Podcast Summary
Digital spaces and tech in Hollywood: Digital spaces and tech have given underrepresented individuals opportunities for personal growth and advancement in Hollywood, but it's crucial to challenge unfair standards and biases and advocate for fair representation.
The digital space and tech have been crucial for personal growth and advancement, particularly for individuals in underrepresented communities in Hollywood. It's important to protect these digital spaces and challenge the unfair standards and biases that exist within them. Angelica Ross's experience of "hacking Hollywood" through the use of technology not only for her craft but also for understanding the industry's complexities is a powerful reminder of the importance of mental agility and resilience. The tech industry, including social media platforms, have given a voice to marginalized communities and allowed for the creation and success of artists who might not have had opportunities otherwise. However, it's essential to continue advocating for fair representation and challenging oppressive institutions within these spaces.
Limiting beliefs in entertainment industry: Beliefs about needing a manager or agent to succeed and industry's focus on appearances can limit potential. Determine what role they play for you and prioritize self-worth and market worth.
The entertainment industry, much like politics, can be filled with misconceptions and limiting beliefs. These beliefs can stem from folklore or personal experiences in other industries. For instance, the belief that you need a manager or agent to succeed can limit your potential and understanding of the industry. In reality, a manager or agent's role can vary greatly, and it's essential to determine what works best for you. Additionally, the entertainment industry can prioritize appearances and smoke and mirrors over substance, leading to a need for self-reflection and a commitment to setting up your business in a way that aligns with your self-worth and market worth. Ultimately, it takes recognizing and challenging limiting beliefs and seeking guidance from industry veterans to navigate the industry effectively.
Navigating Hollywood: Be assertive and protective of your work in Hollywood, as large production companies prioritize their own interests. Hollywood is a business, so staying informed, adaptable, and understanding its constant evolution is crucial for success while preserving joy and integrity.
When dealing with large production companies in the entertainment industry, it's crucial to ensure that all aspects of a project are well-prepared and presented, as these companies prioritize their own interests over individuals. This means being assertive and protective of one's own work, even if it means being seen as difficult. The Hollywood dream versus reality can be vastly different, and understanding the Hollywood reality is essential for those looking to "hack" the industry and make a lasting impact. This involves recognizing that Hollywood is a business, and that it continually expands to include new forms of media and technologies. To navigate Hollywood while preserving one's joy and integrity, it's necessary to be informed, assertive, and adaptable.
Systems in Entertainment: Understanding the language and frameworks of entertainment systems can help us navigate and challenge them, while recognizing their potential limiting and exclusionary nature.
Our interactions with various systems, including Hollywood, can be better understood by recognizing they are interconnected and coded in ways that often go unnoticed. The speaker shares her personal experiences of navigating these systems, particularly in the entertainment industry, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the language and frameworks that underpin them. She encourages recognizing the existence of systems and their components to better hack and challenge them. The speaker also highlights how these systems can be limiting and exclusionary, often based on factors like race, gender, and sexuality. Ultimately, she encourages active engagement and critical thinking to dismantle these systems and create more equitable spaces.
Entertainment industry issues: Understand industry codes, focus on input, and prioritize accountability and restorative justice for a more equitable and inclusive entertainment industry
The entertainment industry, specifically Hollywood, is riddled with systemic issues, including abuse and a lack of accountability. These issues exist across various shows and productions, and it's crucial to address them rather than turning a blind eye due to the representation of underrepresented groups. It's essential to understand the codes and structures of these systems and to ground oneself in valuable skills to navigate and "hack" the industry. Additionally, focusing on the input and being reliable, helpful, and flexible can lead to opportunities and growth. It's important to remember that every situation offers a reflection and an opportunity for learning and growth, rather than dwelling on the perceived negatives. Ultimately, accountability and restorative justice are key to creating a more equitable and inclusive entertainment industry.
Personal growth in creative fields: Assessing one's capacity, finding value in every opportunity, collaboration, and being willing to learn new skills are crucial for personal growth and success in creative fields.
It's essential to focus on personal growth and self-containment to advance in creative fields and overcome past experiences that may have been detrimental in capitalist systems. Jelica Ross shares her journey from selling credit cards door-to-door to working in Hollywood, emphasizing the importance of assessing one's capacity and finding value in every opportunity. She also highlights the significance of collaboration and being willing to learn new skills to expand one's capabilities. Ross's experience shows that leaving behind limiting situations and focusing on one's vision can lead to success, even if it means leaving traditional industry hubs like Hollywood behind.
Artist career control: Artists and creatives have the power to control their own careers and success, despite the need for a team, by creating opportunities and trusting in their abilities.
Artists and creatives have the power to shape their own careers and success, rather than relying solely on external support like managers or agents. This was emphasized by the speaker's experience of being told by non-industry figures that she was the one in control of her own career. She also shared that while having a team can be beneficial, it's important to trust and do due diligence on those individuals. The entertainment industry may require certain sacrifices and a willingness to play the game, but ultimately, the speaker found success by creating her own opportunities through technology and hard work.
Overcoming limitations: Self-acceptance and resourcefulness are essential for overcoming limitations, especially for underrepresented communities. Personal experiences of discrimination and harassment can lead individuals to find alternative ways to build a better future, such as learning new skills and creating their own businesses.
Self-acceptance and resourcefulness are crucial for overcoming limitations and creating opportunities, especially for underrepresented communities. The speaker shared her personal experience of being a Black trans woman facing discrimination and harassment in various workplaces, leading her to sex work. However, she found a way to transform her situation by learning tech skills and creating her own adult website, eventually expanding her business to web development and graphic design. Her story highlights the importance of adapting to the systems at play and finding ways to leverage resources to build a better future for oneself and the community. It's a reminder that limitations are not always set in stone and that one's mindset and determination can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Decolonizing mindset, self-empowerment: Decolonizing one's mindset and taking control of resources, including technology, can lead to empowerment and liberation. Self-reliance and resilience are key. Inspiration from Tina Turner and Buddhist practice can help. Ross' upcoming podcast will discuss making the most of opportunities and challenges.
Decolonizing one's mindset and taking control of one's own resources, including technology, can lead to empowerment and liberation. Angelica Ross shared her personal experiences of being exploited in the tech industry and in her dating life, and how she learned to value her own strength and worth. She emphasized the importance of self-reliance and resilience, drawing inspiration from Tina Turner's story and the Buddhist practice of chanting Nam yohoringayo. Ross also announced her upcoming podcast, "No Opportunity Wasted with Angelica Ross," where she will discuss making the most of life's opportunities and challenges. Ultimately, Ross' message is one of self-empowerment and the importance of believing in one's own strength and worth.