What I Wish I Did While I Was On Broadway

The Tony Awards are coming….or as I call it "Prom night for the Theater World". ;)  

This time of year reminds me of my 42nd St cast mates. Remembering the time we all performed on the Tony's in 2001, how exciting it was to come from our Sunday matinee to the theater to run down the isle in our tap shoes and dance on stage at Radio City! We were all living the dream! 

Being on Broadway is truly amazing....but....for some of us....we know if our show is struggling and our show didn't win a Tony award there is this fear of knowing your closing notice may be posted soon. Notice goes up Tuesday that says you are out of a job on Sunday afternoon. Not even a true week's notice. 

Crushing. Been there. 

Me (front row in lavender) and my 42nd St Cast

Not only does that kind of news suck for anyone....it also means you don't have that fat paycheck coming in anymore. And.... you start searching for the receipts to return all that new furniture you bought for your expensive NYC apartment. ;) 

This is where I hope I can help. With some advice on what I wish I did while I was on Broadway. 

For those of you who aren't actors, let me school you a little. "Survival jobs" are what actors call the jobs we get "in between gigs". Some people are fortunate enough to never have to work one, but those of us who do have been through a myriad of side jobs. Me personally? I have coat checked at The Rainbow Room, Hostessed at The St Regis, Catered in Hollywood, I have even done singing birthday grams as Marilyn Monroe (there are pictures somewhere). All and all, ok jobs, but nothing that made me a lot of money or money that made me feel like I could then choose to take a job in the theater world or not. Sometimes we take some gigs just because its money...right? Imagine if we didn't have to do that and be out of NYC when the next Broadway audition came up. 

So a few years back I was racking my brain to figure out what I could do to build income. Start my own line of tap shoes, make jewelry? Uh.....not really interested in having a jewelry factory in my apartment and designing tap shoes is exciting but I have no capital to start that kind of a business.  

Me with Kathleen Marshall in Princess Diaries II

Early on, I realized that Film & TV actors get paid residually as well as on the days that they work. (Um, yes please!) This is what I want. So I luckily started to do some TV and Film and got some nice money and even residuals coming in from work I did years ago. I still do. Princess Diaries, Law & Order SVU, and even Person Of Interest just paid me. I filmed those jobs over a year ago and PDII 10 years ago. I love this kind of paycheck!  But as we all know, those jobs aren't in our control to book and as much as I love the checks, they pay some bills, but not all right now. So where does this leave me? Needing more checks like that.  

I also am a new Mom. I love my son and spending time with him is precious to me. Most every mother feels this pull. I want to be active in the world, contribute financially and otherwise, but also spend quality time with my baby. 

So...with all this adding up. I know I wanted a "survival job" that pays me residually, leverage my time so I am not away from my baby boy, allows me flexibility to audition when I need to, gives me purpose and is social, I can do from anywhere (since I may be working in NYC or LA) and makes me good money. 

Doesn't exist right? That's what I thought. But it does. Read on my friends.

Its Network Marketing. 

I know what you just said. "OK, thanks Mer! See ya! Not for me. Scam. Pyramid Scheme. Blah Blah. Nope."

Please don't stop reading because that is everyone's first reaction. And this is where I feel actors and performers don't understand how this is the only job they could do and do very well during gigs and in between gigs that will make them residual income. Trust me. Some of you know me. I am a stickler for looking at things with a fine tooth comb. 

Trust me. This is a real job and can make you real money. 

I also said I'm not going to sell some product and be known as the "Avon Lady". Then I thought, fine then I'll just be known as the broke and cranky hostess, the bartender, the catering and struggling poor actress who never has any money. Cause yeah…that's appealing. 

Or worse yet, my child never see's me because I'm always working outside of the home and I turn around and he's grown up….and I missed it. 

I am so not the "salesy type". I hate being "salesy" and frankly being sold to. 

But...when a network marketing job was presented to me I went through all these thoughts and had all these reasons why I shouldn't do it. 

