Ep 32: How to Get an Agent With Ease

In this episode, we're gonna talk about how to find representation, whether it's an agent or manager, in a way that feels super simple, easy, and aligned. This process doesn't have to be complicated, and when you're being intentional about how you're going about the search, you are gonna get much faster, simpler results. You ready? Let's do it.

Hello, you are listening to the Love Your Life as a Performer Podcast. I'm Kelli Youngman and I am The Life Coach for Performers. I help actors, singers, and dancers love themselves and their lives way more. So keep listening to learn how you can love your life, both on and off the stage.

Hello and welcome back to episode 32 of the Love Your Life as a Performer Podcast. So if you've been following on social media or you're on my email list, you may have already heard the announcement, but it is official! We are definitely gonna be doing another round of The Paradigm starting in July 2023. And I also recently announced that I am gonna be doing open enrollment, rather early enrollment for the July class.

And I have a few reasons for this and mainly just because I know that when you actually invest, when you commit, when you make that payment, it just feels so freaking juicy and delicious. It's an opportunity for you to start thinking and feeling and treating yourself, as seriously as you are gonna be taking your goals when you are in the room, when you are in The Paradigm, right?  It's a moment where you get to step into that self-concept now and not wait till July. That's three whole months where you can know that you are elevating and committed and just like really freaking doing it.

So you get the added benefit of having that commitment locked in from now. I'm also just like super inspired by the breakthroughs and the growth and the way that the current members are literally stretching themselves to bigger possibilities, to more money, to new opportunities, to loving what comes next in their careers no matter what.

You know, I think so often, and I mean I'm assuming that if you're here listening to this podcast, you don't subscribe to this... but there are still people in the industry that believe that when you choose to be a performer, when you choose to, you know, have this career path as a profession, you just have to feel shitty about yourself. And you just have to accept that most of the time it's gonna feel hard and you're gonna feel challenged and you're gonna wanna give up and you're gonna feel that day after day after day. And what I wanna offer you is that, what if that doesn't have to be your lived experience?

What if you really could learn how to love your career, auditions, callbacks, self tapes, even when you don't get that specific job. Like this is not just hypothetical, this is the work that I do with my clients. It's how I personally feel about my performing career even now, even today, even when I'm not on a contract. And I feel so connected and certain and hopeful and excited about what's coming next, even when it doesn't go as planned, right?

You can learn the tools, the skills, the process of decision making and thinking intentionally that gives you access to loving your life and your career in the performing arts, in the entertainment industry, without feeling like you have to settle for a lifestyle or like a life of struggle and hard. Right. And I know that if you're listening to this podcast, you already have a sense of that and I wanna continue to invite you to do this work with us inside of The Paradigm. If you go to kelliyoungmanwellness.com/the-paradigm, you can check out like the updated page where I talk about The Philosophy of The Paradigm and really just like what it entails and what it looks like to be a part of this level of community.

The kind of conversations that we're having, the level of consciousness, the level of focus and commitment is just so freaking high and it's so freaking fun to be in a room where everyone is motivated to keep doing the work, right? It doesn't mean we don't have shitty days, or it doesn't mean we don't have feelings that, you know, come up when things happen, right? But we have the tools and the awareness to just navigate and hold space for those human emotions, those human thoughts and feelings without making them wrong, which allows you to keep coming back to giving your focus and your energy to the things that you do want to create.

Like literally, anything that you want can be created inside of The Paradigm. Especially if you are looking to expand and have it all right, like that is literally one of our core principles is that you get to have it all. Even as a performer, you're never choosing between personal and professional. You're not choosing between acting or dancing. You're not choosing between contemporary dance and theater, right? Like you literally can choose to do it all. It just requires a specific set of beliefs and practices and habits and a way of thinking and being that supports whatever you wanna create.

That is literally the specialty, and like my specialty, honestly, as a coach, because that's the life I choose to live, right? So that's the life I help my clients live is just like getting to have it all, truly. Okay. Make sure you check out the website, get ready. Applications for early enrollment are gonna be opening on Monday, March 20th, and they're gonna close on Friday, March 24th. So you wanna make sure that you are ready to get your application in and you'll find out by the 27th if you've been accepted.

Now, if you have any lingering thoughts, questions, concerns, hesitations- that's totally normal. You're a human about to make a big investment. It's not a problem. I wanna encourage you to book a Launch Call this week or next if you're listening to this at the time that this podcast is being released basically before the application's open, so that you're ready. So that you can just feel excited as fuck to put in your application to know and give that energy to being in the room in July.

Okay, the last thing I'll say before we jump into today's episode is that I am planning to do open enrollment in June for the July class. However, I cannot guarantee how many spots will be available in June. So if you have been considering and already decided that you wanted to be in the next round, this is the time to apply. This is the time to get ready, to have your questions answered, to really understand and know what it is you wanna create in this room, in this container, for yourself and where you wanna be by the end of 2023. Like this is your time to decide, so that when you're filling out the application, it just feels so juicy and fun and honestly enjoyable, right? Like this gets to be fun. Okay.

