We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Randall Hunt recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

The most important lesson I’ve learned as a creative is knowing your vision for your next step and your big picture. I call it defining your why.

It’s not simply enough to work hard and want to work, especially in today’s world with increased competition. You must know your purpose in your chosen field, what brought you to that job, and what kind of projects you want to create with what impact. If that feels too big, simplify. With whom do you want to be working in the future? Taking the time to answer any of these questions will draw your roadmap for what you need to do to get where you want to go. Your roadmap has to be connected to your why.

For a long time, I had a ‘just put me in coach’ attitude. I put the decision-making power in the hands of people who didn’t know me to define me. I worked my tail off in class, trying to become the best actor I could be. But I didn’t spend enough time daydreaming, seeing myself in my next role, really thinking about who I am and what my unique offering is to the world. I was unfocused. My “I just want to work” was my mantra came off as scattered and, in my worst moments, desperate.

Looking back now, I see how confusing that can be from the other side. You can’t start your career saying, “I want to be a character actor in indie dramas and also become the next big Marvel leading lady superstar and be on Broadway in a musical.” That’s crazy-making for you, your team, and those who may be curious about your work. OK, maybe one person will have the opportunity to experience all that in one career, but they don’t focus on all of that at once. Rereading this is giving me palpitations!

During downtime during the pandemic, I sat with myself to figure out my why. Circumstances outside your control taking the thing you love away from you does a lot for perspective. I did a lot of journaling. Once things started casting again, I researched what kind of projects were out there. I thought about what I know about myself as a person and where that fits into the puzzle now. I have a lot of passion and energy; what would happen if I focused solely on the things that got me fired up? Derek Silvers once said, “if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.” What’s my “hell yes,” and how can I run towards that with abandon?

Denzel Washington has a beautiful quote given while speaking to acting students. “True desire for anything in the heart is God’s proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it’s yours already.” If you’re not putting out there what your genuine desire is, how can the universe (if you’re into that kind of thing) or other people, for that matter) know what you’re trying to do? And sit and be honest with yourself. Are all the things you say you want genuinely connected to your why?

A lot of people refer to knowing your “brand .” I didn’t connect with that phrase; I avoided it like the plague. That term never stuck with me. I don’t think my actor heroes (like Alison Janney, Viola David, Bryan Cranston, and David Kaluuya) are sitting around thinking about their brand identity. Maybe I’m wrong. But what I believe they are thinking about is this: what they bring to the table, their why. What is the connective tissue between things you want to do, the projects you’re like, “dang it, I wish I could do that,” or the things you get passionate about or happy or fire you up? That’s your why—chase that.

Sarah , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Sarah Randall Hunt, and I’m an actress, producer, and writer. You can find me on television, in movies, commercials, and onstage with projects like Black-ish, Unfinished Business with Vince Vaughn, Cannes winner Chronic with Tim Roth, and some upcoming things I can’t discuss publicly yet. I sing too, and once toured with a band and performed in musicals. I was once nominated for a Broadway World West Best Featured Actress in a Musical award.

I am most proud of creating opportunities for myself and others like the web series I created, Stupid Cupid. It’s about four best friends who create a dating app to fix modern love, but learn more about their love lives in the process. We just finished a successful festival run and even had the great honor of airing on 60 time Emmy Award winning TV Channel NYC Life. What a thrill to see our project advertised on NYC Taxis! Producing for me is about making projects that I would want to watch and being a part of the change I want to see in the world, committing to telling the stories of voices we don’t hear from enough such as women and underrepresented communities.

The thing that sets my work apart is a full physical and emotional commitment, be it in drama or comedy. I love playing complicated women who go through something and come out on the other side changed. Fully in living in someone else’s shoes teaches me so much about the world around me. My favorite roles are ones that introduce me to life experiences that are outside my own or require a transformation of some sort. I delight in finding the light in the dark and vice versa.

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

Yes! Reading “Positive Intelligence” by Shirzad Chamine has recently been a huge shift for me in the way I approach both myself and my work. He’s created a simple system based on research to increase your emotional intelligence with yourself and others using mindfulness and other tools for greater self-awareness and communication. It’s increased my patience for myself and others, taught me how to slow down and better listen to my impulses. It takes a moment to explain the concepts he’s presenting about our inner experiences, but once you get them it’s super easy to apply in your daily life.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Give them money. Other countries like the Netherlands have government sponsored support for the arts which help contribute to a career in the arts being a realistic career choice with sustainable earning potential. That’s not really true here in the US. I’m oversimplifying as there is government support for arts organizations through grants, but it’s so true for individuals. We need to even the playing field to make it easier for people of all backgrounds able to enter a career in the arts. Donate to a crowdfunding campaign, give to an arts organization like the Actor’s Fund, and engage with artists in your community.

Going out of your way to see a movie in the theatre or catch a live performance can make a huge difference in the future career of an artist. Take a risk and go to that gallery show you saw a poster for that piqued your interest! Go to a popular venue and catch a band you’ve not yet seen. There are bands or actors I’ve followed for years who get traction years later and I am so deeply proud of their success, it’s made me their lifelong fan. That’s a whole different experience than just watching what’s most popular on your favorite streaming service. Now that we can be out in public together more safely, let’s embrace the opportunity to connect!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stupidcupid.us/episodes
• Instagram: instagram.com/sarahrandallhunt
• Facebook: Facebook.com/sarahrandallhunt
• Twitter: twitter.com/sarahrandallhun

Image Credits
Main photo, Peter Konerko Other portraits, Kodi Jackman