070 You Need to Give It a Decade

Pursuing a serious professional artistic career does not happen quickly. If it's something you really want, then you need to give it at least a decade of relentless pursuit. There will be many times that the idea of quitting and moving on to something else is palpable. This week Charlie talks to his former student Simone Serra, who has just passed her first decade and is still at it. Simone has carved out a successful voice over career which has sustained her and opened many doors. Charlie and Simone discuss the art of voice overs, and the important work she's done to overcome self-sabotage. You are worthy of all good things! You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

Transcript

Charlie Sandlan (00:00:03):

It's one thing to say to yourself, I want to be an actor. Or an artist. Some of you might be listening to this and aren't necessarily actors, but you live an artistic life. It's one thing to say, I want to do that and it's something else to then really seriously pursue it. Because then you have to start to educate yourself. You have to train. You realize at some points what it takes to carve out a career. You've got to keep yourself in shape. You've got to sustain rejection. You've got to understand the business. All this off this shit that goes into being an actor. And I will just say this to you. If you're not willing to give it a decade, and I mean a really solid 10 years, through the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, you won't make it. And so today we get to talk to one of my former students, Simone Serra. She has put in her 10 years, and it's been quite a journey for her. She's become a first rate voiceover artist. She has been able to sustain her career. And she's going to talk about how she's overcome her own personal demons. The inner critic that likes to sabotage, and how she came on the other side of that. So put the phone back in your pocket. Creating Behavior starts now.

(00:01:20):

(singing)

(00:01:48):

Well hello, my fellow daydreamers. The inner critic. Man, I'm telling you, nothing can fuck you and sabotage you more than the voice inside your head. And I think part of the ability to be able to make it 10 years, to go a whole decade pursuing this requires you to do some really serious work on yourself when it comes to the ways that you sabotage yourself. And the negativity that we can get caught up in our own head. I'm not good enough. I'm not ready. I'm not pretty enough. I don't work hard. I'm lazy. They don't like me. It's just never going to happen.

(00:02:46):

These little voices in your head, they just ... Man. And then you add on top of that the countless, countless moments of rejection. And it feels like you're just trying to climb Mount Everest with a pair of flip flops. So that's why I'm really happy to share with you this conversation with Simone. Now Simone, she graduated from the studio, the Maggie Flanigan Studio, in case you did not know, in 2012. And she's got 10 years under her belt and she's still at it. And I think hearing how she made it through 10 years is valuable to you because the odds are you're not going to be famous. And if that's the reason why you got into this business, or the reason why you're pursuing it, you're seriously fucked. I mean, that's like winning the lottery. You don't go into an artistic life because you want fame or want celebrity. And if I interview a prospective student and those are the words that come out of their mouth, they're completely off my list. Not interested. You have a complete misconception of what it means to be an artist. So she's done it and she's still in it. And why I find this conversation particularly interesting is because she has been able to carve out a very successful voiceover career.

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And as artists, you're always trying to find a way not to have some shitty survival job. No one wants to wait tables, cater, nanny. When you name all the bullshit jobs that we all did and that you guys probably do now in order to survive, wouldn't it be nice to make some money doing something related to the acting world? Voiceovers, commercials. You can pay a mortgage, you can buy a house with the money you can make. But getting into it, that's what's difficult. Because you say to yourself, "I know I could do voiceovers. I got an interesting voice, but fuck, how do you do it? How do you even break into that?" And just the idea of it, the idea of how difficult that is, or just not knowing can just shut you down. And so you don't even try. Then years goes by and you go, "Well, no, I'm still waiting tables." And that's what grinds you down. So after maybe year four, year five, you're six, you're done. I can't take it anymore. I can't take the insecurity. I can't take the rejection. I can't take the financial just drain on my life.

(00:05:42):

So how Simone broke into this ... It's a good story. And she's very honest and very open about how she had to overcome her own bullshit and insecurities and self doubt and self sabotage in order to be able to love herself again. Or maybe even for the first time. But I think loving yourself, learning to love yourself is one of the main takeaways I took from this conversation. And the other thing that I took from this is how her training, her acting training, her two years at the studio, really learning how to act, how to break down a script, the fundamentals of getting the attention off yourself, your placement of concentration, really listening, being able to do actions really helped her separate herself from all of the other people that she was auditioning against in the voiceover world because she knew how to act. And it certainly carried over into that medium. And I think that's important as well. So let's just get right to the conversation, shall we? At the top, I was asking Simone if she always knew that she had a voice that could make her some money. So that's where we started. Simone Serra.

Simone Serra (00:07:09):

I didn't know. People would bring it up to me a lot. They would say, "Hey, have you ever thought about doing voiceover?" It's funny, there was a play that I did in college that's called All In the Timing by David Ives.

Charlie Sandlan (00:07:27):

Of course. I give it out all the time.

Simone Serra (00:07:28):

Well, there was one of them that's like a dating scenario. There's a narrator that is talking over the scene. And the director, he ended up casting me in that. But he didn't want me to be talking over, he wanted me to be on stage and narrating the scene. And after that show, people came up to me and they were like, "You've got a really good voice. Have you ever thought about doing voiceover?" And I'm like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no. Of course not. I want to be an actor. I wouldn't even know where to start in voiceover." And so little things like that.

Charlie Sandlan (00:08:03):

Most people don't know where to start when it comes to voiceover.

Simone Serra (00:08:06):

Right. No. Yeah, exactly. And just brushed that off and finished college. And then of course I went to Maggie's and I did my training. And then like we were talking about before I was not really in a good place after I left school. I really think the best way that I can really describe it ... Do you listen to Marc Maron at all?

Charlie Sandlan (00:08:31):

Oh yeah. I mean, please.

Simone Serra (00:08:32):

Love. Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:08:33):

Podcast king.

Simone Serra (00:08:34):

Yes, podcast king. Love Marc Maron. And there was this episode when I actually had first had started doing voiceover that my husband was telling me, "You should really listen to this episode." And he had on Yeardley Smith, who is the voice of Lisa Simpson.

Charlie Sandlan (00:08:47):

Sure.

Simone Serra (00:08:47):

Yeah, right.

Charlie Sandlan (00:08:47):

Absolutely. Yep.

