Daily Inspiration: Meet Sarah Sypniewski

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Sypniewski.

Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am currently an actor, writer, editor, and producer, but I’ve lived many lives. The common thread running through them all is that my story is all about following my heart and helping others follow theirs.

 I was born and raised in the Chicago area and got my degree from DePaul University. When a friend of mine declared she was moving to LA in 2001, I tagged along, thinking: “oh, that sounds so fun for a year or two!” Whoopsie.

As life here moved along, I found myself volunteering with AmeriCorps (I got sent to NY to help with the response to 9/11 not long after I moved here) and then worked for six years at the Los Angeles LGBT Center producing AIDS/LifeCycle, the 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from SF to LA.

I loved my work, but in 2010, I decided it was time to honor the quiet childhood dreams I’d been secretly holding onto for too long. The honest truth is, I’ve always wanted to be an actor. But even at that moment in 2010, I was too scared to truly own it, and instead, dove into the world of freelance writing—something I already knew I was good at —and am still at it today. I have grown my business into a well-respected ghostwriting, editing, and writing service for creative entrepreneurs. www.theempireexpander.com.

Of course, like many entrepreneurs, I’ve run multiple businesses. For several years, I ran my own lost pet recovery service called NinjaDog Concepts. There was also the time my wife and I had our own coffee roastery in Santa Monica called Warbler Coffee Roasting, where we served our own nitro coffee off a bike during the height of the trend around 2016. We sold the biz when our son was born in 2017. That was also when I started acting.

Although I’ve wanted to act from the time I was a kid, I always told myself I couldn’t, and shouldn’t even try. I didn’t deserve to have such frivolous dreams. But in 2017, a friend of mine was training to be a life coach, and she let me be a guinea pig for her 30-day manifesting and meditating program. At the end, she made me do a vision board (much to my chagrin)…but I ended up eating crow, because I dared to put images of the film industry on it. I was nearing 40, and I felt this drive to honor my true self. Like, if I got to my deathbed without ever trying acting, it would be one of the greatest regrets of my life. So I went for it. I started to go after my dream. SMC just down the street had their summer theatre classes starting up…so I registered before I could chicken out. I was in several productions there, and now I act on screen.

I am currently gearing up for my first feature film premiere (I’m the lead actor and an executive producer). “Clown Car: A Love Story” premieres 4/24/23, and I am so excited to walk my first red carpet and share in the success that so many people helped crowd-fund! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clown-car-a-love-story-movie-premiere-tickets-540620028057

Additionally, I’ve just co-written my first screenplay called “Family Gatherings”, and have another one almost complete, so shooting those is next on the docket!

I may have gotten a late start on my “official career”, but I am so grateful to be where I am, honoring my authentic creativity—and helping my writing clients honor theirs. Sharing stories, entertaining, paying homage to the human experience…is not frivolous. It’s vital.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been smoother than many others’ roads for sure. I’m white, I had parents and relatives who were able to provide me with a debt-free college experience and degree, I have a wife, Kim, who supports my wild creative life so we always have a roof over our head and food to eat. So I have a tremendous amount of privilege. But Kim and I have definitely had to overcome things. We both work for ourselves (she’s an architectural photographer), and both of our families live in other states. We have chosen this path gladly–again, another privilege–but we have had to work hard. There have been times when we’ve had to pivot, take on many side jobs at once, and keep grinding and hustling to stay afloat. There have been many lean days when the checks get thin. We’ve both almost given up multiple times, but we keep pushing.

