As of this morning, we have released 49 episodes of the Brian Breaks Character podcast… So I took a look back at the past six months so I could pull together this special Greatest Hits: Volume 1 that truly speaks to the heart of all creativity: Tell Your Story. YOU’LL HEAR FROM: Playwrights Horizons’ Casting Director Alaine Alldaffer illustrates how the lies we tell ourselves about collaboration can get in the way Showrunner & Director Kevin Arbouet teaches us how activism can be a part of e...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Happy Almost-Merry Everything! I’m shimmying down your chimney with tidings of comfort and joy to deliver a GIFT that promises to make your 2022 amazing… Today’s episode is not a typical one, this special episode is a training to help you capture all that has happened in 2021 with The 5 Questions to Own 2021 & Slay 2022 ! These five thought-provoking and soul-satisfying questions help you to name exactly what you accomplished in 2021 so you can lay the groundwork TO PLAY ALL OUT IN 2022. In ...
Dec 09, 2021•39 min
I’m gonna guess you inherited some money stories from your own upbringing. On today’s show, my guest, Katy Chen Mazzara offers you an approach to face those money ghosts so you can craft a new relationship with money that actually ENCOURAGES YOU to claim your own abundance; acknowledge any debt you might have; and build the life you freakin’ deserve. Katy reminds me of Cate Blanchett’s character in The Lord of the Rings – she appears out of nowhere calm & all-knowing; nurses your wounds; and...
Dec 01, 2021•50 min
Actors are some of the most courageous, vulnerable, and growth-oriented people in the world - that’s why I choose to work with actors. {I should probably write a book and make it required reading for, well, everyone, and title it: Actors Know Everything: A How-To Guide to Life & Success on Planet Earth .} It’s important to us on the podcast to center the voices of our greatest teachers – so I invited three wildly different actors to the show to THANK THEM for all that they’ve taught me. Matt...
Nov 24, 2021•58 min
You know that dream of being fought over by multiple reps? It feels like a far cry from your average agent send-out. But hold tight my friends, because it is not! Listen in as actors Sawyer Greenberg and Sara Erikson share not only how they landed 15-18 meetings each, but how they made the hard choice of which rep to sign with...without burning any future Hollywood bridges! CLOSER LOOK & TAKEAWAYS Saying no thank you in such a way that it leaves doors open to future relationships with reps, ...
Nov 20, 2021•43 min
I'm just gonna come out and say it, – DO NOT WRITE YOUR OWN CONTENT… Well, not until you listen to this episode! Because even though you've got the best of intentions, chances are you'll make a rookie mistake: You won't write the right character to showcase you & your talents. I hear you thinking: "Ummmmm, excuse me, Brian! I know a thing or two about scripts, I'm an actor, I look at them all day." That right there is the very reason you'll make this mistake. Today's guest Emily Grace walks ...
Nov 17, 2021•53 min
Summer here, Remember me? I’m Brian’s Actor Happiness Manager for this community and I’m Baa-ack! I can’t stay away from Brian Breaks Character because I just looooove to chat with Brian about this business and share it with all of you. I am the Host of today’s episode and Brian is the Guest and we are talking all things coaching, marketing and productivity. Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What do I do?” Our first pilot season in 2 years is around the corner and we know this question...
Nov 10, 2021•39 min
Remixing some of the best of the best from our Bonus episodes and this one is all about the big bad R-- Referrals! Sharon, Shawn and Misha share their personal stories of what form of referrals to agents and managers they took in the past, how they dealt with them in the present, and why they will never turn to them again. CLOSER LOOK & TAKEAWAYS Why you get that icky feeling when you use a referral Other people’s great reps may not be a great fit for you Learn to navigate the offers from ot...
Nov 06, 2021•35 min
A couple of months ago the incredible acting coach, To Be Or Not To Act's Jo Kelly asked me to come on her IG Live to tell her students how to find managers and agents and the conversation that unfolded was sooooo juicy I simply had to make it into an episode of the podcast. If you're an actor who needs representation this episode is a no-brainer: LISTEN. NOW. After helping 542 actors sign with the right reps, I can’t wait to tell you all about why my rebellious, new approach to make agents want...
Nov 03, 2021•55 min
I am gleeful and proud to introduce you to one of my very best friends and today’s guest on the podcast, Kate Tellers. The Wall Street Journal calls her “a storytelling guru.” Kate is on the leadership team at The Moth – one of the preeminent storytelling organizations in this country – she travels the globe to teach the art of storytelling. Isn’t that so cool?!? Her past clients include some of the brightest non-profits in changemaking: International Women's Forum, Kellogg Foundation, Ashoka, a...