Simone Serra (00:08:49):

And so she started to describe about how in the beginning of her career, she always had this specific idea of what her career was going to look like. By the time she was 25, she was going to be an EGOT. She was going to have all the awards. Have her pick of the litter in terms of acting choices and stuff and preparing herself for world domination. And Marc Maron was like, "Oh, like your character, Lisa Simpson." And she said, "Yes, that's true, but Lisa, she's a lot more resilient than I was. And for me, I was much more polite where I feel like if I wasn't as polite, I would probably be further along in my career and I would be more successful." And he was like, "Well, how do you judge success? What are you even talking about? What does that mean?"

(00:09:32):

And she's like, "Well, that's actually a really interesting question." And to my folly and through lots of years of therapy afterwards, is that what I realized, success is this ever changing landscape. It's always evolving. And when you have a specific idea in your brain of what you think success is going to look like, it's always, as soon as I book that job, as soon as I get an agent, as soon as I'm on that set, as soon as, as soon as, then I'm going to feel successful, then I'm going to feel happy, then I'm going to feel like I've got it made. And when that-

Charlie Sandlan (00:10:04):

Yeah. For two days or a week.

Simone Serra (00:10:05):

Right, of course. And then when that doesn't happen, there are people who are going to push through, they're going to try to work harder, be better, or then there's other people who, and this is what happened to me, are going to see it as a failure. And then you're going to see yourself as a failure. And that's really what happened to me is when I started to see all of my friends around me from class either booking other jobs or getting an agent ... And even if they weren't, but they were working hard and they had a mindset and they had a passion, and they had a drive of being like, I'm just going to keep going and keep going, instead, I internalized and I went, "What is it with me? What's wrong with me? What am I doing?" And then you start to think, "Okay. Is this really for me? Do I even belong being an actor anymore? Is this career what I really want to do?" And I was in this existential limbo almost where I'm like, it's too painful to stay where I am right now but also the thought of giving it up when I knew that this was what I was going to do my entire life ... What the fuck am I going to do? What am I going to do?

(00:11:11):

But I was hanging on by a thread where I still was staying in my circle. I was still staying close to my friends, my classmates. And one of the friends that was in that group one morning then said that she had just booked this voiceover job. She was talking about her success, and she had went to this voiceover class. It was a casting director that she had taken this class with and she booked her first My Little Pony commercial. And after class I went up to her and was like, "Oh, tell me more about that. That's really cool. Congratulations." And she's like, "Yeah. His name's Roger Becker and he doesn't advertise on Backstage. His class is all through word of mouth." And that immediately then pinged my interest because I had been taking all of these meet and pay to plays and casting directors. And I was like, I don't want to pay another fucking dime for these casting directors to be like, "Okay, cool. Thank you very much. Great job." And then that's it.

(00:12:01):

And she was like, "No, I'm telling you, this guy is the real deal. He's the real deal and you should definitely check it out and him out. And he's affordable and everything. It's only six weeks." And I thought, "Fuck it. I have nothing else to lose." And so I did. And I went to his class. And then from that very first class, I knew I was in the right hands. And I knew I was in the right hands because very much like second year where we're at the table before you're on your feet, that class, I was not behind a microphone. He sat down and he explained what the curriculum was going to be. And then at the end of class, he hands out then pieces of paper and copies or scripts to everybody and says, "Okay. I want you guys to take a look at this for a couple minutes, read it over, and then we'll reconvene."

(00:12:50):

He then starts going one by one to the person next to him, and he goes, "Okay. So who are you?" And then the kid that he was talking to, the kid was like, "Oh, my name's Johnny." He's like, "No, no, no. I already know who you are. I'm talking, who are you?" And he was saying, who are you in this script? So immediately I started to go, "Oh, I know the language he's speaking. He's starting to ask the questions." Previous circumstance. Who are you talking to? How do you feel about who you're talking to? How do you feel about who you're talking about? And all of a sudden I'm like, "Oh, this is a language I know."

Charlie Sandlan (00:13:21):

Yeah. Good old fashioned crafting.

Simone Serra (00:13:23):

Good old fashioned crafting.

Charlie Sandlan (00:13:25):

Doesn't matter what the fuck you're doing.

Simone Serra (00:13:26):

Correct.

Charlie Sandlan (00:13:26):

You better know how to craft.

Simone Serra (00:13:28):

That's right. And that's how I knew I was in the right place, because then ... And that was something that always stuck with me when I went to Maggie's too, was like, find yourself, keep in your training and make sure that they're fucking good teachers and worth their salt. So I was like, "Oh, okay. Well, I know how to do this." And I came in then the next week and went behind that microphone. I fucking killed it because I had a point of view. I was specific. I had conversational reality. And then all of a sudden ... And it came naturally and it came easy. And then that from there on out, the next six weeks was so much fun. It was so much fun. And that was the thing that I was missing also in my acting or at the point where ... I mean, I'm saying my career. I had no career at that point. But I was missing the fun and the joy of then doing it. Acting of course is hard, but it's fun too. And I was not having fun.

Charlie Sandlan (00:14:25):

It's a lot of fun.

Simone Serra (00:14:26):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:14:26):

That's what I tell my students when they're so miserable and depressed and anxious and scared and nervous. I'm like, "Hey, little secret, acting is fun."

Simone Serra (00:14:34):

Yes. Yeah. And that question that you asked earlier, when did I know? Again, I didn't know. And really I had no expectations. And when you have no expectations, you're able to be objective. And also you have the freedom. Then you have the freedom to play and to enjoy yourself. The Janis Joplin song, freedom is just another word for there's nothing left to lose. And I had nothing left to lose at that point. So it was just like, cool, this is great. And then that class was over and I thought, "Well, that was cool." And then went on my way. And then all of a sudden, maybe a couple of weeks later, he sent me an email and he was like, "Hey, do you want to come in and audition for me?" And I thought, "Oh, that's really nice of him." I thought he was being kind.

Charlie Sandlan (00:15:18):

A pity audition.

Simone Serra (00:15:19):

Kind of, I guess. Because again, like I said, I was just like, whatever. Sure. No idea of self-worth or value and really just like, yeah, okay, sure. And it was for this Kroger commercial. A supermarket. A regional supermarket. I didn't have a microphone. I mean, I didn't have a professional microphone. I used the microphone that my husband used for playing video games.

Charlie Sandlan (00:15:48):

That's great. That's high end right there.

Simone Serra (00:15:50):

Yeah, exactly. And it was Quick Player. I didn't have Audacity. I didn't have any recording program. I recorded it in my living room. So of course, with the sound alive in the room and just being ... It was not really high quality, but I did two takes and then sent it in and didn't think anything of it until then I think two days later, he goes, "Hey, so just so you know, between you and another girl. I think they're going to swing the other way, but I'll keep you posted." And I went ... Again. Oh wow. Okay. Cool. All right. Guess it's going to go the other way. And it did.

