Moving right along to Habit #4 in our Series of the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People as pertains to ACTORS.

4. Think Win-Win.

I love this one. Life is FULL of possibilities and outcomes. Tap into a little creativity and MANY problems can be solved by solutions where everyone can benefit. It may not be the first solution that always comes to mind, but when you are committed to solving a situation, Win-Win scenarios are the holy grail.

Not only do they move you forward, but they move those around you and/or working with you forward. That creates tremendous good will for the people in your community and encourages people to feel confident and excited when working with you.

So how do you do this as an actor? Here are a few WIN-WIN scenarios I dreamed up for you to explore.

STUDENT FILMS- You need footage. They need actors. When you are just starting out in your career, student films are a great way to get some low stakes experience in front of the camera.

LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING AS A CONTENT CREATOR- Brands want great content and you love insta and tik tok. Brands love connecting with authentic individuals who have great social media followings to get the word out on their products and compensate for this service.

BECOMING A PRODUCER/ACTOR- When you are able to help a project along in ways other than performing in it, that can benefit everyone and make you a more enticing casting decision! Can you help coordinate a group sale of tickets? Help scout filming locations for an indie? What a gift you can be to projects you work on!

BEING A READER- Casting Directors need actors to be readers for their auditions. What’s great is while you are reading, the CD also gets a taste of your skills and abilities! You can support those auditioning and this part of the project while practicing your skillset and strengthening your relationship with that Casting team.

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES YOURSELF EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE REPS- Just because you have an agent, doesn’t mean you just stop looking for work on your own. Your agent is part of your TEAM and YOU are the CEO! Everytime you bring relationships and opportunities to the team– everyone truly benefits!

Say you find a great opportunity that hasn’t formally been released yet– and you have a connection to get your work seen early for the project. That is great for you and your reps- ESPECIALLY when you book it and everyone financially benefits (yes- you should always give your agent the percentage, even when you find the job yourself). Your whole team benefits from your new credit, new relationships and new opportunities!

These are just a few examples of WIN-WIN scenarios that you can bring into your acting career to help advance your career. Touch back here as we move into point number 5 next week and give you more tips on how to become a successful actor!

Colleen Finnegan Kahl is an accomplished Theatre Arts Educator, author of this article, and President of Actors Connection. Colleen is an expert helping aspiring actors prepare for casting calls, find an agent, and optimize their acting training for theater and television.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven