Top Hollywood Agent Belle Zwerdling On How To Handle Rejection & Take Command Of Your Career

Episode Transcript
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Robyn Cohen (00:05):
Hello, hello, and welcome back to the Daily
Joyride podcast.
I am your host, Robyn Cohen,here to fuel your day with
energy, infuse it with joy, andshare powerful stories that will
ignite your courage.
Spark your spirit, awaken yourperceptions, and inspire and
encourage the once in a cosmosyou to create a life that you

(00:28):
actually love living.
So if that's your jam, buckle upand let's ride.
Here we go! Hello, wonderfulones, and welcome back to The
Daily Joyride I'm Robyn Cohen,and today we're not just
bringing you an interview.
We are embarking on a remarkablecreative adventure ride through

(00:51):
the heart of Hollywood showbusiness.
Our guide, The illustrious BelleZwerdling, my amazing Hollywood
agent and spiritual sage for thepast 23 years.
Together, we are leaping behindthe velvet curtains to unlock
the mysteries of genuine successat the highest echelon of the

(01:12):
entertainment industry.
But first, I am so thrilled toinvite you to our next
transformative acting workshopsbeginning January 28th.
Where we'll blend vibrantvirtual sessions with
magnificent in personexperiences at our West LA
Theatre.
And please do catch our yummyearly bird special by January

(01:33):
6th and save a hundred bucks onacting classes as you light up
your 2025 path with creativefire.
Connect with me to jump in atRobyn Robyn's with a Y at
cohenactingstudio.com And letyour journey towards success be
as phenomenal as you are.

(01:53):
And now, let's dive into theextraordinary insights that top
level Hollywood agent BelleZwerdling has to offer.
Prepare to be awe inspired.
Hello, hello, and welcome backto the Daily Joyride with my
very special guest, the one andonly, once in a cosmos, Belle

(02:14):
Zwerdling, who is my agent inHollywood for, I think, Belle,
that it's actually 23

Belle (02:28):
and a half years.
How beautiful, how fast, and howquickly time flies.

Couldn't have said it better And a little bit about
Belle, for those who don't knowher yet, or know her in one
world or another, Belle is a Akey figure in the entertainment
industry, she is an incredibletalent agent at Progressive

(02:55):
Artists Agency, representingactors in theater and in film
and in television, some justreally brilliant artists from
all walks of life who haveachieved some extraordinary
things.
in this business and made somereally significant and
magnificent contributions inthis industry.

(03:19):
In addition to talentrepresentation, Belle has
explored creative avenues as anexecutive producer for the TV
series, for example, Diva,Clown, Killer.
and this is just, it's justgoing to get juicier.
I'm just going to keep talkingand it gets juicier.
You, Belle, you also hold amaster's degree.

(03:39):
In spiritual psychology from theUniversity of Santa Monica.
Enriching your ability to offerintuitive counseling services
that complement your role as anagent and enables you to guide
clients not only in theirprofessional aspirations, but
also in achieving personalgrowth along the way.

(04:01):
You offer intuitive counselingworkshops and sessions designed
to help individuals navigatelife's challenges, cultivate
self awareness, and taketransformative steps toward
achieving their goals.
That's literally like themission statement for this
entire Joyride podcast.
Yeah, I love it.
I think that's absolutely, yeah,it's very, it's very beautifully

(04:23):
said, actually.
The alignment is incredible.
Your workshops combine practicaltools with spiritual insight,
appealing to a wide range ofparticipants who are seeking
meaningful change.
Here's a quote, from one of yourplatforms that I found a client
shared.
My life is stupendous since oursessions.

(04:50):
Wow.
That was, that's a quote fromone of the people that you
worked with and counseled.
Wow.
Belle continues to representtalent at Progressive Artists
Agency while offering intuitivecounseling services, combining
spiritual insight andprofessional expertise to foster
both personal and career growth.
In your clients, your workshopsand private sessions reflect

(05:13):
your commitment to empoweringindividuals to achieve their
highest potential.
It's so like, I'm right now I'mjust present to like, I feel
like the luckiest lady in theuniverse.
That I've been able to beintertwined and in your world in

(05:35):
various ways and meansthroughout the last couple of
decades and beyond.
And, you know, I'm also presentto, at the same time, the
missing that along this joyridefor the last two decades in Los
Angeles, I didn't have theawareness.
or perceptions or readiness toconnect with you and receive all

(06:01):
of this, like, wisdom duringsome, you know, really
challenging times in the main,probably because our
relationship was a professionalworking relationship.
You know, you represent me,we're working in an industry,
all that.
But I do feel that Because Ialways, I talk about you to like
my students and we talk aboutrepresentation and they're like,

(06:23):
how do I get an agent And I'malways like, I don't know how
this miracle happened, but myagent actually has a master's
degree in spiritual psychology,which is like my whole world.
Like all I want to do is be inthe world of spiritualism and
the divine space and theauthentic everything about

(06:44):
everyone.
And so even though We haven'tbeen able to have, you know, I
haven't been, I haven't come toyou, let's say, to be counseled.
In a traditional form, I do havethe experience of that
permeating of your wisdom ofyour generosity in these
spiritual teachings.
I do have the experience of thatpermeating through our entire,

(07:08):
span of our time together.
From the very beginning, whichis an interesting story, how we
even started working together.
but we'll get into it.
But and I am so appreciativethat that has always already
been there in the background,whether we've called it out,
like we're kind of doing on thispodcast, like what's, what's the

(07:29):
really, really of what's goingon with us, with you.
It has been such a gift to, workwith someone.
of your conscious awareness.
Someone that is like me.
I feel, uh, seeking the best andhighest in yourself and out of
the people that you surroundyourself with.

(07:50):
so I just thank you for beinghere today.
And I feel like this is likepart one that we have a part two
of the daily joy ride podcastinterview coming, because
there's so much to talk about,but let's let's dive in, like,
I'd love to hear a little moreabout your journey.
getting into the world of showbusiness, Hollywood agenting,

(08:14):
and then grafting on this wholeworld of, spiritualism and how
that happened and what thatjourney was like.
And wow.

Belle (08:26):
So I always wanted to be an actress.
I mean, that was my goal.
my passion, my earning, my love.
And I got my BFA in theater atVCU, which is Virginia
Commonwealth University.
And it was really, and I lovetheater, love theater, love
theater.
And it was really a choice, youknow, it was kind of like

(08:46):
throwing up a coin and sayingHollywood.
Cause I knew I wasn't Hollywood.
Or Broadway, New York.
I mean, theater, theater.

Yeah.

Belle (08:56):
And for whatever reason, I chose Hollywood.
I chose California.
And I came to California and,you know, I was an actress.
I went out there and I tookclasses and I auditioned and I
got, um, a test option deal fora, to test, for a series.

(09:17):
And I was shocked when I didn'tget it actually.
And I found it very isolating,and I found it, you know, once
that was over, it was just, Ifelt like I needed a village,
and I didn't have a village,which is good representation,
and people that had my back,because out there, It really is

(09:39):
lonely.
You know, I mean, you're reallykind of unaware of what's going
on.
And unless you have reallybeautiful and authentic
communication with the peoplethat you work with, you don't
know what's going on.
I mean, you can sit in coffeeshops and talk to other actors
and they may say this or that.
But on the whole, you have noclue what's going on unless you
have communication with your,with your tribe.

(10:01):
And I felt like.
I can't, I can't beat out there,you know, as much as I loved it,
I didn't love it enough to wantto say, yeah, I'm willing to
kind of give it my all.
So I thought, what else can Ido?
So I pivoted and in the processof pivoting, I always loved

(10:22):
being kind of like thecheerleader.
I always loved being, you know,somebody who's going to have
your back and tell you it'sokay.
And, and be a part of, you know,hopefully stretching you into.
greater and more riskierabilities that maybe you don't
even know you have, but I, butfor however I am doing it, I'm

(10:44):
seeing it and I'm able to kindof gently nurture it.
Um, you know, I know you, you'dlike to have stories, but there
is one story that I, that as I'msaying, this kind of came up
that a long time actor who's,Very well known and he's lovely,
lovely, lovely, and a beyondbrilliant actor.

(11:04):
Always played really bad guyroles.
But every time he would comeinto the office, he was
hysterically funny.
And we would say to him, youknow, you should be, you should
be doing sitcoms.
Oh, no, I can't do sitcoms.
That's insane.
I can't do sitcoms.
I'm not that funny.
And we're like, you're

funny.

