Featured Artist In Action: Zakiya Young

Our latest Featured Artist In Action is actress, singer, and model, Zakiya Young, whose talents have graced the Broadway stage (Disney’s The Little Mermaid), numerous Off Broadway theaters, national commercials, and, as a mezzo-soprano, the concert stage. As you’ll read, Zakiya’s career is taking off these days, and we couldn’t be happier for her! Let’s hand it over to her.

1) When you first started working with Capes Coaching, what were your goals?

Wow. That feels like a lifetime ago! When I first started working with Capes Coaching my only goal was to make it through the day. I was experiencing some drastic changes in my personal and professional life. I was in a whirlwind — my first Broadway show just closed and my marriage was ending. I had always wanted to take the PATH class — and I felt like I had nothing to lose and that the timing couldn’t be better. I wasn’t sure if I was going to give up and move home to PA or pick myself up and continue to pursue my artistic dreams in NYC.

2) What have you accomplished since then?

Since taking the PATH class, I’ve had some amazing things happen in my career. I played Lois Lane in the revival of “It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman”, opposite Matt Cavenaugh as Clark Kent/Superman and Patrick Cassidy as Max Menken. Not only was I thrilled to be playing the lead female role opposite such talented actors, but I was the first black actress to ever play Lois Lane in a Superman project — in theater, tv or film! The role was such a challenge not only because Lois Lane is such an icon, but the show had some pretty significant changes as well. Charles Strouse and Lee Adams – the composer and lyricist – were on hand to write new material and give their feedback on the show. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who has written for tv shows Big Love and Glee, has written comic books, and recently worked on the book for Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, updated the book for our show as well. It was awesome to collaborate with him about who Lois really was and why certain changes were made. And I’m forever grateful to Kevin Moriarty and his vision for this project. Oh, and we also got covered by the NY Times! My mom called me screaming – “WE MADE THE TIMES!” And sure enough — there was a fantastic article about the show, along with a nice big picture of me and Matt in the Sunday Times. Amazing. And so unexpected.

Zakiya Young and Matt Cavenaugh in "It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's Superman." Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux.

Later that year, I sang a medley of songs from Hallelujah, Baby in Nothing Like a Dame: A Party for Comden & Green, at the Laura Pels Theater. The proceeds from this Actors Fund benefit went to the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative. Ms. Newman hosted the event and I was part of an amazing cast that included Marc Kudisch, Victoria Clark, Mario Cantone, Nancy Opel, Victoria Clark, Polly Bergen and Donna McKechnie.

I played “Miss California” in the world premiere of Little Miss Sunshine at the La Jolla Playhouse. It was great to work with James Lapine and William Finn on a new piece, and the cast was incredibly talented.

When I returned from La Jolla, I participated in the 92nd Street Y’s Lyrics and Lyricists Concert Series celebrating Comden & Green. I got to sing with Leslie Uggams, who originated the role of Georgina in Hallelujah, Baby! and won a Tony award for it! It was such an honor to share the stage with her – and to once again work with Phyllis Newman. I loved exploring the witty, heartfelt and stirring music of the songwriting duo. What an awesome experience. As a result of my performance in the concert series, I am now freelancing with a voice-over agent!

I recently completed my first Fringe Festival show, Winner Take All (A Rock Opera), written by Skip and Claudia Brevis, and directed and choreographed by John Carrafa. This experience stretched me in so many ways — I will forever be grateful to the creative team for challenging me, trusting me with the role of Scarlett and really teaching me how to rock out!

I started booking both commercial work and print work and now have enough for a reel (which is on my website). I am now represented by Avalon/BMG Models for commercials and print. This professional relationship began after I took the PATH Class. Having my goals solidified before I went in for my preliminary meeting helped me make the right decision about who to work with in the commercial realm.

My legit agents at The Mine have continued to work their tails off by getting me seen for tv, film as well as fantastic theater opportunities. I am incredibly fortunate to have such professional and enthusiastic representation. I was working with them while I took the PATH Class and they were so unwavering in their support of my career. It’s a blessing to be working with them.

3) What has been your biggest career challenge and how did you overcome it?

My biggest career challenge? Hmmm…I think my biggest challenge has been my height. I’m quite the amazon ☺. I mean, it’s something I can’t change. But what I could change was my physical fitness – I started making exercise a part of my routine and I made healthier food choices. I’m in the best shape of my life now and that’s made me stand even taller! Now I embrace my height, I don’t bemoan it. And I’m rocking high heels on a regular basis! (I’ve also found that when I go to the Meatpacking District most of the women there are my height or taller.) Once I started owning it and stopped doing what I call the “tall girl slouch” I started working. A lot. Celebrate what makes you unique! Don’t hide it or apologize for it!

4) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?

Two things:

1. Don’t be afraid of high belting and/or riffing! You’re really good at it!
2. What God has for you is for you. Period. Sometimes you don’t get the job because there is something better in store for you. Don’t be so busy looking back at what you didn’t get that you miss out on a fantastic opportunity ahead of you.

5) What are you currently working on?

I’m now in rehearsals for Greenwood: The Musical, which is part of NYMF. We will be performing at the Signature Theater on 42nd Street and it promises to be an awesome show. The cast includes Andrea McArdle and Felicia Finley, and the creative team, helmed by our fearless director Paul Stancato, is just great. The passion behind this show makes it so special — not to mention the writing team of Tor Hyams and Adam LeBow. They’re incredibly gifted and funny! I’m having a great time playing Stacey, the best friend of one of our main characters. There is something for everyone in this show – I can’t tell you too much more about it – you’ll just have to see it for yourself! Our shows are selling out FAST so get your tickets now!

I also have been a part of the wildly successful web series, Submissions Only, by Kate Wetherhead and Andrew Keenan-Bolger. I play successful casting director Erica Houston and my shoes had a sweet cameo in the opening credits for the first 2 seasons. Keep your eyes peeled Season 3!

6) Anything else you feel like sharing?

Treat everyone you work with – from the janitors to the director – with respect. Arrive at every audition and rehearsal on time and prepared. Give 100% no matter what other people are doing around you. Have something outside of the business that gives you joy. And surround yourself with people that love and support you.

Are you a Class-o-holic?

If I were to ask you to define YOUR business, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’m sure that many of you would immediately think about your craft and, as artists, it’s probably a natural instinct to go there. So, your craft is your business, right? Well…not exactly.

See, as an artist, you obviously couldn’t have a business without your craft — your business exists because of it. And, making sure that your craft is in top form is definitely imperative to running a successful business. But it can be too easy to get so wrapped up in your craft that you forget about the business side of your career all together!

Most definitely NOT a class-o-holic

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, especially if you find yourself spending all of your time working on your craft in classes and workshops, but deep down you’re feeling frustrated because your career is not where you want it to be. I like to call this “being a Class-o-holic.” Don’t get me wrong — I’m not knocking taking classes at all. Staying in strong craft shape is really important. But you’re in dangerous territory when taking classes is no longer in support of, and is instead at the expense of, getting out there, creating opportunities, and actually growing your business. Know what I mean?

It might be helpful for you to think of it this way: your craft + your business = your career. In fact, our tagline at Capes Coaching is “Talent is only half the equation,” because we believe that you can have all the talent in the world but no career if you don’t have the knowledge and the tools to run your business effectively.

So, how can you be sure that the classes you’re taking are ultimately supporting your career and not just giving you an excuse to stay in the classroom? Try setting an intention. In case you’re not familiar with this practice, it means clarifying what you really want to get out of something as you are about to begin it. This is particularly helpful when it comes to classes, because it’s easy to get to the end of one and somehow feel disappointed or unfulfilled. But, if you don’t articulate what it is that you want out of an experience, then you only have yourself to blame. When I teach my Path Class, I start it off by having everyone set their intentions beforehand, and then we check in with them at the end — it’s a ritual that my students have embraced and incorporated into their lives outside of Path Class.

Next time you start a new class, set your intention like this: think of one word, phrase, or idea that captures how you want to feel at the end of it. What are your standards for the class? How will you know if it was worth your full investment of time, energy, and money? Some examples of a powerful intention are: I want to feel more confident with my monologue auditioning, or I want to feel like I know the ins and outs of television writing, or I want to feel like I could hold my own on an improv team. Get the idea? In the end, you’ll have a a sense of clarity to guide you through the class, and a means of measuring your experience.

Betsy’s Birthday Balance Blog (say that 10x really fast!)

...it's a long story, but worth it. Just read the blog.

Okay, so one of my favorite TV shows of all time is The West Wing. I’m obsessed. The day my husband and I watched the final episode of the series we were ready to re-watch the entire series again, I kid you not. So, it’s no surprise that when I came across this quote in a Sunday Times Op-Ed about the Autumnal Equinox — “A myth in many cultures holds that some mystical force lets us stand eggs on their ends, but only for a few hours immediately before or after the exact time of the equinox” — I recalled the West Wing episode, “Evidence of Things Not Seen, ” where CJ (played by the amazing Allison Janney) puts this very theory to test.

