (Energy, Emotion, Engagement, Environment)19:00 How Vas decides which takes to submit and in what order22:00 The live Zoom: reading for a different character and referencing The Fugitive25:00 Intra-script improvisation: what it is and why it worked in the room27:00 Gab's callback story: taking ownership of the room through a calculated risk29:00 Introducing SELECT: Skill, Experience, Luck, Essence, Connections, Timing34:00 How SELECT applied to Vas's actual booking36:00 Luck and essence for early-career actors: why you can book before you have everything38:00 Network position: first, second, and third position explained41:00 Wrapping up: how to keep working on your SELECT letters even when auditions are slow45:00 Did Vas pay a publicist to get in Deadline? The answer might surprise you

Sometimes the universe clears your calendar for a reason. So what happens when auditions go quiet? We think that silence might be exactly what you needed. We share three real examples from our own lives and inside The Membership of actors who shifted their focus, trusted the timing, and watched things open up in ways they never expected.We also get into why "just be grateful" is not the same as choosing to focus on what's actually working, how Sam's networking move turned a near-miss into a genuine relationship, and what Gab learned from Coleman Domingo about refusing to call this career hard.LinksJoin The Membership (TM)Sam on InstagramGab on InstagramTimestamps[00:00:00] Welcome back (yes, there's a helicopter)[00:01:45] Trusting a quiet audition period[00:04:07] Our platform launch week and the auditions that waited[00:06:39] TM member story: boundaries, a great day job, and a flood of auditions[00:12:20] Doubling down on what's working instead of what isn't[00:15:00] The difference between gratitude and actually choosing your focus[00:17:42] Coleman Domingo never called acting hard[00:18:46] What's filming right now in Atlanta and LA[00:21:31] Why passing compliments is the best networking[00:24:28] What Sam would tell her younger self about the long dry spells[00:28:03] Why a quiet season might be protecting you from yourself[00:38:42] Alter egos, fake tattoos, and Gab's potential blonde era

We pulled real comments from our Working Actor Express Bootcamp participants and broke down what we would say to each of them if we were coaching them live. Chances are, if they're wrestling with it, you are too.We dig into the "waiting until ready" trap that so many actors fall into, including the outdated idea that you need a perfect package before reaching out to reps. We also get into the truth about how representation actually happens in today's industry (hint: it's peer to peer, not cold submission), why going somewhere with a networking agenda usually backfires, and how to release the pressure of doing everything all the time.We also talk about one bootcamper sitting on a celebrity connection and why we'd actually coach them NOT to use it, what to do when you're creatively depleted but still showing up, why we think "just be grateful" is a fear-based manipulation tactic, and how to think in seasons instead of days so your workload doesn't flatten you.Links:Join The BootcampSam on InstagramGab on InstagramTimestamps:00:00 Podcasting from the car (Sniff Spot run with the dogs)01:00 Why we're breaking down real bootcamp comments today02:40 Bootcamp comment #1: "I procrastinate on things that will move me forward"03:45 The Dreamer archetype and learning to leap without a net05:20 Why the traditional rep submission process isn't working the way it used to07:00 How representation actually happens now: peer referrals over cold outreach09:00 Kick The Ladder and finding your community (especially in non-LA markets)11:30 What the WAL Membership actually looks like for relationship building12:25 Should you use Rapunzel or Talent Link? Our honest take13:03 Staying active without expectations: the hardest skill in this career14:28 Bootcamp comment #2: "I've been doing a lot of waiting"15:45 The "working actor version of me" exercise and what it reveals17:35 The celebrity contact: why we'd coach them NOT to reach out yet19:50 When you're creatively depleted, what actually needs to change21:13 Thinking in seasons, not days, and lightening up on your expectations23:30 Auditions as inconveniences and giving yourself permission to need a slow week25:00 "Just be grateful": why we think it's a manipulative tactic and what to say instead26:35 The bootcamp is still open + how to join

