If success can exist for anyone, it can exist for you! A solid positive mindset and a love of learning will help you soar past any failure. Besides, anyone who has tried anything worthwhile has experienced failures and bumps in the road. If you want success, you need to change the way you think of failure immediately. Remember that you don’t need any external validation to confirm you are worthy of a great life. We are ALL worthy of a great life. If you struggle with this, lean into a meditation practice. It will do wonders for you.
As a part of our series about creating a successful career in TV and Film, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Colleen Kahl. Colleen has a well-rounded theatrical skillset honed through her work as a professional actress, stage manager, producer, and educator in both the NYC and regional theatrical markets. Actors Connection in New York City named her president in the summer of 2018.
In recent years, Kahl has built theatrical and creative arts programming for more than 15 schools and community organizations. In 2017, her company, Enspirited Projects, was nominated as one of the top three innovative companies for work in arts education and self-esteem along the Jersey Shore.
Alongside her theatrical endeavors, Kahl is a serial entrepreneur. She’s developed a patented jewelry product, launched a greeting card line, pitched new concepts to fortune 500 companies, and has consulted on an emerging nutraceuticals brand based in Florida. She’s currently prepping a keychain product and two internet businesses to market. She loves entrepreneurship, her son, her husband, and her merry band of pets (2 cats and a pit bull).
Colleen enjoys working with actors and helping them think outside their box to develop career success and happiness in their everyday lives. She is a big believer in the Law of Attraction and personal energy, and always welcomes conversations on those topics.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I’m a twin! (my sister and I are fraternal so we don’t look alike.) I have 2 sisters and a brother — born to incredible parents on the Jersey Shore. I joke that my childhood was pretty Leave it to Beaver: lots of joy and love in our family. My parents didn’t originally have much interest and experience in the arts, so when I first asked to go to an audition, my dad tried to persuade me to get a field hockey stick instead. They quickly figured out how to be supportive, and have been big fans of my shows and projects ever since.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
During college, I produced a big cabaret to raise money for research for Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer. A student at the school was suffering from the disease, and his partner came to me to help with a fundraiser. I loved being the creative force behind pulling a talented team together. I loved the marketing, the logistics and the process. I also really enjoyed giving talent and creativity an opportunity to shine, all while getting behind a great cause. This event really showcased to me that I had a skill set blooming in that arena.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’m a big believer in initiative and not being afraid to ask for something. Early in my career, I was volunteering as a production assistant on an outdoor Broadway concert. We were prepping swag bags for the performers and had a lot of things to load into a van to bring to the venue. There were several other volunteers helping, and when we all got downstairs to load the van, we noticed there was nowhere for the van to pull over, courtesy of those busy New York streets. While everyone else stood there and just looked around, I walked right up to a cab driver idling on the side of the road, told him our situation, and asked him to move. He happily drove off so our van could pull up. The producer on the event noticed the whole interaction and asked that I meet with her later that week to chat. She ended up becoming my greatest mentor, and I worked professionally with her for years (shoutout to Paige Price!). That small bit of initiative was all I needed to get noticed, and I owe so many fantastic professional experiences to her.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
We just launched a new membership program at Actors Connection called Actors Connecting, which helps give actors tools and information on a regular basis for a super affordable price. The membership is a really affordable and accessible way for us to make sure students have access to the info they need in order to level up their careers and make better choices. In addition to the membership, we offer lots of great online classes and some in-person events. We always have something new and fun up our sleeves, and have even started bringing groups to NY theatre with private talk-backs with casting directors.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
If success can exist for anyone, it can exist for you! A solid positive mindset and a love of learning will help you soar past any failure. Besides, anyone who has tried anything worthwhile has experienced failures and bumps in the road. If you want success, you need to change the way you think of failure immediately. Remember that you don’t need any external validation to confirm you are worthy of a great life. We are ALL worthy of a great life. If you struggle with this, lean into a meditation practice. It will do wonders for you.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
1) Entertainment acts as a mirror to different aspects and concepts in our world. If it’s not diverse, it’s not sharing the entire story.
2) Diversity provides more opportunity for powerful synergy in creative projects. It brings new voices to light, and it teaches messages through different lenses. Those voices will inspire and resonate with people in different ways. It’s fresh and exciting, and it’s vital for producing interesting new work.
3) Talent was never something reserved for one sex, one race, or any one subset of people. It’s everywhere, just looking for mentorship and resources to bloom. There are untapped resources in people everywhere!
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”
1. Ask for an opportunities
2. Meditation and training your brain pays back in dividends
3. Know your worth
4. Follow your joy
5. Read and learn constantly
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I’ve mentioned it a lot, but if you aren’t meditating yet — please start! There are so many great resources out there to get you moving!
If you could inspire a movement in the industry that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
A movement of true self-love and positivity. Actors get down on themselves and can try to define themselves by their bookings. They are so much more than that. You are more than your work. You are more than your resume. When you really love yourself, everything can get better in your life!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
See the story above about Paige!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I am a keeper of quotes. When I was in college, I had an index card box full of quotes that I loved! Different things resonate at different times, but let’s go with this for today:
“You playing small doesn’t serve the world.” –Marianne Williamson
It’s a great reminder that sometimes you need to step up and be brave to help others and build a better world. It reminds you to have courage and lean into your gifts, because you never know who you might help — and we are here to help one another!
Authority Magazine is blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I love creative entrepreneurs — can I hang with Lin-Manuel Miranda?
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Colleen Kahl On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career in TV and Film was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.