Belle (11:21):
Um, and there was a sitcom that came up and, and,
and, You know, he went out on itin the day when you actually
went out on, on auditions and hegot it and you know, his career
kind of pivoted into then doingcomedy and still doing, you
know, the dramatic roles, but itreally was able to like expand

(11:44):
even what he thought he wascapable of doing.
So I love that.
I love being able to be thefacilitator and especially when
I have a partner.
In my clients that are willingto do it as well.
Now, when you don't have that,it's very difficult because I'm

(12:05):
not able to do, I can only do somuch.
We have to meet and be able todo it together, which means, you
know, if I'm able to get you anopportunity, then you have to be
prepared and you have to haveyour preparation down and you
should go to a coach.
And, you know, it is acompetitive business, but it's

(12:27):
also an opportunity.
You said this a long time agoand I say this to everybody, but
it really did move me because itwas so true when you said every
time I have an audition, I havea chance to activate what it is
that I love so much.
And you know what, Robyn, somany people don't have that

(12:49):
consciousness.
And I think that's so sadbecause It's not about getting
the job as we know, it's aboutthe journey.
And, you know, if you get thejob, how fabulous, but it's
enjoying every step of thejourney.
And that's about auditioning,you know, it's an opportunity
for you to put your stamp onsomething that hasn't been out

(13:11):
there to put your heart intosomething that hasn't been out
there.
And you have the ability to dothat.
And I always tell.
clients about that.
It always comes up inconversations and I always give
you the credit for saying thatbecause it really was from a
place of pure passion.
So, so anyways, that's how itall started.

Thank you for sharing that piece.
I on the daily have to rememberto remember that truth that I
spoke to you in a moment ofconsciousness because As you
said, there is, there can be,and there certainly has been for
me as well, a kind of go at italoneness at times, which is

(13:57):
pure suffering I mean, it's puresuffering.
It's actually, it's painful.
Physically, bodily, spiritually,emotionally, and the process of
becoming an, of being an actor,no matter how much you enjoy it
and love it and crave it, can beexcruciating.

(14:19):
And You know, I, like you, justI'm so, I get nowadays just so
excited to get into those areaswhere I'm still caught in the
lie of separation and scarcity,and like just get a bigger
shovel and go digging.
Because this is life.

(14:40):
This is the, like you said, it'sthe day in day out 24 hour cycle
journey that these days I'm muchmore interested in curating and,
focused in, like the moment bymoment rather than what am I
going to get for do it like thein order to, which puts us in

(15:01):
the future.
Like this is all in order tosomething.
And in that moment, it just.
It just evaporates the joy inthe process.
And, so wonderful.
So that's a, thank you forsharing that piece.
You know, it's a learning that Istill continue to get.
Every day for myself and I, andI see how, how incredible it can

(15:25):
be when you are, that's whatbeing in the zone is.
I think it's like when you're,you're doing the audition or
you're on stage or you're inperformance and some part of
you, the identity, the, let'ssay the small self, the ego
self, That you identify withactually disappears into, like,

(15:47):
the greater pool, the greaterconsciousness.
I mean, it's why theater is sucha miraculous communion of an
experience.
You know, you were saying youloved it, too.
What was your first love?
Like, it is.
It's that Holy, I mean, andspeaks to a kind of almost
religious yearning, you know,non denominational religious

(16:08):
yearning.
It satisfies upon that, like,I'm not, I'm forget about me for
a moment.
Let me walk a mile in somebodyelse's shoes and literally
connect with the field.
So I wonder.
Does that have anything to dowith your stepping into the path
of becoming a spiritualpsychologist and going back to

(16:30):
school?
And like, when did that start tobecome inevitable?

Belle (16:35):
Well, you know, I, needed to know more of what my clients
went through, you know?
So the compassion

of that, I just have to earmark, like that
empathy and compassion of thatjust took my breath away.

Belle (16:50):
so I took an acting class.
With at that time a friend ofmine who was not allowed to say
that I was an agent.
So I came in.
And I was actively a part of theclass, you know, on days when we
weren't in class, I was doingscenes with, you know, the
actors and stuff.

(17:11):
And I really, and, and again, Igot my BFA in theater.

Yeah.

Belle (17:16):
So, but I was reminded.
You know, what really goes in tohoning your craft and what one
must do to kind of surrender toa greater expression.
And it's difficult.
You have to really be focused indoing it and you have to make a

(17:37):
commitment.
And every time that I was inthat class, I was nervous and I
was scared.
But you know, I would get up onstage and I would do my scenes
and I would really feel what itis to go through that process,
and it really kind of expandedmy, awareness as to have empathy

(17:59):
for what my clients go through.
And, you know, the.
rejection, especially when oneknocks it out of the park and it
doesn't go your way.
And, you know, being in thatclass made me realize that, you
know, a number of people can doit beautifully.
It's not about you.

(18:20):
It's about, you know, thecreator and the writer and the
producers who are looking at it,who have somewhat of a vision.
And if you're on the path ofthat vision, and if you're not,
and if you're able to create adifferent vision that they're
all in tune to, but it's neverabout you, especially if you
perform well.

