Why I Turned Down a Chance To Be on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
P.S. It’s because I knew I wasn’t…and why you might want to think twice when Hollywood comes knocking.
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You often hear stories of Hollywood hopefuls (LA transplants) jetting off to Tinseltown to hustle for their big break while waiting tables or tending bars to pay the bills. When I moved across the country from Charlotte, North Carolina (finance hub of the Southeast) to the quaint, seaside city of Marina del Rey, California, the merging of Hollywood and my entrepreneurial path was the farthest thing from my mind. However, a few years and unexpected encounters later, and I was clearly mistaken.
Fame wasn’t on my radar, but when the opportunity comes knocking…
I won’t deny the degree of flattery I felt when I got a virtual tap on the shoulder from a big-time casting agent representing a legitimate show I had actually heard of. What was even better was the fact that they found me on LinkedIn, through my companies, and wanted to showcase my professional expertise.
In other words, this was a business opportunity for vast exposure and a great way to level-up in my field and increase my credibility as an entrepreneur. There were even synergies between the viewing audience for the TV show and my company’s customer base, so it could really be a win-win for both sides and a potential source of leads.
Plus, they piled on the compliments from day one, buttering me up for the spotlight with every communication. As someone who had made a big, risky, and unconventional career move and life change (quitting a 6-figure job to attempt to build a company, entirely bootstrapped, in one of the most expensive cities in the country), it was nice to receive an unsolicited vote of confidence from an authority in entertainment.
See below an example of the encouraging exchanges they sent:
