Paul Sterling & Kristin Denton asked:

Two hours changed everything. He skipped his classes to sneak off and listen to this short man with poor eyesight, coke-bottle glasses and a great vision for the future speak at the university.

That was all it took. He was hooked. He had to know more. He went directly to this visionary thinker’s office and signed up to work for him.

This stopped any further work in physiology and launched him in a totally different direction. He is now doing what he loves, is very successful and has a powerful and positive impact wherever he goes. Skipping class that one afternoon could very well have resulted in him being one of the most published authors in history…

Yup, we’re talking about Mark Victor Hanson co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Series.

And who was his teacher, mentor and guide?

Okay, here’s a hint Albert Einstein once said he was one person who truly understood his work.

He created the geodesic dome based on a whole new system of geometry that he invented. He was an artist and a poet and a spiritualist…

If you guessed Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller you’d be right again!

Bucky has passed away, but Mark and others continue to teach the life-changing principles that Bucky taught them.

And now you can listen to Mark Victor Hanson and 4 others of his amazing contemporaries talk about their memories and lessons from Buckminster Fuller.

Mark Victor Hanson, Bobbi DePorter, Marshall Thurber, DC Cordova, and Tom Crum will reveal the secrets they learned during 5 monthly teleseminar sessions.

Join us for the “On Fuller Living” Teleseminar Series...as these 5 leaders explain the amazing principles they learned that YOU can use to become successful in YOUR life.

During his interview, Mark Victor Hansen tells you about three of Buckminster Fuller’s teachings that impacted him the most. They are to

1. Start macro. Go from the big picture to the little picture. Use deductive reasoning instead of inductive.

Can you image trying to solve global climate change yourself? Everyone — and everything we do — is part of the global biosphere. We need to see the big trends and issues before you get to the individual solutions and choices we can make.

Most people were educated to be specialists — with a degree in one specialized area. But in today’s world you need to be a generalist — be able to cross over into other subject areas, learn new things and broaden your horizons. Specialization is too limiting any more.

2. Change your perception about the world. For example: Bill Gates. He took a world that thought that hardware was everything and said no, software is everything. Now he controls the software market (much to everybody’s consternation).

3. Change the metaphor. Move from a world view of competition to one of cooperation. Go from seeing this as a ‘Win/Lose’ world to a ‘Win/Win’ world.

As we move from the industrial age to the information age, scarcity is no longer the metaphor. With information, as you spread it around, everybody adds to it and it becomes more, richer, better.

Think about Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia that anyone can add content to. The synergy of information makes the site more complete and accurate for the benefit of all.

With industrial commodities (like tin, for example) if you spread it around, then you’ve got less and you’re poorer.

But sharing information equals more and better information. This is Fuller’s theory of Synergy.

To show you just how universal these principals are, here’s another example of changing your perception and changing the metaphor: Have you ever seen the sun rise and set?

How many of you just said, “Yeah, of course!”?

Think about that again. That’s an ‘old world’ view of the world being flat. It’s in our language and doesn’t seem to be going away even though we KNOW that the world is round and the sun hasn’t moved over night.

It’s the Earth turning! (Duh! – smile)

So why do we keep talking about sunrises and sunsets?

Because old metaphors die hard. It takes a great deal of vision to see your way through to a new way of being.

Old metaphors limit our thinking. But by changing the metaphor, opportunities open up.

Change your metaphor about your business and new opportunities will appear where you were stuck before. Past problems become today’s opportunities.

The On Fuller Living Teleseminar Series is a fundraiser for a project that grew out of Bucky’s World Game. It’s called GENI – the Global Energy Network Institute.

It’s an amazing and futurist project designed to link the energy networks of nations and continents so that people in even the poorest nations can enjoy refrigeration, reading in the evening and a reduction in the amount of labor they perform.

Why do people like Mark Victor Hansen, Buckminster Fuller, Marshall Thurber, Bobbi DePorter, CD Cordova, and Tom Crum say that GENI is the most important project for the future of our planet?

Well, do you have children? What will the world be like for them?

Will one side of Spaceship Earth be forever fighting the other side of Spaceship Earth? Will some people have a high standard of living while others labor for hours in poverty for much less?

The solution is technology and clean, electrical power. It’s the bridge.

As we construct more bridges between ourselves and others, we create more possibility… and with more possibility we create a place where others can live the quality of life we enjoy right now.

And remember, all of the speakers plus Alex Mandossian, the host, are donating their time to help this non-profit with a global vision.