Doors to The Membership are opening soon. If you’re tired of spiraling alone after auditions, ⁠this is where we fix that!What actually goes through our heads when the camera is rolling and nobody's watching? This episode, we pull back the curtain on the messy, unfiltered, very human We take turns going deep on the real inner monologue behind the self-tape process, from imposter syndrome to beauty standards to full-blown existential crises.We're talking:the thought that makes Gab question whether she should even be coachingwhy being "beautiful" in this industry isn't always the advantage people think it isthe hidden time tax of hair and makeup — and why it makes Sam genuinely resentfulsecond-guessing whether Atlanta actors are just fillers for bigger-market hireswhat self-sabotage actually sounds like mid-tapespiraling from one hard audition into "what am I doing with my life"whether you have to feel it "in your bones" to be a working actorthe difference between doing this because you love it vs. because you're good at ithow your cycle can affect your confidence (yes, we went there)what to do when the thought doesn't go away — and when to just tape anywaySam's skincare journey update (and a truly unhinged Accutane detour)Timestamps:00:00 what this episode is and why Gab came up with it02:00 the format: fly on the wall, ping pong style03:00 Gab's first thought: "how can I not know how to do this if I coach people?"05:00 walking away vs. pushing through...how Gab decides07:00 when being in your head can actually work for you on camera09:00 a membership win: booking after an audition they hated10:00 Sam's thought: resentment about hair and makeup prep time13:00 "being beautiful in this industry is not helpful" and why Sam stands by it14:00 Gab's second thought: are they just going to give this to someone from LA?16:00 self-sabotage disguised as logic17:00 spiraling into: what are we actually doing?19:00 acting as a drug, signing up again and again for the emotional toll21:00 synced cycles, spiral season, and the audition thoughts that come with it22:00 Sam's deepest fly-on-the-wall thought: is this as good as it gets?25:00 Gab's honest take: "I don't feel it in my bones that I'm supposed to be an actor"27:00 over-identifying as your job and what that costs you29:00 Sam's skincare update + the Accutane rabbit hole we did not plan forFollow:⁠Join The Membership ⁠for coaching, live feedback, masterclasses, and real-time actor community support.⁠Follow Sam⁠⁠Follow Gab

Last week we were on actor HIGHS: SEVEN auditions between the two of us. Voiceover sessions. Commercial callbacks. Zoom auditions with five-minute slots. Manager calls about new agents.This week? Nada.So let's break down the MENTAL hustle of staying in the game when the momentum spikes and then fades. Cause this is what we signed up for as working actors.⸻We’re talking: • What a 5-audition week actually looks like behind the scenes • 12-hour turnaround auditions and how to handle them • Auditioning at 6am for a major Netflix show • How to approach dummy sides when you have zero context • Using coaching to shape strong first takes • Why Zoom auditions are worth saying yes to • How to ask for time in the room without panicking • Commercial agent expansion and pitching yourself strategically • Direct-to-callback commercial auditions • The emotional crash after a big audition week • Your nervous system in context to actor life⸻Timestamps00:00 – Why we hit record immediately02:00 – Manager calls and commercial agent expansion06:00 – Five auditions in one week08:00 – 6am Tyler Perry audition for Netflix11:00 – Coaching choices and finding the comedy13:00 – The crash day after momentum15:00 – Audition flow vs emotional regulation21:00 – Taking the Zoom audition that scares you24:00 – 5-minute live audition breakdown27:00 – Asking for time in the room30:00 – Direct-to-callback KFC commercial33:00 – How many times is too many auditions for one brand35:00 – Meeting reps in person and relationship building39:00 – Why this industry is emotional whiplash⸻Links & Resources:Join The MembershipSam’s InstagramGab’s Instagram