(18:41):
And, and I think that has alwaysbeen such a hard thing to
really.
understand when you're out thereputting yourself on the line
like that.

How did you handle that in class when the nerves,
what would you tell yourselfwhen the nerves and the sort of
insecurity about it and the, Iput it into

Belle (18:59):
the work.
I just put it into the work.
I just allowed the nerves to gointo the work.
You know, if, if at times, if Iwas really uncomfortable, you
know, if somebody laughed when,They weren't supposed to, you
know, I would just kind of laughalong with them, you know,
trying not to get out into thefourth wall and maintaining what

(19:19):
it is, but just going with how Iwas feeling, you know, I
remember Dustin Hoffman said, Imade one mistake.
That turned into me gettingnominated for an Oscar, you
know, the mistakes are, what'sthe beauty, you know, what you
think is the mistake is becauseyou're, you're not holding on

(19:41):
when you made a mistake, you'renot gripping and all of a sudden
you just go with the flow ofwhatever that kind of comes out
and sometimes that's where thereal beauty lies.
So that's what I did.
And I felt like, you know, I'malready up here.
I can't.
really how much more I'm notgoing to embarrass myself.
I'm, I'm taking a risk.

(20:02):
So I always felt really proud ofmyself for going up there.
And it was, I was really enabledto see what a difficult thing
that Actors put themselvesthrough on a daily basis,
whether in a job or not a job,you know, it's, very vulnerable,
right, you know, it's, and ittakes a lot of precision,

(20:27):
because, you know, it's likewhen I have.
Interviews.
I'm always so dumbfounded thatan actor who maybe hasn't seen
the show that you have aninterview for didn't watch the
show so they can see the tone ofthe show or they can see how the

(20:48):
show is, being, you know, seen.
And I'm so, and I always makesure to say.
if you haven't seen the show letme know so we can send you a
link to the show Because how doyou do something without seeing
the show, you know?
So yeah, it's it's just and thatbasically led into also I'll to

(21:12):
be very vulnerable and to bevery honest what really led into
my seeking a spiritual balancewas the fact that Uh, was very
successful and the clients werevery successful and I had
reached kind of the top of thehill and it was empty and I

(21:36):
really felt empty

and

Belle (21:38):
I felt like, wow, is this all there is?
I mean, you know, I have thehouse, I have the Mercedes, I
have all that and I feel awful.
I don't feel fulfilled and Ineeded to seek out.
a place that possibly could giveme some sort of instruction or

(22:02):
navigation into going deeper asto why I don't feel the joy,
because this was everything thatI was supposed to be in joy of,
and I wasn't enjoy of it.
And so When I found Universityof Santa Monica, it was between
going to University of SantaMonica and going to a place that

(22:23):
you and I both know very well,which was Agape.
And I didn't want to go to Agapebecause of my close friendships
with the people there.
I really wanted to be, um, freeof that.
So I could really.
be honest and deliberate infeeling that I needed to go

(22:45):
deep.
And so that's why I went toUniversity of Santa Monica.
And it turned out to beincredible.

Wow.
I'm just, I'm right there withyou.
That's such a sort of revelationthat you can only have when it's
your time to have it.
Like, you're working so hard,you're crushing it, you have the
Academy Award winners, you'rerepresenting the, I mean, the
affluence, all the things.

(23:14):
And, and then you get to thispoint and you're like, oh my
gosh, I forgot, we didn't comehere.
For a pile of things it takesoff times collecting a pile of
things to grasp that like on thelevel.

(23:37):
I so relate to that in terms of,you know, 20 early 20s.
being in the Disney film, a WesAnderson film with Bill Murray
and Cate Blanchett and WillemDafoe and Jeff Goldblum and
these are my, these are thepeople that I'm surrounded by
for half a year in Italy and um,the disparity between the

(24:02):
outside and what's going on onthe inside is like this
magnificent opportunity to godeeper.
That you took, and thateventually I took.
I started in with the LandmarkForum, and other groups, and
people, and therapists.
To try to, cause misery isn'toverstating how it can sometimes

(24:28):
feel when, as I was doing, Iwas, I had outsourced my value
and my worth.
I had decided that I wasn'tvaluable until somebody else
said, you've got the job.
Until somebody else.
said, yep, you're the one, thenI could, feel, I could feel

(24:54):
good, but I never chose myself.
I was, I did not know how tochoose myself.
And so the disease to pleaseeverybody because I'm after it
like an addict, I am after itchasing it like I need a fix or
I'm going to die.

(25:15):
I'm going to die because youexperienced.
the being separated from tribe,you actually experience that as
imminent death.
It's dangerous on a primallevel.
And so here I am outsourcing mypower, approval, joy, until
someone says, you're the one,then I can go.

(25:39):
Yeah.
And it has been since mybrother's passing, like a almost
15 year journey to figure outhow to reconstitute myself so
that they can do whatever theywant out there.
I, I, I'm okay.

(26:02):
And you're okay.
And by the way, there is no outthere.
As you said, anyway, I am thecasting director.
I'm the producer.
I'm the show.
I'm these pages that I'm holdingin front, you know, the work of.
Again, dismantling the lie ofseparation with self and other,
and realizing we're all justone.

(26:24):
We're, we're, there's theoneness that connects us all
and, tapping into that field.
And I'd love to hear what youdiscovered when you took that
deep dive into the world

Belle (26:38):
that you did.
so much is coming up in thisconversation, but I, It's really
coming to kind of removing themasks.
You had your masks.
I had my masks, you know, my tapdancing to get clients, you
know, I'm the greatest as I'mthinking, you know, really, you

(26:59):
know, it's, it's removing yourmasks to finally be in alignment
with the greatness and thebeauty of who you are.
And it took me forever.
You know, I mean, it's not like,I'm 100 percent there, but I'm
certainly a whole lot more therethan I was where I can now be in
a group of people and not haveto say anything and I'm

(27:21):
comfortable.
Whereas I used to have to say somuch because I felt like, you
know, I have to, I have to be apart of whatever's going on and
I have to show you that I knowand I have to show you that I am
and I have to And now I don'tcare.
You know, I'm really comfortableknowing that I know who I am.
I know how successful I've been.

(27:42):
I know how to do it.
And I don't, I, I do like you tovalidate that.
but the bigger truth is for thefirst time I'm validating it for
myself.
And it took me a long time,Robbie, to get to that point,
you know, and it was like, whenyou say that we.

(28:03):
You know, like we never had.
The kind of overlap of spiritualand, business, I can remember so
clearly that we had such aninformative connection which
would, which I think for me wasalways my connection.
My deepest connection to you wasat that time of your brother.

(28:26):
And, and I saw how, how youfacilitated that and how you
went through it.
I mean, it makes me veryemotional, um, because it was
beautiful and it, and it showedwho you are as a human and as a
sister and it really moved meand It always connected me.

Thank you for that.
Thank you for that.
And I have likewise always feltthat connection and that kind
and quality of connection withyou and that support and love
that you provide so uniquely inmy life.
And, um, especially so uniquelyin my life as an actor in the

(29:09):
industry.

Belle (29:11):
you know, it's never, but it's never ever about whether
you're good enough.
You know, I wouldn't be workingwith people who aren't good
enough.
You know, the people that Irepresent, including you, are
wonderfully talented.
Who knows?
why it doesn't go your way, butit doesn't matter.

(29:34):
That's it.
That's, that's, that's almostanother reason why I went to get
my spiritual counseling becauseit doesn't matter.
You know, nobody can take awayyour talent.
Nobody can take away yourtalent.
And if you don't get it, Iguarantee you, it has nothing to
do with what you did.
It's, it's, visions, have toline up.

(29:56):
And when you see what castinggoes through in regards like
Like they have like maybe fourtop players, they're very
similar, very similar in, whatthey're looking at.
And maybe one, you know, diptheir hand in a certain way.
It's something so a littlenuance that people spark to.

(30:18):
It's never about the talent, thetalent.
If you've got to that point,you're there, you're already
there.
So it's just a matter of.
When that perfect job comes, andit will, it's when the alignment
happens and everything, youknow, it comes to you because
you're supposed to have it.

It's such a gorgeous relief.
Like, I just hear you speakingthe truth of my heart, and my
heart forgets.
And, the deepest part of me andus, on some level we know that,
but I don't think thatinformation, that wisdom is out
there.

(30:59):
as readily for people.
and that you provide that foryour fellow human beings is so
unique and special because it'slike hearing you say that just
now like blew my mind againabout that conversation about
parts and casting and beingchosen for a part or not.
Like, I heard that for the firsttime again and um, it's so, it

(31:25):
like literally stitches my heartback together.

Belle (31:29):
Yeah.

I'm, so, it's such a miracle that you revolve in
the world that you do whenpeople like myself.
are looking for love in thewrong places, that's what they
say.
And I know that I certainly havebeen doing that, looking for
love and approval in all thewrong places.
Because trying to get Hollywoodto be my lover or re parent me,

(31:53):
re parent me as my father and mymother, give me whatever love I
didn't feel like, right?
That's, that is dangerous.
Trying to get Hollywood to reparent and, you know, and
repair.

