In this episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I sit down with James Robbins to talk about listening to your inner voice, building resilience, and what happens when you stop ignoring the signals that something needs to change.

James shares stories from his life as a climber and leadership coach, including what he's learned from climbing mountains, facing fear, and doing hard things repeatedly. We talk about burnout, discernment, anxiety, and how these lessons apply directly to actors navigating uncertainty in their careers.

This episode is about courage, self-trust, and staying engaged in your acting career even when the path forward feels uncomfortable or unclear.

James Robbins is an international keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and author of Nine Minutes on Monday and The Call to Climb. He helps people uncover purpose, build resilience, and lead with clarity and heart. His work has inspired leaders and teams around the world, blending storytelling with practical strategies for growth.

James shared a phrase in this conversation that stayed with me: most of us ignore our appointment with our soul.

He talked about how this often shows up when everything looks fine on the outside, but internally something feels off. You might have stability, validation, or a life that makes sense to other people, yet still feel restless or disengaged.

Ignoring that inner voice does not make it disappear. Over time, it usually leads to exhaustion or burnout. That deadness is often the signal, not the problem.

A major theme of this episode is the value of doing hard things on purpose.

James described climbing at high altitude and how mountains wear you down mentally before they wear you down physically. Your mind wants to quit long before your body actually needs to.

The more experience you have doing hard things, the better your judgment becomes. You develop discernment. You learn when to keep going and when turning back is actually the wiser choice.

This applies directly to acting. Staying in the work long enough builds perspective. You stop reacting to fear and start responding from experience.

One of the most powerful lessons James shared is that the mind gives up before the body does.

On the mountain, this is obvious. In acting careers, it's quieter. It shows up as procrastination, self-doubt, or the story that nothing is happening.

Learning to recognize when fear is mental rather than physical allows you to keep moving forward without forcing yourself into burnout.

James talked about the idea of creating your own weather, choosing an elevated emotional state instead of reacting to circumstances.

Rather than letting fear, stress, or frustration dictate your day, you learn to orient toward peace, purpose, confidence, and clarity. That internal state changes how you make decisions and how you show up to your work.

For actors, this means grounding yourself internally before auditions, self-tapes, and long stretches of waiting.

A recurring theme in this episode is how difficult it is for people to answer the question, what do you really want?

Often, it's not confusion. It's fear. Wanting something fully means risking judgment, failure, or change.

Ignoring that question keeps you stuck in noise. Slowing down enough to listen gives you direction.

James's experiences inspired his book Call to Climb, a fable about answering the deeper call in your life when you've been avoiding it.

We've included links in the show notes if you want to learn more about his work or pick up a copy of the book.

This episode connects closely with the work I do in my time management workshop.

We talk about how burnout often comes from misalignment. When your days don't reflect what you actually want, frustration builds.

I want to talk about something we reference a lot in acting, but usually only vaguely.

Self-perception.

It sits at the center of almost every actor's journey. It shapes how you talk about yourself, who you reach out to, what rooms you think you belong in, and how far you let yourself go.

Most of the time, we don't even notice it happening.

I was thinking about 10 Things I Hate About You and that line about being overwhelmed and underwhelmed, and asking if you can ever just be whelmed.

It made me think about actors.

We know we can underestimate ourselves.
We know we can overestimate ourselves.

Both are a problem.

But what about just estimating ourselves accurately?

Because everything depends on how we see ourselves.

This is one of the most common patterns I see.

It sounds like:

• I'll wait until I'm better

• I just need one more class

• I'll reach out when I've booked something bigger

• Agents like that would never sign someone like me

I recently spoke with an actor who told me they wouldn't reach out to a top agent because they didn't think someone "like them" could ever be with an agent like that.

That belief is a cage.

When you underestimate yourself, you pre-reject yourself.
You become your own no.
Your own locked door.

You cannot build a career while actively shrinking inside of it.

