One of the hardest parts of the industry is the idea we have to pretend to be someone else to get the job.
Or to get people to like us.
And this may lead one to believe, they are not good enough.
And I wanted to give you a little insight.
Not everyone is going to like you.
I know, I know, you've probably heard that one before.
But here's the thing I want to get into your head:
Not everyone is going to like you regardless, so why waste time being anything other than 100 % you?
You have to stop caring about what other people think of you and start caring about what YOU think of YOU. As my girl Rachel Hollis says, "Other people's opinions of you are none of your business."
And I have taken this statement and ran with it. It has helped reshape my mission for this blog and my career as I try to change the mindsets of artists everywhere. There is a reason YOU are in this industry and it's because YOU are unlike anyone else. So stop trying to fit the mold, because honestly the mold is stupid.
I know what you are thinking:
Now Chels, I know you are trying to be my one woman hype squad right now, but none of this is PRACTICAL. Especially in an time where employers are watching our social media like hawks.
So I'm here to give you some practical tips on:
How to be authentic while building a "brand".
1. Your brand should be YOU.
And truly you. Not what your agent thinks "you" are. Or what your college professor thinks "you" are. What do you think are your strengths? Your weaknesses? What's your endgame?
And I'm not talking Iron Man and Captain America here. To me the word endgame is similar to what others might call their "why".
At the end of the day, what do you want to have achieved in this industry? How do you want to leave your mark? What do you want your legacy to be?
This all plays into who you are and how you should brand yourself.
For me, it's more than stage managing and doing show after show until I burn out for good. My "endgame" is to empower other theatre artists to live life to their fullest potential through mentorship and education. My endgame has honestly become my brand.
2. Don't share everything.
But wait isn't that being fake?
No.
I'm saying don't share everything on the internet.
Y'all I'm the Tipsy Theatre Traveler. But I promise you, I'm not posting myself getting drunk every night of the week on my Instagram stories.
You shouldn't be so fearful of employers that you aren't posting your drink from vacation and instead posting an old headshot. It's your feed, just remember to post with tact. The internet doesn't have to see everything.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others.
There's always going to be someone better than you. Not sometimes, but ALWAYS. Even the people you look up to and aspire to be have people better than them. For me, this is a motivator. Seeing other people at the top of their game pushes me to be at the top of mine. However, not everyone is wired like me. So my advice to you all is to focus on what you are good at. What strengths do you bring to the table that others may not?
4. Be confident.
Once you figure out who you are and what your brand is, embrace it. Live it. Shout it from the freaking roof tops. Love it and love yourself. Because you are a rockstar who deserves to be proud of themselves.
I have to be honest with you though. People HATE people with confidence, primarily because it scares them. They might think you are arrogant, but I promise you, you are not. And even if they do think that, we don't need to concern ourselves with other people's opinions of us, remember?
So keep these things in mind as you build your brand/social media presence because you are good enough. In fact, you are better than enough.
Questions? Hit me up on Instagram @tipsytheatretraveler
Much love always,
Chels 💜