Belle (32:03):
but I did that too in my own way.
You know, I would, I would,represent actors who I had for
10 years and 11 years and theywould I put them in, you know,
that thing that a director cameto see it and it catapult them
to being nominated for anacademy award and they went to a
bigger agency.

(32:24):
And I was like, but you don'tlove me, you know, we were
supposed to be in this together.
You know, and it's, It's it'sthe same thing, you know,
because I chose to say small,you know, when, all the big
agencies came at that momentwhen we were representing so
many people that are sobrilliantly talented and

(32:45):
successful.
They wanted to merge with us,and my partner and I did not
want it.
We didn't want to go big.
We wanted to.
Yeah.
And we knew that would probablybe the result, that we would
lose clients.
But you can't tell me that everytime it happened, it wasn't a
moment of, oh, another, anotherabandonment.

(33:09):
You know, it's, you had toreally work on, I had to really
work on, you know, all thatunresolved stuff that would,
But, but I, but we did thistogether, you know, how, what
happened, you know, I'm part ofyou getting on that path.
And you know, I actually saw oneof them just the other day,

(33:32):
literally two weeks ago at aparty.
Well, you know, it was veryhealing because I hadn't gone
into the party yet, and he was,and he's a humongously big star,
and he screamed Belle, andRobbie, he sobbed.
He absolutely sobbed.

(33:53):
He just started to cry, and Ididn't, I didn't have to ask him
anything.
I didn't have to say anything.
I just held him and you know,there was that part of me that
really wanted to say, and then Iknew that the greater part of me

(34:14):
was like, thank you for thevalidation.
because we did do it.
Whether I'm with you or not, Iwas a part of your getting to
that point.
And you know what?
I need you to cry on myshoulder.
I need you to hold me so tightthat I can't breathe.

(34:34):
And it was very healing.
I have to say it was veryhealing.

Wow.
When you, and I love too thatyou had that moment and coming
around the bend and it's sort ofa full circle moment.
And.
Curious why just because, youknow, the universe is an
energetic field.
It's not a logical field.
it's it's energetics.
It's vibe.
It's all vibe and energy, youknow, this way more than anyone,

(35:01):
but at the time.
You know, you have humongousstars, they're wanting a bigger
thing you wanted to stay moreboutique more.
That was that was a choice for aparticular energetic field that
was vibrating inside more asmaller more boutique exclusive

(35:23):
agency?
What, where was that choicemade?
Was that you and your partner tosay, you know, we always,

Belle (35:32):
always, because I felt like It was, it was very, I
didn't want to just be, I wantedto be personal.
I wanted to be a part of theprocess.
I wanted to, you know, havethese conversations.
I wanted to be a part of how canI navigate you through the
masses and help you to get tothat place you really should be

(35:55):
and not where you think you'renot enough.
You know, I wanted to spendtime.
In those conversations, and Iknew being with a bigger agency,
and I also wanted to representpeople that I wanted to
represent that I felt passionfor.
I didn't want to go to a biggeragency, even though that would
have been incredibly monetarilyand blah, blah, blah.

(36:17):
But I didn't want to go toanother agency where I had to
work with people that maybe Ididn't want to work with, you
know, because that would thatwould have been a part of it.
You know, and sometimes I lookback and I think, Hmm, maybe I
should have done it.
But, you know, we've beentogether, my partner and I've
been together 50 years and we'restill doing it.

(36:40):
And, you know, I think we madethe right decision for us.
Happy 50th.
You know, so it turned out okay.

Yeah.
Bernie Carneol, an amazing, anamazing 50 year partnership with
Jillana.

Belle (36:57):
He's a good, good human.
And Jillana has been with mealmost 20 years and a good, good
human.
And I, I want to be around goodhumans.
Can I get a hell yeah, you know,

really when you like drill it down.
I think that's what everybodywants.
Like again, like we, go in forauditions, you know, as actors
or try to get jobs or for you totry to work with you know, but
really it's like, If we can justget present to literally what

(37:36):
everyone in the world wants,which is just to feel love.
People just want to feel theirwholeness.
They just want to feel theirwholeness.
They want to feel loved and theywant to love something that they
love.
I like, like, that's kind of it.
You know, they want to do whatthey love to do.
They want to love like crazy andthey want to be loved like

(37:56):
crazy.
And I think that's, I'm noticingthat's kind of universal.
You know?
In in the human

Belle (38:02):
but they have to remember one thing.
Yes.
That is still vitally important.
It is a job.

