Resume Feng Shui

(All this is credited to the wonderful and magical Bonnie Gillespie, who you can and probably should follow, read, love, etc.) 

Bonnie covered a really wonderful topic forever ago, and she called it 'Resume Feng Shui.' She wrote it years ago, but I find it's an essential lesson with virtually every actor I know--especially those preparing for their 'tier jump,' 'quantum leap,' or otherwise GIANT STEP UP. :)

So what is resume feng shui? Go on and read the article--but here's the essence of it: Your resume needs to show who you are RIGHT NOW and WHERE YOU'RE GOING. Sure, the actual timeline of the resume is where you WERE, but how the heck does that serve the people who are casting you NOW? This is especially true for older actors (whose treasured credits were in an entirely different 'type'), as well as young actors fresh out of college (who are holding onto fun credits that were WAY too old for them).

Hey, I'm a character actress--I get it! I was playing adults while I was in high school! Or if you killed as Juliet years ago, I bet you totally nailed it--but the person reading your resume isn't going to know how to cast you, since even YOU don't showcase the roles that are appropriate for you. The goal is to sweep out the credits that are there for sentimental value--those are special to YOU, and nothing can make them go away. But they don't belong on your resume. <3 

Also, don't be afraid of white space. I know it looks like you haven't done anything--but the real principle (and something that's been a lesson everywhere)--make room in your life for bigger, better things. Literally! Make ROOM! The good stuff has to displace something else, it has to replace the lesser stuff--so REMOVE the lesser stuff to invite that goodness and abundance into your life, your career, and your resume. 

Let me show you how I feng-shui'd the crap out of my old resume (circa Sept. '10). Here's the original resume:

There's a lot there, right? That's a heavy-handed resume, hard to digest. This is also VERY theatre-heavy, and I want to focus on TV and film (and now have substantially more on-camera credits to fill this up). Here's how I tear it apart:

And the final product? A VERY clear resume that shows where I'm going and what I'm currently excelling in. 

So what are you waiting for? Get some spring cleaning done, feng shui your resume and allow the good energy to flow into your career! 

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen

Answering YOUR Questions: Help! My Branding Lacks Consistency!

A question from the lovely Jamison Daniels:

"I'm working on locking in on my brand and finding my online voice! Any suggestions? #ifeellikeilackconsistency Your thoughts?"

Awesome, Jamison! We're gonna dive deep here, so wear your swimmies! 

Friends, I did a Branding 101 article, but it was more about how to create your branded zinger line (those of you familiar with Sam Christensen have PLENTY of these to choose from, and all are wonderfully compelling!) than about first getting your overall marketing feel.

So locking in your brand is exactly how you explained it, Jamison--it's creating a unified voice that echoes across your online presence, your headshot, your work, and your hard-copy ships. Like the biggest brands out there, there's no question WHO is speaking when you read a tweet/blog/see a clip/etc. And it's just darn hard for us to do that, as spirits, as souls, as human animals; as people with a zillion different moods at any given time. And--to add to this!--as actors who INSIST, "BUT I AM AN ACTOR AND CAN PLAY ANYTHING!" So we keep trying to pull back and be malleable, but what we REALLY do is muddy up others' perception of our brand and send them packing.

As I'm sure it will not surprise you, Dallas Travers has an incredible tool for this. :D One that FLIPPED my idea of marketing into a totally understandable, fun territory! In her article she calls it her Target Audience; she's also referred to it as her Marketing Magnet. It is most favorite tool I've ever learned from her, and it's totally illuminating. Let's go through it!

1. You don't have to market to everyone. Just. One. Person. You want as authentic and unfiltered a version of YOU as you can possibly offer. To keep this pure, you must imagine you're marketing to a single, perfect person; your very biggest fan in the world. Who would love you most? Someone you know? A fictional character? A celebrity? Your mom? Whoever it is--whoever resonates with you SO MUCH that they can't not be your biggest fan--they're your 'marketing magnet.'

2. Spoiler Alert: This might be VERY frustrating. I've seen a LOT of actors have difficulty with this exercise; sometimes it nearly stagnates them! Or for some it's clear immediately, the way it was for me. Either way, accept and welcome however you deal with it--you will come through with clarity!

3. Got that Magnet? COOL. (Yeah, it's okay if there's a huge time lapse here.) Now it's time to figure out HOW to market to your magnet!

