Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry

BRYCE NORBITZ is currently the Director of Artist Programs at Tribeca Studios, where they oversee filmmaker development programming. Prior to this, they served as the Director of the Stowe Launch Program at Stowe Story Labs. Bryce also has extensive experience at the Tribeca Film Institute, where they held various roles including Director of Scripted Programs, Manager of Artist Programs, and Coord...

Bonus Episode LIVE from the RED CARPET of the New York Women in Film and Television Muse Awards. First ever red carpet interviews with: - Tantoo Cardinal (04:41) - Michele Stephenson (05:31) - Raney Aronson-Rath (07:40) - Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago (09:32) - Alex Borstein (11:00) - Pat Swinney Kaufman (14:31) - Kyra Sedgwick (16:55) - Latasha Gillespie (18:30) Bios: Tantoo Cardinal is an award-winnin...

I recorded the intro to this episode earlier this week and already it's outdated! The strike is over! We can now talk about how GREAT Carol Baum is. Carol Baum has produced thirty-four movies, seventeen of them independently. Before becoming an independent producer, Baum was co-president of Sandollar Productions, Dolly Parton and Sandy Gallin’s production company, for ten years, where she produced...

One of Carol's superpowers as a successful producer is her relationships with WRITERs. She is credited for starting the careers of David O’Russell, Noah Baumbach, and Mike White, in addition to being Former VP at 20th Century Fox and Co-President of Sandollar Productions (founded by Dolly Parton and Sandy Gallin). This is an excerpt from Carol Baum's new book: ⁠⁠⁠Creative Producing: a pitch-to-pic...

Ready to elevate your social media game? Join us for an enlightening session with Heidi Dean, a master of social media strategy, as we uncover the secrets to crafting an irresistible online persona. In this engaging episode, we're diving into your most pressing questions: How can you build a compelling brand on Instagram? Heidi shares practical steps to showcase your unique identity. What is Heidi...

If you're wondering, "How can we use Instagram highlights to network effectively and even book jobs?" – you're in for a treat. Join us as Heidi Dean, the renowned social media strategist, unravels her secret playbook to harness Instagram Highlights for networking and job opportunities. Get ready to revamp your approach and master the art of strategic storytelling. Heidi's tips will empower you to...

Dreaming of making your social media posts go viral? Join us in this dynamic episode as we team up with social media strategist for actors, Heidi Dean, to unveil the secrets of going viral. Discover three powerful strategies to transform your online presence and create a buzz that resonates. From engaging content to trending techniques, we're here to elevate your actor journey to new heights. Tune...

Now before you go crazy and DM me that there's a SAG-AFTRA strike and I can't talk about a CBS production, listen to the episode intro, I address it all! KELTIE KNIGHT is a three-time Emmy award-winning television host whose credits include CBS's ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE ON CBS, THE GRAMMYS RED CARPET LIVE and currently is the Chief Correspondent for E! NEWS. She is a NYT...

What CAN actors do during the SAG-AFTRA strike? The SAG-AFTRA strike (not to mention the WGA strike) is causing ripples in the Entertainment industry. I've been consistently getting asked: - What are we allowed to talk about on social media? - How do we still stay pro-active? - What can we post about? - How do we further our careers when we can't even audition? - How do we network right now? That'...

Let's end Season 4 with another interview with a Series Regular, shall we? I'm so happy to have Melissa Navia on the podcast. I've known her for years as a working actor in NY, booking co-stars and guest stars in some of our favorite NY shows. During the pandemic, Melissa booked the dream gig, a Series Regular role of Lieutenant Erica Ortegas on the incredible Paramount+ show: Star Trek: Strange N...

Michael Indjeian is a Daytime Emmy® winning Producer & Daytime Emmy® nominated Director with 5 total Daytime Emmy® nominations (2019-2022), and 26 years in film & television.  Michael is known for producing the feature film, Follow Her (2022), and producing (57 episodes) & directing (7 episodes) the 2-time Daytime Emmy® winning PBS travel show, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love (Seasons 1-6).  His w...

Fiona and Sophia Robert are Producers, Writers, and Actors who have written roles for themselves in two feature films: The Country Club and A View of the World from Fifth Avenue. While The Country Club is available to stream right now, A View of the World from Fifth Avenue was cast by Mentor Julie Schubert and just premiered at Bentonville Film Festival. Robert Sisters Pictures is an award-winning...

