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Lifting Yourself Out of the Doldrums Raise your hand if you’re sick and tired of hearing that we’re living in “unprecedented times.” Same goes for variants like “difficult times,” “challenging times,” etc. Enough already! We’ve been coping through Covid and everything that’s been upended in its wake. And that’s not counting all of life’s little surprises that spring upon us, whether or not we’re navigating a global pandemic. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another.” – Roseanne Roseannadanna Gilda Radner didn’t just come up with this phrase on her own, though it was popularized during her Saturday Night Live! character. Hey, sh*t happens. Like it or not, we can’t control everything that life throws at us. But unless we choose to just give up, we can learn to handle these situations and move on with our lives. Sometimes the best medicine for handling the pain is humor or outright mockery. Comedy often is birthed through adversity. Many great comedians and humorists emerge from difficult backgrounds, struggle through ordeals, or at one time or another feel like the proverbial Job. Their material is sourced in personal and cultural experience, and channeled into standup routines, TV comedies, and popular movies. Think Richard Pryor , who was the first to force the U.S. to look at large social questions of race with his ground-breaking comedy routines. Or Mel Brooks , who took revenge on the Holocaust by mercilessly mocking Hitler and his henchman in “ Springtime for Hitler ,” the musical within the Broadway hit musical “ The Producers .” You’d think with all the unprecented/difficult/challenging stuff going on over the past eighteen months, comedians are busy stockpiling years of outrageous material. We’ll have to see how much of it doesn’t get censored by the gatekeepers in today’s prickly political and cultural climate. It’s hard to be funny when you’re acutely aware that the sensitivity axe could swing down upon you at any time. But people are creative and adaptable, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing presentations of characters more or less successfully navigating the pandemic, quarantine, and masks in times to come. At least until we become sick and tired of the whole thing and are ready as a society to move on. I’m not going to crack jokes here. I’m just not that funny. But in the spirit of, well, raising spirits, I would like to share a few ideas to lift yourself and those around you out of the doldrums. Just a simple shift in attitude or perspective works wonders. And that’s something we can all certainly use! Smile. Yes, it IS contagious and goes a long way to helping everyone feel a little better. Be there for a friend who’s going through a tough time. Just knowing someone cares is often enough. Help someone out with a task (or even the dreaded residential move, if you’re especially brave!). Go out for ice cream. Or a cookie. Or in my case, anything chocolate. Don’t overdo it and pack on the pounds. A little something special, once in a while. Take a walk in the woods, around the neighborhood – a change of scenery does one good! Exercise. Raise those endorphins. Hey, maybe you’ll even get into better shape or (dare I say it?) lose a little weight. Read a book, watch a movie. Especially something funny. Volunteer your time and services to a worthwhile organization. They need help, as do the people serving, and you’ll feel better about yourself, knowing that you made a difference in somebody’s life. Clean out a mess that you’ve been procrastinating on for way too long. You’ll be proud of doing so and so much happier the next time you walk by and see what you’ve accomplished. Go easy on yourself and remind yourself of your accomplishments, how you’ve helped someone else, or how you’re important to your family or pet. Many of us are guilty of being much harder on ourselves than we’d be on others, so give yourself a pat on the back instead. Listen to music. Dancing, optional. Singing along, maybe best in the shower. Get some sun. Or if you live with cloudy, rainy weather much of the time, get some Vitamin D, also known as “the Sunshine Vitamin.” Express gratitude. Instead of brooding on what you DON’T have, focus on what you DO have and be appreciative. Yes, the old “count your blessings” has true merit in providing a truer perspective on life and bringing comfort to a beleaguered spirit. Give and/or receive a hug. A hug is reassurance, acceptance, and comaraderie. If you can work a back rub into it, so much the better. Feed the birds. Or the ducks, if you have a local duck pond handy. Walk your dog. Play with a pet. Mess with a cat by shining a laser pen onto a wall or furniture and watch kitty try to pounce on the light as you move it around. All fine entertainment. Notice I did NOT include retail therapy. While temporarily satisfying, it doesn’t really bring the warm fuzzies to your life. Well ... unless it’s something you REALLY like or need. And even then, it can cause troubles elsewhere. Such as unnecessary clutter and pressure on your personal finances. So why bother? You’d just have to start all over again to lift your spirits back out of the doldrums. Try out some of the 15 above suggestions and let me know they worked out for you! Want to learn more? Let's talk! I'm Laura Doman, a voice & TV/film actor and video communications coach. As an actor, I create memorable characters that tell my client's stories well, from the friendly CEO to your sassy best gal pal dispensing real-world advice. As a coach, I help you become more comfortable and charismatic on camera in videos, presentations, and online appearances. VOICE OVER  •  ON CAMERA  •  CONSULTATION & COACHING