(00:16:27):

But then he emailed me again the next week. And then again, it was between me and somebody else. They ended up going the other way. And then he was like, "I promise we're going to turn it into dollars soon." He's like, "But just know that you should be very proud of the fact that out of the 35 people that auditioned you, again, were in the running." And so he's, "By the way, I have an opportunity I want to extend your way so can you send me your email and your reel if you have one?" And I had a reel that was a minute and 45 seconds long, which is way too long. But I sent it in. And I didn't have a website, but I was doing a travel blog at the time. And so I just sent that in.

(00:17:10):

Again, because I was just not a fuck left to give. Sure. Here you go. Take it. And then a week later I was in Target and then got a voicemail and heard on the other end that it was somebody from CESD talent agency that was calling and he had passed my reel along then to the agency and they were like, "Hey, give us a call back." And again, I was so far removed out of the game, so I was like, oh, I didn't really realize how big CESD was or who she was. And so I picked up and I was like, "Oh, sorry, I was in Target. How are you? What's going on? Who are you?" And so again, that to being my advantage because again, I had no skin in the game and so it was just like, okay. There wasn't this heightened desperation or like oh gosh, now I'm nervous. None of that was getting in my way. So anyway, so yeah, they said, "Come in next week. We'd love to meet with you." And I went, "Okay, sure." And didn't do any research. Didn't look up who I was meeting. I don't recommend to whoever's listening that you do that.

Charlie Sandlan (00:18:18):

Yeah, that's not good advice.

Simone Serra (00:18:21):

Not good advice. But like I said, knowing what I know now, if I had ... And again, being in the mindset of where I was, I probably would've bombed and I would've been a fumbling bumbling idiot because I would've gotten in my head of being like, oh, I don't want to fuck up this opportunity. I don't want to fuck this up and self sabotaged myself. So don't do that, gentle listener.

Charlie Sandlan (00:18:49):

You're right.

Simone Serra (00:18:49):

But I'm just telling my story. But I learned real quick, of course when I walked into that office and then all of a sudden it's like I'm walking into a scene from Entourage where it's got CESD right there in the big old office and the huge desk. And I went, "Oh. Oh, okay. All right. Okay Simone, well don't fuck it up. But again, if you do ..." It was really more like I was doing it for Roger because he was somebody who was vouching for me and I respected him so much and so I really just then wanted to do well or just let them hear me out.

Charlie Sandlan (00:19:21):

See, that's what's incredible about your story here because you just took a class and this guy ... He's not an agent right?

Simone Serra (00:19:29):

No.

Charlie Sandlan (00:19:29):

He's just someone who's in the game and is really good at what he does. And he opened a door for you.

Simone Serra (00:19:38):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:19:38):

Amazing.

Simone Serra (00:19:39):

Yeah. I know. It's one of those things that when other actors used to say it like, "Oh, I just was in the right place at the right time," then it just drives you fucking nuts where you're like, "Oh God, I want to be that." But it really just ... Yeah, it happened. It just happened. And like I said-

Charlie Sandlan (00:19:58):

But you also were doing good work in the class.

Simone Serra (00:20:00):

Yes.

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:03):

Because you came to that class having already seriously trained yourself. So you're already in an advantage in a classroom like that because most people, they don't know what the fuck they're doing.

Simone Serra (00:20:10):

Exactly. Everybody thinks that. They're like, "Oh, I get told all the time I have a good voice. Oh, I can be an actor, I can read lines, I can do that."

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:17):

Please. They can't.

Simone Serra (00:20:18):

I know, I know, I know. And yes, and that is also something that we'll talk about later, is that yes, all of that to be said ... I'm maybe brushing past that but I had solid training. I had solid technique.

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:33):

Fuck yeah you did.

Simone Serra (00:20:34):

Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Thank you Charlie. First year teacher.

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:36):

That's right.

Simone Serra (00:20:36):

That's right.

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:36):

That's right.

Simone Serra (00:20:38):

That's right.

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:39):

Well, I want to talk about that for a second. Well, I want to go back to something you said that stuck with me and let me talk about it. Because you graduated 2012. So you hit the 10 year mark which is a pretty big milestone. So A, congratulations.

Simone Serra (00:20:53):

Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:20:54):

Because you're still carving out a career. Most people are done way, way, way before that. And I think that any actor that can get to 10 years doing this is going to be able to sustain another 10. But you said you weren't in a great place when you graduated, when you finished school. What did you mean by that?

Simone Serra (00:21:14):

I didn't have any self love, self worth. I had also my identity completely wrapped in being an actor. A common theme always in my life was always like, just not yet for you. You're not ready yet.

Charlie Sandlan (00:21:36):

Saying that to yourself. Your inner voice.

Simone Serra (00:21:38):

Other people saying it to me, that then eventually it became my inner voice. I ended up then having a narrative that then was always around me, that then I turned into my own. And I always let fear get in the way. As opposed to pushing through or thinking, okay, this is an opportunity. If a casting director or an agent is saying to me, "Hey, you're just not ready yet," it just means take some more time to build, grow, be better, and internalizing that instead as being like, "What's wrong with me? Why aren't I enough?" And feeling like I was never enough. And when you don't have then at least a solid mindset, which is what you need in order then to be in the long game for this career to help you then through those times where you're talking yourself out of things and self doubt and fear, then you're not going to last.

Charlie Sandlan (00:22:44):

Not a chance.

Simone Serra (00:22:45):

Not a chance. And that was what happened to me. I ended up talking myself out of so many opportunities. And I was also really stubborn. I put my head in the sand. And also, I wasn't open to other opportunities. I didn't want to be a ... In this day and age, the way that it is now, as an artist, you have to make your own work.

Charlie Sandlan (00:23:06):

Listen, if all you're relying on is you're acting, you're not going to really be able to sustain a career.

Simone Serra (00:23:11):

Right. Right.

Charlie Sandlan (00:23:12):

You better be a triple threat in something.

Simone Serra (00:23:14):

Yes. And that's the thing. Follow your curiosity. You know what I mean? If directing has always been something that maybe you thought that you could be interested in, try it out. Voiceover. You know what I mean? Just keep yourself open to other parts of the creative umbrella that can keep you sustained in your creativity. And I wasn't doing that.