So I wanted to spend today talking about something that has just come up with my clients, but I feel like has also been on my radar because multiple people have asked me about it and I was like, you know what?

Let's just do a freaking podcast episode about it. So guess what? Today we are gonna be talking about how to get representation. Whether it's a manager or an agent you know, if you're looking for representation right now, this episode is for you. And we're also gonna talk about some of the common misconceptions and also what it looks like to create your career without them. What? Yes. So this is gonna be a juicy one. Let's just jump right in.

The first thing I'm gonna say is that Your life experience, the way it feels while you're doing anything or in pursuit of creating any result, whether it's an agent or something else. The way that that experience goes and feels always comes from your thoughts. It always comes back to what you are thinking, feeling, and anticipating. Because all of those things add to your actions and then the way that, again, that you receive and process the results that you're getting, how you're feeling about the outcomes, and then what actions you take from those feelings.

Okay, and so the first thing that I want to offer is that if you are looking for representation, the first thought that I want you to try on is that it can be easy. It can be easy to get an agent. If you're already like, oh my God, what is this girl talking about? I just wanna offer that back in the day, I literally just went to an open call they were having to sign new clients. It was almost like an audition for their agency. I danced. I made it through like another round of dancing. They asked me to send some videos of me singing, and I did. And then they just offered to sign me. It was so easy. Okay. And if you've been listening to the podcast, you also know that there is no good, bad, right or wrong way to go about something, right?

And every single process works. That's why if you are like waiting to find the perfect strategy to get an agent, you might be spinning in confusion. Because you're like, wait a second, should I go to an open call? Should I pay to play and get seen by certain people? Should I, you know, submit my materials through their website? Should I ask a friend if they like their agent and have them refer me, should I send out my shit to like a million people, a hundred different reps, and see if someone signs me from that? Like, which one should I do? The first thing that I'm gonna offer is just like, there really truly is no good, bad, right or wrong way, right?

And there's a difference of how you will choose, how you will approach this search when you are believing that you are talented and that people want to work with you versus when you are believing no one is looking for new clients. Okay? I'm gonna say that again. It literally does not matter which method you choose to move forward with; the most important thing is whether or not you choose to believe that it will work for you. That it can work for you. And that whatever rep is out there that is like your dream rep, that they're also actively seeking you.

And you might be thinking like, Kelli, what in the world, how could it possibly matter if I think and believe, and you know, decide that the person I wanna work with wants to work with me? Like, and I want you to consider that this is honestly the same logic behind believing when you go to an audition that they want you to succeed. They want to sign you.

I want you to think about the feeling that you have in your body when you get ready. I don't know. You're sitting at your computer, you're putting the tapes together, you're putting your packet together, you're putting your resume, and you're about to hit send. If you are thinking, this shit is fucking pointless. No one is gonna sign me. I want you to think about the vibration and the energy and the emotion in your body, and the level of belief and care that you're putting into this. The energy that you create with that is vastly different from when you're like, they are gonna be so delighted to receive this!

It's like even the energy of your email is gonna be different. The words that you say are gonna be different when you're like they're waiting for amazing clients to reach out because they want to find the next best talent. They want to work with me and represent me because I'm gonna make their freaking agency a lot of money by all of my future success. Like they want to represent me and put me in rooms because I'm so freaking talented. Right, like the energy that you have is so different when you're confident, when you know that you have a lot to offer versus when you're like, Hiiii, I'm so sorry to bother you. I know you're super busy and I know you got lots of amazing clients to take care of. And I'm like, really just hoping maybe you'll read this and I'm, you know, if you get a chance to watch this...like I would be so freaking grateful because I really need a rep and that's really the only way my career is gonna thrive and succeed. So please thank you so much. Like please watch this and get back to me and if not, totally cool. No problem.

Like you get the point, right? Your energy is so different when you are believing I am fucking talented and someone out there is looking for a client just like me. The other thing is like when you start believing that, then you can even take it to the next level of like, well, what is my ideal representation look and feel like? What are their values? How do they communicate? What is the vibe and the energy of the person that I wanna work with, that I wanna invite onto my team?

Right. And then, you can be really intentional about listening to yourself and following your own intuition when you are getting clear about what you even want that to look like, right? When you are getting just a little bit more specific and getting the energy and the feel, then with that clarity you can just be feeling into it in an intuitive way, right? Like you can be telling the Universe like, I am ready to work with someone of this nature, and if this sounds wild, I totally get that, and I'll just offer that like literally this is working for my clients.

They're receiving representation and receiving like invitations to meet with people that ends up being their ideal perfect fit . Without doing a shit ton of extra work and without hustling and without feeling like it's so desperate and needy and like it has to happen now, like it's so urgent. Right. Because the thing is that I kind of alluded to is that a lot of people that are looking for representation are doing it from the place of feeling that they need to have a rep in order to be taken seriously. That you need to have an agent in order to book work or get in rooms. And I just wanna offer that. That also is not a fact of the Universe.

I also have clients that are non-union, unrepresented, and are still booking work at the highest quality regional theaters across the country. And then also getting in the room and being invited, like literally getting invited audition appointments to come in and audition for Broadway tours and to, you know, come in as a last minute replacement for projects that are already happening. That is happening for performers that also have no representation.