So join us and discover the answer to Buckminster Fuller’s question…

“How do we make the world work…for 100% of humanity
…in the shortest possible time… through spontaneous
cooperation…without ecological damage or disadvantage
to anyone?”

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Gwyn Gilliss asked:


What makes a great headshot?

Its the simplest thing in the world but most actors get it wrong. And photographers get it wrong and ironically, many headshot photographers working specifically with actors get it wrong.

Whats the secret?

Nothing. Doing nothing. All you have to do is be yourself in front of a camera. Simple. And yet very difficult for most actors who are incredibly SHY when it comes to being themselves. If they cant focus on being another character- something we all spend years learning to do as actors- then theres confusion, insecurity, fear and tension which makes for a lousy headshot. Adding to that is the frustration of most photographers Ive met or worked with who dont know HOW to get an actor to RELAX. So they say things like Relax, chill, be more calm, stop biting your lip or squinting your eyes! or Relax your forehead-there are lines and wrinkles where youre frowning, lower your shoulders, breathe! The list goes on. The result? An actor gets more self-conscious, upset, more nervous and more tense. Its a downward spiral.

What to do?

Five Easy Steps To a Great Headshot

1- Choose a photographer that YOU feel comfortable with not the trendy hot guy to whom every actor goes. (Oh, if only I had a HEAD SHOT with this top guy I would be successful, too!) NO, not true.

2- Go over your type and range-the kind of roles in which you will be cast and play BEFORE you decide on the wardrobe. Theres nothing worse than a generic headshot, one with an actor dressed in a boring white shirt or a black sweater with a phony smile. Know your roles. Doctor, Lawyer, Businessman, Teacher, Mom, Dad? Dress it or suggest it. Wear your favorite colors-solids are generally better than prints. Another mistake? An actress wearing too much jewlery, make-up or choosing outfits that are more suited to a disco, a beach party, baseball game or just hanging out at a bar. Thats OK if thats what youre selling as your brand. If not, casting directors are confused about how to cast you or call you in for a role, so they dont! (Get the advice of a Career Coach if you dont know your type or what to wear).

3- Explain thoroughly to the make-up artist and hair stylist EXACTLY how you look every day. All too often a stylist will do your hair they way they see you not the way you usually look so you end up with photos that dont accurately represent YOU. This is especially true for women but may apply to men with longer hair that can be altered with mousse, spray, a curling iron. For women with curly hair-if thats how you look dont straighten your hair just for the headshot unless you want to do that everyday of your life henceforth. Casting Directors want to see the real you not how you could be.

4- Bring a CD or several with music you love. Create your own space and place within the studio. Bring water or your favorite juice, snack, food. Bring your favorite photos of your pets, children, family or partner so you are thinking about positive images and memories. Focus on just being comfortable.

THEN, take a half hour or even 15 minutes to sit still and just be- yourself. Dont arrive late and rush into a shoot with the stylist fussing, getting dressed, photographer clicking, lights blinking. All that creates tension. Relax BEFORE you sit in the chair or stool on which you will be photographed.

In my experience with over a dozen top headshot photographers in as many years, the best shots I ever obtained were taken by a photographer who was a part of a husband/wife team. He greeted you at the door and offered refreshments leading you to a peaceful dressing room where you could unwind with soothing music. She sat and talked/laughed with you for a full half hour BEFORE you heard a click from her camera or saw a flash of light from the strobe. Of course they knew lighting and were skilled in the art of photography but their success as a team was understanding the psychology of relaxation and harmony for their actor/clients. Brilliant!

5- Use your acting technique while you are being photographed. Think Fun thoughts (your subtext or inner monologue). Talk about your life. Tell a story about your family or your travels. Let the relaxation of JUST TALKING show on your face. Thats being You. Talk, tell a story and then let it go. Sit still and glow in the memory or the laughter. Then, you are giving the photographer something to capture. YOU. Your energy. Your joy of living. The joy of being YOU.

And THAT makes a great headshot!



Happy Marketing!

Gwyn

Gwyn Gilliss is the Executive Director of TAM, The Actor’s Market (www.theactorsmarket.com) a marketing firm for actors. They provide monthly FREE seminars/teleseminars, FREE weekly marketing tips as well as access to top photographers, graphic artists and videographers (www.sizzle-reels.com) who provide every marketing tool an actor needs. Gwyn’s acting career spans several decades during which time she appeared on and off-B’way, in classical roles in American Repertory companies in over 18 contract and recurring roles in Daytime/Primetime TV, Films and dozens of network commercials and V.O.’s. As a Career Coach she is available to work One-on-One with actors at all levels.



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