Managing losses without letting them define you will be the thing that makes this all do-able. So let's talk about the difference between a setback and a defeat and why your response to not booking matters more than the booking itself.We're covering:handling avail checks and callbacks that fall throughmanaging audition rejection and disappointmentwhy comparing your acting career to others keeps you stuckturning rejection into creative fuelprocessing casting director feedback (too young, too old, not right)self-care on a budget for actors between bookingscreating your own content when the industry says nobuilding resilience as a working actorwhy quitting acting might take more courage than stayingTake the free Actor Type Quiz⁠⁠Join the waitlist for The Membership⁠Sam’s IGGab’s IGTimestamps:00:00:00 intro and why we're talking about losses00:01:05 hot take: if you can't handle small losses, bigger ones will break you00:03:04 the personalization trap and why bookings aren't about hustle00:03:32 why quitting might take more courage than staying00:05:00 Gab's January losses: avails, holds, and canceled plans00:08:03 how to tangibly process rejection and disappointment00:10:38 what to do when you're tight on funds00:14:21 Sam's losses: being too young and too old in the same week00:19:05 getting excited about a role you'll never audition for00:24:09 discovering what you're actually upset about00:27:11 two different approaches to handling losses00:30:21 being a creative who uses creativity instead of sitting on it00:31:34 Bad Bunny's Grammy win and taking your moment00:33:05 Super Bowl halftime shows and representation00:36:04 closing thoughts and what's next

We’re talking about the acting advice we used to give, fully believed, and would absolutely change or nuance now.We break down why blanket advice ignores actor markets, how self-tapes and demo reels have shifted, what actually works when reaching out to agents and managers, and why productivity systems can become performative instead of helpful.Plus our real-real: audition timing strategy, lighting choices, callbacks and avails that don’t book, booking the room, and redefining success when momentum looks different than expected.Links:Join The Membership⁠⁠Sam on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Gab on Instagram⁠⁠Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro and why this episode is about being wrong00:01:10 Why the internet struggles with nuance and growth00:04:30 Blanket acting advice and why actor markets matter00:08:20 The problem with one-size-fits-all career paths00:10:00 Self-tapes vs real footage for demo reels00:12:00 Reaching out to agents and managers in 202600:15:45 Productivity, scheduling, and acting career burnout00:17:30 Performative productivity vs real progress00:20:00 What an “ideal” actor schedule actually looks like00:22:50 Why auditions shouldn’t define your identity as an actor00:24:30 Letting go of systems that no longer serve you00:28:10 Finding community and not doing this alone00:33:00 Audition timing, lighting, and working with your real life00:37:40 Callbacks, avails, and what booking the room means00:41:10 Final thoughts and what’s coming next

starting the year in person and doing something radical: caring less. we talk about why giving fewer f*cks is not laziness but can help you get further (technically also faster).we are building a working actor system that works with your brain, setting real time boundaries, choosing habits that support it, and letting the rest go. and cause WHY NOT: backyard digging, hobbies that stay hobbies, and a brief but passionate ode to Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.Timestamps:00:04:45 the pressure to monetize everything00:08:20 creative focus vs checking boxes00:13:45 trusting your process and redefining progress00:18:30 time and energy management that actually works00:23:00 setting boundaries around workdays and days off00:27:00 hobbies that are not allowed to make money00:30:45 digging in the yard as a metaphor (and a lifestyle)00:34:45 reality tv, boundaries, and knowing when to log off00:36:00 final thoughts on systems, creativity, and the year ahead⁠Join The Membership⁠⁠Sam on Instagram⁠⁠Gab on Instagram⁠

We brought Vas back from The Online Actor, nobody breaks down auditions, industry waves, and self tape strategy like he does. And we hit on the standard of jealousy, comparison...with an email template for you. Most importantly: authenticity is actually booking more than “perfect” ever did.what we cover:● the truth about end of year auditions and why the landscape is shifting● how to hear “there’s auditions” without immediately assuming you’re doing something wrong● jealousy, comparison, and why literally all of us still go through it● how Vas emailed his reps about roles he didn’t read for and what actors can learn from that● the real way to do multiple takes (and why 10 percent different doesn’t cut it)● authentic vs character-y acting in 2025 and what’s actually booking● the Goldilocks method for self tapes● why TM actors are suddenly taping wild, killer choices that stand out● how to balance dynamic choices with your real essencelinks:vas's igthe membershipsam’s iggab’s ig