So, what does it all come down to? Right? It comes down to your belief and your certainty of what your unique journey and your unique career can look like. Okay.  So just to go back, right? There's so many ways that you can go about getting an agent and there's nothing wrong with like trying them all. You could reach out to a friend, you could, you know, ask for a referral. You could go to open calls, but like, really what I wanna invite you to do is just start with the belief that I can get representation simply because I want it. I can work with people that feel good to work with, simply because I want it.

I can find the easiest path to receiving representation just by honoring what feels like a Fuck Yes for me. Right? When you are in your belief that you have something valuable to offer, and then you trust that the next best step is going to be revealed to you. Okay. So again, it could look like trying a bunch of things, but like really just check in with yourself and ask yourself what version of you is creating the plan and taking the actions.

Is it the actor, singer, dancer that feels desperate and feels needy and feels like this is the only way to be taken seriously? Or are you in the space of being expansive, of knowing that you're ready to take this next step, of knowing you're ready to have people on your team in your corner and that you can do that from a place of sufficiency, right?

Knowing that either way you can still get to the career goals that you wanna have, and also just trusting and inviting back the certainty of everything is unfolding in perfect timing. You can trust that the next best steps are gonna be revealed to you, and you can trust that there's a version of you that ends up being with the perfect representation of your freaking dreams.

Okay, so as you are doing this, as you're taking the next best steps, the only thing to consider is that like if something doesn't pan out and you're like, oh man, like, you know, that wasn't really a fit. Like all that's required is like, great, that wasn't a great fit. Onto the next. Right? But it can just come from so much love and certainty of knowing that your perfect agent, your perfect rep, the perfect rep for this season even, right? Because that could also change in the future, but it's just like they're available. They're out there and they're looking for me.

It's gonna give you the inspiration and the momentum and the drive and the capacity to just keep taking steps forward to take action towards creating and signing with a rep. And honestly like I could do a whole other podcast about, you know, what it looks like then to like foster that relationship once you're in it and how to really trust that agents are working for you and that it's all working, and once you enter the relationship, like then there's like a whole other set of thoughts and beliefs that come up.

But what I wanna offer, the last thing is just like, you know, again, I think most of the paralysis or the indecision or the lack of action really just comes from confusion and lack of trust and lack of believing and knowing that you know exactly what to do. So if you find yourself feeling like, oh God, what? What if it's this? Or what if it's that? Just pick one and see what happens, right? And trust that you know what to put in your materials. Trust that you know how to present yourself in a way that just showcases all of who you are, right?

Because it's not just like... honestly, it feels like dating, you know? You're not trying to like be the person you think they want to date. It's like the most successful relationships happen when you're just being yourself, and it's a match because of who you are, not because of who you're trying to be. So you don't have to overthink like what headshot or what clips, should I send? Just pick the ones that feel most like you and feel like they represent who you want to be in the industry. You get to decide. It's not your agents or your reps that are gonna shape who you become in the industry. It really looks like, what is the career that you wanna have and how can you show and demonstrate your best favorite things about yourself in these submissions? 

Maybe I didn't say this, but the last last thing I'll say is like, there's no one right rep. There's no one perfect agent, and you can literally just trust that the person that you wanna work with, the best fit for you is going to become clear. And it might come from like scrolling on Instagram and realizing like, oh, this person just signed with this agent. Let me check them out. It could be that. And you could realize, you know what, that sounds like an agent I wanna work with. It could be looking at like a Playbill and noticing who are, are like my favorite performers working with? Let me see if that feels like a, a Fuck Yes for me, right?

It can be simple. And I know it to be true because it was simple for me and it's simple for my clients. But it comes from the starting belief and the starting set point of deciding that it's super easy to get an agent or a manager, any kind of representation, commercial, legit, whatever you want, it's here and ready for you.

And all you have to do is start aligning with the belief that it's easy and simple, and the Universe can start freaking lining it up, and you can allow yourself to just take the next best step, right? It's that simple. Any strategy will work as long as you are believing it will work. Trust me. Okay. I think you're gonna wanna listen to that a few times back because I know it's gonna be a little bit of a mind fuck, if this is coming from a place where you've been trying and trying and trying and you haven't been getting an agent, you just wanna check in with who you're being and how you're feeling, and what your predominant thoughts and beliefs are towards getting this representation.

I promise you, your thoughts are always creating your results. Your outcomes are being dictated by what you start imagining and envisioning your experience to be. So if you want your path and your experience to getting an agent to feel simple and full of ease and just so freaking aligned, literally just decide right now, like right, right now, decide that it's gonna be easy for you and watch what happens. Okay, I'll meet you back here for another episode.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode, and if you did, make sure to share it with a friend who is also an actor, singer, or dancer. You can also help spread the word by leaving us a review wherever you listen to podcasts in order to help people find this resource.

You can find me on Instagram @kelliyoungmanwellness, and if you're interested in coaching, make sure to head to kelliyoungmanwellness.com/waitlist to join my list now. See you soon.