Yeah.
And

Belle (38:09):
it's so vitally important to have a life that you're able
to balance that job.
When you put everything into it,It can't feed you back in all
the areas that you must be fed.
So it's so vital that you haveother outside interests and to

(38:33):
to not put so much emphasis ongetting that job because you
still have a life.
You still have a looming andfabulous and joy filled life
that absolutely complementsthat, but doesn't, you know,
command you to only prioritizethat where you stop expanding in

(38:57):
your own consciousness.

I love that so much.
Two things about that.
The idea, you know, when I thinkabout what it must be like for a
casting director.
A thousand times a week, whenthey're casting a movie or a TV
show, a thousand actors come intrying to get something off of
them.

(39:19):
Like, literally, like, Athousand people come in trying
to get something off them sothey can pay their mortgage and
feed their children like, allthe things.
it is, it's almost hard toimagine, like, if I'm, I'm the,
I'm the producer, I'm the writerof the show, I'm the casting
director.
Like, when the actor comes inthat's actually just there to

(39:41):
give.
I don't know if that person'stotally right for the part or
what they had in mind, butthey're going to be remembered
as opposed to, you know, we goin as actors like I need to get
something I'm trying to get, youknow, people in life don't enjoy
it when people are trying to getstuff off of them, and that

(40:01):
desperation energy.
it's, it's, it's traumatizing,you know, all, all day, every
day, 52 weeks a year.
So I keep that in mind, youknow, I, for years now I've been
baking that into my preparationthe same way I would sort of
like bake a cake.
Like if I'm, if it's your, it'syour 50th anniversary with

(40:23):
Bernie as partners and I'm like,I'm going to bake them a cake.
I'm going to just, I'm going toenjoy like.
I'm thinking about how, youknow, this gift of a beautiful
cake and enjoying putting in theingredients and tasting it and
be like, mm, is this good?
Ooh, you know what would be evenbetter?
Like the creative process.
Like, you know what would be aneven better choice for this
character?

(40:44):
What if I tried to, blah, or X,fill in the blank.
And so I'm baking this kind oflike, this is the word
generosity, you know, is justsort of like, wants to lead.
These days because all of that,when they taste it, when they
see me, when I do the audition,when I show up for the

(41:04):
interview, they see that, theysmell that, they taste it in the
way it was cooked up.
And just on a very basic level,like what a relief.
when someone isn't there inorder to get something.
The very nature of being in aplace trying to get somewhere
else removes the possibility ofactually being present in the

(41:26):
now of nows.
So why did I bother?
Yeah,

Belle (41:31):
But I think what also does too, which, I think we, we
all have been somewhat guilty ofis, you know, let's remove the
title, you know, the titles ofcasting directors agent or actor
or producer or director,because, at the end of the day,
you know, We're all human and weall have unresolved issues and

(41:55):
we all have things and you knowwho you're auditioning for was
probably a nerd in high schoolwho was not, you know, we're all
just we have our stuff, andhiding behind.
What it is that we do doesn'ttake away from the humanity that
we are.
And I think when we put, like, Ican't talk to somebody because

(42:17):
of their title.
It's so silly because, you know,if we're thinking that they're
thinking that, you know, we'rereflective of what, yeah.
So it's like when an actor goesin and thinks, They're people,
you know, casting directors arepeople, producers are people,
they, go home and, you know,binge on food or do you know,

(42:40):
they, they're just like us.
And I think when we're able toreally see that it, it allows us
to be free.

Yeah.
And people that just like uswant to want to feel good, want
energy in their day, wantenthusiasm,

Belle (42:58):
want to be loved, want to be loved.

want to love something that they see, you
know, that was cooked up withcare.
with that.
I was thinking about when yousaid, you know, these labels.
So back in May of this year of2024, I was coming out of a
workshop A summit actually itwas, for women entrepreneurs
and, you know, I have an actingschool and most of the women

(43:24):
there were not in the world ofarts and crafts, but it was a
fascinating and very powerfulmeeting of, of women from all
over who, are forging ahead withtheir passions and their
purpose.
And I walked out of the summitAnd I said to the woman that had
been sitting next to me, I said,you know, I realized, and don't
take this literally because youare my theatrical agent, but I

(43:46):
said, I realized I'm not, I'mnot an actor.
And she's like, what are youtalking about?
You're performing in fivedifferent plays right now,
including the one that you justsaw, and What the Constitution
Means to Me, and I'm doingTartuffe, and I'm doing
Repertory, Peter Pan, you know,at the Will Geer Theatricum, and
she's like, what do you mean?
And I said, well, I think I'm ahuman being.