Charlie Sandlan (00:23:40):

Yeah. That makes sense. Well, did you know while you were in school that you were as talented as you are? And you're one of the more talented actresses, actors period that I've ever trained.

Simone Serra (00:23:55):

Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:23:56):

You've got an exceptional skillset.

Simone Serra (00:23:57):

Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:23:58):

Were you able to embrace that and know that internally? Coming out of school and like well now what? Well at least I know I'm fucking talented.

Simone Serra (00:24:08):

I think there were parts of me that knew it, but also I don't think that I felt like I deserved it or I don't feel like I felt like I deserved success.

Charlie Sandlan (00:24:18):

That's deep.

Simone Serra (00:24:19):

Yeah. Well that's therapy.

Charlie Sandlan (00:24:23):

Yeah.

Simone Serra (00:24:23):

I don't feel, I felt like I really deserved it. I got in my own way completely.

Charlie Sandlan (00:24:32):

How did you get in your own way?

Simone Serra (00:24:34):

I talked myself out of a lot of opportunities. I also had parents who were not necessarily very supportive of the career that I wanted and always were again telling me, "This is not something that's going to sustain you financially. What about when you're older and you need social security?" So of course when a friend would say to me, "Hey, I'm filming a short for my reel. Do you want to come join me or do you want to have a small little part?" And I would always be like, "Oh no, I can't. I have to work. I can't take off of work. I got to pay my rent. I need money." When really it's just like, that's bullshit. It was just fear. I was just scared. I was scared to put myself out there. I was scared to be seen. And I think that that was also something that really voiceover helped me with because then ... Especially when I was going out on auditions, I was almost afraid to be seen. I didn't want anybody to see me. Being behind a microphone was easier.

Charlie Sandlan (00:25:28):

See, that's heavy. That's deep too. Afraid to be seen. Which really is ironic because when you're training as the actor, it's all about that vulnerability of allowing yourself to be seen. What were you afraid that they would see?

Simone Serra (00:25:46):

That I wasn't as good as I thought I was. That I didn't know-

Charlie Sandlan (00:25:52):

Imposter syndrome. Like you were a fraud.

Simone Serra (00:25:52):

Oh, totally. That I really actually didn't know what I was doing. That I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. When it's time to arise to the occasion, I would fall apart. That I wasn't strong enough to be able to handle carrying a show or a scene or a play or anything that I knew and had solid training behind. Because there's the inner saboteur that's saying to you, "No, no, no. No. Everybody's going to see that you don't know what the fuck you're doing." And man, when I look back at it now, I'm like, oh man, I'm glad that this is now the path that ... I had to go on this path in order for me to really see and realize that what I was doing was completely getting in my own way. But at the time, oh god, I was so ready. I felt so ready when I got out of school. I have everything at my fingertips. I was like a gladiator. I had the fucking heart. I knew that I was an actor, artist, whatever it is that you want to call it. But I didn't have the armor. I didn't have the helmet. I didn't have the sword. And there was no outside threat. I was the threat to myself.

Charlie Sandlan (00:27:10):

Again, you're saying some deep shit because I think that there are a lot of you listening who probably feel the same way.

Simone Serra (00:27:17):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:27:21):

You were the problem.

Simone Serra (00:27:21):

I was the problem. I was the problem. And only until what happened to me with voiceover, I learned so many lessons that we can talk about now that it's like, oh, this is actually no different. This is no different than being on camera. I'm just behind a microphone. I'm having to use the same tools and be put in the same situations as I would if I had to put myself on tape. And like I said, I didn't want to be seen, but I started to find my voice and I started to find the voice that then can now start to tell me like, "Oh, actually you know what you're doing and you can do this." Not to say that I don't come up against it a lot still, but we're working on it. It's a work in progress. But I'm not the person who I was 10 years ago.

Charlie Sandlan (00:28:11):

Yeah, of course. What were those, let's say the first three years out of school? Because to me those are the real trying years that are either going to make or break you.

Simone Serra (00:28:25):

They were hard, but we took a lot of what you guys taught us, which was don't wait around for the work. Build your own work. And so the wonderful Katie Healy, who is my-

Charlie Sandlan (00:28:40):

Wonderful.

Simone Serra (00:28:41):

Wonderful, wonderful. We love you Katie.

Charlie Sandlan (00:28:42):

She ran my life for seven years.

Simone Serra (00:28:44):

That's right. Well, she not only ran the Maggie Flanigan Studio, but she ran a program ... Or I'm sorry. A theater company that was called Ruddy Productions. And we were our own theater company and we produced our own work. We directed. We fundraised. We acted. We did all of the work, the hard work that-

Charlie Sandlan (00:29:07):

It was a great way to take all of that creative energy that all you guys had and put it into something for what? That company ran for-

Simone Serra (00:29:15):

A couple years.

Charlie Sandlan (00:29:16):

Many years.

Simone Serra (00:29:17):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:29:18):

Four or five years.

Simone Serra (00:29:19):

Yeah. And that was also another great learning experience because what we started to realize too is sometimes we all ... Everybody wants the cream at the top. Everybody wants to perform and be the actor. But then it's also, again, putting in the hard yards of fundraising, showing up every week. We did a workshop where again, where if anybody had a scene that they wrote or a scene that they wanted to audition with that they were putting on tape or whatever, that was a space in order to do it. And having to show up for yourself and for also your fellow artists as well. Then over time, then also things get in the way, life gets in the way, or sometimes your interest shifts. But either way, that was a great time to learn about advocating for yourself.

Charlie Sandlan (00:30:11):

Well, advocating for yourself, collaborating with other people, learning about just all the facets of what it means to create theater besides just acting.

Simone Serra (00:30:22):

Yeah. Totally. And my interests ... Again, the bedrock of all my experience was always in theater. And so I really had wanted to move into film and TV, but I didn't really have a lot of experience in film and TV with the exception of just doing on camera classes and stuff. And so taking these classes and then getting good feedback and then also again, meeting with agents and meeting with casting directors. And then it just ... Nothing was coming of it. And again, like I said, maybe there was also expectations that I had of being like, oh, I want it to happen now because I want it so bad. I wanted it so bad. And then it just wasn't.

Charlie Sandlan (00:31:11):

That's such an interesting thing. To want something so bad, but then to be continually fucking yourself over.

Simone Serra (00:31:18):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:31:18):

Sabotaging yourself with something you want more than anything else in the world.

Simone Serra (00:31:22):

Oh yeah. I was in a masochistic relationship with myself.

