20th Southern Women's Show 2010 Talent Gabriella's Human Slinky (age 8)

Now THIS is entertaining!

LA Actorfest 2010 - Part 2 of 2

LA Actorfest 2010 - Part 2 of 2 Please click on this link and share your comments and feedback on my Examiner page. Thank you!



Victoria

Let's connect on Twitter (@victoriadrake)

LA Actorfest 2010 - Part 1 of 2

LA Actorfest 2010 - Part 1 of 2 - Please read and share your comments with me on my Examiner page. Thanks!

Marketing your Fall fashions in style using video marketing via #constantcontact

Marketing your Fall fashions in style using video marketing via #constantcontact

Celebration of Julia Wilkinson Carson's Life. 1973 - 2010

Do you have a fashion dream? via #constantcontact

Victoria Drake: Why I Joined WEB SERIES NETWORK

My take on Web Series Network. Check it out!

Real water bed

I just couldn't resist this hilarious waterbed video - watch it and see for yourself....

Audrey * k is now open in Burbank.

Watch THE SOCIAL NETWORK Trailer

The Actorhood Theater Company in Hollywood, Sal Landi teaching between the lines

The Actorhood Theater Company in Hollywood, Sal Landi teaching between the lines

ZMD premiere footage - LA Film Festival June 2009

Fun footage I just came across from our interview at the Zombies of Mass Destruction premiere at the LA Film Festival in June of 2009.

Cheers,

Victoria

Connect with me on Twitter.

Tut.com

Photo by Victoria Drake

You can get an uplifting daily message if you sign up for a free account on tut.com. If nothing else, to me it feels like I have someone "on my side".

Enjoy.

My TUT message today:

On the very bright side, Victoria, never in peace time history has there been such a gallant effort, by so many people, spending so many billions of dollars with no end in sight, to rapidly clean up your environment.

Never before have numerous heads of state and representatives of a corporation as large as many smaller nations, pledged to work together, sharing expertise and resources to get a job done.

Never before have so many prayer and meditation groups suddenly formed, amongst and in between every religion and those belonging to none, to foster healing of your precious planet.

Never before have finger pointers, conspiracy theorists, and blame mongers been so idle and unnecessary in the face of such a tragedy.

Never before have industry titans across every sea chosen to reexamine their own safety procedures, revisit their own environmental safeguards, and expend their own fortunes to voluntarily reflect upon and demand that they do an even better job from this day forward.

And to top it all off, Victoria, your planet has a loving, brilliant consciousness all her own, and of her countless balancing acts, healing herself is one in which she truly shines.

Of this, and so much more, you can be very, very proud.

Yee-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The Universe

Little can ease the suffering or stem the pain over lives lost and careers halted, Victoria, but human nature is every bit as resilient and courageous as mother Earth, and we are simply awed by what we see unfolding from here. All hail... before humankind.

Cheers,

Victoria

Connect with me on Twitter

The Actors Industry Showcase, the Next Stage Theater in Hollywood - Happening now!

The Actors Industry Showcase, the Next Stage Theater in Hollywood - Happening now!

Click in the link to see the full story! Like this article? Please subscribe on my blog and at Examiner.com (my freelance writing forum).

Ciao,

Victoria
Connect with me on Twitter

The Greenway Arts Alliance presents inkSlam: The Los Angeles Poetry Festival July 7 - 10, 2010

The Greenway Arts Alliance presents inkSlam: The Los Angeles Poetry Festival July 7 - 10, 2010



If you like this article and would like to be notified of future articles, please subscribe to my blog. I'm also on Twitter, so please join me there too!

Cheers!

Victoria
My acting website
Let's connect on Facebook

The Los Angeles Day Player web series premiere - Santa Monica, Helenna Santos, Executive Producer

Helenna Santos (l), Miranda Allgood (r) Photo taken by Joseph R. Davis
The Los Angeles Day Player web series premiere - Santa Monica, Helenna Santos, Executive Producer

2010 Actor's Industry Showcase

The Groundlings and Friends Benefit for Gary Austin, giving back to the founder

The Groundlings and Friends Benefit for Gary Austin, giving back to the founder

LA based author and acting coach Judy Kerr, wrote the book on it - Acting is Everything

LA based author and acting coach Judy Kerr, wrote the book on it - Acting is Everything

Natascha Corrigan Band, Interview Dakota Lounge

Northwest Costume Shop, Tacoma Washington

The Actors Library - Resources for Smart Actors who are serious about career success.

OMM #4 - On My Mind - Kristine Oller, The Actors Library, Resources for Smart Actors




I wanted to share this information with you because I think Kristine Oller is a fantastic "teacher" for actors, entrepreneurs and anyone else who wants to organize their thoughts, life and business. She helps us to zero in on our *focus* allowing us to move forward faster, smarter and better. She's offering a new service now called The Actor's Library. She is currently offering a free video series starting with Video #1 called The Secret Path of The Successful 7. She walks the talk. She has been a paid working actress in Los Angeles, and has also created a very successful business with her Personal Organizing skills as well as her ability to concisely and clearly explain her methods for our success through her videos and her teachings. Definitely worth your while to check it out!! Tell her Victoria Drake sent you ;)

Here is her bio from her website:

Since founding her business, Personalized Organization, Kristine’s organizing services have been in high demand. As word spread about her ability to boost the marketing results and momentum of creative and performing artists, the career strategy segment of her business grew to include clients nationwide.

As more and more clients began engaging Kristine about how to manage and manifest the ideas and plans swirling around in their minds, she saw that a true need existed for this type of guidance. Now, in private and group sessions, Kristine advises folks about how to truly thrive in today’s world, offering them efficient and effective plans of action that transform their environments and shift their perspectives.

The desire to share her knowledge with a wider audience fueled the creation of her book, Feeding Your Focus: How Creative People Can Move Forward Faster And Achieve Sustained Success. The book, along with her Networking BootCamp, speaking engagements, and her national columns for The VoiceOver Insider and BackStage, have enabled Kristine to pursue her own passions – and encourage others to do the same.

As a guest organizer, Kristine has appeared on DIY Crafts on Scripps’ Do-It-Yourself Network and on Before and After’noon Movies on the USA Network. She became a Golden Circle member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and has served on the board of the Los Angeles Chapter of NAPO. Kristine has received the 1999 Membership Award from The Actors’ Network, the Volunteer of the Year Award at the 2007 Los Angeles Organizing Awards, and the 2009 Alumni Service Award from her alma mater, Linfield College in Oregon. She has been twice nominated for the Best Organizing Coach and Mentor Award at the Los Angeles Organizing Awards. For more info, please visit www.KristineOller.com.

Share this with your friends and business associates by Tweeting or sharing on Facebook! Very valuable stuff.

Thanks to Kristen Nedopak for passing the information along to me!

My twitter account is @victoriadrake - see you there!

Ciao for Now.

Victoria

Deflowered - back by popular Demand! May 18th at the M Bar in Hollywood

I hope you'll join us for another fun filled evening at the M Bar as we bring to life true stories of women's virginity lost - Ding Dong, My Hymen's Gone! You won't want to miss out - this is a live and Rated R show chock full of monologues, scenes and music.

Here is a video excerpt from our last show in October 2009


Created by Abby Kincaid. Featuring: Kirstin Eggers, Victoria Drake (that would be me!), Kate Ascott-Evans, Ilana Cohn-Sullivan, Leonora Gershman-Pitts, Mariah Shaw Gan-El, Ursulla Tadlock and Dan Luperini.

May 18th, 2010 8pm
$5 presale tickets, and $10 at the door.
The M Bar
1253 Vine Street
Los Angeles, California
(323) 856-0036 - Call soon for reservations if you want to join us!

OMM #3 - The Actors Lounge - Not just any old lounge

Actor's Lounge: Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, California. First Wednesday of the month, from 8-11pm.

I had the opportunity to check this place out on Wednesday night. I didn't know what to expect, but I'd heard really good things about it. I wasn't disappointed.

This place is not just your average lounge. In fact, it's not a lounge at all. It's a place, actually a community, where actors converge on the first Wednesday of each month to workshop and showcase their work....in a supportive environment.

First off, my friend Kimberly and I arrived late, whoops, but hey no worries! At 8:30, they were just letting people in the door - perfect! And the place completely filled up with people - about 80? people, maybe a little less, but still a great crowd.



Poet and Actor Adam Schmalholz, is the mastermind behind this event. He came up with the idea about two years ago when he noticed a lack of community for actors.

“We wanted to create an open mic for actors like there are for comedians, musicians and poets,” he says. “We wanted to give actors a space to practice their craft without having to pay enormous amounts of money.”

In-Q produces the show with a 10-member team who does everything from stage setup to running the ticket booth to selling refreshments.

Anyone is welcome, and all they ask for is a donation at the door. $1 dollar is welcome, $5 dollars is even better, $20 dollars, they'll love you forever. They work on a first come first served basis - so the earlier you can arrive, the more likely that you'll get your chance on stage. Scenes are limited to five minutes and monologues are limited to three. They're strict about time limits because there are a lot of folks wanting to get on stage. Heck I even got to watch a xylophone player that night! So pretty much anything goes.

I am going to get working on something that I can showcase there. What a great idea. I'm glad I found out about it, and I will definitely be going back. If you get the chance to check it out, I recommend it - what a great place to network with other actors, showcase your work and have immediate audience feedback. Perfect!

Ciao for now.

Victoria

OMM #2 - Do Less More Often - The Actors Business Blueprint

If you're like me, an actress or an actor in Hollywood or elsewhere, you are constantly trying to figure out how best to market yourself. I had the opportunity recently to attend a Dallas Travers workshop, which was all about How to Do Less More Often when marketing ourselves to the masses.

Dallas is a very well known consultant here in L.A. and beyond actually, who very effectively (the best methods I've heard of so far here in L.A.) provides actors with a very well thought out system that is sustainable, highly successful and powerful.

Here is a blurb from her teachings:

"Whether you're an emerging actor looking for a solid career plan or you've been acting for years and need a new strategy, I want to share what I feel is the most important principle you can apply to achieve acting success. This simple rule will help you discover how to increase your auditions, build stronger relationships, and manage your time effectively. Finally you'll have a measurable and manageable plan to take your career to the next level."

Does that make sense? We have to be more than just a headshot to them. We have to come at these people with a unique spin....one that they don't see very often. That's what I love about Dallas' methods. Even though a postcard, or a newsletter doesn't seem very unique, the way that Dallas presents them, provides us with creative and unique ways to present an old tool in a new way.

She wrote a great book called The Tao of Show Business - How to Pursue Your Dream Without Losing Your Mind, which I highly recommend you check out. Her book was one of five books honored with the 2009 National Indie Excellence Award. The Tao also won first prize in the How To Category at the London, Hollywood, Nashville and New England Book Festivals. She's good, really good.


It dawned on me as I was sitting in her workshop that day, that I have been spinning my wheels, worrying about marketing, *trying* to be consistent, and sadly NOT being consistent....rather than creating a system, or in this case, using a tried and true system, that takes the worry away, and allows me to consistently stay in touch with those that I want to make an impact on: Casting Directors, Agents, Producers, Directors and Fans.

Her system involves spending 30-90 minutes per day, 5 days a week focusing on a *short list* of favorites in each category that I've listed above. The secret then is to only focus on these short lists, sending them a marketing *ship* every month, and getting in front of them numerous times, through workshops, telephone calls, short one on one meetings, and so on. By the way, a ship is just a marketing tool - a postcard, a Castability Sheet, a newsletter, a press release....well you get the picture. I'm really only scratching the surface of her system - but I just wanted to share it, and let you know that I've already started the process, and I feel better about my marketing already - it feels manageable now!

Her motto, which is also the motto of people in sales - The Rule of 7 - you must get in front of your customer between 7 and 10 times before they really come to know who you are. Which is what helps us book jobs. They not only have to know who we are, but they have to know who we are.

Finally, Dallas is a great teacher, full of realistic, valuable and solid information. Check her website and her book out if you get the chance, and keep me posted on your successes with the system. I will too!

Now go market yourself! The world is waiting.......


Cheers until next time,

Victoria

OMM #1 (On My Mind) Subject: You've Got Mail.

First a little about me: My name is Victoria Drake and I live in Los Angeles, CA. I am an actress, a social media/internet geek, an adventure girl, and a researcher. I am working my way through the acting world here in LA as well as working to create a social media center throughout my websites and blogs, that encourage discussion, consideration, input, networking, learning and growing as individuals and as artists.

As I said I'm a researcher and in the process, I attend a lot of workshops, classes, teleconferences, webinars, you name it. And because of that I learn about things that I want to share with others who may be winding through the maze like me. This is my first blog in this series - OMM #1, so welcome! Thanks so much for coming aboard. I hope you stay awhile because I have lots to share!
---------------
As I sat here looking at this beautiful photo and having thoughts of traveling to Santorini Greece, I started thinking about email marketing systems. What? You don't believe me? Well... you'd be right actually. I just thought it was amazing, the photo that is.

