We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janel Koloski a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Janel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you 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?

I first moved to NYC at 18 to pursue modeling, but it didn’t go the way I hoped. After struggling to gain traction, I moved back to Pittsburgh to finish my teaching degree. I still loved New York, though—so I returned to teach, planning to enjoy the city without touching fashion or entertainment again.

But something kept tugging at me. My students would bring in magazines with models that looked like me or tell me they thought they saw me on TV and I should give acting a try haha so sweet. That deep childhood desire to perform wouldn’t let me go. Eventually, I left teaching to try again—but this time, I found myself juggling four survival jobs, couch surfing after a falling out with roommates, and barely scraping by.

I had an agent, I was going to auditions and taking acting classes, but I wasn’t booking. I wasn’t consistent. I wasn’t organized. I was chasing a dream but treating it like a hobby.

Then one day, I met a woman at a casting who told me she modeled and acted full time. I was stunned. She said the shift happened when she started treating her dream like a career and she was the CEO—and asked me what I was doing for mine.

That conversation changed everything.

That weekend, after a long nanny shift followed by a late night shift at a bar, I promised myself: I’ll give this one more year—but this time, I’m going all in.

I wrote down everything I could control, my creative strengths, and dreams and organized it into three categories: business, craft, and self-care. Then I built a schedule to ensure I was consistent with my plan

Within a few months, I booked a modeling job for Under Armour and landed a Travel Channel series. By 2016, I was working full-time—making six figures as a model in NYC, filming commercials in Dubai, and hosting. And I’ve been working full-time in this industry ever since and I guarantee if I started out with a plan and a CEO mindset that would’ve sped up the process.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started performing on stage when I was 7 Irish dancing. As I got older people began suggesting I try acting and modeling. I didn’t book my first modeling job until I was 14, but that same year, I went on a school trip to New York City—and everything shifted. I stood in the middle of Manhattan and promised myself: *One day, I’ll live here and model full time.*

Eventually, I did. I studied acting at the William Esper Studio in NYC and built a multi-hyphenate career in modeling, acting, and hosting. You can see me on shows like *Servant*, *Dynasty*, *American Horror Story*, and *Black Rabbit*.

But it wasn’t a straight path. From 2013 to 2016, I juggled survival jobs and struggled to book consistently. It was exhausting—auditioning, hustling, barely making ends meet. But I kept going. I always asked myself: *If I were on my deathbed, would I regret giving up?* The answer was always *yes*. So I pushed forward.

What I’ve learned is this: if you keep showing up for yourself—because you *know* you’re meant to do this—things *do* work out. This industry is a rollercoaster. You work so hard to book a TV show, and when you finally do, it shakes you. You step off the hamster wheel for a moment… and then you’re right back on. But with clarity, support, and a plan, it becomes manageable—and even joyful.

That’s why I coach creatives now. I help multi-hyphenates build careers they *love*—careers that pay the bills, spark inspiration, and connect them to the industry. In my free 30-minute consultations, I help clients break down their dreams into a 90-day business plan. Many come to me unsure if they’re even meant to work in entertainment. But with structure and support, they leave confident. And the results speak for themselves: clients have gone on to book more TV roles, sign with agents, and finally get the modeling work they’d been chasing for years.

I’m most proud of this: I never gave up. And I help others realize they don’t have to either.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society can better support creatives by recognizing the vital role we play: we bridge the gap between the intangible and the tangible. We channel the human experience—emotion, love, struggle, transformation—and translate it into something you can see, hear, and feel.

Art is a non-invasive invitation to empathy. It offers new perspectives without force. You don’t have to fully understand artistry to respect it—but remember, you need us just as much as you need money, medicine, or any profession you deem more ‘practical.’

Creatives make the human experience accessible. We remind you you’re not alone. That matters. That *is* essential work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I was young and first started creating, I was completely authentic—free to share my perspective without filters. But as I got more involved in the industry, I started falling into the trap of “being what they want.” I shaped myself to fit what I thought would book the job.

Yes, it’s important to understand the tone, the medium, and to be professional. But I didn’t book TV until I *let go* of trying to be what they wanted.

I booked *Dynasty* because, on the page, the character read like a pretentious model. But I saw something different—an anxious girl afraid of being judged, even while she was at the top of her game. I brought that vulnerability to the audition. I added humor. No one else read it that way—and I booked the role.

That moment changed everything.

Now, I always give what I call a “safe take” out of respect for the craft, the writers, and the tone. But I also give a *Janel take*—something that’s uniquely me. It’s where I get to play, trust my instincts, and enjoy the process. Because even when you’re “perfect for the role,” there are a hundred other factors you can’t control. So never lose your artistry.

That shift—back to boldly being myself—led to more auditions that actually fit my raw, quirky interpretation.

Just be you. *Boldly you.* That’s the part no one else can do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.janelkoloskiofficial.com
• Instagram: janelkoloskiofficial
• Other: mindsetartistrypodcast on Instagram, and Mindset Artistry on youtube. Thank you

Image Credits

Kate Moore
Claire Pardington
Nicholas Lattimore