Charlie Sandlan (00:31:26):

Yeah. Seriously.

Simone Serra (00:31:29):

It was coming out of school. Also too, I loved structure. I loved being in a classroom setting. Especially with Ruddy, it was definitely fruitful and great. We went off off Broadway. We had a play that we did and that I was in. I think it was 2017. But by that point I was one foot in, one foot out. Again, it was just the running myself into the ground of just beating myself up, of not good enough, this isn't enough, you aren't enough, this isn't going anywhere. I just was like, I don't think this is for me. Maybe this really isn't for me. I don't know if I can ...

Charlie Sandlan (00:32:15):

Well, in the last 10 years, what was the lowest point for you where you got to that moment where, "You know what, I'm going to do something else with my life."? Or did that not happen for you?

Simone Serra (00:32:29):

Well, it wasn't a low point. It was actually the opposite. I did this wild thing for my 30th birthday. I took a solo trip to Italy. I was like I got to-

Charlie Sandlan (00:32:40):

I think solo travel is essential. I love it.

Simone Serra (00:32:43):

Yeah. Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:32:44):

There's nothing I love better than traveling by myself.

Simone Serra (00:32:47):

The best. And again, it's funny because it was like I couldn't stand myself, but I was also like, I need to get away and I need to get out of here. But travel also is something that is another huge passion of mine. And my dad's Portuguese, so I have dual citizenship. And so I spent 18 days there by myself. And it was this really transformative and wonderful experience that then by the time I came home, I was like, "Bye everybody. I got a year left on my lease. I'm using my Portuguese passport and I'm headed to Italy." I was like fuck acting.

Charlie Sandlan (00:33:19):

Listen, I think living your life and acquiring life experience is a key part of the artistic life.

Simone Serra (00:33:27):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:33:28):

You've got to go live your life. You've got to be doing some other things other than I need an audition. I need an audition. I need an audition.

Simone Serra (00:33:34):

And that's what I mean. And then I think that that was to my detriment. Again, I had so much of my identity wrapped up in ... Acting was the only thing I was ever good at. And when I say before that everybody always was saying just not yet. Or I was always a step behind everybody else in my life. I was never the best student. I was a dancer for a long time, but I didn't really have the best technique. And acting was at least the one thing that I was always ... That nobody could take that away from me. Nobody could deny that I was good or that I was talented. And everybody always was like, "Stay in this for as long as you can because you definitely should." And that was the one thing that ... And it was so precious to me. When then you're questioning then literally everything, then you go, "Where do I go from here? What am I going to do?"

Charlie Sandlan (00:34:20):

Right. Yeah. If not this then what?

Simone Serra (00:34:22):

Then what? Yeah. What? Am I going to go back to school and go into debt?

Charlie Sandlan (00:34:26):

But see, there was nothing else that you love more. I tell my students all the time, if there's anything else that you'd rather do or that you have a passion about, go do that.

Simone Serra (00:34:35):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:34:36):

Don't do this. It's too difficult.

Simone Serra (00:34:38):

Oh yeah. Yeah. It's true. But again, like I said, I still stayed close and I still stayed connected. I still watered my relationships. I still stayed connected to the people around me who understood what I was going through. Which again, like I said, so just this arbitrary class one day that then this friend of mine that just happened to take a voiceover class and I thought, "Oh yeah, people had said to me in the past, I should check it out. I don't know where I would start, but yeah, I'll ..." Here's somebody who said here's where you can start. And so I did. Which then of course led me then into an agency. Which again, years before, I was like, "Oh God, if I could just get an agent. If I could just walk into an agency. If I could just ..." And again, I was in that mindset of just being like fuck it, I don't have anything else to lose at this point, then all of a sudden is where the opportunity for some reason then just came my way. It fell right in my lap.

Charlie Sandlan (00:35:45):

What has voiceover work done for you?

Simone Serra (00:35:48):

 gave me the tools of what it is that I realized, like oh, okay, now I feel like I'm ready to get back in the game. And it prepped me for a lot of what is now going to be to come. The very first job that I booked for voiceover ... I was with CESD for maybe a month, and I booked ... it was Act mouthwash. And I remember it was two scripts that I had to audition with. And I found out I booked the job. And I was like, oh, cool, great. Fantastic. And I get to the studio and this guy, this lovely man who I later learned is the engineer comes in and is like, "Hey Simone, how are you?" And I said, "Oh great. Hey, nice to meet you." Thank God I'm punctual. I got there 25 minutes early and then he hands ... He's like, "I'm going to hand you your scripts." And he hands me the two scripts that then I had auditioned with and then all of a sudden, there's two more. And I went, "What? Oh, I have two others?" And he said, "Yeah." So now being prepared.

Charlie Sandlan (00:36:54):

What's being prepared mean?

Simone Serra (00:36:55):

Are you honing your skills? Are you sharpening your tools? Do you know how to cold read? Like I said, I hadn't been in acting for a minute, but I was doing now voiceover and cold read is a big thing that you need to know how to do in voiceover.

Charlie Sandlan (00:37:12):

Absolutely.

Simone Serra (00:37:15):

So coming in, one, on time, two, then prepared. So I had been preparing the two scripts that I had had, but also I didn't read the email my agents had sent me for the audition that said it was going to be four scripts, because I didn't know how to ... Again, I just didn't know. So he hands me these four scripts and I've got now 25 minutes where I've already prepared the two, but now I'm freaking out because I've got these other two. And then he leads me into the room.

(00:37:40):

So he's on the other side of the glass. He was like, "Okay, we're just going to be waiting for them to come in." And I'm thinking, the director is going to just walk on in and I have my headphones on and just waiting. And then he goes, "Okay, so Simone, we're going to patch you through." And I went, "Oh, oh, they're doing it on a call." And he goes, "Yeah. Yeah, they are. They're in Boston." And I went, "Oh." And then all of a sudden I hear, "Hey there, Simone. I'm so and so. I'm the producer." And then all of a sudden she starts saying, "And then this is so and so the director, and then we've got the creative director." And so now all of a sudden they start to list the names of these eight people that are on this call that are sitting at a table in Boston with a-

Charlie Sandlan (00:38:29):

Ready to listen to whatever the fuck you're going to be doing.

Simone Serra (00:38:33):

Correct. There's a creative director. The clients. All of a sudden they're just sitting around this table that then has a television over them that they've already shot the commercial, and then they're going to patch my voice over. And so all the takes that I do, they're going to decide then which ones they want. And it's like, oh fuck. And I used to think to myself a lot ... Another thing about getting in my own way was also catastrophizing. If that's a word.