Pride. Ego. Fear it was b*llsh*t, etc. 

But I then looked at my acting life. I have had so much success and have been so lucky. Yes, I could be famous & rich with a great TV gig or star on Broadway again. But in the meantime, I'm a working actor, like a lot of us, who's always in fear of not having a paycheck. 

I hate the feeling of being poor and powerless more than my pride or ego about doing network marketing. 

The longer I'm in the entertainment business (over 15 years now) the more I want security for me and my family. And being "salesy"? Please! I'm doing it all day every day with my acting business! I'm selling myself. Which I feel is a lot harder than selling an external product. And I'm always, for years, investing a sh*t ton of money in head shots, resumes, buying new audition outfits, make up, hair, getting a website set up, travel to NYC or LA, and paying an agent 10% of my income. The list goes on and on. 

And I haven't even got to the part that makes the most sense. Are you ready!? 

As an actress, it is part of our job to look and feel good. So…we pay other companies to take care of my health & wellness needs when we buy their make-up, skin care, vitamins, detox, etc. More investment and money we all don't have right? But we have to take care of ourselves. 

So connect this. Your survival job can be where you invest in your health, beauty and wellness. You invest back in yourself and your business. 

Confused? 

So....let's get on with explaining it shall we? 

Network Marketing is just a form of marketing to your "network". Or people you know. That's it. (Example: Your Facebook Friends are your Network) Its like recommending a good restaurant you love. You practically do it every day anyway. Do you get paid for that? No.

There are many companies out there to choose from, and I encourage you to research them. The company I chose has the product and philosophy that  I fell in love with. Its called ARBONNE (named after a town in Switzerland). Its a certified vegan, botanically based, environmentally conscious health & wellness company that has the best skin care products I have ever used. Plain and simple. I won't sell something I don't love. You shouldn't either. So find something you love first and foremost. And it should be consumable (repeat sales) and something that has a market need. Most everyone wants to feel and look good, has skin, hair, and a stomach (we hope). 

There are many true and real Network Marketing jobs out there and product. The Direct Sales Association is where you should look to make sure they are legit. 

But I digress....so how does this tie in with Broadway Actors? 

Here's how. I love my theater community. I have always wanted to find a way for all of us to support each other financially as we do emotionally. Money = Power & Freedom. 

Arbonne Make Up Line. My Jam! 

I started selling Arbonne backstage in-between shows to my cast of "White Christmas" on Broadway in 2008. I was only on Broadway for 2 months, so I wish I had done that when I was in 42nd St. But I didn't know about it then. Bummer! And it was super easy and nothing "salesy" about it. 

I didn't use the traditionally used MAC Make-up on Broadway, because it tore up my skin and bank account. So I started using Arbonne Make Up for the stage...still do. People started asking me what I used on my skin, what protein shakes was I drinking (in-between shows I drank them and even during to keep me fueled for my dance numbers)...people asked me what it was, and I just told them. They said "I want that!" and I helped them order.  

That was as "salesy" as I got. 

First Show Poster I was on. Dream come true! 

For November & December I got a checks in the mail from Arbonne for up to $600. I wish I had a copies of those check stubs to post for you. So you can see that it is real money, real commission, and a real job. Just trust me. Its real people. 

I am building my Arbonne business now with my husband Dustin, and we love it. It doesn't happen over night, you need a client base like anything, but we are building and it feels great to have control and power over our financial life. 

So this is my advice to performers out there. Do something like Arbonne while you are in your show and have money to invest in it. Its not a huge investment. I can show you how to get started. Put the money you make in a savings account for when you don't have a job. Build up your client list and every time they order from you, collect that residual check. 

I'm not the only Broadway person doing Network Marketing. My friend, David Eggers (who has been in an impressive 10 Broadway Musicals. Nice Daddy!) is doing a Network Marketing Gig too. He is a distributor for Shaklee. I had a chance to talk to him about his thoughts on Network Marketing and he was happy to contribute to this blog. 

Stay with me. I know this is a long blog, but its important. Stop surfing Facebook for a sec. ;) 

I’m a music-theater actor and choreographer in NYC. I started working on Broadway in 1999, and in the 14 years since, I've performed in 10 Broadway musicals, and assisted or was associate choreographer for 3 other Broadway musicals. I continue to work as an associate choreographer now, having begun work on two workshops of upcoming Broadway musicals, and a film to be released in NYC next year.

But 8 years ago, I discovered a way to augment my income while working, and to keep me afloat between gigs.

I had considered bartending, I had thought about getting certified as a personal trainer, and there was always the dreaded waiting-tables option. But none of those fit my needs of wanting to work on my own flexible schedule, wanting a residual income of some kind, and wanting to ultimately be my own boss. I didn’t know it at the time, but the perfect fit for me was Network Marketing.

I, like most people, really knew very little about Network Marketing. What “knowledge” I had was based on things I’d heard (pyramid) and on an experience my parents had with a company when I was in grade school (they joined a company, filled our garage products they didn’t really like, and made no money).

But I knew someone, another actor about my age, with whom I’d worked, who was getting involved in a Network Marketing company. I liked and trusted him, we’d become friends. If he was getting involved in a Network Marketing company, then there had to be something to it. It had to be legit.

So I started doing my research. Within a few weeks, I’d discovered enough that I joined a company as a distributor (not the same one my friend chose), and I began my 2nd career, in the Network Marketing industry. Eight years later, I’m still at it, I am enjoying extra income, and I continue to be a student of the industry, learning and sharing whatever I can with others, and helping them get started in Network Marketing, too.

The one thing that makes Network Marketing unique and prosperous is: leverage.

Leverage is what you get when you have systems that work for you. It’s why the rich get richer, and why a business owner is most often better off than than the employee.

Stocks and investments are one type of leverage; they make money for you, without you doing any work. Owning real estate and rental properties are also sources of leveraged income. Writing a book that’s purchased for years to come, or being in a movie or commercial that’s played for years, are ways of creating a leveraged income (though these are sources of residual income, which is a bit different than leveraged income; residual income often decreases over time, whereas leveraged income has the ability to increase).

I don’t know about you, but I never felt I had enough money to invest in anything other than a checking and savings account. Owning extra real estate or rental properties was definitely out of the question. Though I wish producers were busting down my door begging me to do commercials or movies, that’s not happening. Nor am I penning the next great American novel.

The remaining form of leverage - the one that’s available to anyone and everyone, the one that’s affordable, scalable, and potentially without limits - is Network Marketing.

For a moment, put aside everything you think you know about Network Marketing, and allow me to explain what it. Network Marketing is when a company pays the consumers of it’s products or services to enroll additional consumers. Consumers enroll consumers who enroll consumers, who enroll consumers, and on and on it goes. And you can get paid on all the purchases from all the consumers, throughout the entire network of consumers, whether you directly enrolled them or they were enrolled by someone who was enrolled by someone you enrolled (etc.). That’s powerful leverage. Because it is potentially limitless, it can keep going, even without any effort on your part, and your income can continue to increase. Some people in Network Marketing are thrilled with a few extra hundred dollars per month; others have created six-figure incomes for themselves, with no end in sight.

It’s not tricky. It’s not scammy. It’s not even new. Network Marketing was started back in the 1950’s. And it’s legit. There are regulations and laws that govern the industry. And yes, it is a whole industry, that in 2011 accounted for $29 Billion in revenue in the U.S. alone. It’s so relevant now, in today’s world of struggling economies and shaky job markets, that more and more traditional companies are moving into the Network Marketing field, because they see the growth potential, and they know people are hungry to create better lives for themselves. Here’s a growing list of top traditional companies that now own Network Marketing companies: L’Oreal (The Body Shop at Home); Product Partners, LLC (P90X, BeachBody); Unilever (Hindustan Unilever); Gallo (Wine Shop at Home); Bertelsmann (Penguin Random House consumer book publishing company); Hallmark Cards, Inc (Blessings Unlimited); Blyth (Partylite, ViSalus); Jockey International (Jockey Person to Person); Activated Holdings, LLC (Shaklee); Mars, Inc. (Dove Chocolate Discoveries); and Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (The Kirby Company, Pampered Chef, World Book).

In a traditional job, you trade your time for money, creating value for the person you work for; in Network Marketing, you get paid for your time and efforts and for all the time and efforts of everyone you enroll, and you are directly rewarded for all the value you helped create.

If you’re an actor, too, and the jobs aren’t coming, or if they are, but you’re still not making enough money to live the life you’ve imagined...or if you’re not an actor, but you're working hard in a career that’s eating all your time or not providing the money you wish for...there is another option. You don’t have to live your life by someone else’s rules, on other people’s schedules, making money based on limits set by someone else. You don’t have spend your life barely getting by or making due with what you can make at a job.

You can create a better life and brighter future for yourself by getting involved with a solid Network Marketing company, one for which you’d be happy being a consumer, and start enrolling other consumers...some of whom will continue to “pay it forward” by enrolling further consumers, some of whom will enroll further consumers, etc.

It’s not complicated.

And it’s out there, ready for the taking. You just need to know that it’s there. Do your research. Decide.

To learn more about Shaklee, their opportunity and their products, visit David’s Shaklee website: http://hwliving.myshaklee.com. And feel free to contact David directly through david@hwliving.net.

Thank you David. Brilliant.

So my Broadway friends....as you are watching the Tony's or performing on them....just think about your Plan B, whatever it may be.

My Arbonne website is www.merie.myarbonne.com

That's some advice from this Broadway Baby to you.

Happy Tony Season!!!

Namaste, my friends

Meredith

xo

  

Stress sucks for trying to get Preggers 

Did you know that taxing your adrenal glands (those little organs that sit atop your kidneys)—with too many stimulants (like caffeine!), stress, and not enough sleep—could be affecting your fertility? Trying to start or expand your family can be stressful enough, but if your adrenals are taxed, that can make conceiving that much more difficult. Tired, worn out, overtaxed adrenals can affect both men and women’s fertility (this isn’t just about us ladies, gentlemen!).

Adrenal Fatigue or Exhaustion and Fertility

When adrenals are overtaxed, it can contribute to reproductive issues in both men and women. The high levels of cortisol production from ongoing stress snowball into hormone imbalances, a feeling of constant fatigue, and even more stress and anxiety once fertility problems show up.

A study showed that stress and anxiety contribute to infertility in women partially because they increase the amount of cortisol in the blood. When cortisol levels remain elevated for an extended period of time, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) falls out of balance. That goes on to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadotropic axis (HPG), which can “affect the hormonal profile in critical stages of the fertilization process.” 

When your hormones aren’t balanced, your fertility is compromised.

While the adrenals are working so hard to produce cortisol in response to ongoing stress, they’re dropping the ball on secretion of the other hormones necessary for fertility. The production of estrogen, progesterone, and DHEA takes a hit. Remember, cortisol is meant to be released short-term, in response to stress (fight-or-flight situations), so it wouldn’t normally interfere with these other hormones long-term, and fertility wouldn’t suffer. Chronic stress throws all of that out of whack. Eventually, the adrenal glands become too exhausted to keep up with the body’s cortisol demands and production of that drops off to lower than normal levels.

Even in men, an elevated rate of cortisol production can decrease fertility. In another study that looked at 60 subjects under fertility screening, the ones with the lowest sperm counts and motility were also the ones who had elevated cortisol serum levels. They had been under psychological stress for a prolonged period of time and their adrenals were working overtime to release cortisol. Adrenal fatigue can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep at night, and a study in the Journal of Epidemiology showed that sleep disturbances, too, can alter semen quality. (As a side note, not getting enough sleep can contribute to adrenal fatigue, too, because it increases the production of cortisol, creating a vicious cycle.)