I don’t mention this simply to share my TV viewing habits with you (even though I could wax on about The West Wing, Lost, and Mad Men until I was blue in the face), but rather to talk about something near and dear to my heart — balance. In case you didn’t know, an equinox is a date and time when day and night are of equal length, and happens twice a year. It’s all about balance. And this year’s Autumnal Equinox, which is upon us tomorrow, is particularly meaningful to me because it happens to fall on my birthday (yes, I am a lady on the cusp for those of you who are into signs). So, it probably comes as no surprise that I LOVE balance. When one foot itches, I like to scratch the other foot too, just to equal things out. I was once in a yoga class where the teacher accidentally skipped the other side of a sequence of poses and I literally felt out of balance for the rest of the day. Needless to say, I can get a little nutty when this happens.

Balance traps, which are situations and mindsets that can knock you out of balance, are easy to fall into — I see it happen all the time in the coaching room (and I’m not immune to them, myself). Perhaps the most common balance trap that I see artists, in particular, fall into is one that I address in the Artists In Action lesson on Balancing It All: The Perfectionist. The Perfectionist trap occurs when one assumes that a balanced life equals a perfect life. When our career is perfect, and our relationships are perfect, and our health is perfect, and our creative life is perfect…only then will our life be in balance. Nope. Sorry to burst the Perfectionist bubble, but this is SO NOT TRUE!

Simply put, balance does not equal perfection. And the more time we spend assuming it does and pursuing something that is ultimately elusive, the more time we waste feeling frustrated with being out of balance. But here’s some good news: balance can be found in imperfection. In fact, it’s imperative – things are never going to go your way all the time, so you better make peace with the idea of imperfection in your life in order to find your way closer to balance sooner than later. Once you give yourself over to this idea, it’s amazing how much beauty can be found in that imperfection. What do you think? Can you work with that?

One other thing that I think is worth mentioning: according to the article from above, “Throughout history, the first day of autumn has been considered a good time to take stock of the year’s successes and failures.” Tomorrow, I’ll naturally be taking some time to reflect on this past year of my life, as I have a tendency to do on my birthday. And I might even test out this whole egg-balancing theory, too! I want to encourage you to take some time out of your day and do some reflecting of your own. If you do, please be sure to acknowledge your successes as well as your failures — regardless of what they are, I hope you take an extra moment to learn something from them both. Why wait for December 31st to take stock of your life when you can do something NOW? I plan on making autumn a season of reinvigoration and balance, and I invite you to do the same.

Oh, and if you happen to find yourself standing eggs on their ends tomorrow, let me know how it goes…even if it your experiments don’t go perfectly. Happy Autumnal Equinox to you all!

Take a walk around the block. No, seriously.

Pedestrian traffic icons from around the world. Part of Maya Barkai's public art installation, Walking Men.

My last blog post on rituals seemed to strike a chord with a lot of you, which doesn’t surprise me in the least. Whenever I introduce the idea to clients of mine, they almost universally take to it with much enthusiasm. I think that part of the reason for this is that rituals are simple in concept, yet hold great resonance when applied to your life. What’s not to love?

As a follow-up, I want to share with you a grounding ritual that I used to give as an assignment in one of my classes. Let me tell you, it was always a big hit. Again, on its surface, it doesn’t seem like much (the basis of it is a walk around the block), but the shift in focus that it creates tends to surprise people. It’s something that I still do on a regular basis when I need to ground myself, and I’d love for everyone reading this to give it a try and see what happens.

So, to do this, pretend that you’ve arrived at my virtual classroom, and on the chalkboard are the following instructions for a silent walking meditation. If you’re able to do this right now, go for it. If you’re reading this while you’re busy doing something else, or you simply don’t have 10 minutes to spare right now, I suggest you print out this blog post and find 10 minutes in the next day to give it a go. In either case, just give it a try – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

GROUNDING RITUAL: SILENT WALKING MEDITATION

1. Follow these instructions IN SILENCE…
2. You are going to walk around the block in your own time TWICE.
3. For the first lap around the block, I want you to purposely think about whatever is on your mind. Let the chatter and the voices run free and rant during the first lap around the block.
4. For the second lap, I want you to let go of ALL thoughts and be as present as possible. Check in with all of your senses—notice everything around you: the sounds, smells, sights, even touch a building or notice if someone brushes past you. Make sure you take at least 10 conscious breaths during this second lap. Stay present and silent as you make your way back inside.
5. Get out a pen and paper and free write about what you experienced. Use the following questions to get started:
   a. What was the difference for you between the two laps around the block?
   b. What did you find challenging?
   c. What did you enjoy?
   d. How did you like this ritual?
   e. What did you learn?