Charlie Sandlan (00:38:57):

Oh yeah, of course. I love catastrophizing.

Simone Serra (00:38:58):

Yeah. Yeah. Don't we all.

Charlie Sandlan (00:39:00):

I do it all the time.

Simone Serra (00:39:00):

Yeah. Yeah. And I used to think to myself a lot, when I book my first job, what's going to happen? How am I going to be able to handle myself? Am I going to be prepared? Am I going to, honestly ... Yeah. Self sabotage. Am I going to let nerves get the better of me like I assume that I always would and was scared for when that day would come? But now here I am and now it's go time.

Charlie Sandlan (00:39:25):

Right. The moment has come.

Simone Serra (00:39:28):

The moment has come. And so not only by the way is it two 30 second scripts, but now it's also a 15 second script and a six second script. And I never had done doing six seconds before. That's where the copy ... I keep on saying copy. That just means script for voiceover. It's about 10 seconds worth of copy in six seconds. The skills that you need in voiceover, which is obviously clarity, but also being quick to ... There's 10 seconds worth of script in front of you that you got to fit in six seconds. And not in 6.5. And not in 6.7. It's in six seconds. Because it's airing on broadcast on a commercial where that's aired paid time. Like I said, there's now all of these people on the other end and ain't nobody got time for you to be like, "Oh, sorry, I'm so sorry. This is my first commercial."

Charlie Sandlan (00:40:21):

Yeah. No one gives a fuck.

Simone Serra (00:40:22):

Nobody gives a fuck. And so I go ... I had to take a breath. And then again, this is where my training comes in, where I go, "Simone, put your attention on what you got to do. Focus. Get your attention off yourself, put it onto what you're doing." Then off to the races I went. And so learning it on the job was one ... Again, is preparing me then for the next job and the next job.

Charlie Sandlan (00:40:49):

So when you craft, do you have an acting object? Do you have someone you're talking to in your mind's eye?

Simone Serra (00:40:55):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:40:55):

An objective and this is what I'm trying to achieve with you, that kind of thing.

Simone Serra (00:40:59):

Oh yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:41:00):

Really down in with the acting.

Simone Serra (00:41:01):

Absolutely. Yeah. Of course. I sometimes have conversations. A conversation out loud with myself, but I'm talking to somebody else. Again, I have it in my mind specifically. And not just like, oh, a friend. What does that mean?

Charlie Sandlan (00:41:15):

Doesn't mean anything. It's too general.

Simone Serra (00:41:16):

Too general. Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:41:17):

All of you out there crafting and go, oh yeah, it's my friend. Nope. That's not an acting relationship.

Simone Serra (00:41:20):

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And what is my relationship to the person of who I'm talking to? And again, how do I feel about what I'm talking about? What helps me, especially in voiceover, is that I'll have a conversation then with myself. And especially if the script then starts off with a question, I'll say out loud after whatever it is that I've crafted, I'll say, "Hey, let me ask you a question." And then I take a beat and then lead into.

Charlie Sandlan (00:41:47):

That's you're answering or it gives you a pinch.

Simone Serra (00:41:50):

Yes. Yes. Because you don't have anybody else that you're ... Unless there is somebody in the commercial that you do have people that you can act with other actors, but voice over again, it's only you. And it's about your specificity. When we're able to watch an actor on stage, we're able to see their body language, we're able to see their nuances. And also they can also say something without saying a word just by the expression on their face. But as a voiceover, you've got your voice. And so how are you able to hear the music in the script? And also Marc Cashman ... There's a great book that's called V-Oh!. It's like O-H apostrophe. And it's tips, tricks, and tools and techniques to start and sustain your voiceover career. I think is a really wonderful examples about coloring your words. When we're kids, we have the coloring books and we're coloring inside the lines, and we got the 12 crayons that are just the generic red, blue, green.

(00:42:49):

But then as you start to get older, and as you start to grow into an artist, you're not just now coloring with blue and green. Now it's chartreuse and there's undertones to those colors. And so how to then fill in and paint the picture and set the story up for yourself, and also for those who are listening. Because on the other end, they also need to feel as if they can trust what you're saying. And that's where conversational reality is also so important. Every audition that I get now for voiceover, everything is all conversational, real. Nothing slick or announcery. They want none of that. Because back in the day, also too, there used to be then those ... In the old school, announcer, radio, whatever.

Charlie Sandlan (00:43:35):

That fake thing where people are talking like this and it's not really genuine.

Simone Serra (00:43:39):

Exactly. And also, you know what? Because you feel like you're being talked at.

Charlie Sandlan (00:43:44):

Absolutely.

Simone Serra (00:43:46):

And you want your listener to feel like you're just talking to them.

Charlie Sandlan (00:43:51):

Well, so Meisner just fucking hooked you up.

Simone Serra (00:43:53):

Hello. Yes, it did. Yes, it did.

Charlie Sandlan (00:43:57):

Well, when you look back at those two years, because not only did you ... You worked on your body, you worked on your voice, you really took everything that was there, as I recall. Right?

Simone Serra (00:44:06):

I took everything. Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:44:08):

Well, how do you look at those two years? What has it done for you?

Simone Serra (00:44:10):

It was invaluable. Again, none of that also ... I don't think that I would've gone as far as I did with voiceover if I didn't have the solid training behind me. Look, I'm not saying and nobody's saying in voiceover that you've got to be like Daniel Day-Lewis. You don't have to go completely method. But again, just having the core fundamentals is what already in that classroom, that classroom that I walked into, again, where I had no idea what I was walking myself into, is what set me apart from the group. And they were all talented, and they were all good. Not to discredit their talent, but I though had just a little something extra. That then again, this casting director, who-

Charlie Sandlan (00:44:56):

Yeah. It's called training and talent. Put those two together.

Simone Serra (00:44:59):

Yeah. And by the way, I had not a stitch of experience before this. I had no idea about voiceover other than like, oh, people have told me in the past, you should try it out. Other than that, I had no idea. And I don't even know if he knew if I had training or if I'd had voice over experience before. I don't even think that he ever asked me. He said, "Hey, can you do this from home?" And I said, "Oh, yeah, sure." And I didn't have all the equipment that I needed, but I fucking gave a solid audition. And that's sometimes all that it takes. And building good professional relationships. Also, again, surrounding yourself with talented people and also people that you respect. You respect their talent or who also are more talented than you are. You know what I mean? But always-

Charlie Sandlan (00:45:43):

100%.

