The world is facing challenging times. The coronavirus pandemic has affected our global society in a way not seen since perhaps as far back as World War II.

The Oscars are a state of the union for our industry. The show itself is a conduit for analyzing the past year while the media fervor around it helps to paint a complete picture of the movie business and its place in culture. I always watch with interest.

Talented, hard-working people struggle to navigate the entertainment industry because they don’t understand how to generate opportunities for themselves and build the relationships they need to get the things they want.

No matter who you are or what you pursue in your career, an opportunity will come your way through luck or (more likely) effort and you’ll get a chance to showcase your talents.

My life has been motivated and consumed by talent; pursuing it in myself, seeking to emphasize it in others, understanding its power and importance within each individual. I’m a talent manager because I feel deeply that talent in all of its forms has a tremendous power to improve the world, to move each of us to positive action.

This realization is helping me learn and develop a variety of seemingly disconnected skills including how to fly, play piano, use social media, and navigate Hollywood.

When it comes to casting, Lisa Zambetti is a busy casting director on the rise.

I like to analyze things. Doing so can have its drawbacks, but it’s a valuable trait as relates to my career as a Hollywood talent manager.

I’m fascinated by success. As a Hollywood talent manager for more than three decades, I’ve spent years studying the differences between people who succeed and those who never quite accomplish their goals.

For more than three decades I’ve sat in meetings with actors who ask me that crucial question about their career.

Every actor wants to know how to get a talent agent or manager’s attention. I know, because it’s one of the questions I’m most often asked.

“There are x types of people in this world.” You’ve probably heard everybody from your Grandpa Joe to Clint Eastwood in any movie say some variation of this mantra.

If you stop and think about your career as a series of horse races, a few things are going to happen. You’re more likely to get where you want to go. You’re more likely to build good relationships. And you’re more likely to have fun while you do it.