4. Flesh out your Magnet's daily life. Consider every possible thing about this person. Likes, dislikes, favorites; the way their home looks, the car they drive, the magazines they read and the music they listen to; the foods they eat. Write it all down and get really specific. The way that we know Bart Simpson reads MAD magazine and how we might assume Julia Roberts listens to Norah Jones. The way we imagine Johnny Depp's bedroom looks. The way you imagine Tom Hanks' office looks. Your mom's new recipes she can't wait to try out! Yeah, get it ALL out.

5. Use these clues to tap you into HOW to market to your magnet. So, if someone's magnet was Donald Trump, what would draw him? I'll guess rich colors (dark reds, navys, hunter greens), heavy card stocks, gold leaf, anything financially-based (a one-sheet based on Money magazine? Or Fortune?); designs that felt aristocratic and Ivy League. Right? Wouldn't he LOVE to open something like that? Or if Julia Roberts were to look at your website, wouldn't she ADORE all those warm, feminine autumnal colors and that sort of whimsical-but-practical-woman font that you've chosen? ;) And for both examples, you'd also use verbiage that would appeal to each. Use these clues to figure out how to best design both your ships AND your online presence. 

6. Get creative! MAKE some ships; design your website; make a Twitter background! ALL using colors, themes, fonts, blurbs and verbiage that resonates with your magnet. Share articles and videos on FB or Twitter that your magnet would love! Get postcards of places your magnet would like to go; buy stickers that your magnet would love. EVERYTHING you create is to please them, got me?

7. Stay consistent! (Are you surprised?) As the theme here seems to be, consistency is king. :D  STICK TO IT! We all know and respect a brand that stays consistent and strong, even if it's not 'for us.' I don't drink Mountain Dew, but I can sure as hell describe everything about it and point out people who DO love it. That's the power of their marketing. Be consistent with your message! 

And the biggest part here is the spoiler. So you'd better not read it until you've done 1-7.

Okay?

8. Notice anything strange about your magnet? Yeah, me too. I don't think I need to tell you that your magnet is pretty much you, in a super-marketable nutshell. It's hard to look at ourselves objectively and see what a pure brand we are; it's much easier to do that through the mental re-routing of your magnet. And as you get more and more comfortable marketing under the safety umbrella of your magnet, you'll realize that it's a beautiful, unfiltered and totally authentic sharing of YOU. Exactly like your marketing should be. ;)

How'd you like them apples, Jamison? How about y'all, readers? Comments, questions, successes, difficulties? Share with me--I'd love to celebrate you or help you out! Here, FB or Twitter! :D

Oh, and BT-dubbs? My magnet is the Muppets. As I'm sure you won't be surprised. ;)

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen

The Whole Megilla

I've spoken a wee bit about HOW these things might be shipped out. The sailors of yore didn't take a dinghy, did they? Lordy, no! They got the most beautiful schooners, with gold leaf and shining brass embellishing their ships! THOSE were vessels worthy of carrying spices and silks.

What vessels will be worthy of YOUR treasures? 

1. Stray from white envelopes. Jam Paper is a fantastic resource for OODLES upon OODLES of colorful envelopes in every size imaginable! Pick a color that's totally on-brand. For me, that's sweet, bold colors--turquoises, magentas, purples, yellows. But maybe you're a cougar, and your color is vampy red! Or maybe you're the broody bad boy, and charcoal envelopes are more your style. Or make your own!

2. On-brand fonts. If you're going to use address return labels, make sure that they, too, are on brand! Don't use the patriotic ones the VFW sends to you, save those for your bills and non-business. But when you send your ship, return labels ideally echo your normal marketing. 

3. On-brand decor. Everyone wants to open something that looks fun! For a chirpy, cutesy type like me, I have fun, on-brand stickers--Muppets, Sesame Street, My Little Ponies, etc. If you're the cougar, maybe hearts or kisses; and maybe something like ravens or quills for the Johnny Depps among us. What feels like what you're most frequently cast as? And you don't have to limit yourself to stickers--you can use glitter, rubber stamps, paint, drawings...whatever!

4. Fun stamps. I covered PhotoStamps (which, if you have the extra scheckles laying around, I ADORE), but if they're just too pricey for now, head on over to your post office and see what they have. I'm totally sad that I missed Muppet stamps. However, there may be some that really resonate with your personal brand, or even that mean something to you--what if you're the Earth Mother type, and you can get those stamps that fund cancer research? You want this as personalized as possible! 

