Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Baron Brooks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Baron, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Many people believe that it is nearly impossible to earn a full-time living in the entertainment industry. They think the only way to earn a full-time living is to star in multi-million dollar feature films, and to that I have to disagree. While it is certainly difficult to make a living, it’s not impossible. I have always been an entertainer at heart, and my one regret is that I didn’t pursue my dreams sooner. As a kid I grew up acting in plays, writing music, dancing, and playing sports. I told myself when I grew up, I was going to be famous! Well, once I got to college all of these activities I loved to do, took a backseat. I ended up having a little too much fun partying in college and not only quit school but started a family. My priorities had now shifted to focusing on fatherhood. While I did occasionally perform in hip hop shows and acted in plays, it was never anything that was consistent enough to gain the momentum needed to be successful. Fast forward 20 years, my daughter Zoey, who was 7 at the time and books a Hot Wheels commercial. As I am sitting in the lobby waiting for her to be done, I am thinking to myself, why am I not doing what I love? Yes, I am 36 working for Corporate America and taking care of my family, but why not make time to do something I love to do in order to better myself and others? So, I got some headshots and sent them to talent agencies in Minnesota. Shortly after sending my headshots, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that 3 of the top agencies in Minnesota wanted to represent me. After getting my foot in the door with these agencies and booking some jobs right away, I started attending networking events to get to know others in the entertainment industry. I also volunteered my time getting involved in crew work for short films as well as background or extra work.

Fast forward to today, I have been either a supporting actor or lead actor in 7 short films. I have been in a documentary series, a game show series, and multiple short films as background talent. I also recently created a LLC called, Brooks World Entertainment, focusing on spreading the love of creativity through acting, music, and dance. I’m sharing all of this to say it’s never too late to pursue your dreams, and in order for you to have a chance at becoming a full-time entertainer you have to get creative and diversify. While I am continuing to work a corporate sales job today to make ends meet, I am also getting consistent acting gigs. I have also branched off into producing, being a production assistant, doing sound, and most recently working on providing a professional self -tape setup for those individuals who may not have the proper equipment to audition at home. So, while I am not making a living full-time as an entertainer currently, the goal is to make this happen over the next couple years by consistently engaging myself in activities related to the entertainment industry. With that said my advice to anyone reading this is:

1. Make sure you are networking with other like-minded individuals in the entertainment industry. The saying “it’s who you know” is an accurate statement and knowing the right people who can vouge for you goes a long way in this industry.

2. It’s never too late to start a career in the entertainment industry. Actors are needed from 1 month to 100 years old.

3. Think outside the box. If you want to be a full-time actor great. Find different ways to monetize your skill set. Work on the crew side of things as a PA. When doing so pay attention to what the crew likes and expects from an actor and use that to become more efficient at your job as an actor.

4. Charge for your services! I get when you are starting out you may need to do jobs for free to gain experience, whether it be on the crew side or acting side but know your worth. If you are competent in the area of interest, please, please charge for your services. This is the only way you will be able to get out of a rut of having this be a hobby vs. a job. And trust me, people will respect your worth and pay you for your services.

5. Invest in yourself! Evaluate your spending habits and try and redirect some of that money you would use for coffee or fast food and put it towards an acting class or headshots or anything that will create value for you in your career. These little things add up and are extremely important for anyone’s success in this industry.

Baron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up I always had a love for acting, music, and dance. Throughout my career I have been involved in many different plays and films, I have written and recorded my own music, and I have performed tap, jazz, lyrical, ballet, and hip hop dance on stage in front of hundreds of people. The one thing that all of these activities have in common, which keeps me going in this industry is, the ability to tell a story and have an impact on someone else’s life. Recently I created Brooks World Entertainment LLC to do just that. My plan is to build a company that revolves around spreading the love of creativity through acting, music, and dance. I want to help fellow entertainers thrive by providing them with the services they need to succeed.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having the ability to connect with others on a deeper level and influence others for the better. Whenever I can positively impact someone’s life it is extremely satisfying and that is what keeps me going in this business.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There was a book I read about a year ago called, “The New Conceptual Selling” by Robert B. Miller, Stephen Heiman, and Tad Tuleja, and it really had me rethink my approach to business relationships and even personal relationships. At a high level this book promotes a win-win mentality meaning relationships are a give and a take. If one side is winning and the other side is losing, ultimately the relationship will end in a lose-lose situation. In order for a relationship to hold strong both parties need to feel like they have won. Although this was referring to more of the business setting, I use this in my day to day personal relationships too. I genuinely care for people and want everyone to live a happy life and succeed so I am always trying to find that balance that results in a win-win for all parties involved.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @baroncbrooks
• Facebook: @baronbrooks
• Linkedin: @baronbrooks
• Twitter: @baroncbrooks
• Youtube: @baroncbrooks
• Other: IMDB: imdb.me/baronbrooks