What do you wish you had known about the business before moving here?

• NYC is not as scary as you would think.  People are lovely and helpful here.  There is a real “we are in it together” feeling among the actors in NYC.  BUT…NYC is a giant mirror for how you feel on the inside.  It can be the most exciting place or the loneliest place depending on your mental outlook.  So...you MUST take care of yourself and build a support system for yourself.  No one can do it alone and thank god we don’t have to.

• To know I am only in competition with myself, to keep looking inward and not to compare my success with others. We are all on our own path and they all look different. If you have a desire to be here then you probably should because the universe, I believe, gives us our desires. Keep bettering yourself and keep life in perspective. Remember to keep a sense of fun.  Yoga has been the best thing for me. It taught me how to breathe.

• That Musical Theatre and straight theatre are totally separate industries. The market is so over-flooded with actors it's hard to find a career in both without a 'name.'  Don't be shy. I used to avoid directors and getting to know important people b/c I thought it would be looked at as brown-nosing. These are the people who hire you- get to know them... but first, know yourself.  Seriously, just be yourself and whatever level you are at the work with find you, talent wise, emotionally and spiritually.

• I knew this before I moved here but I think it is important to understand that it is a business. You are in business for yourself and you need to promote your product which is you!!!

• There is no formula for how to get the job.  There are tips and learning curves, but A + B does not always equal C.

• It's harder than anyone could ever prepare you for, but if you believe in yourself and your craft, it is more rewarding even TRYING to do it than anyone could imagine.

• I wish I knew I should have kept up with my dance classes!

• I feel that I should have turned equity sooner in NYC.  If I was starting somewhere else, stay non for a while.

• Acting is both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time, the business has the power to bring you up or beat you down, you can defeat it or it can defeat you, but damn it…That's why we do it!!

• That my journey is the most important thing. When I get lucky again I will have grown, and lived, and contributed to my favorite city...not just sat around and wished, then quit.

• That I shouldn't aim for Broadway, I should aim for work in theatre anywhere. when I'm "ready"...aka. good enough, have an impressive resume, have the connections, it will happen.

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