Talent Industry - A Challenging Yet Promising Career

We’ve all heard stories of that one actor who struggled in the beginning before making it big in the industry or that one musician who played at functions before getting a break in Hollywood. They struggled but in the end, reached the summit, the pinnacle of the industry. No doubt, they inspire hundreds others to do so. But, what about thousands of those who went along the same path and never made it. Unfortunately, this is the bitter truth, the ugly side of our very glamorous talent industry. Not many realize that the majority of people that started to sail the ‘industry boat’ drowned and never appeared again. It’s good to be inspired by a successful few but one must keep in mind the challenges that one faces while taking this path.

The talent industry can be a brutal place for many who lack ‘talent’ or proper credentials. For many, it has been a long and tough battle which, unfortunately, they lost in the end. John Loughlin, although being very talented struggled in 60’s and 70’s to find work that could establish him as a musician. He played in different bands at various concerts to make ends meet, never being able to actually launch himself as an able artist. He obviously had ‘talent’ but that’s not the only thing one requires to make a name in the industry. He needed to advertise his talents, meet people for work, get noticed at events, which he only realized very late in his career. Also, advertising your skills in those days was completely a physical thing. There was no technology helping it. One had to go meet people at the events, get introduced at parties and then hope to get work. ‘Word of Mouth’ was the key. So, in a profession that required ample public exposure, no or little networking meant suicide.

Even though it was the hard way, John now has understood this key differential to getting people’s attention. He seems, now, to have understood the game pretty well and knows what it takes to make a place in the talent industry. Having become a seasoned musician himself, he now actually enjoys networking, meets fellow musicians and plays gigs at events. Having gone through a lot in his early years of career, he now happily mentors the upcoming artists in dire need of advice. He tells them everything about what they should do and what they shouldn’t and hopes that these budding artists learn and benefit from his experiences, something that he couldn’t. He focusses on establishing credentials and being professional while conducting oneself. He also stresses on the need to be always optimistic and tells artists to never be discouraged by the failures because it is a daunting task and a very long road. But for ones who determine to be persistent till the end, it eventually pays off.