Tipisode #1 -
No one in show business, or in any business for that matter, has been able to get ahead without some help.  You need people that are willing to help you along the way, and they need you too.  Without a network of healthy business relationships, you’re not going to get anywhere fast.  Often though, people who work in our industry don’t make their business relationships a priority.  All the skill and talent in the world is worthless if no one wants to work with you.  Your show business relationships are the key to a career with longevity, and at the highest levels, the industry becomes more and more like a tight little club.  The way to be in that club is to develop solid relationships with the people in that club.  It may not sound fair, but it’s the reality.  So, how important is it to develop good business relationships if you want to succeed?  Crucial.

So, with that in mind, I want to share 5 Critical Mistakes That Will Kill Your Relationships in Showbiz:

1. Costing Money

Money makes the world go ‘round, right? We all have it, we all want more of it, and we all don’t want to lose it.  When you do something that directly, or indirectly costs someone money that they weren’t otherwise going to spend, you’re risking damage to your showbiz relationship with that person.  Example: You quit a job with no notice, and your employer has to scramble to find a replacement for you, spending time, money, and valuable resources in the process.  Guess what?  The employer may never hire you again.  By quitting with no notice, you’ve left that person in a difficult and costly situation.  Another example:  Let’s say you’re a producer, and you release a performer from their contract on short notice, because your first choice for the role is suddenly available.  By terminating a person’s employment with no notice, you have taken away a certain amount of money that they had planned for.  Not a great way to maintain a healthy relationship with someone.  And let me tell you producers, the relationships you form with your talent are crucial to your success.  So, when you choose to do something, think about the financial effect it has on the people you work with.  Obviously there are times when financial impact can’t be avoided, but…ask yourself if it’s worth it, and remember…people may forgive, but they don’t forget.

2. Wasting Time

This is similar to number 1, costing money.  Time is our most valuable resource.  We only have a limited amount of time in this life, and most people don’t take kindly to having it wasted.  So, when you’re planning that rehearsal, that meeting, that call time, that shoot, that location scouting session…are you making the most efficient use of the time of everyone involved?  In my performance career, I can’t count the number of rehearsals that I attended where I didn’t need to be there.  The creative team often didn’t plan the rehearsals well enough to know who they needed and who they didn’t, and I ended up wasting several hours at a rehearsal that wasn’t really for me.  Can you relate to that?  It’s frustrating, isn’t it?  The same can be said for being punctual.  When everyone has to wait on you, you’re wasting their time, and it very quickly make people become resentful.  It’s disrespectful, and is a great way to create tension and discord in your show business relationships.  Don’t waste people’s time!

3. Negatively Affecting Reputation

Everyone wants to look good in front of others.  Our status with our peers and those we work with is not only important to us, it’s pretty crucial to building a successful career in show biz.  Beyond that, our status with the public also has a huge effect on the momentum of our careers.  So, looking bad in front of others is not only unpleasant, it’s career poison.  So, it’s really important that you allow people to save face whenever possible.  Even if someone h