Oct 27, 2021•55 min
Mia is a classically trained theatre actor who is now going to Juilliard. But before that, she was working tirelessly to break into the world of film and TV. Her lack of materials to submit to reps, made her feel as if she was never truly “in the game”. Then, while going through the process of reaching out to reps and learning to own where she was at this stage in her career, Mia was thrown yet another curveball and was accepted into Juilliard for grad school. Navigating her conversations with r...
Oct 23, 2021•45 min
Have you ever worried about what to post on social media? Well, Heidi Dean of Marketing4Actors clears this up for us on today’s episode. And whether you’re a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, her advice will empower you to actually make an impact (and worthwhile connections!) on social media. {I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated by the awesomeness of this guest. But, guess what…. She gave me an A+ on my IG captions. Hey now! This means a lot coming from this Social Media Queen!} In thi...
Oct 20, 2021•56 min
In this episode of Brian Breaks Character, Showrunner, Creator, and Actor, Paul Witten gives us a MASTERCLASS in putting yourself out there! I brought him on the show so you can see how relentless creativity (and not taking NO for answer) reallllllly pays off! Paul is the creator and showrunner of Dropping the Soap starring Jane Lynch. And Jane WON the Emmy Award for her role on his show. But it wasn’t all rainbows, lollipops, and big-name comedians… Paul heard NO a lot, but instead of letting t...
Oct 13, 2021•53 min
Angel hit LA running back in the day. She landed reps fast and worked until... she realized she had no idea how to keep things going and she ultimately got burned out. After taking a 12-year hiatus from the biz to work as an elementary school teacher, Angel realized she still had an actor itch to scratch… except she had no idea how to get back into things, how to submit to reps, or how to translate her years of experience and wisdom into meetings and finding her team. Now after 15 meetings and 1...
Oct 09, 2021•40 min
IATSE voted 99% YES to authorize a strike. And because union negotiations can be reduced to just that... “negotiations,” it was important to us on the show to put the focus on exactly what we are actually talking about here: Human beings’ well-being on set and in life. So, on this episode of Brian Breaks Character, my guest is IATSE crew member Heather Fink. She works as a Boom Operator and Sound Utility and she joined me not as a formal representative of IATSE, but as a human being in the indus...
Oct 06, 2021•40 min
September has been a very busy month in Brian Breaks Character land! We devoted the entire month to helping actors to get more auditions. And we were lucky enough to have some heavy hitters on the show, so we wanna make sure you didn’t miss any of the best tips and takeaways! Take a listen to this very special 24 minute megamix from all of our Get More Auditions episodes this month. You’ll hear the voices of: Casting Networks’ Katie O’Connor and Scott Madej, CastingAbout and Actors Access’ Blair...
Sep 29, 2021•23 min
Any chance you are super freaked out by the Casting Networks’ recent update? It was a doozy. And whether or not you think the update is good or bad, it doesn't matter, change can be HARD. So I’m here to help... On this episode of Brian Breaks Character, I sat down with the powers that be from Casting Networks, Katie O'Connor Enterprise Sale Manager for the West Coast and Scott Madej the Manager of Global Talent Support to ask tough questions about the overhaul on their website. In this interview...
Sep 22, 2021•49 min
You signed up for Actors Access and Casting Networks… And maybe you’ve got a Casting Profile on 3 other sites too! Maybe you even have reps submitting you in addition to submitting yourself… And maybe it still feels like you’re not getting enough auditions. And the first place you MIGHT look is your headshots… or maybe your reel? Did you ever stop to think that it could be your casting profile? WHAAAAAA?!?!?!? On this episode of Brian Breaks Character, Summer Mastain is back as my Guest Host and...
Sep 15, 2021•23 min
If you want to know a verifiable way to get more auditions, grab your notebook for Part Two of my interview with Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, the Co-Founders of CastingAbout and Consultants for Breakdown Services. I locked them in a Zoom room and forced them to tell me ALLLLLL THE INSIDER SECRETS of how actors can make themselves unforgettable on Actors Access… and there were just too many juicy takeaways for one episode. In this episode, we dive deeper into how to create and maintain those stro...
Sep 11, 2021•43 min
I’m gonna guess you have an Actors Access/Breakdown Express profile so Casting Directors can find you. And even though the site has *some* free functionality, I’m also gonna guess that you plunk down $68/year (plus any other fees) so you can host your video files and get access to the best auditions out there. YOU AND 1.3 MILLION OTHER ACTORS USE ACTORS ACCESS. I’m sharing that BIG number so you make it a priority to listen to this episode of Brian Breaks Character. Today’s guests are Blair Hick...
