Hollywood Networking Tips for Entrepreneurs with Jodie Bentley

Here’s why it’s not about who you know; it’s about who knows you. That’s networking at it’s finest. If you want to succeed at networking, you need strategies for success. Here’s some tips from Hollywood.     Why Hollywood? Entrepreneurs have a lot to learn from working actors (which make up less than 10% of the actor community). Working actors in Hollywood need to build resilience in the face of rejection, network to grow themselves as a business, market themselves and sell themselves. Entrepreneurs have to do all those things also! I look at how to develop successful networking strategies in this episode with my guest, Jodie Bentley. Jodie is an LA-based actor, audiobook narrator, and branding/career coach for actors. She has over 170 credits as an actor in TV, Film, Theater, Commercials and Audiobooks. She’s worked for Apple TV, Netflix, Hulu, ABC, CBS, and many more. We dive into topics including: Jodie’s journey from a fledgling actress to being the CEO of her business as an actor. The power of networking and the right (and wrong) way to go about it. The questions you need to ask yourself and then answer to be successful in the networking world. When to look for support for yourself and when to support other people. How to start getting strategic with networking instead of running around meeting a bunch of random people. Why it’s important to “Know Thy Self” first and foremost before you begin networking. The three things you need to know about yourself before going into a networking room. How to know which rooms you actually need to be in so you can find them. How to go about networking without feeling pushy or “salesy”. Jodie’s (excellent) definition of networking. Why you can’t predict who’s going to help you and when and how to foster relationships anyways. How to strike a balance between giving help and supporting other people and getting help and support for yourself. How to nurture relationships once you start building them. Practical tips for staying top of mind with the key people in your network. How to know when to be full steam ahead with meeting new people and when to step back and nurture your existing relationships. Why you should start networking if you’re on the fence about networking. The one thing, above all else, that you need to do to be successful at networking to grow your business. …and other golden nuggets of advice! Jodie’s Journey into the Networking World In her twenties Jodie went to NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. She thought that she would graduate from college and immediately become famous. Her plan was to be on Broadway by the time she was 21 and thought life would be amazing, her talent alone would take her to the top, and she would soar. That’s not how things turned out…. When she graduated her foray into acting was difficult. It was very difficult. She floundered for about eight years. It took her all that time to realize that acting is not a “go it alone” business. She realized she had to network, reach out to peers, and be of service in a community of her peers and role models. She realized that she had to understand her product (who she was) and how to sell herself to key industry people. That way when she did network, people would “get it”. Meaning they would know who she was and recognize her as an actress. That way they could think of people that might be able to help her career. During those eight years she got to a point where things just weren’t “clicking”. She had to ask herself, “What am I doing?” Something needed to change. She read every business book that she could get her hands on. Books about branding, sales, networking and more. Books like “Never Eat Alone”. Those books made Jody realize that as an actor, she’s a business owner. She’s A CEO. She realized that she’s also the COO, CMO, and CFO. She’s all the ‘Os. That’s when she started taking practical business principles and applying them to herself as an entrepreneur in the acting world. Amongst those skills, networking stood out above the rest. Learning What Networking REALLY Is Originally, Jodie thought simply talking with other actors was networking. But it wasn’t. She didn’t have a strategy or focus. She didn’t think that she was ready for the big time. She didn’t feel like she belonged in the bigger rooms. That mindset got in the way of meaningful and productive networking. Then cut to now where she is producing a feature film. It’s the connections she made 15 years ago that are supporting Jodie now that she’s come into her own. She’s known her director for 13 years. She’s known her other producer for 15 years. She’s known her writing partner for seven years. Those are people that she networked with years ago, and nothing happened immediately. Nothing happened in some of those relationships for over 15 years until now. Sewing the Seeds of Your Networking Endeavors But now’s the time. What’s happening now is why she met them. It took Jodie a long time to realize that relationships are what is going to move the needle. NOT relationships that started with “What can you do for me?”, but the relationships that started with “How can we support each other and what does that look like?” and “How can we be in and build a community together?” And yes, Jodie knows as an actor sometimes there’s a lot of “Me, me, me, I, I, I, what can you do for me?” She also thinks that’s also true for a lot of business owners. Even when she started her business at times it was like, “How can I move forward? How can I get people to cross promote me? How can I get other people to help me?” Jodie believes that meaningful relationships are what it’s all about. It’s about planting seeds and watering them. Sometimes you water your own seeds to sprout later, and sometimes you’re helping someone else water their seeds. It’s all about working together for what’s best for both of you. And that is just the beginning! Listen to or watch the interview to continue this story and get more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” About My Guest   Since 2008, Jodie Bentley has helped over 2300 actors in 32 countries level up their careers. Jodie is an LA-based actor, audiobook narrator, and branding/career coach for actors. She has over 170 credits as an actor in TV, Film, Theater, Commercials and Audiobooks. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting, she’s worked for Apple TV, Netflix, Hulu, ABC, CBS, and many more. Alongside her own acting career, she’s been educating actors and artists on how to achieve their goals, implement success strategies, become organizational masters, stop the self-sabotage, and own their brand. She has taught workshops on all of the above at SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity, Comic Con, and over 50+ universities and training programs. She’s been an adjunct professor and built the Business of Acting Programs at four universities and colleges. In 2022, she was named one of the Top 20 Coaches in Los Angeles by Influence Digest. Click here to learn more about Jodie’s career! Click here to learn about Jodie’s work coaching actors! Connect with Jodie on social media! Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/actorinsider Twitter/X – https://twitter.com/jodiebentley Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiebentley/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theactorsworkspace Want to learn more Hollywood insider advice for entrepreneurs? check out “What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Working Actors in Hollywood with Kevin E. West“