Tucson: How Big is Your Network?

Here is an edifying article from Sharon (with a bit if shameless self promotion at the end).

Enjoy,

Bill,
TTA List Administrator
www.tucsonstage.com


-----Original Message-----
From: tucsonstage-owner@yahoogroups.com [mailto:tucsonstage-owner@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Sharon Moist
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 8:24 AM
Subject: Networking


Dear Moderator,

I recently wrote this article on networking and was wondering if you'd
share it with the members of your group.

Thanks,
Sharon

____


How Big is Your Network?
By Sharon Moist


I have a confession to make. I've never been a huge fan of country music.
My grandmother, however, loved it ... especially the "old" country songs
about cowboys and horses, lost loves and broken hearts.

Then along came Faith Hill and Shania Twain and that's when everything
changed for me, because even though their music was still "country" (at
least to some people), it had enough pop to it, that I was able to enjoy
it, too.

Now that I divide my time between California and Montana, my taste for
country music is slowly growing, and I've since become a fan of Martina
McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, and Rascal
Flatts, just to name a few. So, when ABC aired the TV special "6 Degrees
of Martina McBride" last fall, I was curious enough to sit down and watch
the show. I've always loved the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" Visa
Commercial, so I knew this would be an interesting project.

So what does this have to do with working in the entertainment industry?
EVERYTHING!

As The Industry Coach®, I am forever telling (or reminding) my clients
that in this business, or in any business for that matter, but especially
in the entertainment industry, "it's not what you know ... it's WHO you
know!" And the Martina McBride project is proof of how important the
concept of networking really is.

If you didn't see the show, the premise was this: if six aspiring country
singers, without any connections to Martina McBride, could actually find
her and meet her in person, using their own connections with up to six
other people, they would have the opportunity to win a recording contract
with Martina's record label, Sony BMG.

Believe it or not, all six of them succeeded at this task; they all met
Martina and one lucky woman really did win a recording contract. So who
was this woman and whom did she know? While I don't remember how her
chain-of-command went, I will tell you this: her first phone call was to a
man from whom she bought a pickup truck!

If she can do it, you can, too! And you can start by asking yourself these
questions:

1) What do I really want?
2) Who do I know who can help me get what I want?
3) What’s the first step I need to take?

The truth of the matter is this: We are all just 6 people away from
achieving our dreams. However, most of us don't take the time to sit down
and work through our address book, or we're afraid to ask for help,
because we feel like we have nothing to offer in return. Either way,
unless we're willing to change our behavior and become fearless in the
pursuit of our dreams, we will always be six degrees away from what we
truly want.

To Your Acting Success,
Sharon

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, then I'd invite you to subscribe to
my free email newsletter, the Industry News Digest. The next issue comes
out on February 28th and you can subscribe at:
http://www.IndustryNewsDigest.com

*********
Sharon Moist, also known as The Industry Coach®, is a highly
sought-after professional career coach, whose clients include
Hollywood Power Brokers and A-List Celebrities. After 5 years as a
Hollywood Agent, Sharon left the agency to open her own coaching company.
For more information, or to work with Sharon directly, you can visit her
website at: http://www.TheIndustryCoach.com


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