Sep 08, 2021•38 min
Summer here, I’m Brian’s Actor Happiness Manager for this community and we are *really* breaking character over here... I am the Host of today’s episode of Brian Breaks Character and Brian is the Guest. On this episode, I grill Brian with the most frequently asked questions about casting profiles: How many headshots do you actually need to have on your online profiles; how do you know which ones to keep and which ones to DELETE; why should I care about any of this? HERE ARE THREE QUICK TAKEAWAYS...
Sep 01, 2021•32 min
The incredibly generous and wholehearted Casting Director Alaine Alldaffer is my guest on today's episode of the Brian Breaks Character podcast. She's been casting theatre and television for over 25 years (peep her impressive bio below). And as a long-time champion for creatives everywhere, Alaine's actionable advice will appeal to you whether you’re... ...a butcher ...a baker ...an actor ...a writer ...a director ...or all of the above (...you multi-hyphenate, you!) HERE'S A PEEK AT SOME OF T...
Aug 25, 2021•45 min
After five incredible meetings, Stephanie signed with a bicoastal agent and has been collaborating with them ever since! But things didn’t start that way! Teacher, do-er, and champion of the arts Stephanie Weeks knew she was a powerful creative. But translating that to agent emails never fit. She was often left feeling unseen and fearful. By trusting her intuition and worthiness she was able to find her footing, pinpoint exactly what she offers (and whom she wanted to offer it to), and most impo...
Aug 21, 2021•50 min
Have you ever done FOUR (or more) takes of a self-tape audition? If you answered YES, you’re hurting yourself and today’s guest on the podcast will rescue you from drowning in the perfectionist sea of trying to nail your “perfect audition.” With 20+ years in the game and 65+ TV/Film credits, Christine Horn cracked the code on how to book more TV and now helps hundreds of actors to do the same. And this Booking Magnet talks the same way we do on the Brian Breaks Character Podcast... I almost fell...
Aug 18, 2021•44 min
Do you ever second-guess yourself when you wanna buy something like… ...a $7 latte with fancy lavender syrup? ...a decadent lotion that makes you feel like the Queen of Sheba? ...a dress from Anthropologie that’s almost ⅓ of your rent? Maybe you’re totally paralyzed because you have no idea what your finances look like and your relationship with money is WHAT RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY?!?!? That’s why I can’t wait for you to meet my guest Abundance Bound’s Miata Edoga She’s the inspiring financial ...
Aug 11, 2021•54 min
6 meetings and 6 offers for representation! The stereotype of a ‘lazy actor’ would be thrown out the door if you met Alena Acker. This hustle-queen worked nonstop getting herself her own appointments and leveling up her own work for years. The hard-to-swallow pill was that she struggled to find an agent who would support her work to get her to the next level. After all the showcases and pay-to-play moments, she decided it was time to try a new route. After 6 meetings and 6 offers (if this was th...
Aug 07, 2021•34 min
Nothing gets my engines going like a group coaching call with incredibly creative people. So today’s guest on Brian Breaks Character is YOU! Well… sort of. I invited my community to a live Q&A Coaching call so that I could help you move the needle on the stuff that holds you back. And in this episode you have a front-row seat as we dig deep into questions about working in multiple markets or making a big bi-coastal move, maintaining your network and staying in touch with casting, and is it a...
Aug 04, 2021•54 min
Misha’s acting was consistently killer. So good, in fact, she had friends giving her constant referrals! And yet… she was hardly auditioning. Misha said no to referrals, gave up her target list, and quit worrying about her credits… and BAM! After taking ownership of her career and putting her choices in her own hands, Misha went from having one theatrical audition a year to self-taping for major network shows 2-3 times a week. And she does not hold back on sharing her secret sauce in this episod...
Jul 31, 2021•38 min
If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with all things messaging and copywriting. Before you say “Brian, I signed up to be an actor/filmmaker.creative, not a writer,” I want you to face a truth - YOU HAVE TO WRITE TO GET NOTICED IN THIS WORLD! The ability to write (or in other words, communicate, or in other words say "HEY I EXIST!") is an essential AND LEARNED part of being a creative that – when done well – will help you attract the right opportunities. This is why I’m geeking out over today’s ...
Jul 28, 2021•54 min
Actress, singer, and songwriter Tara spent 12 years looking for a manager, but she didn’t spend that time sitting around. She was voraciously pursuing her career dreams and goals, all while sending email upon email in search of the illusive rep. Then she decided to try a different approach: she looked at how she’d been showing up and after facing the facts, she was able to show up authentically in her reach outs to reps (and with some help from Brian was able to not sound delusional). With this ...
Jul 24, 2021•37 min
