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Stop Networking Like You Need Something

Networking shouldn't feel awkward or transactional. In this episode of Casting Actors Cast, veteran casting. director Jeffrey Dreisbach shares a healthier, more effective approach to building professional relationships in. the entertainment industry... Read More

From the show: Casting Actors Cast

14 mins
Jul 16

About

Networking shouldn't feel awkward or transactional. In this episode of Casting Actors Cast, veteran casting

director Jeffrey Dreisbach shares a healthier, more effective approach to building professional relationships in

the entertainment industry. Learn practical follow-up strategies, gratitude-based networking, social media

mistakes to avoid, and why trust—not self-promotion—is the real currency of a lasting acting career.

Whether you're just starting out or have years of experience, this episode will change the way you think about

networking forever.

Transcript

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One of the greatest misconceptions

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actors have is believing that careers

are built on one big break.

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I don't think they are.

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I think careers are built on hundreds,

sometimes thousands, of very small moments.

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A great audition,

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a kind email showing up, prepared,

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learning someone's name,

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remembering a birthday, congratulating

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a fellow actor

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being the person every one enjoys

working with.

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These moments don't feel dramatic.

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Well, they're not supposed to.

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That's how careers

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quietly grow.

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I want you to think about your favorite

actor.

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Now, many of them weren't discovered

overnight.

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Right?

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Years before anyone recognized them,

they were building relationships,

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earning trust,

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developing their craft and becoming

someone people wanted back in the room.

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Success often looks sudden from the

outside.

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From the inside

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it's usually been growing for years.

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Welcome to casting actor's cast.

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Well, hello, and welcome to today's

episode of casting actors.

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Cass, I'm casting director, casting

partner, Jeff driesbach,

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with the McCorkle group in New York.

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How are you?

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I hope you're have it a good day.

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I'm having a good day, and I'm looking

forward to sharing this information

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with you today in the hope set it'll

make you feel a little more comfortable

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and a little more confident

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as you continue the journey

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on being an actor, about being an

actor, with being an actor, which of

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those work?

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But first I'd like to just take a

moment and thank you for tuning in.

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By the way, if you haven't done so

already, please check out the website,

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casting actors cast all one word dot

com.

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You're going to find lots of resource

information there.

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You're going to find past episodes.

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You're going to find jeff's jots, which

are corresponding, show notes to each

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of the podcasts.

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So if there's something you really like

and you want to kind of have it in your

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hand, it's a downloadable, free pdf so

you can have at it.

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Also there's a form there that says,

dive into the talent pool,

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you know, my little attempt of humor

there.

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So if you just fill out that form, it

gives me your name and email address.

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By the way, I don't do anything with

that.

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I promise you.

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It's just a way of knowing that you are

out there for my benefit.

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So that's it?

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The website, I also have.

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My book is out available there.

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My course, all that stuff is available.

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And I'm having such a great time

sharing this information with you.

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This is what's floating my boat these

days, is being able to give you

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information that you might not find

anywhere else,

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especially coming from.

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Somebody who's a working casting

director, currently working on two

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feature films.

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And we just wrapped up a couple of

theatre projects.

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So we are as busy as we can be.

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And kind of interesting how the

evolution

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of networking.

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I don't know, the projection a lot of

actors have about networking is,

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sometimes is such a dreaded word,

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and that's just kind of the truth it's

changed over the years.

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Well, listen here's another truth that

I've learned.

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Trust

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cannot be accelerated.

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Ok?

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Somebody write that down.

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That was really good.

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You can't download it.

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You can't purchase it.

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You can't fake it.

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Trust is earned one interaction at a

time.

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That's true.

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Every audition, every rehearsal,

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every call back, every rehearsal hall,

every email, every phone call, every

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self tape, every social media

interaction,

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every single one

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says something

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about you.

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Not because people are judging you,

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because they're getting to know you,

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that's a much healthier way to think

about it.

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You are introducing yourself to the

industry

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one interaction at a time.

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So think about that.

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So I would like you to ask yourself

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just one question

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this week.

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For example, one question this week.

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When people leave a conversation with

me, dot, dot, not,

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how do they feel?

