Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Wernick.
Erica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
One night, I was home in Philadelphia, close to graduating art school, watching “13 Going on 30,” because I’m always up for a good chick flick. Jennifer Garner’s character was eating candy out of a candy box, and it suddenly hit me — a Graphic Designer must have designed that candy box! (I later discovered that the candy was a real brand, but my discovery how design works in Hollywood was, nevertheless, correct!)
With my Graphic Design degree, I set out for Los Angeles — a city I idolized –to pursue my dream of designing for Hollywood. Despite having zero contacts (no uncles or neighbor’s friend’s in the industry), I broke in and booked my first TV show within two weeks. It was incredible… the dream was better than I had imagined. I worked on a studio lot, had my own office, and Eric McCormack celebrated with me as my very first graphic got an insert shot.
Ten years and 30 TV shows later, sitting behind a computer was no longer fulfilling me. I was itching to help people and make a difference somehow. I knew how to create success in Hollywood, and I wanted to teach that to others. And that’s essentially how Hollywood Success Coach was born.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Failure is a part of success — it’s how we get here, and I had so many bumps along the way. In my television design pursuit, I went almost an entire year without TV work, and that sent me down into a depression. It was the worst year of my life, to date. I shut out friends due to pure humiliation. I hid in my bedroom and barely left the house.
I had never felt so down on myself and my abilities. But because of that time, I can relate to my clients. I give them permission to feel whatever they’re feeling, and I show them the tools to get out of it 100x faster than I did.
As I began my new coaching career, I was met with more challenges (they never end!). From struggling to build a business while simultaneously working 12 hours on a TV set, to experiencing the beginning of entrepreneurship where my paychecks came solely from me (and many times they never came).
Thank God for really supportive moms. 🙂 I called mine many times, crying, wondering if this was ever going to work. But, as I’ve learned from Gabby Bernstein, obstacles are detours in the right direction. They are simply opportunities for us to pivot, to learn, and to get more clarity about what it is that we truly want.
Hollywood Success Coach – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As Hollywood’s Success Coach, I help Hollywood creatives get to the next level in their career. People come to me when they are feeling stuck where they are, and I help them create a fresh new strategy. Because I work with creatives who dream of winning an Oscar and generally succeeding at a high level, I also teach them the High Achieving Mindset — the way that High Achievers (like athletes, Olympians, performers) think in order to succeed at that level.
I’m kind of obsessed with my business — as I’m sure every business owner is! My favorite part is that I coach all creatives — actors, writers, directors, set PAs, music supervisors — and we all collaborate in one place. I know there are many coaches out there who work strictly with actors, or strictly with writers. I love creating space for everyone to come together. It’s a great opportunity to network, build lasting friendships, share ideas, and also see that our problems are not specific to our craft — they are universal.
It’s easy to say that I’m most proud of one of my clients who booked a recurring role on “This Is Us” this year, but honestly I am so damn proud of every single goal my clients have accomplished — from landing dream agents and managers to internal transformations where they finally have the confidence to strategically pursue their dream. I am so proud of building a company that creates lasting relationships and lifelong transformations.
Yes, my clients get tangible results, but it’s even more rewarding when a client tells me they are finally happy in their career and life after several years of feeling terrible. To me, that is priceless and brings me so much joy.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
With my coaching, I have two proudest moments — one for myself, and one for a client.
This past October, I hit a pretty big milestone in my business: I surpassed my annual TV income. I am proud of this because building a business from scratch is incredibly challenging. And while I had coaches and mentors guide me, I did all the work myself.
Some days I feel that moment of gratitude — like, “Holy crap, I can’t believe I did this!” It requires more faith than most people will ever have to scrounge up in their lifetime. Some days I struggle with that, but I made it through. And it’s proof for all of my future goals that I can create anything I desire.
For my client (and this is really tough for me because I am equally proud of every single client I’ve worked with), he booked his very first TV credit, and I basically lost it. I had worked with this client from day one of him moving to Los Angeles. He is an actor, who had no real on-camera experience. Throughout the year, I led him through the steps of getting into class, booking low budget non-union work, getting his first agent, then a manager and another agent.
At around the year mark, he got the email that he booked an HBO show. When I got the call, I completely broke down. I’m such an emotional person as it is, but I get so invested in my clients, and I want their goals for them just as much as they do. As I bawled my eyes out of excitement, I quickly called my parents to share the news. I think that was my proudest moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.hollywoodsuccesscoach.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @hollywoodsuccesscoach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodsuccesscoach/
- Other: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hollywood-success-podcast/id925061007?mt=2
Image Credit:
Jonathan Tantype
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