Simone Serra (00:45:45):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:45:45):

100%. You got to surround yourself with people that are talented or that inspire you at least.

Simone Serra (00:45:53):

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:45:56):

Looking back now, how is what you thought in 2012 different than where you are now?

Simone Serra (00:46:02):

It's better than what I ever could have imagined. And I really truly believe that it had to happen this way. I had to question whether or not this was for me. I had to maybe be on the verge of giving it up. But I also really encourage for people to understand that the journey that you have planned out for yourself is never going to go the way that you think or anticipate or expect it to. But if you can keep yourself open and available to new opportunities and follow your curiosity, let go of your ego, go to therapy, stop resisting, love yourself, know your worth. If you don't do that, you ultimately could be missing what is really meant for you. But in my case, what will now prepare you and lead you back to the thing that you knew that you always wanted. And at least ... Look, if it doesn't work out for me with acting, now at least I'll know that I really tried that. I really tried.

Charlie Sandlan (00:47:17):

Yeah. 10 years.

Simone Serra (00:47:19):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:47:19):

That's what you need.

Simone Serra (00:47:20):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:47:23):

I remember first day of class I'll say to everyone that to be an artist is going to cost you everything. Well, what's it cost you?

Simone Serra (00:47:34):

Oh, that's an interesting question. It cost me letting go of something that I thought was protecting me for a really long time. Something that I thought was serving me. Who I thought I was, what I thought I deserved. It cost me letting go of the person and the idea of, like I said, that I thought was keeping me safe, when really it was something that was holding me back. So I don't even know so much if it was that it cost me. If anything it rewarded me now with a new sense of self.

Charlie Sandlan (00:48:18):

I Love that.

Simone Serra (00:48:19):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:48:20):

How important is listening?

Simone Serra (00:48:21):

It's everything.

Charlie Sandlan (00:48:23):

Fuck yeah.

Simone Serra (00:48:24):

And especially in voiceover.

Charlie Sandlan (00:48:27):

What do you mean especially in voiceover?

Simone Serra (00:48:29):

Well, it's learning how to listen to yourself, but not listen to yourself, if that makes sense. Even right now where I have my microphone on, I have one in one ear, but I don't have it on the other ear because sometimes I think that then it's a hindrance because then you're concentrating more on your form as opposed to then the substance, which is just you're then now hearing how it is that you think it's supposed to sound, when really, as opposed to then doing truthfully. Learning how to listen to direction. To be consistent.

Charlie Sandlan (00:49:06):

Listening to fucking direction. I swear to God. I have to repeat so much fucking shit to students because the last class, they weren't fucking listening. And I say, "Well, what did I say to you last class?" And they can't repeat back to me all the notes I gave. I said, "If you do that professionally, you're fucked. They're going to fire you."

Simone Serra (00:49:24):

Right. If you can't even listen to a director then in an audition or a casting director in an audition, then if you're not able to listen to direction, then how are you going to listen to direction when you're on the job? And for voiceover especially, it's keeping consistent. But being malleable and able to adjust and to shift and to change, just even in the slightest. Having control of your voice. These are also skills and techniques that you end up learning and listening to the engineer. Because again, like I said, in that job ... That was also the first job that I had where ... Voiceover also too is a lot of sitting around and waiting and then coming back. Because those people on that call, I was muted, so I didn't hear them giving notes to each other. But then they patch in, and then all of a sudden I hear them talking to the engineer and I wasn't really listening.

(00:50:15):

And then it was like they were just saying to the engineer, "Oh, could you be able to play back that take? So Simone, we're going to play that take for you again because we like that, but we need you now to just do this." And so it's always being aware and having your antennas up. Not playing around and fucking around on your phone in the booth because you're there for hours. Because you will be there for sometimes hours because they just are arguing over the way you say the word gum. That happened to me one time where it was 45 minutes of them just having to figure out how I can say gum the right way. And also listening to yourself so that you again can know ... They go, "Okay, yeah, that was great. We really like that take, but now we just need you to just at the end here, just brighten this up or pick up the pace or whatever." So remembering and listening to what it is that you're doing.

Charlie Sandlan (00:51:05):

Yeah. I'm curious what you have learned about what it means to be professional in the last 10 years? How would you describe professionalism given what has happened to you over the last 10 years?

Simone Serra (00:51:18):

Being somebody that's professional means that people are going to honestly want to work with you again and again, and again, and again. Being open and not combative. I have had now a couple of jobs that then I've gotten and hired from again because it went smoothly, it went great. It was fast. I gave them what they needed. I not only hand my stuff in on time, I give you multiple takes to choose from. I give you plenty of time. So before the deadline, so that then if you need any ... Give me any notes or adjustments that then I can get that to you before so it's not last minute. It's everything. There were jobs that then I finally ... From voiceover jobs that I booked maybe a couple months ago, that then the money finally came through that then I was like, oh, I'm okay for the summer. Now I can focus on my artistic goals and moving forward now into what it is that I want to do.

(00:52:15):

You can. Yes. And yes you can support yourself financially from doing voiceover work. And that first job, by the way that I booked, the Act mouthwash, you're getting paid for the session. It's called a session fee. Where they will pay you for the actual recording and then for especially non-union work, then it's mostly buyout. So then it's just a flat rate that then they end up using for a year or two years or whatever it is that it's going to run. But I didn't really know how to read the email that then had said what it was going to be paid. So the session fee was I think maybe $500. And then it was 2,000 then for the commercial. And I went, "Hot damn. Oh my God. I've never made this much money in my life."

(00:53:01):

But what had happened was that I walked ... I remember they said, "Oh, your check is ready. You can come pick it up at the agency." And so I walked into the agent's office. The guy, he was putting it in the envelope, and he looked at my amount and he went, "Good for you." And I went, "Oh yeah, thanks. I really need it." And he was like, "No. Good for you." And I went, "Thank you. Thanks." And he put it in the envelope and then on my way, and I started to walk out the office, and then I see this amount. I turned around and I was like, "Oh, this isn't mine." And he's like, "Simone Serra?" And I was like, "You have another Simone on your roster?" And he said-

Charlie Sandlan (00:53:39):

Well how much was it? What was the check for?

Simone Serra (00:53:41):

Well, they had paid me for ... Because like I said, it was four scripts. So even though we did it all in one sitting, they were paying me as if I was doing four commercials. So it was $500 for each recording and 2,000 then for each commercial. After my agent, it was $14,000.

