Episode Details

Want to continue learning from the world’s experts on time management, networking, career development, better sleep, overcoming burnout, and so much more?

→ Click here for your customized podcast playlist

If you're a creative professional in the entertainment industry, you are probably feeling pretty discouraged by the lack of jobs popping up this year. At Optimize Yourself, we like to focus on the things we can control and set goals that we are empowered to achieve.

While we can't control what jobs are out there or whether they are offered to us, we can put ourselves in positions where we will be the first to hear of jobs when they pop up. This involves building relationships with people.

That's why today, I'm sharing this episode from the archives with editor and assistant editor Scott Davis, who, back in 2018, made a big move from New York to Los Angeles with zero contacts or connections. The strategies he used apply the same today as they did back then. I hope you find this useful and actionable so you can let go of what you can't control and take action on what you can control.

→ Click here to see the original published episode

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Here's What You'll Learn:

• Scott’s ‘origin story’ from New York to Hollywood with no connections and ‘no idea what to do’ (sound familiar?)
• The terrifying feeling of trying to get into this ‘fortress of opportunity’ in Hollywood where the only way in seems to be from people inside who are working & too busy to help you.
• The dilemma of just 'finding the next gig to pay the bills' vs. ‘playing the long game’ to pursue the career path you really want.
• The counter-intuitive shift in focus that makes that effectively eliminates that so-called ’dilemma’. (Listen for this key takeaway!)
• Why there’s no more important skill than networking in this industry and the step-by-step path to networking for introverts.
• Discover the ’secrets’ to “cold emailing” / “cold outreach” and how Scott boosted his response rate from 5% to 75%.
• The REAL goal of sending an outreach email. (HINT: It sounds so easy it couldn’t possibly work.)
• How to ‘crawl inside the brain’ of the person you send an outreach email to and see it from their perspective.
• How to get people to OPEN your approach email and why doing a few minutes of research goes a LONG way.
• Why the idea of “nobody wants to help me” is just wrong and right way to tap into people’s natural tendency to WANT share their wisdom & experience with you.
• Connecting the dots: Scott’s story of turning rejections into opportunities.
• What it really means to “lead with value” and the power of ‘validation’.
• The momentum that builds when you invest in building relationships over time.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Get The Insider’s Guide to Writing Great Amazing