Seven Lessons Steve Jobs Can Teach Actors

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"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

"Here's to the ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.

"You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward.

"And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius.

"Why? Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the only ones who do."


That was from a 2007 Apple commercial. I've attached it below, and I definitely recommend watching it before reading the rest of this post:

I love it.

Steve Jobs, love him or hate him, was a genius. Why? Because he challenged his industry.

He was the first person to figure out how to make technology FUN!

He challenged an entire industry, and that's what made the difference. He thought about things from a different perspective.

Technology shouldn't just be some boring, corporate system designed to help make things more efficient. Technology should help make people's lives fun, creative, and artistic!

So today, I will be sharing seven ways Steve Jobs can help YOU as an actor "think different."

1. Think Big

The acting community is extremely short on true visionaries.

Most actors get into it because they either love playing characters or they want to become famous (which is inherently self-focused).

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, what is your deeper purpose for acting? The purpose beyond yourself?

What's a purpose that would truly help the world – one that other people can get behind?

I remember when I coached my client Tyrone. Until we found that his deeper purpose was to be an example of strength and resiliency for his community, he was nowhere near as passionate about his acting work. But once he discovered that true purpose, EVERYTHING CHANGED.

Here's a great page that teaches you exactly how to find your true acting purpose.
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​2. Follow Your Instincts

It's OK to avoid following what everyone else is doing.

Do you feel like you could be more creative in your approaches to auditioning or performance? Do you feel like you're ever being stifled by the industry and all those who are "in charge"?

It takes a true leader to follow their own instincts and be willing to sometimes get trampled on for what they believe in.

In what ways do you feel you're being held back by people's expectations of you?
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​3. Adopt Unconventional and Impractical Perspectives to Problems

​How are you moving your acting career forward right now? Are you doing what everyone else in the industry does? Or are you trying some "outside the industry" tactics?

Are you deeply strategizing or are you just reading free little articles online and trying the same things everyone else is doing?

Sometimes it takes doing something completely different – and perhaps even the opposite of what you'd expect – to have a breakthrough.

​Here's a great article I wrote on how actors can start using the Coronavirus situation to their advantage.
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​4. Don't Fear Failure

Did you know that Steve Jobs was FIRED from Apple in the eighties?

Some people look at being fired as the ultimate FAILURE. Not Steve Jobs. He looked as it as the ultimate OPPORTUNITY.

After being fired, he wound up creating a brand new company called NeXT, which eventually helped save Apple during one of their biggest crises. Read more about the story here.

​5. Upset the Status Quo

​The greatest changes are made in the world by people who are unafraid (or those who push past their fears) of standing up to the standard, conventional ways of doing things.

How else would society advance? Rarely does life change for the better when everyone simply does what they're told.

We only move forward when we stand up and say, "I'll do it differently."

Don't be afraid to be the actor who will do "whatever it takes" to get what he or she wants – especially if you have a purpose you truly believe in – one that goes beyond just yourself.
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​6. Be Optimistic About the Future

Jobs never looked at the world as a hopeless place, and neither should you.

Giving up and looking at the acting industry as a dead end place where you'll never succeed is not going to help you.

Always look at the positive in the industry and deliberately seek out people who are like-minded and also want to challenge the current ways the industry operates.

Do your homework! These days, you can simply use Google to find people with similar mindsets to yours. Find directors, producers, and other actors who believe in the importance of changing the industry for the better.
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​7. Keep it Personal

Jobs was passionate about his work because he made it personal. But being passionate about acting isn't enough; you need to also be passionate about the particular roles you're playing.

Some actors find this hard because the industry boxes them into roles they don't enjoy much. If that sounds like you, it just means you haven't found a brand you're proud of yet.

Once you find a brand you're passionate about, you'll do your absolute best work because you'll be mixing your work with who you are as a person. And that will make all the difference.

Learn how to find a brand you're proud of here.

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Here's a great quote, directly from Jobs himself, to sum all this up:

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

Once you find a brand you're passionate about and a method of acting you absolutely love (whether it's primetime TV, commercials, standup, musical theater, etc.), you'll do your absolute best work.

And when you do your absolute best work, the world will start to reciprocate by giving you the opportunities you truly deserve.

​Martin's Quick Win:

Steve Jobs taught us to follow our passion and do things that inspire us. If we don't challenge the thinking in our industry, we're bound to stay stuck.

​Take these steps if you want to see a fast, noticeable improvement in the amount of acting work you get:
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1. Take a look at this list of all casting director emails. Pick out one casting director you'd like to make a connection with.
2. Look up their name online and find either an interview, podcast, or YouTube video with them in it.
3. Watch/read/listen to the content and take some notes on things you learn or find interesting.
4. Send the casting director a simple email thanking them for helping you learn something. The email should be short but specific to what they taught you, where you found it, and how you're going to use what you learned to further your acting career.
   1. Hi Cindi, I just wanted to shoot you a quick message to thank you for the blog post you were featured in at [WEBSITE URL]. You spoke about how actors should always keep their slate extremely natural – as though they're talking to a friend. I actually didn't know this! I will definitely be trying it out at my next audition, and will let you know how it goes. Thank you!!! - Martin
5. Repeat this process for 5-10 more casting directors. Note that you can also do this through social media – find a post they wrote that's genuinely helpful to you and send them a direct message thanking them for it.
6. Chances are some of these casting directors will respond and say something along the lines of, "I'm glad it was helpful to you!"
7. But even if they don't respond, you'll want to follow up about 2-3 weeks later telling them how you used their advice and anything that has changed for you.
   1. Hey Cindi – just a quick update. I tried your technique of saying my slate more naturally, like I'm talking to a friend, and I just got my first callback in a few months! Honestly not quite sure whether it was specifically the slate that made the difference, but I think slating in a more natural way helped me perform better during the actual audition itself. Thanks again for the advice :)  – Martin
8. Then, once every 6-8 weeks, you can continue keeping in touch with them. And if you notice they are casting something you'd love to audition for, you have built enough of a relationship that you can contact them directly and ask if they're open to you sending in a self-tape.

This simple strategy is an example of "outside the industry" thinking that Steve Jobs promotes.

By thanking someone for something they've taught you, you INSTANTLY build trust, credibility, and rapport with them, and it opens the doors to future communication.

Check out the video below where I go into more detail on this "outside the industry" strategy: