- Alexis Walker is a long composition artist and career coach who hosts the second Hollywood ACT podcast.
- Walker helps people in Hollywood and other industries apply their skills for new opportunities.
- She herself began to pass outside the entertainment industry during the pandemic.
This strong essay is based on a conversation with Alexis Walker, a 48-year-old career coach and Hollywood artist, who lives in Los Angeles. In 2024, Walker started Podcast of the second Hollywood ACT where she interviews industry veterans and business experts.
The following is easily edited for clarity and length.
I studied psychology in college and I was on the right track to become an adviser. But before I finished my studies in 1999, we had a tragic loss in our family that essentially threw the parts of my life on the floor.
It made me very aware that life is fragile and fast, and everyone has to do something that makes them happy.
I realized that I wanted to do something that felt creative and allowed me to be around amazing people. So I decided to go to school to become a Cosmetics artist.
I was transferred to Los Angeles about 25 years ago
I enrolled in a six -month Intense cosmetics artistic program Where we learned everything from how to make facial hair in the aging composition.
I was young and was so exciting. I wanted to do any work I could get. I think my first job was $ 25 a day, and I was thrilled.
I also worked in a makeup counter in my career so that I could pay my bills while I was building my resume and making links.
Workshops such interesting work because it’s not just making art on a piece of paper. You have a man in your chair and you have to fight with whatever spiritual in which they are. People who are most successful in this industry have a really high emotional intelligence.
For years, I was working hard to get into The union of makeup artistsBecause here’s really start living. But it takes a lot of time to get inside because you have to work a certain number of days in a specified timeframe.
In the early days, it felt as if there was a hidden handshake to enter Hollywood that everyone knew except me.
I have worked for six years to get into the union. I remember my first union day working in a main movie and I felt so lucky to be there.
Over time, I realized that while I was Lucky they were working on various projects, they were also lucky to have me. I am a diligent worker and it took time, but I realized that my contribution was worth something.
I worked on so many fun projects
Getting to work with icons like Norman Lear on “One Day at a Time” and Garry Marshall were the highlights of my career. I was lucky enough to work for the Happy Madison company of Adam Sandler for many years and had the opportunity to travel in place with wonderful people on fun projects like “Just Go With Him”.
When I was young, the industry felt like something I could give myself completely. I was single for so long because I was completely happy with my work.
It is a very consumer industry. We have often not worked regular hours. Sometimes I would work 19-day days and started my day at 3am
I began to think about making a change in front of the pandemia
I was growing up and was starting to ask myself, is that? Is there anything more I want to express or experience? But it was a long process to find out what I wanted to do next.
Long pandemicI was working on two Multicam shows, which are traditional sitcom as “cheers” or “seinfeld”. They are great for cosmetics artists and filming crews because they allow for a more traditional schedule.
At the same time, I was exploring my career options. I applied to gradual school and soon realized it was not okay. I was doing a lot of volunteering and community building, taking classes and courses for different things, just trying different things.
Strike in 2023 ruined Hollywood even more. We all wanted people to have the protection and rights they were fighting for, but it was really difficult to So many people are out of work.
I think the strikes make many people realize that this industry does not give us much control over our lives and income.
But Changing your middle -aged career It often means changing your whole life, especially when you are in an industry that involves so much of your life. And that can be scary.
I would like to have a mentor when I was running
I so much wanted instructions from someone who understood the industry I was leaving and could help me sail, but I couldn’t really find it.
So, last year I started a podcast named Hollywood Act Second Club Podcast, where I interview amazing people in the entertainment industry who are run in new careers or the lateral hurry began. They are the mentors I wish to have.
Some examples of the incredible guests I have had in the podcast include a baby -turned -baby hair pattern, a former financial counselor, a former cameraman returned to the portrait photographer under water, And a studio marketing executive returned home.
There are so many superpower people in this business that they may not be aware.
Many of my listeners are trying to figure out how to get those skills and Build a life that feels authentic and gives them agencies on their work. It is not just about switching from one job to another; It is about building the whole package.
I also have experts in the podcast who talk about different aspects of building your business. Podcast supports toward entrepreneurial For those who want to take on their life and career.
I have finished a workout program too
I work with all kinds of people who love change their careers and change their lives. I have a special love and focus on people in the entertainment industry because I’m familiar with it, but I also work with people outside Hollywood.
I help people get the skills they already have and apply them to whatever they want to do else.
I also still work occasionally in the industry. Medical insurance is extraordinary. But it’s not so much my focal point.
my The heart hurts for this industry Because I love and think that many people are feeling like a deer in the headlights, terrified of what is next. I know what it is like to be weird, but if we can rely on each other, we can do it.
My pivot has ever been challenging. I feel stretched out all the time and constantly need to understand new things.
But I’ve never been happier. I’m living a life that feels juicy. I wake up in the morning with creative ideas and I have to help incredible people. I’m very, very happy.