Agents don't sign the perfectly ready actor.
They sign the clear actor.
The specific actor who understands what they bring to the table and how they fit a roster.

Most of the time, the only person who believes you don't belong is you.

The pendulum can swing the other way.

Overestimation sounds like:

• I don't need more training

• My demo is fine

• I'll just wing it

• I already know what I'm doing

That's just as dangerous.

Overestimation blinds you to growth. And growth is essential in this industry.

One extreme keeps you small.
The other makes you sloppy.

Both keep you stuck.

The middle ground is grounded confidence.

Confidence that says:

• I belong here

• And I'm still sharpening my craft

That's where momentum lives.

When actors don't reach out, it's usually not logic.

It's fear.

Fear of rejection.
Fear of being seen.
Fear of success.

But self-abandonment hurts more than rejection.

When you don't give yourself a chance, you reject your future before it has a chance to recognize you.

You say no to rooms that haven't even had the opportunity to say yes.

Instead of asking, am I good enough for that agent,

Ask, do my materials and brand match what that agent represents?

This isn't about worth.
It's about alignment.

You might not be ready for a specific agent yet, and that's okay.

That doesn't mean you're not talented.
It usually means your materials, brand clarity, or positioning need work.

That's strategy.
And strategy is learnable.

Identify one agent, director, or producer you've labeled as "out of your league."

Then ask yourself what actual evidence proves that.

Most of the time, there is none.

And if there's no evidence, you're not protecting yourself.

You're stalling your life.

Actors who move forward act before they feel ready.

Ready is a choice.

You belong in the room.
But you still have to walk through the door.

If this episode brought something up for you and you want to share it, you can always email me at mandy@actingbusinessbootcamp.com. I love hearing where things clicked and where things still feel sticky.

And if you want to know when the next class or training is coming up, keep an eye on your inbox. There's more support on the way.

I hear actors say this phrase all the time: "There's nothing going on in my career." And I want to be very clear, that idea is almost never true.

In this episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I talk about why that belief shows up, how it distorts your perception, and what you should be measuring instead when things feel quiet. I also share why I reshaped my Weekly Accountability Group to focus just as much on time management as accountability.

This episode is about structure, consistency, and staying engaged in your acting career even when results aren't obvious yet.

I realized that in order to be accountable, actors actually need to manage their time. That's why I turned my Weekly Accountability Group into a time management group as well.

At the start of every class, I have actors pull out their planners. Phones, digital calendars, or a physical calendar. We plan the week from Friday to Friday. Doctor appointments. Acting class. Warm-ups. Self-tapes. Reels. Life stuff. Everything goes on the calendar.

When you see it laid out, it becomes much harder to tell yourself that nothing is happening.

When actors say nothing is happening, I ask a few simple questions.

Are you training?
Are you submitting?
Are you improving your craft?
Are you living a life that feeds your work?

If you're doing those things, something is happening. Progress often happens quietly. Just because you can't see the seed breaking through the soil doesn't mean nothing is growing.

One of the biggest shifts I see in my accountability group is when actors stop tracking outcomes and start tracking actions.

Classes taken.
Self-tapes submitted.
Outreach sent.
Study time logged.
Preparation done.

When you see it on paper, the narrative starts to fall apart. Engagement becomes visible when you actually look at what you're doing.

Booking is not the job. Booking is the byproduct.

Waiting is part of the job. I've waited twelve hours on set before shooting a scene. That didn't mean nothing was happening. It meant I was doing the work.

Your career is the process. The auditions you prepare for. The confidence you build. The work you do when no one is watching.

When your brain says nothing is happening, do one tangible thing.

Record a monologue.
Refine your tools.
Update your materials.
Send a warm reach-out.

Even one small action is a vote for the actor you want to become. I always ask myself, what would my future self do today? Then I do that.

The version of you who has worked steadily for years is not saying nothing is happening. They're saying, I stayed in the game even when it was quiet.

Quiet seasons are not empty. They're preparation.

If this episode resonates and you want support staying consistent, I invite you to try two free weeks of my Weekly Accountability Group, which also functions as a time management group for actors.

Every class is recorded, so you can attend live or watch the replay at any time. You can email me your questions, your schedule, and your accountability, and I personally respond. You'll also get access to my Weekly Adjustment core energy work.

To get started, click the link HERE.

Stay safe, treat yourself real well in 2026, and keep going.

I don't know many actors who got into this work because they love paperwork.

Money. Invoices. Contracts. Admin.

I avoid this side of the business not because I think it's beneath me, but because it makes me uncomfortable. It forces me to look closely. At numbers. At patterns. At choices I've postponed.

And lately, I've been reminded how common that is.

I've had several conversations recently with actors who are genuinely scared of the financial side of their career.

Taxes coming up. Receipts scattered. Invoices unpaid. Contracts sitting unread in inboxes.

Avoiding it feels easier than facing it. It feels responsible. I'll deal with it later. When I have more energy. When I feel more prepared.

But avoidance doesn't stay neutral.

It compounds.

The longer we don't look, the bigger it feels.

Money becomes emotional. Following up feels confrontational. Rates feel uncertain. Admin starts to feel like proof that we're "bad at business."

None of that is about talent.

It's about fear.

Clarity, even when it's uncomfortable, is kinder than avoidance.

This episode isn't about becoming an accountant or loving spreadsheets.

It's about becoming available.

Available to book work without panic.
Available to follow up without guilt.
Available to understand where your money is coming from and where it's going.

Being organized doesn't make you less creative. It gives your nervous system a break.

Smaller steps.

Looking at the last few months instead of everything at once. Canceling subscriptions I forgot about. Sending invoice reminders before they're overdue so they don't turn emotional.

Treating admin like maintenance, not a personal failure.

It's quieter this way.

If my business were actually supporting me instead of stressing me out, how would my work feel different?

That question changes how I approach this part of the job.

You don't need to fix everything at once. You just need to stop pretending this part doesn't matter.

If this episode brought something up for you and you want to share it, you can always email me at mandy@actingbusinessbootcamp.com . I love hearing where things clicked and where they still feel sticky.

And if you want to know when the next class or training is coming up, keep an eye on your inbox. There's more support on the way.

Actors often think a new year will change things. New calendar, new energy, new motivation. But real change doesn't come from dates. It comes from how you structure your choices, your habits, and your expectations.

In this episode of the Acting Business Boot Camp Podcast, Peter Pamela Rose breaks down the five shifts that actually help actors change their year, not in a dramatic, overnight way, but in a grounded, sustainable way that builds real momentum.

This conversation is about business, nervous system regulation, consistency, and self leadership. It's about how actors move out of panic and into direction, and why that matters more than setting another list of goals.

Many actors walk into a new year with goals that sound productive but feel heavy. That pressure often leads to overwhelm, inconsistency, and self judgment.

Instead of fixing everything at once, this episode reframes the work. It asks actors to focus on direction over pressure, and to build their careers in ways that calm the nervous system rather than spike anxiety.

1. Choose Direction, Not Pressure
Choosing one clear direction creates clarity and focus. Direction helps actors say no to noise and yes to actions that actually support their growth.

2. Build Tiny Reps Instead of Dramatic Resolutions
Big resolutions fade quickly. Small daily actions build momentum. Consistency comes from repetition, not intensity.

3. Let Consistency Be Your Identity, Not Your Mood
Actors who wait to feel inspired tend to stall. Actors who identify as consistent keep moving even when motivation dips.

4. Expect Discomfort and Move Anyway
Discomfort is not a sign you're doing something wrong. It's often a sign you're doing something new. Growth requires moving through resistance, not avoiding it.

5. Celebrate Tiny Wins to Build Momentum
Acknowledging progress trains the brain to repeat positive behavior. Momentum grows when actors recognize what they're already doing well.