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Not.

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What did they think of my resume?

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Not.

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Did they remember my im dB page?

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Not?

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Did I tell them enough about myself?

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Instead,

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ask this,

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did they enjoy the conversation?

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Did they feel heard?

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Did they smile?

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Did they leave feeling encouraged?

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Because here's something actors often

forget.

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Being enjoyable to work with

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is?

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Well, actually it's part of your

talent, not separate from it.

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Part of it.

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Actors don't hire human resumes.

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They don't.

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So, you know, actors have a funny habit.

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They walk into networking events

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like they're trying to solve a hostage

negotiation.

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Ok don't look desperate.

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Be confident, but not too confident.

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Smile.

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Not that much

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mention.

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Your latest project, casually,

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no, not that casually.

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Should I shake hands?

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Is

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hugging back.

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Why is everyone holding tiny pieces of

cheese?

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And by the time you're finished

overthinking it, you've missed the conversation.

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Have you been there?

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I know I have.

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Here's.

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My advice stop trying to impress people

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become interested in them.

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You see, curiosity

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is surprisingly

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charming.

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So I often like to bring in what I call

the casting room truth.

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So let me leave you with this week's

casting room truth.

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After all these years sitting behind

the casting table, I've discovered

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something that surprises actors every

time I say it,

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the people we remember most are rarely

the people trying the hardest to be remembered.

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They're the professionals,

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the prepared ones, the generous ones,

the actors who make everyone else's day

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just a little bit easier.

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The actor who quietly solves problem,

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the actor who listens,

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the actors who are genuinely happy to

be.

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There's

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the beautiful part,

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those qualities don't disappear after

the audition.

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They walk onto the set

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into rehearsal with you,

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into

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every future.

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Opportunity.

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Professionalism has an incredibly long

memory

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longer than almost any performance.

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So this week's challenge, I'd like to

share a challenge for this week it's a

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simple challenge.

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I want you to choose one person who has

positively influenced your career.

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Just one person.

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I want you to send them a short note.

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Yeah,

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no agenda, no attachment, no request.

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Just appreciation,

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then

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do absolutely nothing else.

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I mean, at no follow up, no explanation,

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just gratitude,

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because that's what relationships

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actually look like.

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We're going to have some final thoughts

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right after this.

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You've done more auditions than a

cassing director has said.

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Thanks.

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Will be in touch it's time you got

serious and learned acting strategies.

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Audition secrets and tips to grow.

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Get the actor's play book for getting

cast, booked it by Geoffrey driesbach,

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available right now.

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Also introducing next level auditions,

the online video course.

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Why not get both?

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Call it the ultimate audition tool kit.

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You won't find these on sales, because

they're worth every penny if you're

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serious about your acting career.

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This is your next step.

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This is your moment.

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Let's make it count.

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Casting actor's cast dat.

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Come.

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Welcome back to casting actors.

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Cass, we're talking about networking,

and the best way that you can present

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yourself professionally in the industry.

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Networking isn't

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collecting.

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Contacts

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it's collecting trust.

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It's becoming someone people enjoy

seeing again,

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someone.

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People believe in

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someone.

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People recommend

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when you're not in the room.

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Now that doesn't happen because of one

perfect email.

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It happens because

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your character

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matches your talent.

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Ok, somebody write that down.

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That was really good.

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Your character matches your talent.

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If you can become that actor,

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the work has an amazing way of finding

you.

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Now listen.

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If today's episode helped you think

about networking a little differently.

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I'd love it if you'd share this episode

with another actor.

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Leave a review wherever you listen to

the podcast,

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subscribe if you're watching on YouTube.

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And if you would like more practical

audition, advice behind the Scenes,

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casting insight and resources

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designed to help you prepare smarter

and perform better.

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Visit me at casting actor's cast dot

com.

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As always, I'm Jeff drisbock.

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Thank you for spending part of your day

with me.

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Keep learning, keep growing, keep

creating.

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And remember,

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the actor who builds relationships,

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builds a career.

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I'll see you next

© Broadway Podcast Network, All Rights Reserved

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