this is incredibly validating for anyone who’s felt like they’re falling behind or not “getting it right” in their creative career. lynn’s career path and healing process reminds us that success doesn’t always look like we imagined....

originally aired july 8th 2021, this in-depth conversation with actor Lynn Chen is an episode that closed out season 4 of the podcast and hit hard for a reason.

Lynn walks us through the emotional highs and lows of “making it” as an actor: from child opera performances and Law & Order bookings to struggling with food, being dropped by reps, and ultimately finding her voice through blogging, vulnerability, and directing her own feature film.

We cover:

• Growing up performing at The Met (like, age four-level early)

• The moment acting felt more like obligation than love

• Booking Law & Order and getting her SAG card

• The weight of the industry’s standards...literally

• Binge eating, emotional triggers, and recovery

• When a Sundance debut doesn’t equal steady work

• Why she started “The Actor’s Diet” and what it gave her back

• Her “holding deal” era + writing her first pilot

• Getting dropped by reps… and getting back up

• Resilience, reinvention, and reclaiming acting on her own terms

Referenced in the episode:

• The Actor’s Diet Blog (redirects to her main site)

originally aired april 13 2021, brian unger has been on your screen more times than you probably realize but this episode isn’t a flex. it’s a real convo about the weird limbo between being talented and being bookable. what it actually feels like to get hired. and the emotional whiplash of the audition hustle

we talk about

• how pilot season used to work and what’s changed

• why bookings don’t mean you’ve made it

• the quiet grind behind working actor life

• the surprising advice brian got that changed his entire career

this episode is a reminder that success in acting rarely looks the way you imagined it. and that one good job isn’t the whole story. a must relisten if you’re questioning your momentum or measuring your worth by your credit...

ever feel like your to-do list has morphed into a crisis of identity? same. this replay (from oct 30th 2023) is here to pull you out of that “should I cut my hair or get a manager?” spiral and help you simplify the actual next steps in your acting career.

we talk about why your brain is overloaded (it’s not just you), how to dump your mental tabs into one place, and why taking out the trash (metaphorically) might be your best productivity tool. oh, and we break down how to decide what the hell to work on without drowning in FOMO.