I got a call yesterday from one of my daughter's classmates at college. She is going to do an internship at my old company this Spring and wanted my advice.
Whenever I hear someone wants to go into the entertainment business, my first reaction is to talk them out of it. I started both of my UCLA classes with this speech:
"It's a shitty business. It's a cutthroat business. It will eat you alive. It will infect your marriage(s), your children, your friendships and your overall well-being. It's a business you should only pursue because you can't imagine yourself doing anything else. It is a business of sheer perseverance, luck and timing.
Sometimes, if you can just survive it longer than anyone else, you will find yourself in charge.
If you absolutely MUST work in the entertainment business than my advice is:
Work harder than everyone else and develop a thick skin."
Here I am giving advice to a 21-year-old college senior, but really it is the advice I should be giving myself.
I find myself feeling demoralized as projects that I am putting together just aren't selling. It has thrown cold water on my proverbial camp fire and I can feel myself flaming out.
I am less interested in reading, meeting, traveling or unearthing new projects. I just want it to be different, better, more fun and more fruitful.
My more mature self knows that it takes time. My future self says hang in there. Every day is a new day. You've only been at this for six months.
Meanwhile, I'm going to need thicker skin.