You asked for it! A bonus episode all about making your own film. And who better to ask than the Robert sisters? Sophia and Fiona Robert are two women who write, produce, and star in their own feature films. Their second feature film, A View of the World from Fifth Avenue, just premiered at Bentonville Film Festival (founded by Geena Davis) to a sold out audience. They made this film in just over...

INGRID FRENCH is a personal manager and owner of Ingrid French Management, a dynamic talent management company.  IFM represents actors and models for commercial print, commercials, television, film, theatre and voice overs.  IFM has recently booked clients for several commercial print campaigns including Verizon, GAP, Johnson and Johnson, and Target; for commercials such as T-Mobile, Graco, Amazon...

"I don’t think an actors private life is entertainment for other people. So I never ask anybody any personal questions of any kind." BOB KRAKOWER is recognized as one of the top acting teachers and coaches in the business. His clients have been nominated for the Academy, Emmy, and Tony Awards. He is currently creating inaugural on-camera acting programs at UNCSA and Juilliard. He has been on guest...

Want to make your own film and have no idea where to start? This episode answers so many questions with Mentor Izzy Stevens. IZZY STEVENS is an acclaimed Aussie-American Actress, widely regarded for her lead role in Netflix’s ‘Occupation’ Franchise among other lead roles in films such as ‘Rainfall’, ‘Underbelly’, ‘Puberty Blues’, and ‘Another Mother’. On top of her successful acting career, Izzy h...

We are so fortunate to have another Showrunner on the podcast. This time, Hank Steinberg. In 1997, Steinberg successfully sold the cable network HBO on 61*, a biographical drama about the legendary home-run race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle of the 1961 Yankees. The following year, Billy Crystal came aboard as a producer on the project and subsequently directed the film, starring Thomas Ja...

Did you know what it takes to be a post production supervisor? Or that it's a possible way to climb up the track to Executive Producer? LESLIE CONVERSE is both a producer and a post-Production Supervisor. She tells us about her start in the industry, assisting Director Frank Oz on movies such as  The Indian in the Cupboard, In & Out starring Kevin Kline, and Bowfinger starring Steve Martin and Edd...

Waiting to hire a publicist when you book something BIG? It may be too late. Former publicist Diane Foy breaks down why it's a tall ask for a publicist to start promoting your big project without all of the basics set up, things you can do NOW. It can also start your interview journey and prepare you for those bigger media outlets. How can you do The Late Show without some proper training? This is...

Courtney Michelle Dlugos is an actress and viral content creator with (at the time of this episode airing) 450k followers on Tik Tok with over 20million likes and 127k followers on Instagram. She creates her own work every day on social media, many of which are sponsored/branded. In this episode, we talk about: • The vulnerability of creating your own work and sharing it, including getting over he...

Marta Kauffman is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning television writer, producer, and showrunner behind the hit series Friends and Grace & Frankie. After graduating from Brandeis University, Kauffman got her big break alongside David Crane when their pilots Dream On (1990) and The Powers That Be (1992) were green-lit. The pair then launched Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions with Kevin Bright and be...

LAMAR RICHARDSON is an actor and producer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He received his B.A. from Columbia University in the City of New York in 2015. Shortly after, Lamar made his regional theater debut as 'Sylvester' in Phylicia Rashad's award-winning production of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2016...

Aliza Licht is back on the podcast for a special bonus episode. In celebration of her new book ON BRAND, Aliza takes us through her 3 actionable tips for building your audience and creating a strong content strategy that you can do right now. She reminds us to: - push through our discomfort in putting ourselves on video - make it easy for ourselves when it comes to social media and creating our br...

ERICA A HART, CSA, was born and raised in Washington, DC. Her casting experience spans into network, studio, independent films, commercials, and recently Broadway. Her television/streaming directorial casting credits include both seasons of THAT DAMN MICHAEL CHE (HBOMAX), JODIE, BLACK DON'T CRACK (ABC), BUST DOWN (PEACOCK) and THE GIRLS ON THE BUS (HBOMAX). Her commercial work has been with brands...

This is the 100th episode of Mentors on the Mic podcast, so I discuss how I started podcasting, my gratitude for my audience and mentors, and celebrating our wins. Our Mentor this week is Shaurya Nanavati, who manages the greenlighting process and provides guidance to drive content, distribution, and strategy decisions. Prior to his work at Lionsgate, he managed a music publishing company, wrote &...