Signs of Adrenal Fatigue

In addition to infertility, there are several other signs of adrenal fatigue, including:

• Fatigue, no matter how much sleep you get
• Still feeling tired first thing in the morning, so it’s hard to get up
• Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night
• Junk food cravings (especially sweets and refined carbs!)
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Weakened immune system
• Need for stimulants, like sugar or the caffeine in coffee, to get through the day
• Decreased libido
• Brain fog
• Low tolerance for stressful situations

How to Give Your Adrenal Glands a Break

In our society, where it sometimes feels as if everyone is “on” all the time and rushing from place to place, fueling yourself with the right foods and allowing yourself to relax and get a full night’s sleep each day may seem impossible. The last thing you want to hear when you’re all stressed out and struggling to get pregnant is, just relax! You probably want to shout at them, shut uuup!, even though that is one part of healing the adrenals and may help you get pregnant. To reverse the effects of adrenal fatigue, you need to nourish your body, mind, and soul. You have to train your body to slow down in order to keep moving forward, not run harder.

• Yoga, tai chi, walking, or any other gentle exercise you enjoy can help. This isn’t the time to start incorporating high-intensity interval training into your workout routine. That would do more harm than good, as that level of difficult activity would just further stress the adrenals. I’ve personally love yoga, and consider my practice essential to the balance of my life.

• Breathing exercises/meditation will also soothe your mind and naturally decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. If you’re just starting out, you’ll be amazed by what even short periods of quiet will do. It is a practice, so you have to work on it to get better and better. Focus on breathing deeply. Concentrate on those breaths so no nagging to-do list will sneak in and ruin your moment. You can also work to learn some definite yogic techniques. I have a great Guided Meditation CD from Terri Cole. Its brilliant and perfect. 

• Give up the caffeine and sugar. When that afternoon sugar and coffee craving hits, try going for a short walk instead, or try consuming a Arbonne Fizz Tab ( with B12 Vitamin). Caffeine and sugar stimulate the adrenals, and though it’s a quick fix for a few hours, it’s doing nothing for you over the long run. 

• You gotta change your diet. There ‘aint no way to get around it!  Cut out the refined carbs and other junk food. When your adrenals are taxed, you may be clinging to these but your body needs and deserves a highly nutritious, nurturing diet. The Health Living Essentials Diet from Arbonne fill you up with the vitamins and minerals you need to recover; they don’t rob you of beauty, energy, or health the way the sugary, fatty, salty foods you crave when your adrenals are exhausted will. Over time on this diet, you’ll realize that your energy levels are maintained throughout the day, not up and down depending on what you last put into your body. Bananas are especially good for keeping anxiety to a minimum, which in turn relieves your adrenal glands.

• Don’t drink or at least greatly cut back on alcohol. I realize it’s not realistic to expect everyone to cut it out completely. When dealing with adrenal fatigue, you may want to avoid even the occasional glass of wine, at least until your body has had time to heal. Alcohol stresses the adrenal glands just like coffee and sugar do. You may be used to having a glass of wine here and there at dinners, get-togethers, etc. But if you make a conscious decision not to drink, at least for a period, you’ll surprise yourself that you don’t need those drinks as much as you think.

• Skip the scary movies. My husband knows I hate them. Anything that makes you feel like you’re on the edge of your seat, anything that makes you feel stressed by watching or reading it (that includes the news!), should be avoided. You know those scenes in horror movies aren’t real, but your body still reacts as if they are. That also goes for “scary”, drama-filled reality shows, ala Housewives of blah blah blah shows. You know what I mean!

• Unplug. When you get home, turn off the computer and the phone and just unwind from your day. Eat a healthy meal, invite a friend over to relax by the pool, go for a walk in nature if the sun’s still up, read a book, and just do the things that help you recharge. Work will follow you around 24/7 if you let it. It’s up to you to take charge and set boundaries. 