Strategies for Effectively Using Humor Quick! What’s your favorite commercial? Me, I go for the funny ones. Dollar Shave Club, with the casually hilarious CEO making his rounds. The Direct TV series of ads telling us why we should get rid of cable, in the vein of the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” children’s books. And of course, the often uproarious commercials aired during the Super Bowl. Funny ads and commercials stick with us because they’re entertaining and usually quite clever. And if they don’t have you rolling so much in the aisles that you forget which product they’re pitching, their return on investment shows up very nicely in their financial reports.

A Primer to Bad Marketing It’s easier and less expensive to keep a customer than to find a new one. I heard that adage many times when I worked as a corporate sales exec. And it’s true! The hard numbers and sob stories told around the water cooler bear it out. But don't take my word for it; check out this article for a high-level summary. Let's instead focus on what bad marketing actually looks like. I experienced a fine example of bad marketing last weekend. Arts festivals are starting to re-emerge from under the heavy restrictions of Covid. They’re especially wonderful when the weather is beautifully poised between Atlanta’s notoriously hot, humid summers and, well, not so severe winters. Last weekend’s weather was perfect for it, too: warm, sunny, breezy, low humidity. Add booths of brightly colored artists’ wares to stroll by, food and drink to enjoy, and music to lighten your feet … ahhh.

Schmooze, Don’t Lose (Opportunity or Reputation) In-person networking is beginning to re-enter our lives. Finally! Hey, Zoom is great when you can’t meet face-to-face, but it can’t hold a candle to good old-fashioned people-schmoozing. But do it right. Some of us may have forgotten how to properly approach strangers whom we want to meet. We’re a little out of practice in the small-talk department, hoping to stoke their interest but not veer into boredom or braggadocio. And we may be just a little too giddy at the prospect of some honest-to-goodness, real human contact that we forget why we’re there in the first place. Never fear. Here are a few tips on the do’s and don’ts of in-person networking that will bring you up to speed and have you slapping your forehead with a “Duh! Of course!” Think of it as a little tickler file to get you back into constructive networking that will help you forge new business relationships and friendships.

“Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” It’s not just a punchline in a movie. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” is a way of doing business that’s – for better or worse - alive and well in the entertainment industry. Not too surprising, considering that the supply of talent greatly outstrips demand. And pretty much has since the first silent movie hit the theaters. Perhaps even before, in vaudeville, Broadway, and on stages everywhere going back to the ancient Greeks. The same can also be said for those aspiring to become professional athletes, musicians, or visual artists. It’s not an easy career path. While the public may assume that talent rises to the top, no matter what, so much depends on things that the individual artist, athlete, or musician can’t control. There is no ladder of success that can be climbed based purely on talent, experience, and years of service. No guarantee that even the most gifted performer will be a commercial success or a recognizable asset. It’s a subjective business, driven by the personal tastes of the decision-makers or the whimsical public. It’s the opportunity to be seen or heard by those with the power to launch or further a career. Perhaps hardest of all, it’s career with very little positive feedback – hey, often with no feedback AT ALL - except perhaps when the talent is first booked, while on the job, or worst of all, summarily fired. (Not that being fired is a natural follow-up to being booked or directed on set. Most of the time.)

There's a right way to rehearse. And then there's the way to treat your creative spontaneity to a slow, painful death. Trying to master something difficult? Wanting to create something special? "Practice makes perfect." Yeah, mom always said so. Work hard, exercise those mental, emotional, or artistic muscles and it'll all fall in place. True for a lot of things, but as an artist ... you want to be careful. The last thing you want to do is over-practice something until you wring the life out of it. As an actor, that translates to rehearsing so much that you fall into the pattern of doing things just one way - and have a hard time breaking free of the muscle memory or vocal habits that you've drilled into yourself. Practicing until you're "perfect" - whatever that means to you - is a surefire way of killing the very spontaneity and innate creativity that makes your performance stand out. Perfectionistic thinking can lead to creative paralysis. Not so helpful to the auditioning actor.