But seriously, thinking about traveling great distances, made me realize how important email marketing (systems) are as a marketing tool for us and how it allows us to travel further and faster in our careers as actors, and as other self employed, business owner types of people, as well as anyone else out there who's ever needed to manage an email list. So they, email marketing systems, become the topic of my first OMM blog.

Why email marketing systems? Think for a minute about all of your email contacts and then categorize them in your head. For my actor friends, here's an example: Casting Director addresses from workshops, bookings, networking event contacts, agent possibilities, producers, directors, photographers, Facebook Fans, family, friends, well, you get the idea. Do you manage that list pretty well? Does your current email system track the emails for you and provide reports to let you know who reads your mail, and who doesn't, or who clicked on your links and when, who forwards them to others? The list goes on. Does it allow you to consistently and automatically send out follow up emails? If not, then you (and I) need an affordable and effective email service.

If you have any type of email list that you need to manage, Contact Contact is definitely a service to take a look at. Their website is http://www.contstantcontact.com. Constant Contact is one of about 3 or 4 companies that provide very affordable email marketing services such as this. Their prices start as low as $20/month. I'm just in the trial period of the product right now - they offer a complimentary 60-day trial, which is great! It's also why I attended their free seminar the other day in LA I'm still researching the others, (MailChimp being the other highly rated) and will post on a future OMM blog. The mantra I'm starting to take (thanks to Dallas Travers, AMAZING Marketing for Actors Consultant - http://dallastravers.com) is Do Less More Often. I'm working on ways to streamline the marketing I do for myself as an actor and as a self-employed person. An email marketing service is one way to begin that process.

So far, I really like the customer service and knowledge of the people who work at Constant Contact. They have customer support available from 6am to 6pm PDT Monday through Friday. They also have training webinars, and online training that can be taken advantage of as well. See if you like it and let me know! I'd love to hear your input on it. I will provide my comments as well as I check out this product and compare it to others.

I hope this article was helpful. Stay tuned for my next article in the series – OMM #2 – Marketing strategies for actors (taught to me by Dallas Travers). This, my acting friends, you’re gonna love! She opens up a whole new world of marketing ideas for us actors and I can’t wait to share them with you. Talk soon!

Ciao for now!

Victoria
http://victoriasworldonline.com
http://youtube.com/victoriadrake

My new blog space

Wow, So I'm trying out Blogger.com now. Pretty cool in most respects. I got it up and running fairly quickly. But I notice there aren't too many templates to choose from, that is a bit disappointing. But overall, it was extremely easy to add Google Adsense, and a few other assorted Widgets to get my blog set up.

So here we go.

If you're like me, you're a researcher. A finder of information, trying to absorb, and grasp all there is to know about a particular subject. The particular subject here is understanding how to create a business *online*. And because I'm interested in several things, I am working to create a few businesses both online and offline, if that makes any sense.

My top priorities are my acting career - http://victoriasworldonline, http://youtube.com/victoriadrake, my Alkaline water business - http://ionways.com/drinkitup and my social media, internet marketing business, that I don't even have a website for yet.

I come from the Corporate world - and after many years, I was laid off last year. Like a lot of other people, I'm now figuring out my new career. I refuse to go back to Corporate life. I am so done with that. However, when Acting isn't paying me an income, I need to have a sustaining income that can provide me flexible, entertaining, creative, technical and enjoyable work in the mean time.

So I've moved into the Social Media, Internet Marketing world. Not an easy thing. I must provide valuable and ongoing quality content to keep people interested. I need to create videos, and ebooks and articles and blogs and and and and.....the list goes on.

My big question then becomes - so what can I offer to people that they can't get anywhere else? I'm still working on the answer to this question. It is intimidating and overwhelming if I think I need to provide THE ANSWERS for everything. I don't. Instead I think I can create my niche by providing people with tips, links, resources, mentors, ebook recommendations on everything from How to be a great Actor without Acting, to Google AdSense insider tips by Joel Comm. I can provide entertaining videos that talk about anything or everything from trying to figure out men, to how to market yourself as an actor. Who knows. And I realized while writing this that I really don't have to have the answers to everything right now. I just have to start. Let's just see how it goes.