DAVID BROWNSTEIN provides career coaching and leadership development for professionals in the entertainment industry, production companies and Hollywood Studios.
Named one of the “Top 100 Thought Leaders” by Leadership Excellence magazine, David is also an author, certified life coach, workshop leader and business consultant.
He has coached executives, producers, directors, writers, actors, editors. DP’s and AD’s at ABC, NBC, CBS, Sony, Fox, Touchstone TV, Warner Brothers TV, Walt Disney, HBO, E!, Bravo, MTV, ICM, William Morris and BBC-TV.
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Daily Blog
January 6, 2011
WHAT IS PRESENCE?
When we talk about presence, we’re not talking about domination.
We’re talking about the ability to be present in our self.
And to monitor and balance the needs and messages from our internal state with our external state AND our own business objective.
And only when we do that can we be aware of the other people’s internal state and the other people’s external state and business objectives.
CREATING SAFE SPACE
So leadership presence is really creating a safe space for others to speak the truth.
Safe, non-judgemental, and also, ultimately focused on a business objective.
So when we say Presence, we have to be able to be aware of whether WE are being present.
We have to first be present, and first be vulnerable and real, so that we can inspire others to do the same and to bring their presence.
FACILITATE YOURSELF
So we have to be able to facilitate our self to become present, and to work our self through whatever crap is going on.We must also be able to facilitate others so that they can feel present and that they can feel safe, so that they can get down to the business at hand.
So a leader must have their business agenda, and know what the goal is in the Meta-View, and also be clear enough about what’s happening, what’s present in the room right now, and take that as the departure point.
What’s showing up and what’s real is the starting point, regardless of our intended agenda, plan or schedule.
WHAT’S BUBBLING UP?
There’s always something bubbling up, that’s waiting to be said or waiting to be experienced, or waiting to be born, like it or not.
The best leaders can, by being present with themselves, (not dominating, not passive) be honest and vulnerable and open and forthcoming and forthright.
And… making the conscious choice to risk and reveal and be vulnerable with a stated objective, with a goal in mind, actually.
So we must do that with ourselves so that we can facilitate others to do that.
And THEN we can get the whole company, team or project going.
October 1, 2010
I was quoted in this article in the Hollywood Reporter. I’m thinking about expanding the thoughts inspired by my conversation with the author of the piece but for how, here’s a link:
–”What will Jeff Zucker do next?” - http://bit.ly/ciUxAP
September 13, 2010
WHAT’S YOUR CAREER OBJECTIVE?
Wow, have I seen a lot of resumes in the past two years! Not as many as people who’re actually hiring but I see a lot as I work with clients looking for new jobs or opportunities.
Now more than ever, it’s important to be clear and specific about what sort of gig you’re looking for. The main reason is because it helps you find the right company or project for you. In addition it helps other friendly people help you by knowing who to send you to.
LET ME SEE YOUR RESUME
It’s essential to begin your resume with a clear objective of what kind of job you’re looking for. By doing so you help any person who is reading your resume figure out what do with you. Maybe you’re wrong for the current position but because you’re specific about where you are and what you’re interested in it can inspire a person to forward your resume on to someone who can help you.
BE REALLY SPECIFIC
What sort of company do you want to work for? What sort of position? Where do you see that company going? How can you help?
You have some expertise although it may not be apparent to you.
The old/passive way of looking at career objectives and job hunting is to create a resume like a generic list of stuff you showed up for.
ALREADY BE ON THEIR TEAM
The pro-active way of looking at your career objective and job hunt is to take a bigger look at your life experiences and career experiences and think about how they fit into the local and global economy in the world today (i.e. right now.)
What industries are dead and dying? What industries are growing and thriving? What are new companies specializing in? What are established companies changing to keep up? What sort of people are they looking for right now to help them transition and reinvent their business model?
DO SOME RESEARCH
From that perspective, take a look at your skills and background.
Do some research into cutting-edge companies. Read a copy of Wired or Fast Company. Find companies that are doing something interesting and do some research on them.
Then search on Linkedin for employees of those companies and see how those people describe their current jobs and their past jobs.
OBJECTIVE EXAMPLES
Here are some examples of specific resume objectives:
OBJECTIVE: Seeking an Entry Level Sales Position in a New Media Company focused on Green Technology and Alternative Energy Solutions.
OBJECTIVE: Senior Management Position in Television or Radio Industries leveraging my success in Transforming other Traditional Media into the Social Media Age.
MAKING THE CASE
Then, once you have a clear objective, organize your experience (past jobs or other relevant background.)
