THE NEW HOLLYWOOD LEADER

HOLLYWOOD CAREER STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP

Here's a new Video I Shot today. I'll be posting it on my website http://www.hollywoodcoaching.com very soon but for now, here it is.

MY QUESTION FOR WGA PRESIDENT PATRIC VERRONE (And his Answer)

I had the pleasure of doing a web-radio interview last week on one of my favorite topics: Hollywood Leadership and the Writer's Guild Strike. Hosted by Coach Tom Floyd, guests were Patric Verrone, President of the WGA, Jonathan Handel, attorney at TroyGould,  Coach (and friend) Sherry Ziff Lester and me.

THE LEADERSHIP LEARNING?

Of course I'm always listening for the leadership opportunities and ways we can do things differently in Hollywood. In the beginning of our conversation Patric was explaining the events and months preceding the vote and decision to strike. Obviously lots of frustrating time passed that led to the lengthy strike.

BUT HERE WAS MY QUESTION TO HIM:

BROWNSTEIN: Patric, obviously, it was a successful strike and you got great things.  With what you learned by the end of the strike —if you could go back in time now—what might have worked differently in July that you discovered in January?

VERRONE: Well, I think the key thing was the involvement of the CEOs. When we were bargaining from July through October, we were bargaining with what Tom referred to as the AMPTP (The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). 

COACHING AND THERAPY

At the ICF conference in November, I had a great conversation the Dr. Carol Kaufman, a therapist, coach and Ass't Professor at Harvard about a whole bunch of stuff, but I was moved by this articulate statement about the differences between coaching and therapy.

“The role of therapy is decreasing depression, the role of coaching is increasing well being.”

Therapy follows the trail of tears with the goal of healing.

Coaching follows the trail of dreams with the goal of optimal living.

In Coaching, healing is a side effect. in therapy that’s your goal.”

Very poetic, clear and honoring of the tools and intentions of both paradigms.

What do you think?

CREATIVE CAREER WORKSHOP - 1/26/08

THE STRIKE ISN'T CHANGING HOLLYWOOD . . .

The deep changes we're seeing and contemplating have been progressing for years in quiet, lava-like slow motion. These changes ARE being highlighted and accelerated by the strike.

The internet has existed for years. The studios have been owned by big corporations for years. People have come to Hollywood with talent, a dream and varying degrees of a business plan for years.

The WGA's choice to strike, and the AMPTP's choice not to negotiate have combined to create an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and stasis few of us have experienced in our professional lives. (Who knew the AMPTP would negotiate like suicide bombers?)

And yet the uncertainty was here all along. The shutdown of production, development and awards shows has simply unmasked the great uncertainties that have always been upon us.

THE BIG QUESTIONS:

-What am I doing in Hollywood?
-What do I want out of my life?
-What sacrifices (or choices) have I made in my life to have a career in Show Business?
-Is my career going where I want it to go?

THE WRITER'S STRIKE AND SMALL BUSINESS . . .

I was interviewed yesterday for Fortune Small Business News, as seen on CNN.com.

Click Here to take you there:

The article says that "Writers' strike cripples small businesses."

Here's the "good part." (where they finally talk to me.)

--

The strike has required businesses to come up with new survival strategies and creative solutions to the cash crunch, said Hollywood career coach David Brownstein. With their production projects on hold, many of his clients are taking the time off to brainstorm about new financing options and think about their career trajectories.

"They are now forced to look at where there are new business opportunities," Brownstein said.

HRTS Network Chiefs Luncheon – The Lessons of Bad Leadership

Just returned from the Network Chiefs Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. On the panel was Stephen McPherson of ABC, Dawn Ostroff of CW, Kevin Reilly of Fox, Ben Silverman of NBC, and Nina Tassler of CBS.

This annual event brings together the top creative executives of each of the broadcast networks and is truly has the potential to hear smart, creative, opinionated leaders discussing what’s happening in Television at this particular moment.

Unfortunately, the moderator of this event was Barry Sonnenfeld, film director and exec producer of “Pushing Daisies.” Here are my brief comments on the event.

1) - Barry Sonnenfeld: Worst moderator ever. Here he was sitting in front of 1000 people moderating a discussion with among most powerful TV execs in Hollywood and he could barely get out a question. He talked primarily about himself, was not very knowledgeable about the business, and worst of all, barely gave the panel a chance to talk. Except for the occasional wisecrack or quip.

A journalist at my table said, half joking: “I love Pushing Daisies but now I almost want the show to fail.” I know what she means. 

LEADERSHIP SALON: An Open Discussion about Leadership.

-Who are the most effective leaders in Hollywood Right now?
-What leaders at which companies seem to be the most leadership challenged?
-What do we mean by Leadership Anyway?

The Hollywood Coaching Leadership Salon is a facilitated conversation among Entertainment industry professionals.

We're dedicated to growing the mystical and misunderstood art of leadership in Hollywood to a fine, masterful art.

We'll do this by beginning a conversation about Leadership that will challenge you to think, wonder, pontificate, act and become more aware of the concept, role and power of great leadership in Hollywood.

If I Were Coaching Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Beyonce or Angelina Jolie . . .

I was recently interviewed by email by JAPANESE VOGUE MAGAZINE for an upcoming issue. Since we may never see the replies in English, and because she asked some fun questions, I'm going to post some of my replies.

"Q#1: If the celebrities below were your clients, what would you like to advise them? Please give three advices for them in short words."

-Lindsay Lohan
-Britney Spears
-Beyonce
-Angelina Jolie

If I were asked to coach Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears, I would not give them advice, but would ask them these questions:

--What do you really want to create or experience in this next stage of your
life?
--What dreams do you have that you haven't had time to achieve?

"The Inner Game of Hollywood" Live in Studio City, CA.

I'll be at "Jennifer's Coffee Connection" in Studio City at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 25th. Come on down and say hello.

My topic will be: "The Inner Game of Hollywood: How to Juggle Your Goals, Fears, Dreams, Strategies and Blackberry."

Coincidentally, this is the name of my newly revised, remixed and re-edited book. Amazing!

"The Inner Game of Hollywood" is learning to navigate our careers and creations while balancing our elaborate strategies and plans with the non-linear, sometimes non-sensical logic of a cryptic Zen-master or a 5-year-old child.

My Visit to KrustyLu Studios

Simpsonize yourself at http://simpsonizeme.com/ and feel free to post your portrait here in the comments page. See ya.

-db