“Its the last night of my show. My second West End gig! And instead of being happy, proud and excited…I’m backstage worrying.
This is my last show, which means this is my last foreseeable guaranteed paycheck; and as I take my last bow, I cant help but think about where my next paycheck is going to come from. My mind races with numerous soul-destroying thoughts: “I need a job. I need money. How am I going to pay my rent? How am I going to make money?… The Call Centre. No, apart from the Call Centre, I hate the Call Centre; DON’T GO BACK TO THE CALL CENTRE!!!” And I cant help but think, while I am experiencing one of the best moments of my career, “Here I am again. Back at square 1.”
As an actor, am I always going to be worried about money? Am I always going to have to plan 3 months in advance and save the peanuts these flexible/part time jobs pay me just to survive, because this sure isn’t living.
But is this it? Is this the life of an actor? Is this the life of a creative professional? It looks very different to what I imagined.
This cannot be it. Right?
You’re right. But sadly, most actors, (creative professionals in general), live this way; constantly worrying about money. But trust me there is a better way. There are certain strategies that can be put in place to help you feel more financially stable.
I have spent over 10 years working in Investments, Financial Planning and Cashflow Management, and have built up a wealth of knowledge in these areas to coach and help people overcome financial traps.
Myself and Stephanie, Founder and Managing Director of The Ascend Actors Group, (a company that aims to support aspiring and professional actors at every stage of their career), have come together on a mission to empower the creative professional with financial knowledge. Not just some of it, bags of it!
We have devised a unique workshop, Money Secrets for Actors, that specifically caters to the creative professional. This workshop at the end of March will equip actors in all they need to know about finances as a freelancer, and give them practical strategies to make the changes that will seriously change their lives. Topics include: how to search for the best saving deals, sole trader or limited company, what are assets and liabilities and how they work, 10 easy ways of making more money, introduction to compounding and tax made simple.
If you are interested in coming to one of our workshops, send us an email [email protected] with Money Secrets in the subject line alog with your full name and we will put you on the list.
Hope to see you soon
Evelyn and Stephanie xx