Acting is acting! Your voiceover skills can bring you opportunities in film and on TV There's a notion out there that most voice actors choose to work behind the mic because they're uncomfortable in front of the camera. That may be true of many, but there are quite a few of us who enjoy the on-camera work as much as we do voice overs. And there is so much of it! For all ages and types. First, there's the traditional genres: Film - blockbuster movies to independent short films Television - network, plus streaming and cable - more shows than you realistically have time to watch Commercials - national brands to local businesses Industrials - films made by businesses for internal usage Print - just what you think it is: newspaper and magazine advertisements, flyers, posters, or other physical media

Terrified of public speaking? Most people are. This is one area where actors definitely have a leg up. I recently attended a 30 minute webinar hosted by Mark Schaefer , one of the world’s leading marketing futurists and keynote speakers. He’s funny, entertaining, and informative – and definitely high energy. Lucky for me and the other attendees, Mark shared some of his main takeaways for giving a great speech. I’m not going to give away his secrets, but I am going to offer a few insights why actors have a bit of an edge. Hint: it’s not just because we’re hams and crave attention. OK, it's kinda obvious that at some level we are and we do. Duh. Not all, though. Can't generalize too broadly. There are plenty of actors who are actually rather introverted and only comfortable working from a script or within a character role, whether it’s on stage, on camera, or in front of a microphone. But by and large, it helps to be a bit of an actor when you’re about to walk out front and address a group of people. I came from the business world, where most people would rather gouge out their eyes than step up on stage and give a speech. I’ve been told (by an acting coach) that if you actually enjoy public speaking, chances are that down deep you’re probably a bit of an actor. Not an actor? No worries. Plenty of actor tips for non-actors to help you come off like the polished pro.

Always aspire to a career in entertainment? Here's how to get started. When we’re little kids, we aspire to become famous performers, pro athletes, great explorers, doctors, firefighters, and superheroes out saving the world. Some of us realize our dreams, but most of us … well, settle into the real world. Especially if our sights were set on a snazzy cape and the ability to fly. But I believe that dreams can come true. Even later in life after we’ve had a more traditional career and raised a family. That’s exactly what I’m doing now as a film, TV, and voice actor. It IS possible to begin a happy and successful career in the entertainment industry. Granted, it’s not easy, nor is it achieved through shortcuts. I would also encourage you to define what “successful” means to you, because if fame and fortune are your only standards, it’s likely you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re undeterred, here’s how to begin. It's never too late to begin living your dream.

ChatGPT is more than a text generator. It can also be used as a training tool. For YOU. Have you ever taken a course in logic? Or maybe debate? How about computer science? No? But I bet at one point in high school, you had to do proofs of mathematical theorems, right? (sigh) Maybe on that last one I'm just showing my age.... I remember doing more than I ever cared for. The point I'm getting at is that learning how to think logically, step by step, is an invaluable problem-solving skill, though I rather suspect that few people have really ever learned it. Let's put it into every day terms: Do you ever have trouble asking for something? A lot of people do. Maybe it's not being able to muster enough courage to ask for what you want or need. Maybe it's the fear of being told "no" that's holding you back. Or the fear that you may look stupid or foolish. (Who HASN'T dealt with that one?!) Or maybe it's just not knowing how to frame your question clearly and specifically. Technology can train your brain to think more logically, clearly, and specifically. Important for life, not just for interacting with a computer program!

AI is positioned to replace creative talent ... or is it? Mechanization and robotics did a pretty good job replacing factory workers in the last century. Or at least what was left after manual labor was outsourced and factories relocated overseas. White collar jobs seemed pretty safe. After all, creative talent like artists, graphics designers, performers, and writers couldn't be easily replicated by a machine. Right?    Enter AI and everything is upended. Everywhere you look, someone somewhere is creating an AI-based tool that allows the average Joe to suddenly write more coherently, organize and elucidate complex information within a blink or two of an eye, create striking graphics designs, develop new ideas by bouncing them against an electronic brain, and produce animated videos complete with voice over narration.    Yikes. Are creative human beings going the way of the buggy whip?

What do you lead with when you're at a business networking event and you do more than one thing? I'm putting together a virtual networking event for later this year. The idea is to present a hot topic - perfecting your elevator pitch, in this case - and bring attendees together in small groups throughout the event to network with each other and discuss their ideas in different ways. The topic, as you can probably tell from this blog's title, is how to develop a strong elevator pitch. It's going to be a work in progress, because our businesses continue to evolve. It's even more of a challenge for those of us who have more than one business. What do we lead with? Do we talk about them all or just pick one, and if so, which one?