The hardest time recently came when my dad in Chicago was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer in March 2020–just at the start of the pandemic. In October of 2020, Kim and I packed up our son and three dogs and drove to stay with my parents for three months to help and get in as much time with Dad as possible. But things got a bit difficult when we all got Covid at the same time. And then one of our dogs died right before Christmas. Life was looking bleak when we came back to LA on New Year’s Day 2021. It was a tough year, dealing with financial losses, impending family death and sickness…I was back and forth a lot to help with Mom and Dad while Kim held down the fort here. In May 2022, Dad lost his noble battle, surrounded by all of us. We all pulled together, but it has been difficult to be so far away from everyone.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I never ever give up, whether I’m creating my own work or helping someone else create theirs. I constantly re-invent myself—and help others do the same. If I want to do something new, I figure it out, no matter how long it takes. If I’m brought on to a project as an actor, but the project needs money, I raise it. If someone needs a location, I find it. If I’m editing a book for an author who needs tech help, I go shopping for a new computer with them. I do whatever we need to do for the good of the project.

When I commit to work, I’m all-in for myself or clients. Raising a kid and having multiple dogs has made trying to act very challenging at times. My spare time was non-existent for a while, and I often had to pass up opportunities. I was tired all of the time. I questioned my sanity for a while. The roughest years were when our son was very young and our dogs were very old and sick…everyone needed caretaking around the clock.

It would have been easy and understandable to give up the acting thing. To put down my freelance writing business and try to get a 9-5 job for stability.

But I didn’t. It’s not that it was some sort of noble choice…it’s just that I literally am the best version of me when I’m creating stuff. And now that we’re 5+ years down the road, our son is in school, and are down to one (mostly) healthy dog, I have more time. More space. I’m feeling like I’m in a flow at last. And the best part is that I’m old enough that I don’t care what anyone else thinks anymore. I’m just happy to create work that is meaningful to myself, my clients, and my creative partners.

It took awhile to get here, and I’m glad I haven’t given up, and I owe a lot of it to the mindset work I’ve been doing for about a year. I used to think it was all BS…but it’s not. It’s really hard work for me personally, but it’s working. Thanks to the help of multiple workshops, trainings, and programs, I’ve come to realize how much power we each have to control our own thoughts, feelings, and actions. And it actually makes a difference. I have to practice every day, but it’s been an exceptional experience to feel the shift from my previous mindset of “yes, great things happen, but no matter how hard I work, they never happen to me…” to “I can create the life I want and need, and there is abundance everywhere.” It’s still tough to reconcile that cognitively when I know the world is so corrupt and unfair and racist and classist and transphobic, but I’m trying.

Aside from my own creations, I love helping people make their own creative visions a reality. A recent client, celebrity hairstylist and “HOTUS”, Johnny Wright, has his first book out now, which I am so proud to have been a part of. It’s “Natural and Curly Hair For Dummies,” published by John Wiley and Sons: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Curly-Dummies-Johnny-Wright/dp/1119843383/

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am BORN to collaborate. I am ALWAYS looking for people to write for and with, whether in the entertainment or business world.

My business writing has earned my clients over $30oM in deals, and I’m always open to take on new projects. I ghostwrite, edit, and more. As I say, “I built this empire to help you expand yours!” www.theempireexpander.com

As for acting, producing, and writing–I have multiple projects and partners going at all times. Right now, I’d love people to attend the premiere of “Clown Car: A Love Story” to see me lead my first feature! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clown-car-a-love-story-movie-premiere-tickets-540620028057

I am also looking for funding and crew for our upcoming short, “Family Gatherings”. Logline: “In this dark comedy short, two sisters reunite on the day of their narcissistic mother’s death to ensure it goes as planned. It doesn’t.”

I have two more projects in the works, but I am always looking for more! I can best serve a project as an actor, but I’m proven as a writer and producer also! www.sarahsypniewski.com, so please reach out! Even if you have a project you don’t think I’m right for but need help with, I’d love to try to assist. I love to use my strong network to connect people to the resources they need to execute their creative visions!

Contact Info:

• Website: wwww.sarahsypniewski.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_sypniewski/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsypniewski/
• Other: www.theempireexpander.com

Image Credits
Photos 1 and 6: Michael Roud
Photos 2, 3, and 4: Sarah Sypniewski
Photo 5: John Wiley and Sons