5. Avoid labels. Now, please, make yourself return labels--fun ones, in your font (as per 2 paragraphs ago), colorful, if possible! However, I just have this utz about hand-writing out your recipients' addresses. Maybe it's that it feels less schlocky. (Wow, lots of Yiddish today!) Maybe it's that personal cards from friends or family are always hand-addressed. I know you'll get a writing cramp, but in my opinion, hand-addressed envelopes are WAY warmer and more familiar, and a much better building block on the way to building a totally reciprocal relationship full of Whuffie. 

Now you have a ship ready for its maiden voyage! 

Addresses are clearly removed, but observe the elements: On-brand font, handwritten 'to' address, on-brand colorful envelope, on-brand decor (I freaking love Muppets so hard), and finally, a PhotoStamp with my most memorable role from 30 Rock. THIS is a ship from a friend to a friend; sent to someone I very much want to create a real, mutual relationship with.

Hope this was inspiring and helpful, fellow sailors! Questions? Want to share your designs with me? Please post in comments, on FB or Twitter! :D

Ahoy, Mateys! 

Jen

PhotoStamps

How can you add some jazz, pizzazz to your ships?

How about a stamp with your adorbs little face on it?

Get yourself over to PhotoStamps.com and order some custom stamps! You can make them headshot stamps, OR you can have fun and do show-specific stamps!

A heads-up--Photostamps ARE indeed expensive; they cost about double what a normal stamp does. But if you want a little extra POW in your marketing, I find they're a great addition!

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen

Answering YOUR Questions: What Ships Can I Send?

Here's a request from my friend Danielle Montezinos: 
"Need some new marketing ideas!"

Girl, get ready to take notes. ;)

Okay, actors! You have your list! You have your coffee! You are energized! Now are you ready to send out those mailings?! Of course you are! And what will you send?!

Oh, no. Well, that's disappointing. My friends, hold onto those precious 8x10 headshots--those are so much better sent on special occasions, or given in-person!  

Instead, be a creative artist--make OTHER compelling, entertaining and informing things to send in the mail. I promise that it won't just be effective, it'll also be fun!

Small headshot/resumes. My business coach (and probably the same stellar marketing maven for many of you, Dallas Travers) is big on a 5x7 headshot and resume. Why? It offers the same content as an 8x10, but is SO much more likely to be opened! Just order some 5x7 shots from a photo site, and make a small 'sizzle' version of your resume to staple on. Voila! Put it in some fun small envelopes and off they go!

Headshot or logo postcards. If you're sending off a quick message--'just got representation!'  'was put on hold for a commercial!'  'Moving to the other coast!'--you can totally use one of these suckers. Get over to Vistaprint and just upload a headshot, order some postcards, and you're golden! And when you get REALLY creative? Get yourself some fun logo postcards. Need help making a logo? I do that! 

Show cards/Project cards. Are you really proud of something? Want to advertise your play/episodic/commercial/film? Well, goshdarnit, send out some swanky postcards! (Need help? Again, I do that!) You can use a logo, a screenshot from the project, a behind-the-scenes picture...whatever! If it's an established episodic and you're a co-star or guest star, get creative--involve yourself in the show!

 One-Sheets. One-Sheets are like full-page ads that are a fun spin on getting to know you! Your first one can be a doozy, but when you finally get it going, it's really inspiring and affirming to make them, print them and send them off. :) Also a fantastic creative outlet! The first oh-mazing one I ever saw was Helenna Santos', and since then, there are PLENTY to browse for inspiration on Dallas' FB page. I also wrote a great post for Kate O'Phalen about making your own, but if you want to hire help--I do that, too. ;) Here's one that I made for the wonderful Suzanne Smart:

Castability Sheets. These are such simple, effective tools! Just gather a few breakdowns that were just PERFECT for you IF ONLY YOU'D BEEN CALLED IN! Shows people your flavor(s) lickety-split. :) Need help? Guess who does these? 

 Thank You Cards. Send out one of these suckers when you have overwhelming gratitude in your heart! But the rule of thumb is--keep it strictly THANKS! You can either create some through Vistaprint, buy some blank ones, or have me create custom ones for you. 

Anything that feels right! Don't feel LIMITED by this list--you don't always have to sell yourself through the mail! What about congratulatory cards on a promotion, on having a project win a Tony or Oscar, on movin to a new office? Dallas Travers calls this sending Whuffie, and it's a very important part of actually building relationships with people. So keep some blank notecards around for this purpose! 

Does this help, lady? If not, let me know so I can get in there and help you! Other readers, what do you think? What did you like best; what feels like it needs more clarification? Give me your feedback here in comments, via Twitter, or FB!

Ahoy, Mateys!
Jen