Balancing Act: Mastering Work-Life Harmony in Hollywood

In this episode, we explore the vital importance of work-life balance in Hollywood and provide actionable strategies to help you thrive in a demanding industry. We discuss setting strong boundaries, prioritizing health, learning to say no, and incorporating wellness practices to sustain your career and well-being.

• Emphasizing the significance of work-life balance amid Hollywood's demands 
• Discussing the challenges of long hours and high expectations 
• Importance of setting non-negotiable boundaries for well-being 
• Strategies for prioritizing health and rest while on set 
• Tips for maintaining proper nutrition to support energy levels 
• Recognizing the value of scheduling downtime for personal recharge 
• Understanding when to say no to opportunities that don’t align 
• Advising against the habit of jumping from job to job 
• Exploring the benefits of Ayurvedic practices for holistic health 
• Encouragement to take a long-term approach to career sustainability

Transcript

Strategies for Work-Life Balance in Hollywood

Speaker 1 0:00

Okay, welcome back. Today, we're tackling an important topic that doesn't get discussed enough in this industry, and that is work-life balance. Hollywood is known for its intense pace, long hours and high expectations, which can make it challenging to find time for yourself, but maintaining balance is essential for your well-being and career longevity for your well-being and career longevity. In this episode, I'll share strategies for staying grounded, setting boundaries and creating a work-life balance that supports both your personal life and career growth. And this is something that I had. Mentors tell me some really great insight when I first started the business, but one of the things that I didn't focus on was that work-life balance. I really just went all in all work and no play. And so but not only just about no play I literally was eating, craft service and staying up at night after I got home from work and zoning in on a television show, and the next thing you know, I'm getting like four hours of sleep. So what I've learned from that is that you really have to be intentional about your health to keep yourself sane and to keep yourself healthy mentally, physically and emotionally. Okay, so let's go into the key points. Hollywood is exciting, but it can also be all-consuming If you don't set boundaries and prioritize your well-being, it's easy to burn out. Balance allows you to perform at your best and enjoy the journey. Obviously, at the beginning of your career, when you're hustling and you're trying to build your reputation, you're going to have to do it all. Obviously, don't do things that go against your values and your integrity. But you're going to have to work hard and you are going to have to have sleepless nights and you are going to have to like I think I don't know what episode I said it in but I was working seven day weeks and you know I was. I was young, I was able to do it. Nowadays, I don't know if I could do it. I mean, I know I could do it temporarily, but it just it would be too much. I've become very sensitive and I've become very aware of my body and what my body needs are and what it's trying to tell me before it breaks down. So, anyways, here's some practical strategies to find balance, or to create that balance. Finding balance doesn't happen by accident. It takes intention, which I said a while ago. Here are some strategies to help you create a balance that works for you One you have to set clear boundaries, decide what's non-negotiable for your well-being, whether it's time with your family, self-care routines or taking breaks.

Speaker 1 3:10

Setting boundaries doesn't mean you're less dedicated. It means you value your longevity. And before I keep going, you know I've worked with some people where obviously, they have their reputation built, they have their career built, they're known in the industry, but they literally will. Before they take a job or they get asked to take a job, they'll be like okay, I have to leave early on these days because my kids have, you know, whatever dance recital, whatever, I want to put my kids first. This is a non-negotiable for me. I have to take certain nights off. That's great. You should be able to do that, especially if you already built your reputation and you have people you work with constantly. You need to stay true to that.

Speaker 1 3:57

Also, if there's a moment in time where you're exhausted and you need to take an early night off or late morning in usually in the mornings it's harder to do that, but so an early night off you need to let your team know and your department head know. Like, hey, I need a break, like I'm unraveling here okay, and that comes to the next one. Prioritize health and rest. Okay, and that comes to the next one prioritize health and rest. So in that moment, like I said, you have to let them know, because Hollywood demands a lot, but rest is essential. I know that I do not function well without rest, especially when I'm department heading and having to remember all these things. I have to get my rest. Everything else is turned off. I don't watch TV at night. I have my routines, my self-care routines and my mental to reset for the next day. But make time for sleep, exercise and healthy meals. These habits will keep you resilient and focused. These habits will keep you resilient and focused.

Speaker 1 5:11

And while we're here, I'm going to say one of the best tips I can give you, once you get to a place where you can afford it, is food delivery service. They feed you on set, but a lot of times they really got cheap with food. Now it depends on the production you're on Like I'm even on some really big productions and sometimes the catering is really awful. It depends on who they hire and if they actually care about what they're doing. But you could start out the show testing the waters and everything, but if it's not good food and if they're not feeding you, well and craft service is just a bunch of crap. You need to take care of yourself with food. I don't care who you are. I'm going to tell you right now the best thing that I've learned in life is food is what runs the machine, it's your medicine, it's what keeps you strong and healthy. So if you're eating a bunch of sugar and food that's not actually real food every day, on top of not getting sleep and on top of doing these long hours and then the stress of taking care of actors and running the show and production and everything, you're going to drop.

