Today we’d like to introduce you to Lau Lapides.

Hi Lau, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

As a kid, I started as a dancer. I danced ballet at the Boston Ballet at 6 or 7 years old. I couldn’t get into the Nutcracker because I was too tall, can you believe that? As a dancer, though, I learned discipline. The power of structure, mind focus, having goals, and shooting for a high bar at a young age. I knew I wanted to be a performer, throughout my entire life. And by the time I was in my teens I was working professionally as an actor, having been cast in a touring improv troupe on Team Issues. I continued professional work throughout high school and into my college years, as the only recipient of the top performing arts scholarship in my high school, awarded to a young talent going into the industry who wanted to become a professional performer. After a brief stint at Salem State University, I transferred to Bridgewater State where I graduated with a BA, majoring in Theater and minoring in Dance. Now I had many credits under my belt, from dramas to musicals to comedies, and contemporary and classical work as well. I was on my way to a professional career as an actor and musical theater dancer. I always had the entrepreneurial spirit, having opened my first business quite unintentionally at 19. I became a professional pet-sitter, which was not only quite lucrative, but satisfied my love and passion for animals while I was satisfying my other love for acting and performance. This supported me for almost 10 years, leading up to my next move, and also made me very happy and satisfied, running my own mobile company, loving all my fur friends, and making a lot of money. I then was accepted into one of the top MFA Actor programs in the US, University of California at Irvine, on a full tuition scholarship and TA teaching undergraduates. This was a 3-year, full-time residency and I was delighted to accept a new chapter of life. At this point, I had worked professionally, with bits in TV, film and VO, and had a full resume of stock theatre touring roles, and had entered Actor’s Equity Association, now a union talent. I was soon to also become a SAG-AFTRA talent as well, during my graduate years. My graduate study focused on acting, however that’s where I learned how to direct and teach. I was offered a scholarship to teach in the local high schools, and found a new passion. Upon graduation, I landed immediately in the college/university circuit on the east coast, developing a program for entrepreneurs at Babson, Bentley and Boston University, having worked with both undergraduate and MBA fast track international students, I developed curriculum in presentation, pitching, theatre studies, and taking classes abroad to study the British stage. By my 8th year I was offered an executive speech coaching position at a local Boston-based firm and mastered the art of coaching executives in communication and strategic interpersonal presentation programs. Next, we moved into opening a studio. And having owned Lau Lapides Company for 16 years, we are honored and delighted to have pivoted from a fully in-person actor and VO studio to hybrid online programs for global clients.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The road to success is never smooth. If it is, there’s something wrong. There are many many challenges along the way, too many to count and too many to speak of, but the bigger ones I can share now, since they will be universal and most will connect and empathize. One massive challenge being the COVID era, and being a personalized, in-person, in-studio services, our clients came to expect sitting in a room, having coffee, having that real interpersonal approach. All of a sudden, we were forced to go online or halt the business altogether as many did. We decided to go online, converting our coaching dynamics and showcases to an online virtual structure. We found it was an easy fit, and because the whole world was doing it, we didn’t have to persuade anyone to do it. And even though we found we missed having clients in studio, we found the ease, accessibility, and expediting of time online, and of course being able to target and work with global clients, to have massive value for us, and success as well. For us, it was turning lemons into lemonade, and it was the silver lining to a very dark cloud. We even decided to open and launch a VO agency, which was missing in the New England market, and it took off like wildfire. And now, we represent talent throughout the US and five other countries, all because of a major obstacle that we were able to face, overcome, and triumph.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am both a business and a creative, because I am in the business of being a creative.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?

One of my favorites is the 1-Minute Manager, and also the 7 Habits Of Successful People. I also like Tipping Point. I love classical and contemporary films, and really find redeeming value in so many genres, from comedy to drama to horror to docu-films. I consume a lot of film content, and find I do have an insatiable desire for that kind of entertainment. I watch an average of 5-10 films a week. For podcasts, I tend to find that I listen to my own appearances on the VO Boss podcast with Anne Ganguzza quite a bit. For blogs, I see so many that come into my inbox, we receive at least a dozen blogs a week that we tap into and have our thumb on the source. Mostly industry-related, but I do enjoy a mix of different types, especially animal-related ones that show up in my inbox. We love to take what we see, and take inspiration for the studio blog, the Lau of Attraction.

Pricing:

• Talent Inner Circle Red Carpet Tier – $97 a month
• Talent Inner Circle Star System Tier – $47 a month
• Talent Inner Circle Golden Globe Tier – $27 a month

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laulapidescompany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laulapidescompany/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauLapidesCompany
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laulapides/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LapidesLau
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrG3MxmuBxG69yqtB39k2A
• Other: https://www.talentinnercircle.com/