Your past jobs should do the best job to possible to support your objective. You might want to describe your past jobs differently or add some unique experiences that wouldn’t normally go on a resume but help your resume stand out as unique, memorable or funny.
Your objective at this point, is to get them to call you in for a meeting. I once suggested that a client add to her resume her experience selling Rice-A-Roni in supermarkets because it was relevant to the sales type jobs she was interested in. Another client who wanted to work at a Music-Related TV network added his past experience as a drummer to his resume. These are not the make or break issues to getting hired but they help a company understand more about you than just a list of jobs you had.
WHAT’S YOUR CAREER OBJECTIVE?
What’s the funniest thing you add to your resume?
How can you make the case really clear by some simple editing or rearranging your past experiences?
http://www.hollywoodcoaching.com
June 23, 2010
-Simple Techniques for Managing Your “To-Do” list.
-Time Management vs. Creativity Management
-Clearing the Obstacles for Creativity
-Enjoying Your Work And Your Life
Bring Your To-Do List: (Whether Large or Small.)
Arrival time 6:30. We’ll start at 7:00 and go until 8:00. Then hang around to network and schmooze.
NOTE: Admission is Complimentary but RSVP Required:
The Writer’s Junction
1001 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.451.0999
April 22, 2010
Hi Film Industry Bloggers Community:
Just got back from a Career Day Event with NAB in Vegas Last week. Here’s letter I wrote to the people I met with there.
There may be something in it for you guys too:
See ya
-db
Hi folks. Hope you all had a productive and informative time at NAB last week.
It was great to meet and speak to so many of you. It was exciting to see and hear your new ideas, enthusiasm and willingness to try new approaches to your career.
It’s obviously been a strange time, both in the entertainment industry and the world, but I do believe there are new and lucrative work opportunities for us all.
The challenge is often about getting a clearer picture of who we are, what we’re good at, what we care about and how it relates to the current market opportunities.
GRADUATES AND MENTORS
I met some of you who are still in college and some of you who’ve been in the workforce for decades.
The broadcast and entertainment industry is different now than it was 2 years ago, let alone 20 years ago.
Your ability to thrive is in direct proportion to your ability and willingness to re-invent yourself in a way that is true to yourself and relevant to the professional world as it exists today.
It used to seem like the best way to stay gainfully employed in the old days was to find a way to mold ourselves to the shape of an existing job. Now the challenge is to figure out what we’re best at, what we care about and what organization needs our help to get where they are going.
MICRO-NICHE: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY BEST AT?
Things are changing and happening so fast that many employers know they need help but don’t know what how to ask for or what who they need.
Companies have been shedding jobs that fit their old view of their process and business model but they’re looking for help in reworking their business model for the future.
Therefore, if you can explain on your resume objective and cover letter what your skills and interests are and how it relates to the current business environment then they will be more likely to bring you in for an interview or meeting.
FRESH OUT OF SCHOOL?
If you’re fresh out of school and looking for a first professional job it’s important to show your special interests, as they relate to the job you want to do.
It’s not just that they make you stand out from the crowd of boring resumes it’s that it shows you’re a person who’s got an eye out on the world and paying attention and ready to be a contributor to the team as well as to the world.
GET SPECIFIC
A specialized resume will generally get you more interviews and more interest than a generic one. If you’re creative and want to be creative, highlight and put the focus on your creative skills.
Creatives understand creatives and generally want to have them around. So don’t hide your creative side.
If you’re an aspiring reporter (and I enjoyed meeting a bunch of you) it’s important to show what part of the world or community excites you and lights you up. Sure, your first job may not be in front of the camera, but people want to hire people who’re passionate about the material whether it’s weather, politics, cooking, technology or movies.
FOR THE SEASONED PRO’S
For those who’ve been working steadily for years and now find themselves entering a different job market the challenge is different, but the approach is similar.
The first step is to be clear and specific about what kind of job you want now and with what sort of company. Give potential job titles: this will help the HR/Recruiting person who might be reviewing resumes and also help your resume show up in the searches on Monster.com, LinkedIn, etc.
And be clear about what type of company you want to work for. You may need to do some research on this point but it’s well worth the time and can help you on your search in many ways.
Whether you realize it or not, now you’re somewhat of an expert in a few things.
In the big picture what are you best at and what do you love to do?
What new companies or industries may need people like you? These may not have existed a few years ago.
That’s ok. But that’s why they need you now.
A STRANGE COMBINATION
Now with so many markets, niches and outlets, it’s important to be a strange combination of extremely individual and extremely flexible.
In other words, narrow your view of what you’re good at and what sort of skills are you best at, and broaden your views of how and where you’ll apply it.
Good luck on your search and please let me know what’s working for you these days.