Charlie Sandlan (00:53:58):

What was it like to look at that number on the check?

Simone Serra (00:54:00):

Charlie. I said, I'm going to be a voiceover actor for the rest of my life.

Charlie Sandlan (00:54:07):

Yeah. No shit.

Simone Serra (00:54:09):

I walked out and I called my husband, and I think I started crying. I was like, "Ben ..." And he said, "You're fucking lying." And I said, "No I'm not." It was the greatest feeling I've ever ... It was euphoric. It was so cool.

Charlie Sandlan (00:54:29):

Yeah. That is totally euphoric. Especially when you're not expecting it.

Simone Serra (00:54:33):

Yeah. And again, that's also something that I can look back on and when I ever need to tap into as if situation, it's as if you received your first check. And that is a feeling I'll never forget. It was the coolest experience. And also, there was another commercial or something that I auditioned for that the money was so big. This is also a lesson about talking about the fuck it philosophy. Where it was so big that I was like, "Oh, I'm not going to get it." And I remember also going to my husband and telling him about the breakdown and whatever and how much they were going to pay. And he was just like, "Okay." I was like, "Well, I'm not going to get it." He's like, "Come on, don't talk like that." I was like, "No. It helps to take the pressure off of myself."

(00:55:19):

And I did. And it was one of those things where, again, I didn't do multiple takes. I just was like, oh fuck it. I was getting frustrated with myself. I didn't want to over rehearse. I didn't want to run it into the ground. And so I got a callback. And I got that callback and again, I was just way beyond my comprehension of even being able to do this. And then I got a third callback. When we're talking about professionalism, by the way, this third callback I got was of the week of my wedding.

Charlie Sandlan (00:55:49):

Perfect timing.

Simone Serra (00:55:50):

Perfect timing. So it was actually on a Monday, my agent called and then said, "Hey, they want to know if you're available on Friday then to do this third callback." And I said, "I'm getting married the next day, so do you know what time?" So then he called me immediately and then he was just like, "Wow. Well this is exciting news. Congratulations. So what time are you good for?" He was like-

Charlie Sandlan (00:56:13):

Right. Again, they don't give a fuck.

Simone Serra (00:56:14):

Nobody gives a fuck. And especially-

Charlie Sandlan (00:56:15):

Glad you're getting married, but you're available when?

Simone Serra (00:56:17):

Yes, exactly. And this is a thing in terms of professionalism. Life is not going to stop outside of it.

Charlie Sandlan (00:56:25):

It is not going to be convenient for you.

Simone Serra (00:56:26):

Correct.

Charlie Sandlan (00:56:27):

I say it all the time.

Simone Serra (00:56:29):

Yes.

Charlie Sandlan (00:56:29):

And that's the fucking truth.

Simone Serra (00:56:30):

Life will not stop. Yeah, exactly. He was like, "Cool. Congratulations. I'm so happy. Send pictures. What's a good time?" And so then when I had that third callback, then also by the way, he had reminded them, he let them know, "Hey, she's getting married tomorrow, so if we can try to maybe keep it a little in the timeframe that we can." And then the casting directors were like, "Congratulations. Oh my God. That's awesome." But again, I'm glad that I was honest about it because also maybe a couple years ago, I wouldn't have. I would've been like, oh sure, sure. And then I would've been freaking out internally and being like, oh my God, oh my God, what am I going to do? I'm going to freak out and then I'm going to blow the audition because then the nerves are getting the better of me.

Charlie Sandlan (00:57:07):

That's such a young actor approach.

Simone Serra (00:57:09):

Right. And instead I was honest. And then the casting directors knew. The fact that they knew and the fact that also then I did it really well. And they knew that I had something so big happening the next day, but I was able to stay professional and that I was able to fucking still pull through and do a solid audition is ... I didn't end up booking the job but that was a huge lesson for me to know, oh, just put your best self forward or just let the work do the work for you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:57:42):

This has been a great conversation, Simone.

Simone Serra (00:57:45):

I'm so happy.

Charlie Sandlan (00:57:46):

I'm so happy for you. I'm proud of you.

Simone Serra (00:57:48):

Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:57:50):

And I said before we started recording that you're putting off such just a wonderful vibe.

Simone Serra (00:57:57):

Thank you. Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:57:58):

Your energy. You're glowing.

Simone Serra (00:58:00):

Thank you.

Charlie Sandlan (00:58:01):

That's what I would say. You have a glow about you.

Simone Serra (00:58:02):

Thank you so much. That really means a lot. And like I said, I'm-

Charlie Sandlan (00:58:05):

And I wouldn't have said that about you 10 years ago. I would've have said, oh, you're a really talented actress. I hope it works out for you. And then just seeing you now, it's like all that hard work you've done for yourself has paid off.

Simone Serra (00:58:18):

Thank you. I'm still working at it, but I feel really good. And I can also say too, I'm proud of me.

Charlie Sandlan (00:58:27):

That's huge.

Simone Serra (00:58:27):

Yeah. That is big. It's big for me because I don't think I would've been able to know even how to say that out loud to myself 10 years ago.

Charlie Sandlan (00:58:37):

Yeah.

Simone Serra (00:58:39):

Yeah.

Charlie Sandlan (00:58:40):

Well, let's get out of here on this. What would you want say to Simone of 2012?

Simone Serra (00:58:54):

Maybe it's precious to say, maybe it's too cheesy, but girl, love yourself. Learn to love yourself. And you are worthy of all good things. You are worthy of all good things, and you are worthy of success. You just have to believe it first for yourself. There's nothing from the outside that is going to fill the hole inside. You really can't reverse engineer it. You have to start from the inside and work your way out.

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Charlie Sandlan (00:59:22):

Well, my fellow day dreamers, thank you for sticking around and keeping that phone in your pocket. Please, you can subscribe and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you have a few seconds, could you go to iTunes, leave a little written review? That would help this show a hell of a lot. You can go to https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com Go to the contact page, hit that red button. I use SpeakPipe. You can leave me a little voice message. Share with me some of your thoughts about any of this content or some of the art that's inspiring you. You can go to https://www.maggieflaniganstudio.com if you are interested in coming to New York City and training with me at my studio. You can follow me on Instagram @maggieflaniganstudio. Lawrence Trailer, thank you for the music, my man. My friends, remember, you are worthy of all good things. Stay resilient, play full out with yourself, and don't ever settle for your second best. My name is Charlie Sandlan. Peace.

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