Speaker 1 6:20

When I was in that show in Detroit, I wasn't taking care of myself and I was ran ragged and I was doing almost everything and I I did. I dropped several times. I had to go to the hospital twice. One time they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I wasn't dehydrated. That I was just. I was ran ragged. I wasn't dehydrated, but my body was like no more, you're not eating right, you're having beers on the weekends, you're staying up late, like I just was trying to cope with the crazy, and then it wasn't helping in the long run and I dropped. So you have to prioritize all of these things and and then schedule downtime. Create space in your schedule for activities that recharge you, whether it's a hobby, spending time with loved ones or simply relaxing. Downtime is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. And again, instead of going out on the weekends, every Saturday night, me and some friends from work we would go and have a dinner together. I could have stopped there, I should have stopped there, but the rest of the crew was going out and they were having a good time, sometimes dancing, whatever and I wanted to be a part of that.

Speaker 1 7:42

I had something going on in my life. I had just broken out of a relationship, a long term relationship. I was also going through the stress of having to run the department and I wasn't prepared for I didn't have the skill for it yet, like I didn't have the training, I didn't have that experience yet. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and so it was all of these stressors and then I'll tell you more on this later. But I also had a spiritual thing going on and it was a lot. Looking back at it now, it was a lot. I can't believe I made it through that alive. And then I got a concussion because someone goosed me and I hit my head on this metal frame, had to go to hospital for that, like I had a lot of things going on that it was transitioning me. I really feel like it was a huge growth spurt in my life, in my personal life, my career but it was just again. It was teaching me all of this that I'm teaching you now about work-life balance. You gotta really be intentional about this, especially if you want to make it in this industry. Okay, all right, let's move on.

Speaker 1 9:01

Learn to say no and when to say yes. In hollywood, it's tempting to say yes to every opportunity because it feels like there's always more to gain or you're afraid of missing out. But sometimes saying no is just as powerful. It's about knowing what aligns with your goals and what doesn't. Learning to say no when something doesn't serve your well-being or your long-term vision will help you conserve energy for the opportunities that matter most. And when you do say yes, make sure it's a choice that excites you and contributes to your growth. This I cannot stress to you enough. It's another thing in life that I've learned that is super important.

Speaker 1 9:48

Again, at the beginning of your career, you're going to have to say yes to everything. But when you get to a point where you're established, you need to learn to say no, even to your friends or your family members, whatever it is. If you're feeling uneasy about it or it's going like everything inside of you is screaming no, say no. The more I have honored myself by doing that, the more peace I've had. Once you start doing it, you're going to see your energy shift and you're going to be just much more content and happy. Also, I said no to jobs While we're here. I wasn't going to bring this up yet, but so I don't forget it. The other thing, that the best advice that I can give you. It's a little off topic, but do not be a ship jumper, and I'm sure I'll say this again but do not be a ship jumper, and what I mean by that is the best advice I've ever gotten.

Speaker 1 10:51

Do not start a show and then jump to another show just because it's better, just because it's better. I have personally stuck to this my entire career and I can say that it really has helped me a lot. I've worked and I've known a lot of people. They'll start a show and they'll jump and they'll go to another show, and sometimes it's a hard decision because maybe you department headed a show and then you got asked to do another show. But the show that you department headed a show. And then you got asked to do another show. But the show that you department headed is starting back up.

Speaker 1 11:27

In my opinion, I would not have taken the show if I knew that I was going to have to jump. I would have said you know what? Personally, I know that my show is starting back up in two months. So if I could just day play, that would be great, or if I could be a heavy day player, that would be great. But I would never say yes to a core position and when I say core I mean a person that's in the main trailer every day permanently. I would never do that Because for one integrity, two, it really messes up the team and if I was a department head I actually wouldn't take on somebody that says, hey, I could do the show but I have to leave in two months.

Speaker 1 12:19

I wouldn't do it because the dynamic of the team and the actors, and then you're having to take that person out and then replace it with someone else because there's a lot of trust that's built and then there's a lot of um, moving parts and then matching and the continuity and all of that like it's just too much. It's too much so I know I kind of said wait on that, but I just want you to. It kind of goes with this but when to say yes and when to say no, like you also need to be a professional and you need to be honest and you need to personally take a step back from things and not be selfish. To that's selfish. And I know some people have to do it because they have families or they have people that they have to take care of or whatnot. But again make a deal with that department head and say I mean, if I could be a heavy day player, that would be great and then you can hire somebody else for that position. But that's just me. I know everybody's different. I just want to share that with you because in my opinion it is frustrating when things like that happen, especially if you're part of the team, that happens to you and you have no control over it. But anyways, as a department head's mindset, I'm just letting you know that's the kind of things that I personally look at and I know a lot of other department heads look at.

Speaker 1 13:44

And if you get the reputation as a show jumper, people will hire you. They're reluctant to hire you because they know that they could potentially lose you and then that's going to cause stress on the job, on them and the other teammates. So try to stay true to that. Um, I've had shows where it's like not a little show, it's still a big show, but it was still not like a major movie. And I've turned down a major movie for it Because, again, I wanted to stay true to my promise to myself and to that integrity. I can tell you right now, if you say my name to anyone that knows me, they will tell you I'm reliable and I'll be there for you. Like I'm not, I won't go anywhere, I will stay the entire time.

