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

Tom, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned from previous jobs, is to value everyone that I work with while understanding their individuality and needs. Part of my coaching work is discovering and seeing everyone for “who they are”, understanding their stories, and helping them bring out the best in themselves. That also means knowing when they are not a good match,  and  helping them move forward into something that may suit them better.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure, I am an actor and acting coach living in Los Angeles. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be an actor. When I was in third grade, I wrote a play called Monster Madness . The premise was a bunch of monsters got together, did a poor job of insulting each other, and then everyone got get a pie in the face at the end, it was simple and effective, we did the play and received rave reviews in the neighborhood . That was the beginning of my interest in performing.

However, as time went on, I developed terrible stage fright. I completely lacked the courage to perform in front of people. I also received a lot of subtle and not so subtle messages that being an actor would be a foolish venture. So, I gave up on my dream of pursuing it professionally. But, as they say, what is meant for you will not pass you.
So, in my mid 20s, I decided to join some amateur theatre companies…and after overcoming my stage fright, I  started landing some very good roles. As time went on, the roles got bigger and the productions got bigger and I started working professionally. No matter what I was doing as my day job at the time. I always returned to acting.
Then one day, I finally got the courage to go professional. That also included transitioning from stage to film and television… I took every class I could, I watched and learned from professionals. Then started booking roles myself. Eventually, I started coaching and teaching others to do the same. my acting career and coaching practice continue to grow to this day.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In the entertainment industry you always have to pivot. You are always exploring yourself and you have to make a lot of sacrifices for your career, or at least I have. I was living in Central New York when I decided to go professional in my career which meant moving to New York City. That was a big sacrifice to be away from my family and friends. Then I moved to Atlanta exploring industry there and now I am in Los Angeles. With each step, there was growth along the way…. A different lifestyle., and a different set of people along the journey.
I think part of being resilient is being able to adapt and enjoy your environment . The average person would probably look at my life and think that I’m absolutely crazy for doing everything that I have done for this career. But it is the work that speaks to my soul.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson that I’ve had to learn is that life isn’t always linear. It’s not always step one, then step, two, then step, three, etc…. Sometimes it step 10, then step, four, then step one. You have to be malleable, you have to be flexible. You have to find your direction and then go with the flow to really succeed. I have had to release myself from attachment to outcomes. To draw strong boundaries with people. And to not let my inner critic get the best of me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: thattomwarner