Leave a comment on this blog sharing any or all of your answers to the questions above. I can’t wait to hear about your experience with this ritual. Have fun!

My love affair with rituals…

So, I’ll let you in on a little secret about me: I love rituals. They make me feel calm, grounded and bring me instantly back to my center. Plain and simple. I also love them because once one becomes ingrained in my life, it’s one less decision I have to make in my day.

Rituals mean different things to different people, but I like to think of them simply as repeated actions that have a lasting impact on my well-being, like taking a yoga class. For some of you, this type of ritual could include going to the gym, taking voice lessons, or reading the news at the same time every morning with your coffee or tea.

Now, I love checking things off my to-do list with the best of them, but the things that end up on that list are usually one-time tasks, which I like to call Completions. These are immediate actions that, once we take them, aren’t really thought about again, like calling my bank to ask about setting up a new savings account, or picking up my sister at the airport. Both Rituals and Completions involve taking action toward getting what you want. However, rituals tend to be more powerful when implemented because they can have a long-term, life-changing impact. So, while they may require a more serious commitment on your part to initiate, if you can stay committed to repeating an action long enough, it will become a habit, or in other words, a given.

There are certain rituals in my life that have stuck since the beginning, like brushing my teeth before going to bed — that’s a no-brainer (and, if you do like the Muppets do, it’s FUN!). And then there are other rituals that I have a more complicated relationship with, like meditation. Now, I’m a firm believer in meditation and I’ve done it long enough to know its benefits. But, if I’m being really honest (which I believe is an essential part of my job as a coach, even in my blogs — especially in my blogs!), then it’s time to confess — I’ve been struggling with my meditation practice lately. I just don’t want to do it. But guess what? It doesn’t matter! My body is already doing it before my mind has a chance to talk me out of it. That’s the beauty of long-term rituals: I do them regardless of the mood I’m in. In this case, meditation is non-negotiable because it’s a built-in ritual and I know it’s good for me in the long run, regardless of whether or not I want to do it on a given day. I simply do it, rain or shine, good mood or bad, light or busy schedule.

Norman Mailer, who had a strict writing regimen, highlighted the value of rituals when he said, “Over the years, I’ve found one rule. It is the only one I give on those occasions when I talk about writing. A simple rule. If you tell yourself you are going to be at your desk tomorrow, you are by that declaration asking your unconscious to prepare the material. You are, in effect, contracting to pick up such valuables at a given time. Count on me, you are saying to a few forces below, I will be there to write.” An invaluable lesson to not only all of you writers out there (who undoubtedly know the necessity of writing rituals), but to everyone else who wants to affect change in their life.

So, as you continue with your week, I challenge you to look more closely at the rituals in your life that are working for you. What about them works? Do they involve other people? Are they critical to your health? What compels you to show up time and again for yourself? And what’s one NEW ritual that you’re ready to commit to beginning? Think about what your needs are and make sure you’re clear about what the commitment entails before you blindly commit. Make it count.

I’d love to hear your answers to these questions, so feel free to share in the comments below. There’s a lot we can learn from each other about what makes certain types of rituals stick, so don’t be shy! And be sure look out for Part 2 of this week’s blog focus on rituals…I’m going to share some great stuff with you, including one of my favorite grounding rituals!

Danger: Multi-Goal Syndrome!

MULTI-GOAL SYNDROME
noun
An Affliction commonly found amongst actors, artists, and creative professionals. Symptoms include frustration, burnout, and applying to law school. May be contagious.

Let’s talk Multi-Goal Syndrome. I know, it sounds like some kind of chronic disease and, in a way, it is, because it can certainly be fatal to your career. Multi-Goal Syndrome refers to having a ton of different interests and goals without having a tangible, organized plan for how to achieve any of them. This is such a common issue, especially in the arts, where creativity tends to outpace practicality, and people aspire to become multi-hyphenates.

I think it’s great to have different interests and skills, and it’s important to have a sense of ambition, a desire to conquer the world. But the reality is this: you can do anything, but you can’t do everything at once. What ends up happening is that you spread yourself too thin across so many different areas, and you never see enough real progress towards any of your goals. It’s a quick trip to frustration.

