August 5, 2025 • 52 mins
Jodie Bentley, powerhouse coach in the entertainment world, shares how she transformed from a struggling actor to helping thousands of creatives pursue their dreams through strategic branding and self-confidence techniques.
• Jodie has coached over 2,300 actors across 17 countries since 2008, helping them book major gigs and build thriving careers
• Breaking through limiting beliefs is crucial; Jodie struggled with feeling undeserving of success until she tackled her mindset
• Branding isn't limiting, it's empowerment—take control of how you're perceived rather than letting others define you
• Understanding yourself from your perspective AND how others perceive you creates powerful alignment in your career
• Jodie recommends declaring your intentions publicly to create accountability and momentum
• Social media presence matters to casting directors who often research actors to understand their essence and energy
• Perfect isn't possible—focus instead on consistent action and showing up even when things feel messy
• Confidence comes from "belonging to yourself" and showing up authentically without judgment, shame or apology
• Courage to take bold moves before feeling ready is what creates real progress
Visit actor-insider.com for free resources:
Follow Jodie Bentley on Instagram to learn more about Jodi's work:
@ActorInsider
Claim your free spot at WeAudition: The SHORTLIST: A Summit for Actors.
Created by Jodie Bentley, this free 5-day online summit pulls back the curtain on how actors are getting booked now.
Not theory. Not hype. Strategy that actually works.
Here’s what it covers:
✔ What casting directors actually look for
✔ How to stand out through branding + visibility
✔ How to build real relationships in today’s industry
✔ Strategy that matches how the business works now
The industry has changed. This summit shows actors how to rise with it.
🗓 August 11–15
🎯 It’s free. It’s online. It’s packed.
🎬 Casting directors, reps, producers, directors, and working actors who actually know what’s working now.
https://summit.actor-insider.com/
New episodes every week — packed with honest conversations, mindset tools, and real-life shortcuts to help you silence your inner critic, build true confidence, and take bold action.
📌 Subscribe + share if you're ready to stop overthinking and finally move forward.
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🧠 Click to learn more about the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) and how it helps rewire your brain for healing.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Niki Sterner (00:01):
Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast
for ambitious creatives andentrepreneurs who are ready to
stop overthinking, take boldaction and finally step into the
life they've been dreamingabout.
I'm your host, nikki Sterner.
Mom, actor, comedian andproducer.
After years of playing smalland waiting to feel ready, I
went on a courage quest andfound a shortcut to confidence.
(00:21):
Each week, I'll bring you realstories, simple steps and
conversations with experts inmindset courage and confidence,
plus heart-to-hearts with fellowcreatives who are turning their
dreams into reality.
It's time to get unstuck andstart showing up.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the ConfidenceShortcut.
I'm your host, nikki Sterner.
(00:41):
Today's guest is someone whohas helped thousands of
creatives not only pursue theirdreams, but strategize and
sustain them.
Jodi Bentley is a powerhouse inthe entertainment world, a Los
Angeles-based actor, audiobooknarrator and highly sought-after
branding and career coach foractors.
Since 2008, she's coached over2,300 actors across 17 countries
(01:04):
, helping them book major gigs,land reps and build thriving
creative lives.
A graduate of NYU's TischSchool of the Arts, with a BFA
in acting, jodi has appeared onApple TV, netflix, hulu, abc,
cbs you name it.
And she hasn't stopped there.
Through her signature programs,workshops at SAG-AFTRA,
comic-con and more than 50universities.
(01:27):
She's taught artists how to owntheir brand, stop self-sabotage
and bring structure to theirwildest dreams.
Her students have gone on toperform on Broadway, book major
roles and, most importantly,feel empowered to live joyful,
abundant lives In 2022,.
She was named one of the top 20coaches in Los Angeles by
(01:49):
Influence Digest, and it's easyto see why.
Please welcome to the podcastthe brilliant, the bold, the
business savvy, jodi Bentley.
Jodie Bentley (02:02):
So lovely.
Thank you so much.
Niki Sterner (02:04):
Oh, my goodness, I'm so happy you're here.
I just want to tell everybody,like Jody helped me so much, you
helped me so much back in 2022,when I was actually at my
lowest point, I was strugglingto find clarity around.
What is my acting careeractually look like?
What am I here to do?
Who am I?
What do I want?
What do I value?
I don't even know what my goalsare in this career and you had
(02:26):
a program at the time called theActors Think Tank and I was
with.
I was in it with you for a fullyear and I gained so much
insight into how to brand myselfand how to get clear on like
characters and my headshotsession that I had when I was
with you.
It's the best headshot sessionI've ever had and I'm still
(02:48):
using those.
I mean I probably should getthem updated again, but they are
so good they're working like itwas like night and day.
So I am so excited to have youshare more about yourself and
what you're passionate aboutright now.
If you'll just take us throughkind of what you do, who you are
, who you help all this stuff,what you're passionate about
right now.
If you'll just take us throughkind of what you do, who you are
, who you help all this stuffwhat you're passionate about
right now.
Jodie Bentley (03:07):
Yeah, I mean, hey , I'm Jodi Bentley.
Hey, I'm passionate about somany things.
I mean right now.
I wrote a script.
Nikki, I don't know if I toldyou that I wrote a feature film.
I've been working on it for acouple of years.
Yeah, just closed developmentfunding on that, got a director,
got my producer on board.
We're hopefully shooting 2026.
(03:28):
At the time of this recording,I'll say that April 2026 script
I wrote for myself to to star in, and so that that's been what's
been super freaking passionateright now is really doing that
project.
Yeah, I was on a writingsession to like midnight last
night after a full day of work,but it's like what's it about?
Niki Sterner (03:45):
Can you tell us what it's about a little?
Jodie Bentley (03:46):
bit.
Yeah, sure, it's about the timein your life when you parent
your parents is essentially whatit is and it's my own journey,
my own story with my parents.
I lost my mom when she was 71and I lost my dad when he was 70
.
And it was his journey withleukemia, my mom's journey with
dementia and just how yourparents get older and you get to
(04:08):
take care of them.
So it's very much a Gen X storythat's very relatable on many
levels.
But, yeah, it's just based onmy true story of how I got to be
who I am and how that in thedysfunctional family I grew up
in, and then you know being inthat dysfunction yet having to
take care of your parents whenthey're older, and what that
(04:28):
journey looks like.
Is your sister in the film atall?
My sister is in the film, yes,yes.
Niki Sterner (04:33):
Yes, yes, a little bit about that.
Jodie Bentley (04:34):
Yeah, my sister is cognitively disabled, so
she's two years older than mebut still functions on the level
of a two-year-old.
It's about my journey with hergrowing up as well, and how she
affected me as a human and thefamily dynamic as a human, and
just how much, even though shecan't speak, just how much
energy, joy, insight that shedoes bring in her own way.
Niki Sterner (04:58):
Wow, is this a comedy, a dramedy, a drama?
Jodie Bentley (05:02):
It's a dramedy.
Yeah, it's obviously a drama,but there's so much comedy,
there's so much heart to it.
Yeah, you have to laugh throughsome of the pain, right?
That's like you get it.
You got to laugh through thepain and make light of it, or
else it's just a dirge, right,and the script is not a dirge,
but I gotta say it was socathartic and healing to write
(05:23):
it for me and get really deep inthat and like healing in a
different way than therapy was,you know.
So, yeah, it's been such ajourney and it's been so great.
It's been so great.
Niki Sterner (05:34):
Have you written other scripts before.
No, okay, this is your firstscript, wow.
Jodie Bentley (05:42):
Yeah, so I know some questions you're going to
ask me later and I yeah, thatwas one of my answers.
It's like just going to write ascript.
We'll see what happens.
Jump in.
I have no idea what I'm doing.
It was like a three and a halfyear process to write it and
we're still tweaking it now, youknow, but anyway, yeah, wow.
Niki Sterner (06:00):
Wow, okay, it doesn't surprise me that you're
doing it and that it's movingforward, because you have so
many tools in your toolkit forstructuring your life so that
you can move forward with thethings that you want to do.
Jodie Bentley (06:11):
Sure yeah.
Niki Sterner (06:12):
That's who you are .
Are you teaching programs rightnow?
Jodie Bentley (06:15):
Oh yeah, still teaching.
Earlier this year I wasteaching.
I got hired to teach, too atUTLA.
They have a satellite programin Los Angeles, so I built their
business of acting program fortheir seniors and taught that
all January through April.
The Actors Think Tank is stillgoing.
My group coaching programs arestill.
Everything's still going.
I'm in the middle of creating asummit for actors called the
(06:38):
Shortlist, and I've beeninterviewing 18 industry guests
casting directors, directors,producers, reps to really give
actors the insight into what theindustry is like now and how to
book work now and what does itmean to be an actor now, since
our industry has shifted so much.
So, yeah, I've been puttingthat together and interviewing
guests and creating thatmarketing and doing all of that.
(06:59):
Did you say that's a podcast ora?
Niki Sterner (07:01):
show I didn't hear .
No, it's a summit.
Jodie Bentley (07:02):
It's a summit, a summit, oh great.
It's a podcast or a show, Ididn't know.
It's a summit.
It's a summit, oh great,launching in August.
So that's.
I've been working on that.
Yeah, it's been really busy,it's been really.
And then auditions on top ofthat and I was working on an
audio book.
So it's been a lot of things.
That's what I, that's know andteach how to, how to structure
(07:28):
that lifestyle, how to structureyour day.
And if there's a day where Idon't get to something, it's not
like I'm spiraling down intodespair and shame, it's like
okay, well, that wasn't what Iwas supposed to do today.
I had to write today, I got todo these other things today.
So just, I'm even now justhaving to be really diligent and
disciplined and intentionalwith my time.
Yeah, just to get everythingdone.
But it's all exciting, it's allreally exciting, yeah yeah.
Niki Sterner (07:51):
It is exciting when you have so much going on,
but it's all good stuff.
It's all what you want and whatyou brought into your life for
a reason.
Jodie Bentley (07:58):
Exactly when I do get overwhelmed, I'm like girl
you created this, you chose todo this.
You get over it.
If you don't want to do it,don't do it, but you chose to do
this.
Niki Sterner (08:08):
Wow.
Take me back, though, to whenyou got out of college, yeah,
and that whole time where youwere like what am I, what is
this business, how am I going tomake it?
Jodie Bentley (08:19):
Yeah, I went to NYU Tisch, as you said, and that
was when I was in school and itstill might be.
It was one of the top threeacting schools in the country.
So little 21-year-old Jodiwould walk down the streets of
New York being like I'm going tobe famous by the time I'm 22.
You know, this career is easyand then I get out in the real
world and I was like, oh shit,this is hard, this is hard.
(08:42):
So I floundered for a very longtime after I graduated.
I was because I was trying todo I know I do a lot now, but
then I was literally trying todo everything, but I had no plan
.
I had no systems I had.
I didn't know what the hell Iwas doing.
So I got burnt out real fastand also just battling my
limiting beliefs the whole way.
(09:04):
I grew up in a very lower middleclass family.
My dad was an electrician, mymom was a nurse, so I was one of
the first people in my familyto go to college, never mind go
to college to be an actor, right.
So when I graduated, I think Ihad all this guilt and shame.
And who am I to have done thisand and why do I deserve to do
(09:25):
what I love?
Because no one I know does whatthey love.
So it was I was carrying likeall of that.
So there was just a lot ofself-sabotage, a lot of I don't
deserve to be paid for my art.
Like every audition that I wenton, that was that didn't pay me
anything.
Like they had no budget andthey're like, oh, we just want
(09:47):
you to act, but we can't pay you.
I was like cool and I wouldbook it.
And the audition that there waslike oh, you'd make $500 a week
.
I'd be like I'd figure out likesome way to self sabotage.
Like my brain just could notcompute that.
So it was a struggle for awhile.
It was about eight years andthen I like had to sit myself
down and get like real, be like,okay, what are you doing?
You're calling yourself anactor.
(10:08):
You still have all thesegoddamn student loans that
you're paying off from this hugeschool.
What are you doing?
And I had to just get reallyreal with myself and be like I
don't know.
I don't know what I'm doing.
I know what my craft is, I knowI have talent, I know I can
deliver in the room when mymindset isn't fighting me, but I
needed to get my mindset rightand I needed to figure out how
(10:30):
to be a business.
So I just literally read everybusiness book I could get my
hands on on on branding, onsales, networking, whatever it
was structuring a business likeanything.
I read everything likeliterally for a good solid six
months and then I was like, cool, how do I take this?
(10:51):
These books that are liketelling small businesses of how
to brick and mortar shops, ofhow to build their business?
How can I take these principlesbut apply it to me?
Right, the artist, the living,breathing, sensitive person,
full of limiting beliefs, howcan I take these and apply to
myself?
But that was when I firststarted looking at branding and
turning it into a personal brand.
And yeah, then I was working onthose systems for a while and
(11:12):
then, I don't even know, withina few weeks of even applying
that stuff to myself, I starteddoing an agent campaign.
I landed my first agent in NewYork.
I never had an agent up untilthat point.
I booked my first off-Broadwayshow.
Never had an off-Broadway showup until that point Started
releasing Limiting Beliefs.
I booked eight commercials theyear.
I finally got my mind rightwhen I hadn't booked any prior.
(11:33):
So that's when I was like, okay, there's something here, you
know what I mean Likesomething's going on.
And then that's when friends ofmine were like what you doing?
What's going on?
Like, how'd you figure this out?
And so I would just give actorsadvice and friends advice.
And then, after a lot of freecoffees, I was like I think I
have a skill set here that I canhelp artists.
(11:54):
I think I do, and that's how myfirst business started back in
2008.
So, yeah, I started coachingpeople for 40 bucks an hour.
Yeah, I knew that.
And then it built prettyquickly, like within God, I want
to say three years.
I was traveling to LA andteaching workshops and being
flown to universities andteaching within about three
years of my business.
It was pretty wild.
(12:16):
Yeah, what were you teachingthem?
Branding, really Branding a lotof, especially for the kids
coming out of school.
That was a lot of how to prepfor agent meetings, what agents
look for, how to talk aboutyourself.
Right, because I think that'sthe big thing is actors.
We just want to act and thatyou can, I can deliver on this
performance.
But how do I show up in a roomand just be me.
How do I show up in a room andtalk about myself and have that
(12:39):
feel authentic and joyful andnot icky and salesy or weirdo?
So a lot of it was.
It's a lot of ownership, Ithink, at the base, whether it's
teaching goals, branding,marketing, interview skills,
networking.
Whatever it is at the base ofit, which is why I love what you
talk about is a.
It's a confidence in yourselfand a comfortability in yourself
to be able to show up and justdo that with ease.
(13:00):
So that's really what I wouldhelp people do.
Niki Sterner (13:03):
What do you?
Can you give me a couple of thesteps that you first do with
people when they come to youasking for how do I brand myself
?
How do I talk about myself toother people?
Jodie Bentley (13:13):
Oh God, yeah.
What we got to realize is, likea confused mind will always say
no.
So if you're confused about whoyou are and you don't know what
to say, how do you expectsomeone else right To go, oh, I
know who you are?
Like it's, that's, it'sridiculous, right?
So it's so important to tounderstand how to do that.
So I think, first and foremost,you got to understand that you
are a product and you got tounderstand that it's your job to
(13:36):
figure out what that is, to beable to quote, unquote, sell it,
because everyone else, likeyour agents, your team they're
your sales team, right?
Your agents need pitching toolsto be able to sell you.
So you got to understand whatyour product is and be able to
craft those tools so yoursalespeople can have them.
So I think, first and foremostthough I think a lot of the work
I do with actors or artistseven is just for them to
(13:58):
understand that branding isn't abad thing, like, it's not bad.
I think branding has a bad rap.
I think a lot of people thinkof it as limiting.
They think, oh, I got to nowput myself in a box.
I don't want to go in a box,right, I'm versatile.
I'm this, I'm that.
So I think there's a lot ofresistance to branding and I
think a lot of people talk aboutbranding in the wrong way,
which causes a lot of thisupheaval with it.
(14:18):
So I think a lot of my time isjust not a lot, but in the
beginning it's just reallygetting people to understand
that branding is actuallyextremely expansive, that people
are branding you even if you'renot branding yourself.
So you might as well do itright.
If you want to be in control ofhow you're perceived in this
world, you might as well do itand enjoy doing it right,
(14:40):
because if you're not brandingyourself, you're essentially
saying I'll be whoever you wantme to be, and that is such a
powerless position.
So for me, branding is reallyabout taking your power back,
really being able to define andtake ownership of you and the
career trajectory that you dowant.
It's immediately creating whatI just call like industry
agreement, meaning I know who Iam, and either you agree with it
(15:03):
or you don't.
If you agree with it, cool,you're my people.
If you don't agree with it,cool, I'll go find someone else.
Right, because not everyone'sgoing to get you, and I also
think it helps you be rememberedfaster, especially in our
industry, is oversaturated, andI don't say that to be negative,
it's just truth.
There's a lot of actors andespecially now with self-tapes
and how the industry has openedup, I was speaking with a bunch
(15:25):
of casting directors.
They get 2,000 to 4,000submissions for one role, like,
how are you standing out?
And it starts with just thatownership of self.
So I think, first and foremost,just understanding people, that
it's a powerful concept, not alimiting concept, and that a
brand is not the roles you canplay.
Right, it's not oh, doctor,lawyer, ceo, or I'm girl next
(15:51):
door or I'm this.
It's not that.
Niki Sterner (15:52):
It goes a lot deeper than that.
So that's the place where I'dstart.
Yeah, I remember going throughthat with you in the Actors
Think Tank.
I created the ConfidenceKickstart morning routine
because I know what it's like tohave big dreams and still feel
stuck behind self-doubt, fear orthe pressure to get it right.
As an actor, comedian andaward-winning filmmaker, I've
every morning, with journalprompts, a guided audio
(16:21):
meditation and a simplestep-by-step process built on
the three pillars of theConfidence Shortcut mindset,
path and action.
These aren't just feel-goodideas.
They're habits that work, thatbuild confidence, that move you
forward.
If you're ready to stopoverthinking and start showing
up the link is in the captioncaption go grab it and start
your day with clarity, courageand real momentum.
(16:43):
What are some of the thingsthat you give to your agent to
pitch you?
Jodie Bentley (16:49):
oh gosh, your headshot number one, right?
Your headshot's your biggestcalling card, right?
Because that's again.
If a casting director isgetting two thousand to four
thousand submissions, what'smaking them stop on you?
It it's your photo first, right?
So the headshot number one, thereels that you're using or
clips that you're using, wouldbe the second piece.
So, yeah, headshots, reels andclips material that shows.
(17:11):
I think what actors need toremember is that it's a business
of show.
Don't tell so.
Don't tell me that you're greatat improv.
Don't tell me you're a standupand don't have video that
supports it, improves it to me.
Don't tell me that you'rereally great at a British accent
but you don't have a clip doinga British accent.
How do you expect to get seenfor those auditions?
You know what I mean it's likenowadays.
(17:32):
It's so much of give me all thetools.
So when that audition comes,right where it's someone's an
improviser who has a Britishaccent, I go oh, look, she has.
Look at her UCB credits andhere's a self-tape clip of her
doing a British accent.
Then the casting goes great, Isee it, I'll call her in.
Or else we're just asking theindustry to blindly trust, and I
just think it moves so quickly,there's no time for that
(17:54):
anymore.
So, you really got to thinkabout again, dialing it back to
who am I in this business?
Who am I right?
What are the stories I want totell?
How do I show up in thisbusiness?
What do people see in me inthis business, which is another
thing.
So I think it's understandingself from your own perspective,
(18:14):
understanding self from howyou're perceived, right, and
then it's making sure that thosethings play nicely together and
then layering on top of that.
What are your goals?
Where are you going?
If your goal is comedy but youdon't have any tape of you doing
anything comedic whatsoever andyour whole reel is dramatic,
how are you going to get seenfor those comedy roles?
(18:35):
You're not.
So we got to factor all thosepieces in, to start to craft the
brand and craft the materialsthat then represent the brand.
Niki Sterner (18:45):
So it's like you once you get clear, how do you
get people clear on what theywant?
How do you help them to findthe clarity to know what their
goal is in this industry?
Jodie Bentley (18:54):
First of all, it just it goes back to why, like
why are you an art, an artist?
Why are you an actor?
Why are you a standup?
Why are you a writer?
Like, why are you doing whatyou're doing?
Cause I think I've been in thisindustry like two to over two
decades now.
I've been doing this a longtime.
You know what I mean and my whyhas shifted.
It's changed.
(19:15):
But I noticed, even in myself.
It's like the times where Istart to go, oh, what am I doing
?
Or you get resistant or bitterabout stuff and I'm like what's
going on?
I got to tap back into my why.
I've forgotten why I'm doingthis and so I think,
understanding why you've chosenagain I said at the top, I've
chosen to do all these things inmy life.
You're choosing to be an artist.
(19:35):
Why?
Why?
Because that is the drivingforce.
If you don't know why you'redoing it, it's so freaking hard
to get out of bed every day.
It's so freaking hard to hearthat rejection on a daily basis.
Of course it's hard to go.
No, I got to put my self-tapeequipment up or oh, I got to
brand myself.
I don't want to.
Of course it's hard if youdon't know why if you don't have
an end goal or it's tappinginto your passion.
(19:56):
So I think, first and foremostit's understanding why and then
really understanding what theheck is getting in your way.
Like I said earlier, what wasgetting in my way was I didn't
deserve to be paid for my art.
I had guilt around pursuingsomething I loved.
Who am I?
Who am I to be able to do this?
So we all have limiting beliefswhich manifest in excuses which
(20:21):
we then take on as truth.
But if you're constantly saying, oh, I don't have time, I don't
have time, I don't have time toget to that.
Oh, I don't have time to dothat work in my career, Okay,
you do have time, we all havetime.
You're choosing not to give itthat time.
Why it's easier to say, oh, Idon't have the time.
And then you're 80 going oh, Ijust never had the time to
(20:41):
pursue that career.
It's just safe.
It's safer and we got toremember that our brains are
pre-programmed to keep us safe.
They just want us to be safe.
But safe also means small, andsafe means staying protective in
your little bubble.
So it takes courage to movethrough that, but it really
takes just a deep understandingof self to know, oh, I am always
(21:05):
saying I don't have time.
Why is that?
Because I'm really afraid.
I'm really afraid if I actuallydo it and I fail, then what?
Or I'm really afraid what?
If I do succeed, Then what?
I'm going to lose all myfriends.
No one will like me anymore.
My dad's voice of I'm too bigfor my britches is in my friends
.
No one will like me anymore.
My dad's voice of I'm too bigfor my britches is in my ear.
Whatever it may be, you knowwhat I mean.
But I think we got to understandall that stuff, Cause,
(21:26):
especially as you grow in thisindustry and you might have been
experiencing this cause you'vebeen on such a big growth
trajectory.
It's like you're like, yeah, Ifigured out everything.
I feel good.
And then like we get to anotherlevel and then we're like, oh
God, all the different excusescome in again.
You know what I mean.
Oh, no, wait, no, I know whatthat is.
Okay, I know what that is.
(21:46):
And you're like cool, and thenwe level up again and then new
excuses come in.
Right, it's a constantintentional I don't want to say
battle, it's just a constantintentional thing that happens.
But you got to understand self.
So when those new excusesappear, you're like, oh, that's
my limiting belief of I'm notenough, I've worked through that
, I'm going to turn the volumedown on that.
Right now I don't need that.
And so many people say, oh, yougot to get rid of that.
(22:07):
Oh, I got rid of my excuses, Igot rid of my limiting beliefs.
I don't think we can get rid ofthem.
You can just understand them.
And when you understand them,you're either choosing and so
just understand self and don'tgive that the power.
Give your vision the power.
Give your why the power.
Give where you want to go thepower.
That's more important.
Niki Sterner (22:27):
Can I ask you a personal question?
Yeah, okay, so I'm curious whatyour why is.
Jodie Bentley (22:33):
Hmm, oh, there's many levels to my why.
I think, on a fundamental level, one of my biggest values in
life is belonging and it startedwith my sister, like I just I
distinctly remember being eightyears old, nine years old, 10
years old, standing on the porchof my house and my sister would
(22:53):
be in the yard on her tricycleand she was like 12, 13, right
at the time on tricycle and allthe teenage boys would walk by
the house and make fun of herand she would just laugh because
she didn't know and I wouldcome out of the house and I
would be yelling at them.
I just felt like I had to beher advocate so much, and a big
part of who I was growing up isreally wanting my sister to
(23:13):
belong.
I think when I was really youngI didn't get that she was
different, she was just mysister.
And then, as I got older, I waslike, oh, she is different and
she still has a voice and shestill deserves to have a place
in this world and she still getsto belong in this world.
So that concept of belonging isreally big for me and I think
that's why I became a coach.
Is I wanted actors to belong inthis industry If you want to, if
(23:36):
you want to be an artist, youwant to be an actor, you deserve
to be here and I want to giveyou a place where you can belong
and understand that's possible.
That's why my business is calledActor Insider that's why I
changed the name a little over ayear ago is that I want actors
on the inside.
You're on the inside, youbelong.
So that, and even with myscript that I wrote, or even
myself as an actor, I think thebiggest stories I'm drawn to and
(23:56):
the legacy that I want to leaveis really about just raising
human consciousness through art,but also letting people realize
that they belong, that they'rewatching a script and go.
I relate to that, I get that, Iunderstand that and seeing
themselves in their pain or whatthey're going through, or their
joy in some capacity, because Ijust think when you go to the
movies and you sit down and youwatch, there's this sense of
(24:17):
belonging together.
Even in this theater we'resitting here right, a live
theater or a movie theater.
So that whole concept of justbelonging, I think, is what
really drives me a lot.
Niki Sterner (24:28):
Can I ask you another personal question?
Yes, what is like yourlong-term, your biggest dream
that you are?
All of these other ones fallunder that you're working
towards.
Jodie Bentley (24:40):
For the longest time.
It still is a goal.
I do want to be a seriesregular, honestly, like on the
series.
That's a definitive goal, butit's been and I'm just like
welling up with emotion rightnow, for some reason, it's just,
it's been joyful to write and Ithink now, like I'm looking at
(25:01):
my script and going, no, thisthing and me taking control and
writing rules for myself, thatmeans something to me.
It doesn't have to be my story,just something.
That means something to me.
Like, I feel like that's what'sgoing to move the needle.
So I think right now, myfeature is the goal, my feature
is the goal.
Talking to my producer and shewas like, yeah, we're going to
get this in AMC, it's not goingto be in a Lemley, we're going
(25:21):
to get this in AMC.
I'm like, let's do it Like wehave.
We're going to talk to festivalorganizers for Cannes and
Tribeca and all this stuff.
I'm just, I'm seeing that rightand going, yeah, I want to
create this and I have the downto the final four for a lead in
an Apple TV series and I didn'tget it because it was out of my
(25:42):
control.
They went with someone else.
It's just, it is what it is,but this I'm in control of and
it feels really good.
So that's the vision right nowand I think everything else will
fall from that, you know like adomino effect from that.
Niki Sterner (25:59):
I love that so much.
You are the showrunner of yourlife.
You are creating that, you.
We need that on a t-shirt yougot to get that on a t-shirt.
No, you're so powerful, you'reso ready.
Like you have the incredibletraining, you have the
incredible organization, youhave the business side Like you
are so the production powerhouse.
(26:20):
Like you, that is you to a T,like creating your own series,
creating your own film, like allof it is so in your wheelhouse.
It's so like I call it thewildest yes.
That is your wildest yes Life,and it's happening Like you're
already doing it.
Jodie Bentley (26:37):
Yeah, it's happening and it's happened
fairly quickly and it's justfeels so good to like all the
people who are involved in theproject.
It's just it's been easy.
It's just been easy, nikki,like finding the right people,
and it just all feels like it'sall in alignment, which feels
really good.
It feels really good.
Niki Sterner (26:53):
That's so good.
I'm curious, jodi, how did youfigure out just?
Jodie Bentley (27:03):
talking about a little bit of branding, like how
do you know, like how otherpeople perceive you?
You got to ask, okay, you gotto ask right, you got to do the
work to ask right.
So I think first of all it'sthe inside work, as I said,
where it's like a lot of deepquestions for yourself, but then
on the flip side it's justgoing what do you see in me?
What essence is when you see?
Like when I walk into a room,how does that energy change?
When you look at me, what doyou see?
(27:23):
And a lot of it is energy-based, but a lot of it is just it's
based on our facial structure,it's based on our hair color,
it's based on our eye color,it's based on how close our eyes
are together or how far apartthey are, like all those things.
There's a whole thing ofpsychology, of the face really
does dictate people'simpressions and perceptions.
Like, I know that I have astrong jawbone and cheekbones
(27:44):
and eyebrows and a lot of timespeople look at me and they go,
oh, she's probably mean or coldor bitchy, or strong, powerful,
right, those kinds of powerful.
Yeah, sometimes I'll get likeelitist, wealthy, that kind of
stuff, and I'm like, okay, Igrew up lower middle class, but
cool, I'll take your elitist,wealthy you know what I mean.
But that's purely because ofbone structure.
So I know that when I'm goingin for a single mom persevering
(28:07):
or I'm going in for a middleclass caretaking nurse, I know
what I need to do to soften thatperception of what the industry
sees, because I do have thosesides to me.
So it's understood, that's whatI'm saying.
It's like.
If you can really understandyourself and get that feedback,
then I know oh, if I wearlighter colors, it's going to
help.
I know if I want to be powerful, I'm going to wear my Navy blue
(28:29):
and I'm just going with thatand I'm going to do my makeup
the way I normally do.
But I know how to soften themakeup or soften the colors or
put the hair back, to justsoften the features to let
people see different things.
Niki Sterner (28:40):
I was just going to ask you that how do you
soften, how do you change it?
But you just told us, yeah,just physically.
So are you like looking atother characters who are soft
and adjusting your lookaccording to them?
Like, I mean, it depends.
Jodie Bentley (28:53):
Like if an audition comes in and it's
caretaking nurse on some series,I might put on that series so I
can see, like, what the colorpalette is of the series.
But I also know what colors,again, make me look softer, more
accessible, so I'll look atthat.
I know the hairstyles that cando that for me.
So I think it's a combinationof both.
(29:14):
But for headshots which I knowyou went through that process
it's definitely looking atwhat's out there in the world
and what's being cast now andwhat are the trends and going
okay, so women of power arereally wearing this right now or
single moms really look likethis on TV right now.
So how can I do my version ofthat?
But yeah, that market researchis so key and really
(29:35):
understanding what's happeningin the industry is really
important and I think a lot oftimes we forget that right, we
think of I'm an actor and I haveto focus on myself, but we also
just need to pay attention towhat's out.
I watch so much television andso many movies.
Like I think my husband and Igo to the movies at least every
weekend to just to stay on topof everything and, like really
pay attention to who are thedirectors?
What's going on?
(29:55):
What's out there?
Niki Sterner (30:05):
And I think for the longest time of my career, I
never thought of that as partof my business and now I'm
really embracing it as part ofmy business.
Jodie Bentley (30:10):
So how often are you watching shows and where are
you watching?
Yeah, we watch, we have everystreamer.
It's really bad.
But I call my husband, ourentertainment director.
We have our list of shows andI'm like what are we watching
tonight, babe?
What's on the?
I don't have time to plan it orthink about it, just tell me
what we're watching.
And we usually watch somethingevery night.
But if I'm working late orthings are busy, actually our go
to right now at the end of anevening to unwind is Cheers.
(30:31):
We're watching old reruns ofCheers oh wild, oh my gosh which
is like a master in the sitcomformat and how it's shifted over
the years and watching allthose great actors do it.
But anyway.
But we do watch, obviously alot of current television mainly
, but that's just been fun towatch old stuff to see where
we've come from and how farwe've come, television medium
(30:53):
especially.
Niki Sterner (30:55):
So I'm thinking like where do you see yourself,
which platform or streamingservice do you see yourself on?
And is that according to thevibe that you give out, the
brand that you are?
Jodie Bentley (31:05):
Apple TV hands down for sure.
I love, love the writing onApple TV right now.
There it's.
It's like down to earth,relatable, the dramedy vibe like
shrinking, like that kind ofthing.
It's so good.
Yeah, Just everything thatApple TV is doing just really
feels right in an alignment withwhere I see my career going and
(31:28):
I feel like what I bring to thetable for sure and just the
stories that I like.
So many good, so many goodshows on there.
Niki Sterner (31:34):
I remember you shared with me one that I really
liked.
It was like flash dance.
Meets something.
Who is in it?
Oh, like a dramedy.
The look of it was like flashdance, it was like.
Oh physical.
Jodie Bentley (31:47):
Yes, physical.
Yes, it was such a good showwith Rose Byrne.
Yes, yes, so good.
Niki Sterner (31:54):
Yeah, oh, I love that.
Yeah, confidence doesn't comefirst.
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(32:15):
It's the exact routine I use toget up on stage and speak up.
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Okay, you've helped, like me,just realign with like
priorities and how to like.
I know now that I need to getmy branding back on point and
(32:37):
give my agents things that theycan share.
I'm working on building theconfidence to share my work more
online and on social media.
Do you feel like sharing it onsocial media is helpful?
Jodie Bentley (32:48):
Oh, for sure.
Yeah, I think it's all I thinkyou have.
I think you have to right.
We get to share who we are andwhat we're doing on social and I
just I think it all matters howright If I'm posting about a
booking, say I'm not like, lookat me, I booked this thing.
It's hey, I'm so excited I getto speak the words of this
(33:12):
writer, oh my God, I get to beon this show.
This showrunner of the show isincredible.
Oh my God.
Thank you to this castingdirector.
You've called me in 10 timesand we finally booked it.
Yay, like it all depends on howyou frame it.
But again, that comes down tobelonging, right, it's not all
about you, it's let's makeeveryone belong in this project.
It takes a village to createevery freaking project out there
, whether it's a film, tv series, theater piece, whatever.
So, yeah, I think it's just howyou frame it, but I think it's
(33:33):
really important.
I've been interviewing a lot ofcasting directors for my summit
that's coming up, and I wouldsay about half of them say they
use social to really searchpeople.
Yeah, wow, what are they lookingfor?
Do they tell you?
To understand who you are,understand your essence,
understand your point of view,your vibe right, if it's down to
two people for a lead in afeature film and they know
(33:54):
you're going to be on set forsix weeks or something, they
want to know someone that theyvibe with and that they like
what you're putting out there.
They just like your energy.
They get your essence.
Yeah, a lot of them are saying,especially when it gets further
down in the process, thatthey'll do a Google search or go
on Instagram and just see whatpeople are putting out in the
world and that's cost peoplejobs and that's helped people
get jobs and it's just reallyinteresting to hear those
(34:16):
stories.
So, not, and not everyone'sdoing that right?
If someone's casting televisionand you're going in for
co-stars, they're not going tolook at your social media, like
they don't have to.
You know what I mean?
They got eight days to castthat show.
They're not looking at you.
Other people might, or ifthey've never called you into
their office, they might want togo.
Who is this person?
Let me just research them realfast.
So I think it's reallyimportant to have a solid
(34:38):
presence in social media, evenlike clients that I work with
now.
Sometimes I go to theirInstagram and I'm like I don't
even get that you're an actorfrom this Instagram.
I don't even understand thatyou're an actor, and it doesn't
mean that you have to postheadshots or auditions or stuff.
It doesn't mean that.
It just means.
It's just.
There's just a different vibeto it that I don't get that
you're an actor.
(34:58):
I just feel like you're justtaking pretty pictures of
yourself, you know, and there'sa difference.
There's a difference.
What is missing that?
Niki Sterner (35:04):
doesn't share that .
Jodie Bentley (35:05):
I just think what's missing is just the
intentional.
I think just being intentionalabout just the content in
general, because, look, I couldjust post a picture of me
staring off into space, thinkingin general, because, look, I
could just post a picture of mestaring off into space, thinking
, but the caption could be Ijust saw Superman, the Superman
movie, and here's my thoughts,and just like giving my thoughts
(35:26):
as an actor on that right, justto be like I'm in the industry,
I'm doing things in theindustry, so it could be
anything, but I think just andnot every post has to do that.
Right, you're allowed to takethe photo of you and your
partner out and friends andeverything.
We want to see a well-roundedlife on Instagram, but just
having that, having yourhighlights at the top be like
your clips, your reels, reviewsof you and stuff.
(35:48):
Have your reel pinned at the topof your Instagram.
You can pin those three posts.
Have your reel pinned.
Have an article that waswritten about you pinned.
Have your website, something.
So when, as soon as I go onthere, I go oh yeah, they're an
actor there.
Oh, here's the reel or here'stheir this and I can see who you
are as a human, so it's justguiding people and giving them
the information right.
(36:08):
It's crafting the experiencethat someone feels when they go
to your website, when they go toyour socials or your YouTube
channel, whatever it may be like.
How can you curate thatexperience so they get who you
are instantly?
And again, that goes back tobranding.
Right, it all goes, yeah.
No, this is to branding.
Niki Sterner (36:26):
It's so good, like I realized when I'm talking to
you, like what I'm missing in mysocial for acting Cause I don't
put a ton of that on there.
I don't have it like pin to thetop.
I had my short film that I did.
I have that pin.
Okay, great, yeah, and I haveactor in like the bio and stuff,
actor, comedian, that kind ofthing.
But I'm sure I could be doingmore.
(36:47):
And I think, like you're saying,like having the courage to post
yourself, like talking onsocial media, a lot of people
feel self-conscious about thator they're like I don't want to
be like bragging or do too much,or what are people going to
think when I share this?
So it's really just like you'resaying, like owning what you do
and what you want and puttingit out there so that you tell
(37:08):
the world who you are.
This is who I am, and if youlike it, great.
If you don't, then you're goingto find who you like somewhere
else.
But this is me, this is myessence, this is what I do.
Yeah, a thousand percent.
Jodie Bentley (37:19):
Yes, nailed it.
Niki Sterner (37:20):
You gave us so many tips and tools.
I'm going to have to go backthrough here and take notes.
That's so good.
Okay, we are going to move intothe third part of the
conversation and that is ourconfidence quickfire round.
I love it, yes.
The first question I have foryou is how do you define
confidence, confidence to?
Jodie Bentley (37:39):
me is being disabled, to show up who you are
as who you are, withoutjudgment, shame or apology.
And for me it goes back toagain the concept of belonging,
but it reminds me of a MayaAngelou quote which I love is I
belong every place I belong noplace.
I belong to myself.
And I think that belonging toself, unapologetically belonging
(38:01):
to yourself andunapologetically being me and
not needing validation fromanyone, to me that's the
ultimate confidence.
Niki Sterner (38:10):
Oh, that's so good .
I love that quote, wow, thankyou Isn't that great.
Jodie Bentley (38:13):
Yeah, it's so good.
Niki Sterner (38:14):
Made me step back and be like, yeah, I belong, but
I don't belong.
I belong here, like this is me.
Yeah, yeah, wow, okay.
The second part is what's onebold move you made before you
felt ready?
Jodie Bentley (38:27):
Writing my feature film.
For sure, most of my life Ididn't feel ready to start my
business.
I didn't feel ready to producemy first film.
When I did it, I didn't feelready to move to LA.
There's so many things I didn'tfeel ready for.
I didn't feel ready to producemy first film.
When I did it, I didn't feelready to move to LA.
There's so many things I didn'tfeel ready for.
I didn't feel ready to do thesummit for actors.
But yeah, I don't think Ihaven't felt ready to do a lot
of things, but when I get mymind on something, I have to
just keep doing it and movingforward.
Niki Sterner (38:50):
How do you get yourself activated to do it?
What does it take for you?
Is it just having the goalwritten down?
Is it on a calendar?
Is it just what is it that likethat activation energy to go?
I tell people.
Jodie Bentley (39:04):
Great, yeah, like I remember when I was, when I
decided to do this summit, Itold all my assistants and I was
like we're going to do a summit, even though I was scared and I
didn't know how, I didn't knowwhat, I didn't know what it was
going to be, I didn't know whatthe guests were, I didn't know
anything.
And I said I just told my teamI'm like we're going to do a
summit in the summer, and thiswas probably like only two
months ago that I said this andthey were like okay, and I was
(39:25):
like now I need to know how todo this.
So I hired a coach and I hiredsomeone I know who'd done a
summit.
I think I paid her a thousanddollars, I think.
When I decided I was going towrite a feature film, I told a
bunch of people and I was likeI've never written before.
I need a writing partner.
And I put feelers out and foundsomeone.
So, yeah, I think it's justdeclaring it to the world makes
(39:45):
me, holds me accountable, right.
Niki Sterner (39:48):
What does having a writing partner look like?
I'm curious.
Jodie Bentley (39:51):
Oh, it's so fun.
James Tabik is my writingpartner and James and I both
taught at a university together.
A few years back he was a dancechoreographer and I was the
acting business coach and we metand we would see each other and
we both lived in New York atthe same time but never met.
He was on Broadway with one ofmy best friends.
We didn't even know it until wegot to LA.
And when I'm telling you toomuch of the story, when you just
(40:12):
asked about the experience, butit's relatable he I had lost my
dad, it's relatable he I hadlost my dad.
And then a year later, prettymuch a year to the date, he lost
his dad and so he was postingon social, maybe six months
after that, about his dad beinggone for six months or whatever,
and I was like, oh my God, I'mso sorry.
And then it hit me.
I was like James is a writer.
We had the same manager at thetime and I was like I have an
(40:35):
idea for a script.
Can I pitch it to you?
I said I'm looking for awriting partner and he was like,
yes, we took a Zoom meeting andit must have been.
I think I must have talked hisear off for 90 minutes.
He's telling me everything andI was like here's my story.
And I was like here it is.
And I, after I finished, helooked at me and he's we don't
have to embellish anything.
And I was like, no, we don't.
We both lost our dads fromleukemia, so that was a bonding
(40:57):
thing for us.
We are literally two days apartin our ages Two days, no way.
Yeah, he has a jaw structurelike me and eyebrows like me.
He looks like he's my brother.
So we wrote a character of himas my twin brother in the script
, who is me.
Jodi personally would be myalter ego if I didn't have to be
the responsible one.
And we brought in his wholestoryline of being gay and his
(41:25):
dad not accepting that.
And yes, we've his dad and mydad have kind of morphed into
that character now.
But we literally, nikki, we satdown every Thursday for three
hours on zoom.
Every week.
We had a standing nonnegotiable writing session and
we wrote together and that'swhat we did.
Niki Sterner (41:37):
So you would like, like you would read it and
write it at the same time.
Jodie Bentley (41:41):
What's this scene about?
Okay, we want to write this.
Okay, I have an idea, I'llwrite, and then we can see final
draft and share and I'm goingto jump in.
Okay, cool.
Oh, can you tweak this line?
And then we'd read we're bothactors, so we'd read it all out
loud and it's the voices of myparents in my head and and who I
know.
It was getting him tounderstand the tone and the
voice.
Now he can even write my dadbetter and my mom better than I
can.
So it's very funny.
(42:02):
Oh my gosh.
Niki Sterner (42:03):
That is incredible process.
Jodie Bentley (42:06):
Yeah, I think it's not how most people write
together, but we enjoy writingliterally together.
Niki Sterner (42:13):
I love that.
I love that Because writing canbe a very lonely process.
Yeah, it can be, yeah.
Jodie Bentley (42:18):
No, our writing sessions are so creative, it's
so fun and so creative yeah.
Niki Sterner (42:22):
That's wild.
That's so nice.
You found a partner.
I know, I know it's like meantto be divine, wow Okay.
Third question how do you faceyour inner critic?
Jodie Bentley (42:33):
Head on.
Like I said, I think, if youcan have a deep understanding
and then you can recognize itwhen it comes up, I think that's
the important thing.
And then again, like I said, ifI go, oh, it's that thing again
, oh, it's me feeling, oh, theimposter syndrome's kicking in.
I know what that is, that's.
You know what that's me feeling?
Like I'm not enough.
I know what that is, then I canjust turn it down.
(42:54):
So I think, for me, always juststaying intentional with
knowing what my stuff is andjust being hyper aware of like
why am I feeling weird right now, or why am I scared or why am I
this, and knowing, oh, it'sthat thing, I just need to turn
it down.
But I think what helps tomentally for me, I meditate
every morning, non-negotiable.
I have to do 20, 30 minutes ofmeditation every morning and
(43:14):
that really helps ground me.
And I also love EFT tapping andthat if I'm having like a
moment of I can't get me, yeah,exactly, I can't remember where
you start and go.
Yeah, if I'm having a moment ofoh God, I don't know, I'm
feeling jealous or this or thator something, I always do the
tapping and it helps release itright out.
That's helpful, nice.
Niki Sterner (43:35):
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(43:56):
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If this speaks to you, clickthe link in the caption.
It might be the answer you'relooking for.
Okay, I was just going to askyou what's one habit that's
helped you build real confidence.
Jodie Bentley (44:14):
Just showing up, showing up and committing.
I think that, again, like whatI said already, right Declaring
I'm going to do something andputting it out in the world and
then showing up for it I thinkthat's really important.
I remember, gosh, when I firstwanted to do Facebook Lives.
This was probably 2017, maybe2016 or 2018.
(44:34):
Anyway, time is moot right, butI remember I was like I got to
show up and do Facebook Lives.
Everyone was going live and Iwas like I was terrified, nikki
terrified, and I remember when Ifirst started doing it, like my
computer was like all the waydown here and you could see it
was like my chin was like this,like all that.
The lighting was bad.
I was like talking really slowand trying to be perfect and I
(44:54):
go back and my first video is onmy YouTube channel, like you
can go back and watch them.
I had a whole series I createdcalled bravery in business.
Oh, I love it.
Yeah, it was good, except forme.
I look back now and I'm likewhat was I thinking?
But it was.
But I keep it up there, causeit's like fun to see the journey
.
Niki Sterner (45:11):
Now.
Jodie Bentley (45:11):
I have 300 YouTube videos or something
stupid.
Do you know what I mean?
But it started off with mebeing terrified but just doing
it, just showing up and doing itand watching the progression
over time.
So now, so I think the anotherbig thing for me is removing the
word perfection from myvocabulary.
Niki Sterner (45:28):
This doesn't have to be perfect.
Jodie Bentley (45:30):
I don't have to show up Even my writing.
I'm getting a little oh, thisscript has to be perfect and I
think it means so much to me, soI'm really having to work
through that.
No, it's, nothing's going to beperfect.
We're going to constantly bechanging it.
So really removing theperfection makes everything, I
think, so much easier, justmoving through the messy.
Yeah for sure, yeah, yeah, no,I love that.
Niki Sterner (45:51):
That's where the beauty is right.
Yeah, yeah, you discover somuch if you allow yourself to be
open to it, cause I know whenwe did our short film, it was
rewritten as we were performingit too.
Right, you get ideas in themoment when you're in the actual
setting.
Oh, we should do this, let's dothis angle, let's it's.
It changes continually, andthen you edit it and it changes.
Yeah, that's a powerful process, though, really, for letting go
(46:13):
of perfection.
Jodie Bentley (46:14):
Yeah, for sure.
Niki Sterner (46:16):
Yeah, for sure.
Okay, I wanted to ask youfavorite book or resource that
changed how you think.
Jodie Bentley (46:22):
Oh my, God, Like, how much time do you have?
I have so many books.
But I was thinking about thiswhen you asked, and I hope that
I can say this on your podcastbut one of the things that I
listened to actually probably inthe past couple of years that I
was just like, yeah, that againit's called the subtle art of
not giving a fuck.
Niki Sterner (46:40):
Yeah, it's a really good book.
Jodie Bentley (46:43):
I listened to the audio book and the guy who
narrates it is really good andit was.
It was so good.
Everything Brene Brown I'veread every single one of her
books and I'm currentlylistening to the big leap and I
love it so much.
Oh yeah.
And so it's like revisiting itin a different way now that I'm
older and you work with stuffand, yeah, that right now is
just blowing my mind.
(47:03):
Oh my gosh, I could reread thatlike multiple times.
Niki Sterner (47:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I had it sitting on my tablefor like months Just the fish,
just the fish jumping out of thesmall bowl into the big bowl.
That's every day.
That's what we're doing.
Jodie Bentley (47:15):
We're doing it again, exactly.
Niki Sterner (47:18):
Exactly, exactly.
I wanted to go back to thequestion before one, one habit
that helped you build realconfidence.
I think that you saying thatyou declare things is such a
valuable tool and just likesaying what you're going to do
to somebody, like having awitness say it that you're going
to do this.
Whether it's sharing on socialmedia this is what I'm doing or
(47:39):
if it's having an accountabilitybuddy like your team, you're
like we're doing this, we'refiguring it out.
I think that's powerful.
Jodie Bentley (47:47):
It's so powerful.
I have a course called Dare tobe Unstoppable, and it was
always an idea in my head and Ilaunched it in 2018.
And in January 2018, I did asocial media post that said,
coming in December, dare to beunstoppable.
And I gave myself all year tocreate this course.
Unfortunately, 2018 was theyear my dad died.
I had to sell my childhood home, my mom got diagnosed with
(48:09):
dementia and got put in anursing home, and so I was
dealing with that for months andthen I came back from dealing
with all that.
Mom was settled.
I came back in September to LAand was like I said I was going
to launch this course inDecember and I sat here going,
okay, I'm not going to do it,too much happened, too much
happened.
And then I was like but yousaid it, and this course doesn't
(48:29):
have to be perfect and it canbe whatever it needs to be.
And you know what it's about.
You already mapped it out inthe beginning of the year.
Just record the damn videos,just sit down and record them.
And I look back at those videosnow and that course has had
hundreds and hundreds of peoplego through it.
It's been life-changing for somany people I haven't even
re-recorded.
I think I re-recorded half thevideos, but the first half of
(48:50):
the course I didn't re-record.
And I go back and look at mefrom 2018 and I'm like 10 pounds
heavier because I was reallysad and I'm probably talking a
little slower because I was sad,but it was just like it was
good and it didn't have to beperfect and it felt good for me
to go.
No, I'm a woman of my word andI said I'm going to do this.
And, yeah, all this stuffhappened and I still get to do
what I want to do in my life andit was such a powerful place to
(49:13):
try to balance all of that and,again, let go of that
perfectionism.
But if I wouldn't have declaredthat in January, I probably
wouldn't have done it.
I might still not have donethat course, because it was like
that was the right time to doit.
Niki Sterner (49:26):
Yeah, no, that's so good Cause I'm trying to
create my first course as well.
Almost 30 people doing acourage quest with me.
I'm learning so much.
It started as an eight weekcourse.
Now I'm like guys, we need 12weeks, like the first four weeks
is teaching and then the eightweeks after that is you doing?
Jodie Bentley (49:40):
action going, going, going, and I'm like I
love it.
Niki Sterner (49:43):
You can stay for eight, but it's really 12 now.
So it's like moving through theprocess, I'm like this is messy
.
I don't know what I'm doing,I've never done it before, but
each week as I teach, I'm likeokay, I need to add this in, I
need to teach this more, I needto have discovery in the process
.
Jodie Bentley (49:58):
Yeah, it's so shifts and changes and it's okay
.
It's okay yeah.
Niki Sterner (50:04):
I'm so thankful that you shared that story,
because I really want to getthat done, maybe by the end of
the year.
Maybe that's my goal, yeah.
Jodie Bentley (50:11):
She's declaring it now.
Niki Sterner (50:12):
ladies and gentlemen, Okay, I'm declaring
it.
You heard it.
Oh, you're such an inspiration.
You've helped me so much on mycareer path and gaining so much
clarity and branding and all ofthis stuff.
You're just like a magicianwith clarity.
For me is where I really know,I really figured out who I am
(50:32):
and what I wanted to do and whatI valued in that time with you,
and so I'm just so thankful andgrateful that you could be here
today.
I just want to acknowledge andhonor you for sharing so much
value with people and by comingon here.
I know you're extremely busy,so it just means the world to me
that you would make the time Ofcourse.
Jodie Bentley (50:49):
Thank you so much for asking me and I think I'm
proud of you and I'm so proud ofyou and all that you've been
doing.
Niki Sterner (50:56):
Thank you.
Now, how can people follow you,keep up with you, take your
courses, get coached by you?
Jodie Bentley (51:01):
You can go to actor-insidercom.
That's my website.
I have a ton of free resourceson there that you can download
and read and get on my list.
You can go to my YouTubechannel, Actor Insider.
Like I said, there's a ton offree videos there you can watch.
Follow me on Instagram at actorinsider.
Instagram at Jodi Bentleysearch my name, You'll find me.
(51:24):
You have two Instagrams.
I do.
Yeah, I separated them out lastyear so I could have one for me
, just actor, and then one formy business.
Okay.
Niki Sterner (51:29):
Okay, great.
Do you do any other FacebookTikTok, anything like that, or
is it all?
I am on the TikTok.
Jodie Bentley (51:37):
I will confess, my assistant runs my Tik TOK.
She just takes on my Instagramand repurposes it.
Niki Sterner (51:41):
I don't know what to do?
Jodie Bentley (51:43):
I don't.
So there's stuff there, but Idon't know what to do, and I'm
on LinkedIn.
You can find me there.
Where else am I?
I don't know?
Facebook, yes, and I have aFacebook group as well, so okay.
Niki Sterner (52:00):
All right.
Well, thank you so much, jodi.
This has been incredible.
Go follow Jodi everywhere, haveher to clarity.
She is incredible, branding allthe stuff, all the stuff.
Jodie Bentley (52:07):
Awesome.
Thank you, nikki, thank youeveryone, thank you.
Niki Sterner (52:10):
Jodi, thanks so much for listening to the
Confident Shortcut.
I hope today's episode wokesomething up in you, reminding
you that your dream matters andyou can start now.
If this sparked something,share it with a friend who needs
it too.
And don't forget to follow meon Instagram at Nikki Sterner
and join our Facebook communityat the Confidence Shortcut.
Ready to take the next step?
(52:31):
Check out my free guide, theConfidence Kickstart, linked in
the show notes.
Keep showing up, keep takingaction and remember the shortcut
to confidence is courage.
Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast
for ambitious creatives andentrepreneurs who are ready to
stop overthinking, take boldaction and finally step into the
life they've been dreamingabout.
I'm your host, nikki Sterner.
Mom, actor, comedian andproducer.
After years of playing smalland waiting to feel ready, I
went on a courage quest andfound a shortcut to confidence.
(00:21):
Each week, I'll bring you realstories, simple steps and
conversations with experts inmindset courage and confidence,
plus heart-to-hearts with fellowcreatives who are turning their
dreams into reality.
It's time to get unstuck andstart showing up.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the ConfidenceShortcut.
I'm your host, nikki Sterner.
(00:41):
Today's guest is someone whohas helped thousands of
creatives not only pursue theirdreams, but strategize and
sustain them.
Jodi Bentley is a powerhouse inthe entertainment world, a Los
Angeles-based actor, audiobooknarrator and highly sought-after
branding and career coach foractors.
Since 2008, she's coached over2,300 actors across 17 countries
(01:04):
, helping them book major gigs,land reps and build thriving
creative lives.
A graduate of NYU's TischSchool of the Arts, with a BFA
in acting, jodi has appeared onApple TV, netflix, hulu, abc,
cbs you name it.
And she hasn't stopped there.
Through her signature programs,workshops at SAG-AFTRA,
comic-con and more than 50universities.
(01:27):
She's taught artists how to owntheir brand, stop self-sabotage
and bring structure to theirwildest dreams.
Her students have gone on toperform on Broadway, book major
roles and, most importantly,feel empowered to live joyful,
abundant lives In 2022,.
She was named one of the top 20coaches in Los Angeles by
(01:49):
Influence Digest, and it's easyto see why.
Please welcome to the podcastthe brilliant, the bold, the
business savvy, jodi Bentley.
Jodie Bentley (02:02):
So lovely.
Thank you so much.
Niki Sterner (02:04):
Oh, my goodness, I'm so happy you're here.
I just want to tell everybody,like Jody helped me so much, you
helped me so much back in 2022,when I was actually at my
lowest point, I was strugglingto find clarity around.
What is my acting careeractually look like?
What am I here to do?
Who am I?
What do I want?
What do I value?
I don't even know what my goalsare in this career and you had
(02:26):
a program at the time called theActors Think Tank and I was
with.
I was in it with you for a fullyear and I gained so much
insight into how to brand myselfand how to get clear on like
characters and my headshotsession that I had when I was
with you.
It's the best headshot sessionI've ever had and I'm still
(02:48):
using those.
I mean I probably should getthem updated again, but they are
so good they're working like itwas like night and day.
So I am so excited to have youshare more about yourself and
what you're passionate aboutright now.
If you'll just take us throughkind of what you do, who you are
, who you help all this stuff,what you're passionate about
right now.
If you'll just take us throughkind of what you do, who you are
, who you help all this stuffwhat you're passionate about
right now.
Jodie Bentley (03:07):
Yeah, I mean, hey , I'm Jodi Bentley.
Hey, I'm passionate about somany things.
I mean right now.
I wrote a script.
Nikki, I don't know if I toldyou that I wrote a feature film.
I've been working on it for acouple of years.
Yeah, just closed developmentfunding on that, got a director,
got my producer on board.
We're hopefully shooting 2026.
(03:28):
At the time of this recording,I'll say that April 2026 script
I wrote for myself to to star in, and so that that's been what's
been super freaking passionateright now is really doing that
project.
Yeah, I was on a writingsession to like midnight last
night after a full day of work,but it's like what's it about?
Niki Sterner (03:45):
Can you tell us what it's about a little?
Jodie Bentley (03:46):
bit.
Yeah, sure, it's about the timein your life when you parent
your parents is essentially whatit is and it's my own journey,
my own story with my parents.
I lost my mom when she was 71and I lost my dad when he was 70
.
And it was his journey withleukemia, my mom's journey with
dementia and just how yourparents get older and you get to
(04:08):
take care of them.
So it's very much a Gen X storythat's very relatable on many
levels.
But, yeah, it's just based onmy true story of how I got to be
who I am and how that in thedysfunctional family I grew up
in, and then you know being inthat dysfunction yet having to
take care of your parents whenthey're older, and what that
(04:28):
journey looks like.
Is your sister in the film atall?
My sister is in the film, yes,yes.
Niki Sterner (04:33):
Yes, yes, a little bit about that.
Jodie Bentley (04:34):
Yeah, my sister is cognitively disabled, so
she's two years older than mebut still functions on the level
of a two-year-old.
It's about my journey with hergrowing up as well, and how she
affected me as a human and thefamily dynamic as a human, and
just how much, even though shecan't speak, just how much
energy, joy, insight that shedoes bring in her own way.
Niki Sterner (04:58):
Wow, is this a comedy, a dramedy, a drama?
Jodie Bentley (05:02):
It's a dramedy.
Yeah, it's obviously a drama,but there's so much comedy,
there's so much heart to it.
Yeah, you have to laugh throughsome of the pain, right?
That's like you get it.
You got to laugh through thepain and make light of it, or
else it's just a dirge, right,and the script is not a dirge,
but I gotta say it was socathartic and healing to write
(05:23):
it for me and get really deep inthat and like healing in a
different way than therapy was,you know.
So, yeah, it's been such ajourney and it's been so great.
It's been so great.
Niki Sterner (05:34):
Have you written other scripts before.
No, okay, this is your firstscript, wow.
Jodie Bentley (05:42):
Yeah, so I know some questions you're going to
ask me later and I yeah, thatwas one of my answers.
It's like just going to write ascript.
We'll see what happens.
Jump in.
I have no idea what I'm doing.
It was like a three and a halfyear process to write it and
we're still tweaking it now, youknow, but anyway, yeah, wow.
Niki Sterner (06:00):
Wow, okay, it doesn't surprise me that you're
doing it and that it's movingforward, because you have so
many tools in your toolkit forstructuring your life so that
you can move forward with thethings that you want to do.
Jodie Bentley (06:11):
Sure yeah.
Niki Sterner (06:12):
That's who you are .
Are you teaching programs rightnow?
Jodie Bentley (06:15):
Oh yeah, still teaching.
Earlier this year I wasteaching.
I got hired to teach, too atUTLA.
They have a satellite programin Los Angeles, so I built their
business of acting program fortheir seniors and taught that
all January through April.
The Actors Think Tank is stillgoing.
My group coaching programs arestill.
Everything's still going.
I'm in the middle of creating asummit for actors called the
(06:38):
Shortlist, and I've beeninterviewing 18 industry guests
casting directors, directors,producers, reps to really give
actors the insight into what theindustry is like now and how to
book work now and what does itmean to be an actor now, since
our industry has shifted so much.
So, yeah, I've been puttingthat together and interviewing
guests and creating thatmarketing and doing all of that.
(06:59):
Did you say that's a podcast ora?
Niki Sterner (07:01):
show I didn't hear .
No, it's a summit.
Jodie Bentley (07:02):
It's a summit, a summit, oh great.
It's a podcast or a show, Ididn't know.
It's a summit.
It's a summit, oh great,launching in August.
So that's.
I've been working on that.
Yeah, it's been really busy,it's been really.
And then auditions on top ofthat and I was working on an
audio book.
So it's been a lot of things.
That's what I, that's know andteach how to, how to structure
(07:28):
that lifestyle, how to structureyour day.
And if there's a day where Idon't get to something, it's not
like I'm spiraling down intodespair and shame, it's like
okay, well, that wasn't what Iwas supposed to do today.
I had to write today, I got todo these other things today.
So just, I'm even now justhaving to be really diligent and
disciplined and intentionalwith my time.
Yeah, just to get everythingdone.
But it's all exciting, it's allreally exciting, yeah yeah.
Niki Sterner (07:51):
It is exciting when you have so much going on,
but it's all good stuff.
It's all what you want and whatyou brought into your life for
a reason.
Jodie Bentley (07:58):
Exactly when I do get overwhelmed, I'm like girl
you created this, you chose todo this.
You get over it.
If you don't want to do it,don't do it, but you chose to do
this.
Niki Sterner (08:08):
Wow.
Take me back, though, to whenyou got out of college, yeah,
and that whole time where youwere like what am I, what is
this business, how am I going tomake it?
Jodie Bentley (08:19):
Yeah, I went to NYU Tisch, as you said, and that
was when I was in school and itstill might be.
It was one of the top threeacting schools in the country.
So little 21-year-old Jodiwould walk down the streets of
New York being like I'm going tobe famous by the time I'm 22.
You know, this career is easyand then I get out in the real
world and I was like, oh shit,this is hard, this is hard.
(08:42):
So I floundered for a very longtime after I graduated.
I was because I was trying todo I know I do a lot now, but
then I was literally trying todo everything, but I had no plan
.
I had no systems I had.
I didn't know what the hell Iwas doing.
So I got burnt out real fastand also just battling my
limiting beliefs the whole way.
(09:04):
I grew up in a very lower middleclass family.
My dad was an electrician, mymom was a nurse, so I was one of
the first people in my familyto go to college, never mind go
to college to be an actor, right.
So when I graduated, I think Ihad all this guilt and shame.
And who am I to have done thisand and why do I deserve to do
(09:25):
what I love?
Because no one I know does whatthey love.
So it was I was carrying likeall of that.
So there was just a lot ofself-sabotage, a lot of I don't
deserve to be paid for my art.
Like every audition that I wenton, that was that didn't pay me
anything.
Like they had no budget andthey're like, oh, we just want
(09:47):
you to act, but we can't pay you.
I was like cool and I wouldbook it.
And the audition that there waslike oh, you'd make $500 a week
.
I'd be like I'd figure out likesome way to self sabotage.
Like my brain just could notcompute that.
So it was a struggle for awhile.
It was about eight years andthen I like had to sit myself
down and get like real, be like,okay, what are you doing?
You're calling yourself anactor.
(10:08):
You still have all thesegoddamn student loans that
you're paying off from this hugeschool.
What are you doing?
And I had to just get reallyreal with myself and be like I
don't know.
I don't know what I'm doing.
I know what my craft is, I knowI have talent, I know I can
deliver in the room when mymindset isn't fighting me, but I
needed to get my mindset rightand I needed to figure out how
(10:30):
to be a business.
So I just literally read everybusiness book I could get my
hands on on on branding, onsales, networking, whatever it
was structuring a business likeanything.
I read everything likeliterally for a good solid six
months and then I was like, cool, how do I take this?
(10:51):
These books that are liketelling small businesses of how
to brick and mortar shops, ofhow to build their business?
How can I take these principlesbut apply it to me?
Right, the artist, the living,breathing, sensitive person,
full of limiting beliefs, howcan I take these and apply to
myself?
But that was when I firststarted looking at branding and
turning it into a personal brand.
And yeah, then I was working onthose systems for a while and
(11:12):
then, I don't even know, withina few weeks of even applying
that stuff to myself, I starteddoing an agent campaign.
I landed my first agent in NewYork.
I never had an agent up untilthat point.
I booked my first off-Broadwayshow.
Never had an off-Broadway showup until that point Started
releasing Limiting Beliefs.
I booked eight commercials theyear.
I finally got my mind rightwhen I hadn't booked any prior.
(11:33):
So that's when I was like, okay, there's something here, you
know what I mean Likesomething's going on.
And then that's when friends ofmine were like what you doing?
What's going on?
Like, how'd you figure this out?
And so I would just give actorsadvice and friends advice.
And then, after a lot of freecoffees, I was like I think I
have a skill set here that I canhelp artists.
(11:54):
I think I do, and that's how myfirst business started back in
2008.
So, yeah, I started coachingpeople for 40 bucks an hour.
Yeah, I knew that.
And then it built prettyquickly, like within God, I want
to say three years.
I was traveling to LA andteaching workshops and being
flown to universities andteaching within about three
years of my business.
It was pretty wild.
(12:16):
Yeah, what were you teachingthem?
Branding, really Branding a lotof, especially for the kids
coming out of school.
That was a lot of how to prepfor agent meetings, what agents
look for, how to talk aboutyourself.
Right, because I think that'sthe big thing is actors.
We just want to act and thatyou can, I can deliver on this
performance.
But how do I show up in a roomand just be me.
How do I show up in a room andtalk about myself and have that
(12:39):
feel authentic and joyful andnot icky and salesy or weirdo?
So a lot of it was.
It's a lot of ownership, Ithink, at the base, whether it's
teaching goals, branding,marketing, interview skills,
networking.
Whatever it is at the base ofit, which is why I love what you
talk about is a.
It's a confidence in yourselfand a comfortability in yourself
to be able to show up and justdo that with ease.
(13:00):
So that's really what I wouldhelp people do.
Niki Sterner (13:03):
What do you?
Can you give me a couple of thesteps that you first do with
people when they come to youasking for how do I brand myself
?
How do I talk about myself toother people?
Jodie Bentley (13:13):
Oh God, yeah.
What we got to realize is, likea confused mind will always say
no.
So if you're confused about whoyou are and you don't know what
to say, how do you expectsomeone else right To go, oh, I
know who you are?
Like it's, that's, it'sridiculous, right?
So it's so important to tounderstand how to do that.
So I think, first and foremost,you got to understand that you
are a product and you got tounderstand that it's your job to
(13:36):
figure out what that is, to beable to quote, unquote, sell it,
because everyone else, likeyour agents, your team they're
your sales team, right?
Your agents need pitching toolsto be able to sell you.
So you got to understand whatyour product is and be able to
craft those tools so yoursalespeople can have them.
So I think, first and foremostthough I think a lot of the work
I do with actors or artistseven is just for them to
(13:58):
understand that branding isn't abad thing, like, it's not bad.
I think branding has a bad rap.
I think a lot of people thinkof it as limiting.
They think, oh, I got to nowput myself in a box.
I don't want to go in a box,right, I'm versatile.
I'm this, I'm that.
So I think there's a lot ofresistance to branding and I
think a lot of people talk aboutbranding in the wrong way,
which causes a lot of thisupheaval with it.
(14:18):
So I think a lot of my time isjust not a lot, but in the
beginning it's just reallygetting people to understand
that branding is actuallyextremely expansive, that people
are branding you even if you'renot branding yourself.
So you might as well do itright.
If you want to be in control ofhow you're perceived in this
world, you might as well do itand enjoy doing it right,
(14:40):
because if you're not brandingyourself, you're essentially
saying I'll be whoever you wantme to be, and that is such a
powerless position.
So for me, branding is reallyabout taking your power back,
really being able to define andtake ownership of you and the
career trajectory that you dowant.
It's immediately creating whatI just call like industry
agreement, meaning I know who Iam, and either you agree with it
(15:03):
or you don't.
If you agree with it, cool,you're my people.
If you don't agree with it,cool, I'll go find someone else.
Right, because not everyone'sgoing to get you, and I also
think it helps you be rememberedfaster, especially in our
industry, is oversaturated, andI don't say that to be negative,
it's just truth.
There's a lot of actors andespecially now with self-tapes
and how the industry has openedup, I was speaking with a bunch
(15:25):
of casting directors.
They get 2,000 to 4,000submissions for one role, like,
how are you standing out?
And it starts with just thatownership of self.
So I think, first and foremost,just understanding people, that
it's a powerful concept, not alimiting concept, and that a
brand is not the roles you canplay.
Right, it's not oh, doctor,lawyer, ceo, or I'm girl next
(15:51):
door or I'm this.
It's not that.
Niki Sterner (15:52):
It goes a lot deeper than that.
So that's the place where I'dstart.
Yeah, I remember going throughthat with you in the Actors
Think Tank.
I created the ConfidenceKickstart morning routine
because I know what it's like tohave big dreams and still feel
stuck behind self-doubt, fear orthe pressure to get it right.
As an actor, comedian andaward-winning filmmaker, I've
every morning, with journalprompts, a guided audio
(16:21):
meditation and a simplestep-by-step process built on
the three pillars of theConfidence Shortcut mindset,
path and action.
These aren't just feel-goodideas.
They're habits that work, thatbuild confidence, that move you
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If you're ready to stopoverthinking and start showing
up the link is in the captioncaption go grab it and start
your day with clarity, courageand real momentum.
(16:43):
What are some of the thingsthat you give to your agent to
pitch you?
Jodie Bentley (16:49):
oh gosh, your headshot number one, right?
Your headshot's your biggestcalling card, right?
Because that's again.
If a casting director isgetting two thousand to four
thousand submissions, what'smaking them stop on you?
It it's your photo first, right?
So the headshot number one, thereels that you're using or
clips that you're using, wouldbe the second piece.
So, yeah, headshots, reels andclips material that shows.
(17:11):
I think what actors need toremember is that it's a business
of show.
Don't tell so.
Don't tell me that you're greatat improv.
Don't tell me you're a standupand don't have video that
supports it, improves it to me.
Don't tell me that you'rereally great at a British accent
but you don't have a clip doinga British accent.
How do you expect to get seenfor those auditions?
You know what I mean it's likenowadays.
(17:32):
It's so much of give me all thetools.
So when that audition comes,right where it's someone's an
improviser who has a Britishaccent, I go oh, look, she has.
Look at her UCB credits andhere's a self-tape clip of her
doing a British accent.
Then the casting goes great, Isee it, I'll call her in.
Or else we're just asking theindustry to blindly trust, and I
just think it moves so quickly,there's no time for that
(17:54):
anymore.
So, you really got to thinkabout again, dialing it back to
who am I in this business?
Who am I right?
What are the stories I want totell?
How do I show up in thisbusiness?
What do people see in me inthis business, which is another
thing.
So I think it's understandingself from your own perspective,
(18:14):
understanding self from howyou're perceived, right, and
then it's making sure that thosethings play nicely together and
then layering on top of that.
What are your goals?
Where are you going?
If your goal is comedy but youdon't have any tape of you doing
anything comedic whatsoever andyour whole reel is dramatic,
how are you going to get seenfor those comedy roles?
(18:35):
You're not.
So we got to factor all thosepieces in, to start to craft the
brand and craft the materialsthat then represent the brand.
Niki Sterner (18:45):
So it's like you once you get clear, how do you
get people clear on what theywant?
How do you help them to findthe clarity to know what their
goal is in this industry?
Jodie Bentley (18:54):
First of all, it just it goes back to why, like
why are you an art, an artist?
Why are you an actor?
Why are you a standup?
Why are you a writer?
Like, why are you doing whatyou're doing?
Cause I think I've been in thisindustry like two to over two
decades now.
I've been doing this a longtime.
You know what I mean and my whyhas shifted.
It's changed.
(19:15):
But I noticed, even in myself.
It's like the times where Istart to go, oh, what am I doing
?
Or you get resistant or bitterabout stuff and I'm like what's
going on?
I got to tap back into my why.
I've forgotten why I'm doingthis and so I think,
understanding why you've chosenagain I said at the top, I've
chosen to do all these things inmy life.
You're choosing to be an artist.
(19:35):
Why?
Why?
Because that is the drivingforce.
If you don't know why you'redoing it, it's so freaking hard
to get out of bed every day.
It's so freaking hard to hearthat rejection on a daily basis.
Of course it's hard to go.
No, I got to put my self-tapeequipment up or oh, I got to
brand myself.
I don't want to.
Of course it's hard if youdon't know why if you don't have
an end goal or it's tappinginto your passion.
(19:56):
So I think, first and foremostit's understanding why and then
really understanding what theheck is getting in your way.
Like I said earlier, what wasgetting in my way was I didn't
deserve to be paid for my art.
I had guilt around pursuingsomething I loved.
Who am I?
Who am I to be able to do this?
So we all have limiting beliefswhich manifest in excuses which
(20:21):
we then take on as truth.
But if you're constantly saying, oh, I don't have time, I don't
have time, I don't have time toget to that.
Oh, I don't have time to dothat work in my career, Okay,
you do have time, we all havetime.
You're choosing not to give itthat time.
Why it's easier to say, oh, Idon't have the time.
And then you're 80 going oh, Ijust never had the time to
(20:41):
pursue that career.
It's just safe.
It's safer and we got toremember that our brains are
pre-programmed to keep us safe.
They just want us to be safe.
But safe also means small, andsafe means staying protective in
your little bubble.
So it takes courage to movethrough that, but it really
takes just a deep understandingof self to know, oh, I am always
(21:05):
saying I don't have time.
Why is that?
Because I'm really afraid.
I'm really afraid if I actuallydo it and I fail, then what?
Or I'm really afraid what?
If I do succeed, Then what?
I'm going to lose all myfriends.
No one will like me anymore.
My dad's voice of I'm too bigfor my britches is in my friends
.
No one will like me anymore.
My dad's voice of I'm too bigfor my britches is in my ear.
Whatever it may be, you knowwhat I mean.
But I think we got to understandall that stuff, Cause,
(21:26):
especially as you grow in thisindustry and you might have been
experiencing this cause you'vebeen on such a big growth
trajectory.
It's like you're like, yeah, Ifigured out everything.
I feel good.
And then like we get to anotherlevel and then we're like, oh
God, all the different excusescome in again.
You know what I mean.
Oh, no, wait, no, I know whatthat is.
Okay, I know what that is.
(21:46):
And you're like cool, and thenwe level up again and then new
excuses come in.
Right, it's a constantintentional I don't want to say
battle, it's just a constantintentional thing that happens.
But you got to understand self.
So when those new excusesappear, you're like, oh, that's
my limiting belief of I'm notenough, I've worked through that
, I'm going to turn the volumedown on that.
Right now I don't need that.
And so many people say, oh, yougot to get rid of that.
(22:07):
Oh, I got rid of my excuses, Igot rid of my limiting beliefs.
I don't think we can get rid ofthem.
You can just understand them.
And when you understand them,you're either choosing and so
just understand self and don'tgive that the power.
Give your vision the power.
Give your why the power.
Give where you want to go thepower.
That's more important.
Niki Sterner (22:27):
Can I ask you a personal question?
Yeah, okay, so I'm curious whatyour why is.
Jodie Bentley (22:33):
Hmm, oh, there's many levels to my why.
I think, on a fundamental level, one of my biggest values in
life is belonging and it startedwith my sister, like I just I
distinctly remember being eightyears old, nine years old, 10
years old, standing on the porchof my house and my sister would
(22:53):
be in the yard on her tricycleand she was like 12, 13, right
at the time on tricycle and allthe teenage boys would walk by
the house and make fun of herand she would just laugh because
she didn't know and I wouldcome out of the house and I
would be yelling at them.
I just felt like I had to beher advocate so much, and a big
part of who I was growing up isreally wanting my sister to
(23:13):
belong.
I think when I was really youngI didn't get that she was
different, she was just mysister.
And then, as I got older, I waslike, oh, she is different and
she still has a voice and shestill deserves to have a place
in this world and she still getsto belong in this world.
So that concept of belonging isreally big for me and I think
that's why I became a coach.
Is I wanted actors to belong inthis industry If you want to, if
(23:36):
you want to be an artist, youwant to be an actor, you deserve
to be here and I want to giveyou a place where you can belong
and understand that's possible.
That's why my business is calledActor Insider that's why I
changed the name a little over ayear ago is that I want actors
on the inside.
You're on the inside, youbelong.
So that, and even with myscript that I wrote, or even
myself as an actor, I think thebiggest stories I'm drawn to and
(23:56):
the legacy that I want to leaveis really about just raising
human consciousness through art,but also letting people realize
that they belong, that they'rewatching a script and go.
I relate to that, I get that, Iunderstand that and seeing
themselves in their pain or whatthey're going through, or their
joy in some capacity, because Ijust think when you go to the
movies and you sit down and youwatch, there's this sense of
(24:17):
belonging together.
Even in this theater we'resitting here right, a live
theater or a movie theater.
So that whole concept of justbelonging, I think, is what
really drives me a lot.
Niki Sterner (24:28):
Can I ask you another personal question?
Yes, what is like yourlong-term, your biggest dream
that you are?
All of these other ones fallunder that you're working
towards.
Jodie Bentley (24:40):
For the longest time.
It still is a goal.
I do want to be a seriesregular, honestly, like on the
series.
That's a definitive goal, butit's been and I'm just like
welling up with emotion rightnow, for some reason, it's just,
it's been joyful to write and Ithink now, like I'm looking at
(25:01):
my script and going, no, thisthing and me taking control and
writing rules for myself, thatmeans something to me.
It doesn't have to be my story,just something.
That means something to me.
Like, I feel like that's what'sgoing to move the needle.
So I think right now, myfeature is the goal, my feature
is the goal.
Talking to my producer and shewas like, yeah, we're going to
get this in AMC, it's not goingto be in a Lemley, we're going
(25:21):
to get this in AMC.
I'm like, let's do it Like wehave.
We're going to talk to festivalorganizers for Cannes and
Tribeca and all this stuff.
I'm just, I'm seeing that rightand going, yeah, I want to
create this and I have the downto the final four for a lead in
an Apple TV series and I didn'tget it because it was out of my
(25:42):
control.
They went with someone else.
It's just, it is what it is,but this I'm in control of and
it feels really good.
So that's the vision right nowand I think everything else will
fall from that, you know like adomino effect from that.
Niki Sterner (25:59):
I love that so much.
You are the showrunner of yourlife.
You are creating that, you.
We need that on a t-shirt yougot to get that on a t-shirt.
No, you're so powerful, you'reso ready.
Like you have the incredibletraining, you have the
incredible organization, youhave the business side Like you
are so the production powerhouse.
(26:20):
Like you, that is you to a T,like creating your own series,
creating your own film, like allof it is so in your wheelhouse.
It's so like I call it thewildest yes.
That is your wildest yes Life,and it's happening Like you're
already doing it.
Jodie Bentley (26:37):
Yeah, it's happening and it's happened
fairly quickly and it's justfeels so good to like all the
people who are involved in theproject.
It's just it's been easy.
It's just been easy, nikki,like finding the right people,
and it just all feels like it'sall in alignment, which feels
really good.
It feels really good.
Niki Sterner (26:53):
That's so good.
I'm curious, jodi, how did youfigure out just?
Jodie Bentley (27:03):
talking about a little bit of branding, like how
do you know, like how otherpeople perceive you?
You got to ask, okay, you gotto ask right, you got to do the
work to ask right.
So I think first of all it'sthe inside work, as I said,
where it's like a lot of deepquestions for yourself, but then
on the flip side it's justgoing what do you see in me?
What essence is when you see?
Like when I walk into a room,how does that energy change?
When you look at me, what doyou see?
(27:23):
And a lot of it is energy-based, but a lot of it is just it's
based on our facial structure,it's based on our hair color,
it's based on our eye color,it's based on how close our eyes
are together or how far apartthey are, like all those things.
There's a whole thing ofpsychology, of the face really
does dictate people'simpressions and perceptions.
Like, I know that I have astrong jawbone and cheekbones
(27:44):
and eyebrows and a lot of timespeople look at me and they go,
oh, she's probably mean or coldor bitchy, or strong, powerful,
right, those kinds of powerful.
Yeah, sometimes I'll get likeelitist, wealthy, that kind of
stuff, and I'm like, okay, Igrew up lower middle class, but
cool, I'll take your elitist,wealthy you know what I mean.
But that's purely because ofbone structure.
So I know that when I'm goingin for a single mom persevering
(28:07):
or I'm going in for a middleclass caretaking nurse, I know
what I need to do to soften thatperception of what the industry
sees, because I do have thosesides to me.
So it's understood, that's whatI'm saying.
It's like.
If you can really understandyourself and get that feedback,
then I know oh, if I wearlighter colors, it's going to
help.
I know if I want to be powerful, I'm going to wear my Navy blue
(28:29):
and I'm just going with thatand I'm going to do my makeup
the way I normally do.
But I know how to soften themakeup or soften the colors or
put the hair back, to justsoften the features to let
people see different things.
Niki Sterner (28:40):
I was just going to ask you that how do you
soften, how do you change it?
But you just told us, yeah,just physically.
So are you like looking atother characters who are soft
and adjusting your lookaccording to them?
Like, I mean, it depends.
Jodie Bentley (28:53):
Like if an audition comes in and it's
caretaking nurse on some series,I might put on that series so I
can see, like, what the colorpalette is of the series.
But I also know what colors,again, make me look softer, more
accessible, so I'll look atthat.
I know the hairstyles that cando that for me.
So I think it's a combinationof both.
(29:14):
But for headshots which I knowyou went through that process
it's definitely looking atwhat's out there in the world
and what's being cast now andwhat are the trends and going
okay, so women of power arereally wearing this right now or
single moms really look likethis on TV right now.
So how can I do my version ofthat?
But yeah, that market researchis so key and really
(29:35):
understanding what's happeningin the industry is really
important and I think a lot oftimes we forget that right, we
think of I'm an actor and I haveto focus on myself, but we also
just need to pay attention towhat's out.
I watch so much television andso many movies.
Like I think my husband and Igo to the movies at least every
weekend to just to stay on topof everything and, like really
pay attention to who are thedirectors?
What's going on?
(29:55):
What's out there?
Niki Sterner (30:05):
And I think for the longest time of my career, I
never thought of that as partof my business and now I'm
really embracing it as part ofmy business.
Jodie Bentley (30:10):
So how often are you watching shows and where are
you watching?
Yeah, we watch, we have everystreamer.
It's really bad.
But I call my husband, ourentertainment director.
We have our list of shows andI'm like what are we watching
tonight, babe?
What's on the?
I don't have time to plan it orthink about it, just tell me
what we're watching.
And we usually watch somethingevery night.
But if I'm working late orthings are busy, actually our go
to right now at the end of anevening to unwind is Cheers.
(30:31):
We're watching old reruns ofCheers oh wild, oh my gosh which
is like a master in the sitcomformat and how it's shifted over
the years and watching allthose great actors do it.
But anyway.
But we do watch, obviously alot of current television mainly
, but that's just been fun towatch old stuff to see where
we've come from and how farwe've come, television medium
(30:53):
especially.
Niki Sterner (30:55):
So I'm thinking like where do you see yourself,
which platform or streamingservice do you see yourself on?
And is that according to thevibe that you give out, the
brand that you are?
Jodie Bentley (31:05):
Apple TV hands down for sure.
I love, love the writing onApple TV right now.
There it's.
It's like down to earth,relatable, the dramedy vibe like
shrinking, like that kind ofthing.
It's so good.
Yeah, Just everything thatApple TV is doing just really
feels right in an alignment withwhere I see my career going and
(31:28):
I feel like what I bring to thetable for sure and just the
stories that I like.
So many good, so many goodshows on there.
Niki Sterner (31:34):
I remember you shared with me one that I really
liked.
It was like flash dance.
Meets something.
Who is in it?
Oh, like a dramedy.
The look of it was like flashdance, it was like.
Oh physical.
Jodie Bentley (31:47):
Yes, physical.
Yes, it was such a good showwith Rose Byrne.
Yes, yes, so good.
Niki Sterner (31:54):
Yeah, oh, I love that.
Yeah, confidence doesn't comefirst.
Action and habits do.
That's why I created theConfidence Kickstart Morning
Routine a 15-minute free guideto help you build habits that
actually work.
You'll get powerful journalprompts, a guided audio
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Mindset, path and Action.
(32:15):
It's the exact routine I use toget up on stage and speak up.
No more shrinking or secondguessing the links in the
caption.
Grab it now and build theconfidence to move forward every
single day.
Okay, you've helped, like me,just realign with like
priorities and how to like.
I know now that I need to getmy branding back on point and
(32:37):
give my agents things that theycan share.
I'm working on building theconfidence to share my work more
online and on social media.
Do you feel like sharing it onsocial media is helpful?
Jodie Bentley (32:48):
Oh, for sure.
Yeah, I think it's all I thinkyou have.
I think you have to right.
We get to share who we are andwhat we're doing on social and I
just I think it all matters howright If I'm posting about a
booking, say I'm not like, lookat me, I booked this thing.
It's hey, I'm so excited I getto speak the words of this
(33:12):
writer, oh my God, I get to beon this show.
This showrunner of the show isincredible.
Oh my God.
Thank you to this castingdirector.
You've called me in 10 timesand we finally booked it.
Yay, like it all depends on howyou frame it.
But again, that comes down tobelonging, right, it's not all
about you, it's let's makeeveryone belong in this project.
It takes a village to createevery freaking project out there
, whether it's a film, tv series, theater piece, whatever.
So, yeah, I think it's just howyou frame it, but I think it's
(33:33):
really important.
I've been interviewing a lot ofcasting directors for my summit
that's coming up, and I wouldsay about half of them say they
use social to really searchpeople.
Yeah, wow, what are they lookingfor?
Do they tell you?
To understand who you are,understand your essence,
understand your point of view,your vibe right, if it's down to
two people for a lead in afeature film and they know
(33:54):
you're going to be on set forsix weeks or something, they
want to know someone that theyvibe with and that they like
what you're putting out there.
They just like your energy.
They get your essence.
Yeah, a lot of them are saying,especially when it gets further
down in the process, thatthey'll do a Google search or go
on Instagram and just see whatpeople are putting out in the
world and that's cost peoplejobs and that's helped people
get jobs and it's just reallyinteresting to hear those
(34:16):
stories.
So, not, and not everyone'sdoing that right?
If someone's casting televisionand you're going in for
co-stars, they're not going tolook at your social media, like
they don't have to.
You know what I mean?
They got eight days to castthat show.
They're not looking at you.
Other people might, or ifthey've never called you into
their office, they might want togo.
Who is this person?
Let me just research them realfast.
So I think it's reallyimportant to have a solid
(34:38):
presence in social media, evenlike clients that I work with
now.
Sometimes I go to theirInstagram and I'm like I don't
even get that you're an actorfrom this Instagram.
I don't even understand thatyou're an actor, and it doesn't
mean that you have to postheadshots or auditions or stuff.
It doesn't mean that.
It just means.
It's just.
There's just a different vibeto it that I don't get that
you're an actor.
(34:58):
I just feel like you're justtaking pretty pictures of
yourself, you know, and there'sa difference.
There's a difference.
What is missing that?
Niki Sterner (35:04):
doesn't share that .
Jodie Bentley (35:05):
I just think what's missing is just the
intentional.
I think just being intentionalabout just the content in
general, because, look, I couldjust post a picture of me
staring off into space, thinkingin general, because, look, I
could just post a picture of mestaring off into space, thinking
, but the caption could be Ijust saw Superman, the Superman
movie, and here's my thoughts,and just like giving my thoughts
(35:26):
as an actor on that right, justto be like I'm in the industry,
I'm doing things in theindustry, so it could be
anything, but I think just andnot every post has to do that.
Right, you're allowed to takethe photo of you and your
partner out and friends andeverything.
We want to see a well-roundedlife on Instagram, but just
having that, having yourhighlights at the top be like
your clips, your reels, reviewsof you and stuff.
(35:48):
Have your reel pinned at the topof your Instagram.
You can pin those three posts.
Have your reel pinned.
Have an article that waswritten about you pinned.
Have your website, something.
So when, as soon as I go onthere, I go oh yeah, they're an
actor there.
Oh, here's the reel or here'stheir this and I can see who you
are as a human, so it's justguiding people and giving them
the information right.
(36:08):
It's crafting the experiencethat someone feels when they go
to your website, when they go toyour socials or your YouTube
channel, whatever it may be like.
How can you curate thatexperience so they get who you
are instantly?
And again, that goes back tobranding.
Right, it all goes, yeah.
No, this is to branding.
Niki Sterner (36:26):
It's so good, like I realized when I'm talking to
you, like what I'm missing in mysocial for acting Cause I don't
put a ton of that on there.
I don't have it like pin to thetop.
I had my short film that I did.
I have that pin.
Okay, great, yeah, and I haveactor in like the bio and stuff,
actor, comedian, that kind ofthing.
But I'm sure I could be doingmore.
(36:47):
And I think, like you're saying,like having the courage to post
yourself, like talking onsocial media, a lot of people
feel self-conscious about thator they're like I don't want to
be like bragging or do too much,or what are people going to
think when I share this?
So it's really just like you'resaying, like owning what you do
and what you want and puttingit out there so that you tell
(37:08):
the world who you are.
This is who I am, and if youlike it, great.
If you don't, then you're goingto find who you like somewhere
else.
But this is me, this is myessence, this is what I do.
Yeah, a thousand percent.
Jodie Bentley (37:19):
Yes, nailed it.
Niki Sterner (37:20):
You gave us so many tips and tools.
I'm going to have to go backthrough here and take notes.
That's so good.
Okay, we are going to move intothe third part of the
conversation and that is ourconfidence quickfire round.
I love it, yes.
The first question I have foryou is how do you define
confidence, confidence to?
Jodie Bentley (37:39):
me is being disabled, to show up who you are
as who you are, withoutjudgment, shame or apology.
And for me it goes back toagain the concept of belonging,
but it reminds me of a MayaAngelou quote which I love is I
belong every place I belong noplace.
I belong to myself.
And I think that belonging toself, unapologetically belonging
(38:01):
to yourself andunapologetically being me and
not needing validation fromanyone, to me that's the
ultimate confidence.
Niki Sterner (38:10):
Oh, that's so good .
I love that quote, wow, thankyou Isn't that great.
Jodie Bentley (38:13):
Yeah, it's so good.
Niki Sterner (38:14):
Made me step back and be like, yeah, I belong, but
I don't belong.
I belong here, like this is me.
Yeah, yeah, wow, okay.
The second part is what's onebold move you made before you
felt ready?
Jodie Bentley (38:27):
Writing my feature film.
For sure, most of my life Ididn't feel ready to start my
business.
I didn't feel ready to producemy first film.
When I did it, I didn't feelready to move to LA.
There's so many things I didn'tfeel ready for.
I didn't feel ready to producemy first film.
When I did it, I didn't feelready to move to LA.
There's so many things I didn'tfeel ready for.
I didn't feel ready to do thesummit for actors.
But yeah, I don't think Ihaven't felt ready to do a lot
of things, but when I get mymind on something, I have to
just keep doing it and movingforward.
Niki Sterner (38:50):
How do you get yourself activated to do it?
What does it take for you?
Is it just having the goalwritten down?
Is it on a calendar?
Is it just what is it that likethat activation energy to go?
I tell people.
Jodie Bentley (39:04):
Great, yeah, like I remember when I was, when I
decided to do this summit, Itold all my assistants and I was
like we're going to do a summit, even though I was scared and I
didn't know how, I didn't knowwhat, I didn't know what it was
going to be, I didn't know whatthe guests were, I didn't know
anything.
And I said I just told my teamI'm like we're going to do a
summit in the summer, and thiswas probably like only two
months ago that I said this andthey were like okay, and I was
(39:25):
like now I need to know how todo this.
So I hired a coach and I hiredsomeone I know who'd done a
summit.
I think I paid her a thousanddollars, I think.
When I decided I was going towrite a feature film, I told a
bunch of people and I was likeI've never written before.
I need a writing partner.
And I put feelers out and foundsomeone.
So, yeah, I think it's justdeclaring it to the world makes
(39:45):
me, holds me accountable, right.
Niki Sterner (39:48):
What does having a writing partner look like?
I'm curious.
Jodie Bentley (39:51):
Oh, it's so fun.
James Tabik is my writingpartner and James and I both
taught at a university together.
A few years back he was a dancechoreographer and I was the
acting business coach and we metand we would see each other and
we both lived in New York atthe same time but never met.
He was on Broadway with one ofmy best friends.
We didn't even know it until wegot to LA.
And when I'm telling you toomuch of the story, when you just
(40:12):
asked about the experience, butit's relatable he I had lost my
dad, it's relatable he I hadlost my dad.
And then a year later, prettymuch a year to the date, he lost
his dad and so he was postingon social, maybe six months
after that, about his dad beinggone for six months or whatever,
and I was like, oh my God, I'mso sorry.
And then it hit me.
I was like James is a writer.
We had the same manager at thetime and I was like I have an
(40:35):
idea for a script.
Can I pitch it to you?
I said I'm looking for awriting partner and he was like,
yes, we took a Zoom meeting andit must have been.
I think I must have talked hisear off for 90 minutes.
He's telling me everything andI was like here's my story.
And I was like here it is.
And I, after I finished, helooked at me and he's we don't
have to embellish anything.
And I was like, no, we don't.
We both lost our dads fromleukemia, so that was a bonding
(40:57):
thing for us.
We are literally two days apartin our ages Two days, no way.
Yeah, he has a jaw structurelike me and eyebrows like me.
He looks like he's my brother.
So we wrote a character of himas my twin brother in the script
, who is me.
Jodi personally would be myalter ego if I didn't have to be
the responsible one.
And we brought in his wholestoryline of being gay and his
(41:25):
dad not accepting that.
And yes, we've his dad and mydad have kind of morphed into
that character now.
But we literally, nikki, we satdown every Thursday for three
hours on zoom.
Every week.
We had a standing nonnegotiable writing session and
we wrote together and that'swhat we did.
Niki Sterner (41:37):
So you would like, like you would read it and
write it at the same time.
Jodie Bentley (41:41):
What's this scene about?
Okay, we want to write this.
Okay, I have an idea, I'llwrite, and then we can see final
draft and share and I'm goingto jump in.
Okay, cool.
Oh, can you tweak this line?
And then we'd read we're bothactors, so we'd read it all out
loud and it's the voices of myparents in my head and and who I
know.
It was getting him tounderstand the tone and the
voice.
Now he can even write my dadbetter and my mom better than I
can.
So it's very funny.
(42:02):
Oh my gosh.
Niki Sterner (42:03):
That is incredible process.
Jodie Bentley (42:06):
Yeah, I think it's not how most people write
together, but we enjoy writingliterally together.
Niki Sterner (42:13):
I love that.
I love that Because writing canbe a very lonely process.
Yeah, it can be, yeah.
Jodie Bentley (42:18):
No, our writing sessions are so creative, it's
so fun and so creative yeah.
Niki Sterner (42:22):
That's wild.
That's so nice.
You found a partner.
I know, I know it's like meantto be divine, wow Okay.
Third question how do you faceyour inner critic?
Jodie Bentley (42:33):
Head on.
Like I said, I think, if youcan have a deep understanding
and then you can recognize itwhen it comes up, I think that's
the important thing.
And then again, like I said, ifI go, oh, it's that thing again
, oh, it's me feeling, oh, theimposter syndrome's kicking in.
I know what that is, that's.
You know what that's me feeling?
Like I'm not enough.
I know what that is, then I canjust turn it down.
(42:54):
So I think, for me, always juststaying intentional with
knowing what my stuff is andjust being hyper aware of like
why am I feeling weird right now, or why am I scared or why am I
this, and knowing, oh, it'sthat thing, I just need to turn
it down.
But I think what helps tomentally for me, I meditate
every morning, non-negotiable.
I have to do 20, 30 minutes ofmeditation every morning and
(43:14):
that really helps ground me.
And I also love EFT tapping andthat if I'm having like a
moment of I can't get me, yeah,exactly, I can't remember where
you start and go.
Yeah, if I'm having a moment ofoh God, I don't know, I'm
feeling jealous or this or thator something, I always do the
tapping and it helps release itright out.
That's helpful, nice.
Niki Sterner (43:35):
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Okay, I was just going to askyou what's one habit that's
helped you build real confidence.
Jodie Bentley (44:14):
Just showing up, showing up and committing.
I think that, again, like whatI said already, right Declaring
I'm going to do something andputting it out in the world and
then showing up for it I thinkthat's really important.
I remember, gosh, when I firstwanted to do Facebook Lives.
This was probably 2017, maybe2016 or 2018.
(44:34):
Anyway, time is moot right, butI remember I was like I got to
show up and do Facebook Lives.
Everyone was going live and Iwas like I was terrified, nikki
terrified, and I remember when Ifirst started doing it, like my
computer was like all the waydown here and you could see it
was like my chin was like this,like all that.
The lighting was bad.
I was like talking really slowand trying to be perfect and I
(44:54):
go back and my first video is onmy YouTube channel, like you
can go back and watch them.
I had a whole series I createdcalled bravery in business.
Oh, I love it.
Yeah, it was good, except forme.
I look back now and I'm likewhat was I thinking?
But it was.
But I keep it up there, causeit's like fun to see the journey
.
Niki Sterner (45:11):
Now.
Jodie Bentley (45:11):
I have 300 YouTube videos or something
stupid.
Do you know what I mean?
But it started off with mebeing terrified but just doing
it, just showing up and doing itand watching the progression
over time.
So now, so I think the anotherbig thing for me is removing the
word perfection from myvocabulary.
Niki Sterner (45:28):
This doesn't have to be perfect.
Jodie Bentley (45:30):
I don't have to show up Even my writing.
I'm getting a little oh, thisscript has to be perfect and I
think it means so much to me, soI'm really having to work
through that.
No, it's, nothing's going to beperfect.
We're going to constantly bechanging it.
So really removing theperfection makes everything, I
think, so much easier, justmoving through the messy.
Yeah for sure, yeah, yeah, no,I love that.
Niki Sterner (45:51):
That's where the beauty is right.
Yeah, yeah, you discover somuch if you allow yourself to be
open to it, cause I know whenwe did our short film, it was
rewritten as we were performingit too.
Right, you get ideas in themoment when you're in the actual
setting.
Oh, we should do this, let's dothis angle, let's it's.
It changes continually, andthen you edit it and it changes.
Yeah, that's a powerful process, though, really, for letting go
(46:13):
of perfection.
Jodie Bentley (46:14):
Yeah, for sure.
Niki Sterner (46:16):
Yeah, for sure.
Okay, I wanted to ask youfavorite book or resource that
changed how you think.
Jodie Bentley (46:22):
Oh my, God, Like, how much time do you have?
I have so many books.
But I was thinking about thiswhen you asked, and I hope that
I can say this on your podcastbut one of the things that I
listened to actually probably inthe past couple of years that I
was just like, yeah, that againit's called the subtle art of
not giving a fuck.
Niki Sterner (46:40):
Yeah, it's a really good book.
Jodie Bentley (46:43):
I listened to the audio book and the guy who
narrates it is really good andit was.
It was so good.
Everything Brene Brown I'veread every single one of her
books and I'm currentlylistening to the big leap and I
love it so much.
Oh yeah.
And so it's like revisiting itin a different way now that I'm
older and you work with stuffand, yeah, that right now is
just blowing my mind.
(47:03):
Oh my gosh, I could reread thatlike multiple times.
Niki Sterner (47:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I had it sitting on my tablefor like months Just the fish,
just the fish jumping out of thesmall bowl into the big bowl.
That's every day.
That's what we're doing.
Jodie Bentley (47:15):
We're doing it again, exactly.
Niki Sterner (47:18):
Exactly, exactly.
I wanted to go back to thequestion before one, one habit
that helped you build realconfidence.
I think that you saying thatyou declare things is such a
valuable tool and just likesaying what you're going to do
to somebody, like having awitness say it that you're going
to do this.
Whether it's sharing on socialmedia this is what I'm doing or
(47:39):
if it's having an accountabilitybuddy like your team, you're
like we're doing this, we'refiguring it out.
I think that's powerful.
Jodie Bentley (47:47):
It's so powerful.
I have a course called Dare tobe Unstoppable, and it was
always an idea in my head and Ilaunched it in 2018.
And in January 2018, I did asocial media post that said,
coming in December, dare to beunstoppable.
And I gave myself all year tocreate this course.
Unfortunately, 2018 was theyear my dad died.
I had to sell my childhood home, my mom got diagnosed with
(48:09):
dementia and got put in anursing home, and so I was
dealing with that for months andthen I came back from dealing
with all that.
Mom was settled.
I came back in September to LAand was like I said I was going
to launch this course inDecember and I sat here going,
okay, I'm not going to do it,too much happened, too much
happened.
And then I was like but yousaid it, and this course doesn't
(48:29):
have to be perfect and it canbe whatever it needs to be.
And you know what it's about.
You already mapped it out inthe beginning of the year.
Just record the damn videos,just sit down and record them.
And I look back at those videosnow and that course has had
hundreds and hundreds of peoplego through it.
It's been life-changing for somany people I haven't even
re-recorded.
I think I re-recorded half thevideos, but the first half of
(48:50):
the course I didn't re-record.
And I go back and look at mefrom 2018 and I'm like 10 pounds
heavier because I was reallysad and I'm probably talking a
little slower because I was sad,but it was just like it was
good and it didn't have to beperfect and it felt good for me
to go.
No, I'm a woman of my word andI said I'm going to do this.
And, yeah, all this stuffhappened and I still get to do
what I want to do in my life andit was such a powerful place to
(49:13):
try to balance all of that and,again, let go of that
perfectionism.
But if I wouldn't have declaredthat in January, I probably
wouldn't have done it.
I might still not have donethat course, because it was like
that was the right time to doit.
Niki Sterner (49:26):
Yeah, no, that's so good Cause I'm trying to
create my first course as well.
Almost 30 people doing acourage quest with me.
I'm learning so much.
It started as an eight weekcourse.
Now I'm like guys, we need 12weeks, like the first four weeks
is teaching and then the eightweeks after that is you doing?
Jodie Bentley (49:40):
action going, going, going, and I'm like I
love it.
Niki Sterner (49:43):
You can stay for eight, but it's really 12 now.
So it's like moving through theprocess, I'm like this is messy
.
I don't know what I'm doing,I've never done it before, but
each week as I teach, I'm likeokay, I need to add this in, I
need to teach this more, I needto have discovery in the process
.
Jodie Bentley (49:58):
Yeah, it's so shifts and changes and it's okay
.
It's okay yeah.
Niki Sterner (50:04):
I'm so thankful that you shared that story,
because I really want to getthat done, maybe by the end of
the year.
Maybe that's my goal, yeah.
Jodie Bentley (50:11):
She's declaring it now.
Niki Sterner (50:12):
ladies and gentlemen, Okay, I'm declaring
it.
You heard it.
Oh, you're such an inspiration.
You've helped me so much on mycareer path and gaining so much
clarity and branding and all ofthis stuff.
You're just like a magicianwith clarity.
For me is where I really know,I really figured out who I am
(50:32):
and what I wanted to do and whatI valued in that time with you,
and so I'm just so thankful andgrateful that you could be here
today.
I just want to acknowledge andhonor you for sharing so much
value with people and by comingon here.
I know you're extremely busy,so it just means the world to me
that you would make the time Ofcourse.
Jodie Bentley (50:49):
Thank you so much for asking me and I think I'm
proud of you and I'm so proud ofyou and all that you've been
doing.
Niki Sterner (50:56):
Thank you.
Now, how can people follow you,keep up with you, take your
courses, get coached by you?
Jodie Bentley (51:01):
You can go to actor-insidercom.
That's my website.
I have a ton of free resourceson there that you can download
and read and get on my list.
You can go to my YouTubechannel, Actor Insider.
Like I said, there's a ton offree videos there you can watch.
Follow me on Instagram at actorinsider.
Instagram at Jodi Bentleysearch my name, You'll find me.
(51:24):
You have two Instagrams.
I do.
Yeah, I separated them out lastyear so I could have one for me
, just actor, and then one formy business.
Okay.
Niki Sterner (51:29):
Okay, great.
Do you do any other FacebookTikTok, anything like that, or
is it all?
I am on the TikTok.
Jodie Bentley (51:37):
I will confess, my assistant runs my Tik TOK.
She just takes on my Instagramand repurposes it.
Niki Sterner (51:41):
I don't know what to do?
Jodie Bentley (51:43):
I don't.
So there's stuff there, but Idon't know what to do, and I'm
on LinkedIn.
You can find me there.
Where else am I?
I don't know?
Facebook, yes, and I have aFacebook group as well, so okay.
Niki Sterner (52:00):
All right.
Well, thank you so much, jodi.
This has been incredible.
Go follow Jodi everywhere, haveher to clarity.
She is incredible, branding allthe stuff, all the stuff.
Jodie Bentley (52:07):
Awesome.
Thank you, nikki, thank youeveryone, thank you.
Niki Sterner (52:10):
Jodi, thanks so much for listening to the
Confident Shortcut.
I hope today's episode wokesomething up in you, reminding
you that your dream matters andyou can start now.
If this sparked something,share it with a friend who needs
it too.
And don't forget to follow meon Instagram at Nikki Sterner
and join our Facebook communityat the Confidence Shortcut.
Ready to take the next step?
(52:31):
Check out my free guide, theConfidence Kickstart, linked in
the show notes.
Keep showing up, keep takingaction and remember the shortcut
to confidence is courage.
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