This episode also connects to a past conversation on momentum and why it matters more than talent or timing. When actors learn how to stay in motion, even imperfectly, they create careers that last.

Actors can take the 30 Question Acting Business Audit, a free self assessment designed to show what's working in your acting business and what needs attention. It helps clarify next steps without guesswork.

The link to the audit is in the show notes.

If you're looking for support with your acting business, confidence, materials, or next steps, you can reach out directly to learn more about coaching and classes.

Links are available in the show notes.

As always, stay safe.
And treat yourself real well.

This topic comes up more than people admit.

Usually in a whisper. Or an email that starts with, "This might be a weird question…"
It's not weird. It's just complicated.

A lot of actors are working in NSFW or spicy spaces. Erotica audiobooks. Adult games. ASMR. OnlyFans. Patreon. Sensual storytelling. And at the same time, they're booking e-learning, commercials, family-friendly narration, children's content.

The work itself isn't the problem.
The overlap is.

So I want to talk about how to keep those worlds separate in a way that's professional, grounded, and sane.

Not from a morality angle. From a business one.

Most of the discomfort doesn't come from the work.
It comes from fear.

Fear of being judged.
Fear of being misunderstood.
Fear that one client will see something they weren't meant to see and make a snap decision about you.

And honestly? That fear isn't irrational. Algorithms don't understand nuance. Brand managers don't scroll thoughtfully. Google definitely doesn't care about context.

So when people ask, "Should I be hiding this?" what they're really asking is, "How do I protect my career without betraying myself?"

That's the real question.

Separating your spicy work is not about shame.
It's about clarity.

You're not hiding your art. You're organizing it.

Just like authors use different names for different genres, actors can use separate identities for separate audiences. A pseudonym. A distinct brand. A different website, email, and social presence.

Both are real. Both are you. They just serve different people.

When everything lives in one place, clients get confused. And confused clients don't book.

Clear clients do.

A few things matter more than people realize.

Separate branding.
Different headshots, colors, fonts, tone. If one side of your work says PBS and the other says sultry midnight headphones, they should not look related.

Separate metadata.
File names, tags, credits. This is where people accidentally connect dots they never meant to connect.

Separate systems.
Emails. Phone numbers. Invoicing if you can. Boundaries get easier when logistics support them.

None of this makes you secretive. It makes you intentional.

This is the moment that spikes everyone's nervous system.

Someone recognizes your voice.
A link gets shared accidentally.
A client stumbles across something unexpected.

Here's the rule. Don't panic.

If you're comfortable acknowledging it, a simple line works:
"I work in multiple genres under different names to keep my projects organized."

That's it. No explanation tour. No justification.
You're allowed to run your business like a business.

And if you're not comfortable bridging those worlds, quiet consistency does the work for you. No cross-linking. No wink-wink posts. No mixing lanes just this once.

Adult performance work can take real emotional energy.

Just like screaming in video games.
Just like intense drama.
Just like anything that asks your nervous system to open.

So recovery matters. Boundaries matter. Choice matters.

Doing one kind of spicy work does not obligate you to do all of it.
Your comfort line is allowed to move, but it's also allowed to exist.

Take care of the system holding all of this. One artist. One body. One brain.

People assume separation means being two different people.

I don't see it that way.

I see one whole artist with range and boundaries.
Different lighting. Different outfits. Same integrity.

The goal isn't secrecy.
It's sovereignty.

You decide who sees what, where, and when. That's not avoidance. That's professionalism.

If you want to train your voiceover craft in a grounded, professional space, Voiceover Gyms is where we do that. Learn more about the classes here:
https://www.actingbusinessbootcamp.com/actor-training-program

You can always reach me at mandy@actingbusinessbootcamp.com , and if Voiceover Gyms feels like the next right step, keep an eye on your inbox. I'll let you know when doors are open.