Mentors on the Mic
Introduce yourself.
I am an Actress and Host of Mentors on the Mic podcast. My credits include Homeland (SHOWTIME), Blue Bloods (CBS), One Bad Choice (MTV), and the feature film Winter's Tale. I have also been in Commercials and Off Broadway. In addition to hosting my podcast, I also teach Communications skills including Public Speaking, Storytelling, On Camera Presence, and Interview training.
There is not just one way to follow your dreams. Find a Mentor. Be a Mentor.
- Michelle Miller
Share an experience that has shaped who you are today.
In May 2020, amid all of the fear and anxiety of the pandemic, I distracted myself with the question "what have I always wanted to do but never felt like I had time for?" The one word answer came to me quickly: "podcast." I had helped a couple of Mentors create their podcast a year or so before, but never felt like I had an idea or platform to create one of my own. I started with asking a friend in the podcast space, Jackie Collier, for her advice and she was kind enough to send me a book called So You Want to Start a Podcast by Kristen Meinzer. I spoke to another friend about a virtual event I had recently created for my alma mater, Brandeis University. He helped me formulate my idea for the podcast, a place where I could interview mentors in the industry, specifically focusing on what I was curious about: how did these Mentors start and move up to where they are today. I asked Jackie to be one of the first guests on the podcast, along with the guests in that original Brandeis panel. I joined podcast communities through facebook and one kind podcast host taught me how to edit my audio over zoom. I realized that when there is a desire and one person you could turn to for help, it creates a chain reaction of support and resources. My podcast wouldn't be here without the support of all of these people, without all of those Mentors who agreed to come on. Inadvertently, I had started tapping into this community that I didn't even know I had. I try to remember this idea whenever a new intimidating desire sprouts or things feel overwhelming.
Tell us about your podcast audience.
My audience is comprised of people in their 20s and 30s who want to start in the industry or wish to move up. They expect to hear wisdom and advice from different people in the industry. I have a lot of actors, writers, and producers who are not sure how to start or get ahead. This podcast allows them to find a Mentor that they could look up to and learn from. Some people aren't sure what roles even exist in the industry. Mentors on the Mic podcast not only share stories and advice, but people learn from the Mentor's mistakes and failures. Some of the Mentors will even help out some listeners by reading their scripts and providing feedbacks, discussing internships and how to get ahead, and/or help them pitch bigger industry executives.
What makes your podcast unique?
I am an Actress and Host of Mentors on the Mic podcast. I interview incredible people in the Entertainment industry about how they started and how they moved up. My guests include Showrunner and Co-Creator Marta Kauffman (Friends, Grace & Frankie), Actor/Director Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), Writers, Producers, Agents, and more. I also create bonus episodes that help those in the industry with practical skills and tips. The community I am building is a mixture of Mentors and Mentees who want to help each other get ahead.
Joshua: Joshua is a diverse, singing actor who has worked on Broadway and regionally at esteemed theaters such as Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Theatre Under the Stars, Folger Theatre, Triad Stage, and Signature Theatre. His television appearances include “FBI,” “Law and Order,” “Law and Order: Organized Crime,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Lincoln Rhyme,” and HBO’s “Paterno.” Joshua co-founded and served as Artistic Director of the Helen Hayes Award-winning No Rules Theatre Company in Washington, DC, and Winston-Salem, NC.
Mike Labbadia (co-host) an actor, producer, writer and filmmaker, a “multipassionate” you can say. As a company member of BEDLAM he’s appeared Off-Broadway in shows from Arcadia to Julius Caesar. Regional work includes Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Gulfshore Playhouse, Penguin Rep and Virginia Rep. He’s in the upcoming film “On the End” with Tim Blake Nelson. As a producer he’s had films premiere at prestigious festivals around the world.
In this episode, we discuss these “Rules” actors should break:
06:15 – Rule 1 – Don’t pitch yourself
- Sent 37 self pitching emails, without an agent, and booked a Broadway show
9:03 – Rule 2 – Don’t complain to our Reps
12:45 – Rule 3 – We can only be one “kind of artist”
17:15 – Rule 4 – Wait until you have a big project to grow an audience
21:20 – Rule 5 – Don’t actively pursue industry relationships
15:52 – Rule 6 – Take on Gig work to support your career
30:29 – Rule 7 – Let the Industry define you as an artist
PODCAST DESCRIPTION: “CREATIVE RISK”, is a new podcast hosted by actors Joshua Morgan and Mike Labbadia of Artist’s Strategy where they explore all things art, entrepreneurialism and everything in between. The acting industry is more volatile and competitive than ever before, therefore the artist must evolve in order to take radical ownership over their creative businesses. Each episode, Mike and Joshua will get raw and unfiltered, giving hot takes and cutting edge strategies on how to build a sustainable career in the arts.
Guest:
For Joshua Morgan :
WebsiteIMDbInstagram Broadway World
For Podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts Youtube InstagramTikTok
Host:
Instagram: @MentorsontheMic@MichelleSimoneMiller
Twitter: @MentorsontheMic@MichelleSimoneM
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic
Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com and www.mentorsonthemic.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle
Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a clip of the Creative Risk podcast.
If you like this episode, check out my episode on their podcast”
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michelle-miller4/support
Vinnie Potestivo, Editor-in-Chief of
I Have A Podcast®