How do you know if you have Multi-Goal Syndrome? The most obvious symptom is feeling stuck, because you have a lot of goals that all feel equally important, and you can’t decide where to focus your attention. The solution to this issue is that you have to force yourself to prioritize, which can feel like an impossibility, I know. But you could narrow it down if you had to, and — trust me — if you want to make some progress, you have to.

I’m not saying that you have to take fifteen different focuses and choose only one. I’m talking about getting it down to five or, better yet, three. Remember, the purpose of goal setting is to help you focus, not overwhelm you, so you want to give yourself the time and space to explore one goal at a time. The thought of doing this, however, can trigger another symptom of Multi-Goal Syndrome: the fear of commitment. This is something that rears its head in the coaching room on a constant basis, a fear that, by committing to only one goal, all of your other goals will vanish forever. There’s a false sense of limiting yourself and your potential when, in reality, you’re actually giving yourself the freedom to realize your potential rather than being buried under the weight of too many options. When you’re throwing yourself in every possible direction, just hoping that something — anything — will work out, everything becomes more difficult. Networking is hard, marketing is hard, balancing your life and career is hard. The entire business becomes hard, because you don’t know what to do with your time and energy in order to make even the slightest amount of progress.

If all of this sounds good to you in theory, but the thought of focusing on one goal still makes your stomach clench, then think about it this way: you will be setting hundreds, maybe even thousands, of goals throughout your life. When you focus on one, it won’t be the end-all-be-all goal in your life. But you have to start somewhere in order to get to the rest of those goals.

So, what’s the most important goal to you right now? One thing I’ve learned over the years from growing my own business is that we accomplish ten times as much when we focus on one goal at a time, rather than trying to cover too many bases at once. By prioritizing our goals, we ground ourselves, making it less of a possibility that we’ll lose sight of what we’re working towards and, of course, creating a greater likelihood of success.

If you suffer from Multi-Goal Syndrome, I challenge you to focus your attention on one goal over the course of this next week. No matter how impossible it seems, just give it your best shot — I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised do discover what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it!

Back to school — what’s your game plan?

They did NOT have a game plan.

So, summer came and went and hopefully you have a nice tan to show for it! I, for one, love back to school season! Even though I’ve been out of school for more years than I’d like to admit (☺), I still get flushed with excitement for fall — the season churns up a wave of energy and focus that I can ride all the way through to the winter doldrums. It helps that our industry experiences seasons too. There’s a freshness to this time of year, a feeling of new beginnings. So, whether you had a productive summer or you decided to slow down, it’s time to get back in the game and play full out. But, do you have a plan?

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of starting fresh and begin blitzing every area of your career with busy work — it makes you feel like you’re doing something. But, doing something for the sake of doing it isn’t going to get you much further than feeling stuck, unfocused or overwhelmed. Putting together a plan will focus your attention and help you work more efficiently, which ultimately means that you’ll be working smarter, not harder.

As you get back to work, here are a few tips to help you get into the swing of things and start moving forward…

5 quick tips to get your game plan ON!

1. Make a list of everything you DID accomplish for your career this summer:
It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you didn’t do enough, so give yourself a little pat on the back for the things you did you — you’ll feel that much more motivated to keep working, trust me!

2. Make a date with your schedule:
Set aside a couple of hours to sit with your calendar and really evaluate where your time is going — figure out what’s working and what isn’t. I can’t tell you how many people have never done this simple step and are surprised by what they find. Remember, it’s all about making your time work for you.

3. Do one thing you’ve been thinking/planning/talking about doing but haven’t yet:
C’mon, I know you have something that you’ve been holding out on. I dare you to do it this week, before more time passes. Let it be successful just by taking the initiative instead of focusing on the result. See if that helps you get out of your head and into action.

4. Go to one networking event:
Sitting at your computer and putting your plan together is obviously valuable, but you also need to get out there in the world so that you can be IN the business. After all, if you’re not connecting with the people in your industry, how can you expect to work with them? Commit to one networking opportunity, whether it’s a seminar, a class, or a party. Get out there and share yourself with the world!

5. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter:
Get free tips and advice daily when it comes to planning and working toward your career goals AND staying inspired along the way!

So, shake off the summer rust, pack up your swimsuits, and get ready to make things happen, because school’s back in session, and so is your career. Make a plan, work smart, and — as always — have fun!