Relaxation may not be a switch you can flip the way those well-intentioned people seem to suggest when they find out you’re suffering from infertility, but making changes to your life will change your feelings of well-being overall. When you nourish yourself this way, by being careful about what you put into your body (and mind) and giving it time to rest and recuperate each day, you’ll find that you did “just relax” after all. It’s not exactly that simple because it may involve making some huge adjustments to your lifestyle, but teaching yourself to live a healthier, more balanced life will result in more happiness overall–and fertility in all areas of your life- including manifesting all your goals and dreams.

Namaste, my friends

Meredith

Merie@MerieInc.com 

The Success High's & Failure Low's

I have been trying to figure out my whole life how not to associate my self worth or happiness with my success. 

Let me explain. 

When I am in a successful place in my career and at the top of my game, I feel a high. I feel important, loved, & happy. The best long term example of this was when I was starring on Broadway in 42nd St.  I was playing my dream role on Broadway for a whole year. And I had never been happier stepping out on stage every show.  Dancing my heart out and seeing the faces of the audience at the stage door afterwards. I loved doing interviews and feeling involved with the Broadway community I so admired. 

Announcement I was starring on Broadway

Also I felt a high from the molecular energy only a live audience can give you 8 times a week. 

It was a drug. 

But I also felt valued, I felt like all my hard work in the dance studio as a kid was finally paying off and I was just doing what I had dreamed of my whole life. I was doing what I had passion for. What I loved and craved. I felt like people felt that energy from me and that in turn just kept giving me more joy. 

For years I kept striving to get back to this place. For 10 years after that to be exact. I was in NYC striving to get back to that feeling. I did it briefly, for 2 months, get to star on Broadway again with the musical White Christmas, but after 12 weeks I was "back on the street, looking for that fix again". 

I sound like a drug addict. But those of us who have been there, know that feeling. And there is no other way to describe it. It is a drug.  

But, if you are lucky, you get to work. And I did, but after awhile I wasn't working. No one was calling, I wasn't getting hired. Nothing about me or my work was being praised. I was being rejected right and left. And as much as you try, when you are at this point, its very hard not to feel worthless, sad, lonely, and depressed. 

From the time I was a kid I have loved Madonna. 

Stay with me, this has relevance. 

I know Madge has her faults, but truly I think she is a brilliant mind.  I think she is an incredible business woman & artist. To have survived and thrived in this business from the time she was 24 is impressive. I don't care who you are.  

So the other night I was feeling "worthless" and happened upon an old interview of hers while surfing YouTube.  Random... but it helped me put things in perspective. 

It was an interview with another powerful women I love, Ms Oprah.  Madonna had just become a mother and was talking about her life now, the ups and downs of motherhood, her career and then she got to a part where she talked about fame. She talked about the high's and low's of this business. I was fascinated to think that she, someone who I think of as having everything, has times when she is feeling worthless and sad. 

But of course she does. She is human. 

Oprah chimed in about how she deals with the high's and low's. and I was just glued to their every word. There they are, Madonna & Oprah, two insanely powerful women talking about how they have had to learn to disconnect from the power of connecting your self worth to your success. 

Ah ha. Moment. 

Now if they have to learn that, with all their success, what does that mean to someone like me? It means it is much harder to be Oprah & Madonna with the high's and low's because not only do you have yourself to face....you have millions critiquing and judging every move you make. 

So in a way I feel lucky because my low's are on a much smaller level. 

No wonder Madge says she doesn't watch TV or read American magazines. Its too hard to be exposed to the criticism's. Hey I get it. I would shield myself too. 

After hearing all Madonna and Oprah said on the subject I thought...I don't think I would've been mentally fit for fame. It takes a certain personality to survive those high's and low's. Thick skin and a thick heart. But...don't get me wrong.... I wouldn't turn it down because the "high's" I know are incredible. Being able to do what you love and have people call you, want you to perform, have tremendous influence and not to mention the financial benefit. 

I would take it in a heartbeat. 

See? Even after all that....I still am a drug addict.  

Meredith
xoxo