How Big is Your Network?
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 "Six 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! So, if she can do it, you can, too!
In closing, I want to leave you with these thoughts:
1) What do you really want?
2) Who do you know who can help you get what you want?
3) What's the first step you 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.
Food for Thought:
Who can you contact right now to start building your network of contacts?
If you haven't already done so, putting up a profile on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace is a great way to get started!
A personal note ...
(Keep as your sites as Biz ONLY site - keep your personal one seperate!)
Copyright © 2009 Sharon Moist. All Rights Reserved.
Sharon Moist's is a former Hollywood Agent and now works with clients to help them develop success strategies
to become empowered in their own careers. Also known as The Industry Coach®, Sharon's clients come from all areas of the
entertainment industry and represent such projects as: Desperate Housewives, 24, and Las Vegas, among others, as well as studios
such as HBO and talent agencies, including The William Morris Agency.
For more information or to work with Sharon directly, please visit her website at: http://www.theindustrycoach.com/ ***************************************************************
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