Speaker 1 14:35

Oh, and then there's also been times where I've been department heading. I got offered a major, major feature film. It was out of state and everything and we were having a really tough time. My whole team, we were thinking about it. There's things that are going on that, um, you know we were just. It was the first time where I was like it sounds very enticing, but I didn't do it because I am loyal and I don't want to cause any rifts like that. I am loyal and I don't want to cause any rifts like that. So let's see where we're at.

Speaker 1 15:18

Oh, the other thing that I do want to. I do want to add one of the things that I personally have found that makes my work life balance or keeps my health on a show not only the food delivery, but staying away from sugar as much as possible to sleep, exercising if I can, and then, um, ayurvedic medicine. For those that don't know, ayurveda is one of the oldest ways of healing in the world. It's six, seven thousand years old, something around there, and it basically is the first known way of understanding the body and the healing. And I can go into more of this later, but I went to school for a year and learned everything about it. Obviously I'm not a doctor, but I learned the foundation of it. It's so beautiful.

Speaker 1 16:12

Chinese medicine took what they do and what they know from Ayurvedic medicine, so I think Chinese is 5000 years old and they just made it their own. So, like they made it their own herbs from their region. Ayurveda does acupressure massage, which is, oh, it feels so good. And then Chinese medicine did acupuncture. They turned it into acupuncture, which is the needle and so just different things. They tweaked and changed. But personally I started with Chinese and then I went to Ayurveda. Ayurveda is so much more powerful. I started with Chinese and then I went to Ayurveda. Ayurveda is so much more powerful. And you can even ask my boyfriend. He also did the Chinese with me first and then we went to the Ayurveda and man oh man, such a difference.

Speaker 1 16:57

So I remember, on impeachment, my third, it was chaos, guys. I cannot wait to tell you about this show. But towards the end it went on for a year and we had all the COVID gear on, so it was very draining towards the end. Um, my third was like how in the world have you stayed strong and healthy like this? Like I don't understand it. It and I was like my Ayurvedic herbs, but I also spiritually. I would every night reset and I do bible studies and stuff like that and pray and just meditate. So it really helped reset me spiritually. And but she was just like how have you stayed so positive and so strong and healthy? You haven't been sick once, you are still so calm and kind and all this stuff, like I had my moments, but overall I didn't let the stress like there would be tornadoes going on all around us or me, and I wouldn't let it. It was like I was in a bubble and it was because I did these specific things to keep that work-life balance.

Speaker 1 18:10

But anyways, the Ayurvedic herbs oh my gosh, there's one that I take. Anyone could take this. But um, it is. It's got 53 herbs and you just take a little shot. I usually I take it twice a day, but oh my gosh, the vitality you get just, oh, it just makes you feel so good.

Speaker 1 18:32

But again, one of the other things I do want to say about Ayurvedic herbs the thing that I love about it it's customized to each individual person. So I can't tell you to take a specific herb because it might wreck you, like it might mess things all up and, like me and my boyfriend, we'd never taken any herbs that are the same. Everything's always been different. But he used to have some stomach problems and it just felt like this little pit, like this void in a stomach. It's hard to, but he tried everything before we did Ayurveda and about three months into taking the herbs he's like, oh my gosh, my stomach is finally better. So it took a while, like cause he'd get off of them and they would kind of come back. Then he would do it again. But over time like I think a year it hasn't come back. So he hasn't been on the herbs and it still hasn't come back. So that's the thing with Ayurveda it takes time to heal but in the long run it actually does its job. It actually heals you instead of band-aiding it.

Career Sustainability in Hollywood

Speaker 1 19:36

So I know I got off on a tangent. I actually want to do like a podcast on health and teaching people all the things that I know about Ayurveda and maybe I'll have some episodes in here for those. Like I'll do a separate little section for those that are interested in it and the healing and everything that I've learned my healing journey over the last eight years. But yeah, so again, I cannot stress to you enough about the balance. Keep the balance. I was going to tell you an American Horror Story. When I was first starting, I was eating up all the craft service and I think I gained like 20, 30 pounds. I had that. It was like I didn't go to college so I didn't do the freshman 30 or whatever they call it, but now I got my freshman 20, my freshman 30 in the industry. So anyways, okay, we're gonna wrap it up here. Thanks for joining me today.

Speaker 1 20:37

Again, balance is essential in this industry. As demanding as it is, don't forget to set boundaries, prioritize your health and choose opportunities that align with your vision. If you do this, you can stay grounded and thrive for the long haul. Remember your career is a marathon, sometimes it's a sprint, but you really need to focus on the long-term game. Make time for yourself and you'll be in a better place to enjoy the journey and show up fully on set. If you're looking for more support in navigating Hollywood, check out my other episodes, but also my Hollywood Elite membership, where we dive into the strategies to help you build a sustainable career. If this episode resonated with you, don't forget to subscribe, share it with a friend and leave a review. It would mean the world to me. Alright, I'll see you in the next one.