(44:09):
That really loves to act and Ithink I'm a, I'm a human being
that really loves to teach.
And I think I'm a human beingthat really likes to fill in the
blank.
And there was such a freedomremoving this.
I love

Belle (44:30):
that.
I, again, you're giving meanother one.
I love that.
That's, that's beautiful.

The removal of the label, which I can see was
diminishing to my spirit.

Belle (44:42):
In

a way, it's glorious and infinitely
wonderful to be an actor, but toidentify with that as like the
thing you are kind of cuts offthe more that you actually are
as a human being You know, so I

Belle (45:03):
totally agree with you.
I mean, it's why I always felt alittle weird, because in the
beginning of my day, I had afood issue, and I would go to,
you know, overeaters anonymous,and we would always have to kind
of at a 12 step program.
And we'd always have to qualify.
And I would get up and I wouldbe like, Hi, I'm Belle I'm an

(45:24):
overeater.
And I thought, well, it doesn'tdefine me.
That's just doesn't feel right.
I'm a whole lot more than that.
That, that is for me in themoment, but it's not who I am,
and I don't want to beidentified just as that.

Yeah.

Belle (45:37):
So I like being identified as a human.

Yeah.
How do we, when we start to ownour wholeness, our infinite
potential, when we start to likeown the magnificence of our once
in a cosmos selves.
what's that balance of, for somany years, I could not

(46:00):
appreciate anything that I wasdoing that was good for the
world.
And you know me for, over 20years, and probably know me as a
person that comes into the roomand gives a, you know, I smile a
lot, I'm, hi, hi.
energy.
Some people call it high strung,high vibe, whatever.

(46:21):
And, there's a lot of, energeticexchange, you know, there have
been in our interactions.
I have never been able to beresponsible for anything that's
going on.
I was never able to beresponsible for anything good
that I was putting out there,though there was feedback in the

(46:41):
world, which was good, great,even getting jobs.
Like, but I I never was like intouch with, ever, like, you
done, you're good, you did,you're good.
You did something like that was,I could not acknowledge the part
of myself that was constantly,because it was trying to get
people to love me.
Because I, I didn't know how tolove myself, it was a deeper

(47:03):
problem, I could not, I couldn'teven like myself.
So here I am trying to getpeople to love me, so my, all of
that energy, though it wascurated and developed over time
to be something that really didmake people feel good and alive
and happy and joyful andinspired, for so long I couldn't
appreciate that I was doing anyof that, because it was a

(47:23):
compensation for feeling likenobody loved me, that I was
going out there to try to getpeople to love me.
And so And what a profession tochoose, the world of acting,
which is on the daily, trying toget people to say yes, and their
yes is love.
And without that yes, I'm anunlovable, disgusting thing that

(47:43):
should be left on the side ofthe road to die.
And I know that sounds dramatic,but there is a primal sense of
that, that it is a life anddeath conversation with
approval.

Belle (47:54):
I think at that point, you just weren't ready to go
deep.
So you deflect and you know,it's kind of like what we all
do, you know, when we don't wantto really lean into what it is
that needs to be nurtured andresolved.
And I think when you're capableof real, I'll give you an
example.
I had to do my thesis atuniversity of Santa Monica for,

(48:15):
my degree.
So they said, if you get afederal expressed, um, package,
Of your thesis, it means youdidn't go deep enough and there
was a part of me that said,damn, I bet you I'm going to get
my thesis back because I knowhow to surface it and have you,
you know, think that I'm allthat, but I think they're good.

(48:39):
If they're hip, they'll probablysend me back my thesis.
I'm going to have to go deeper.
And I remember driving into mydriveway, And damn, did that
Federal Express was lying on myporch and I got out of the car
and I and it was from USM andthere was my thesis paper and I
thought, okay, Belle it's timeto go deep.

It's time now.

Belle (49:02):
And I did.
And it was amazing because Iwasn't, somebody called me out.
Somebody said, you know, yourtap dance didn't work this time,
babe.
You got a whole lot more to kindof like lean into, you know, why
are you kind of deflecting andnot owning and lots of sobs,

(49:23):
lots of tears and lots of,regret.
Because, you know, I felt awhole lot of stuff, but I went
there and that's the only way wecan do it.
We have to do the work.
You know, we have to feel thepain.
We have to sit in it.
We have to be uncomfortable.
And the joy comes through that.

Yes, it does.
Underneath the rage, underneaththe grief, which is under the
rage, is that Profundity ofequanimity and peace and joy,
but it takes going into thedeepest dark.
This is a classroom.

Belle (50:05):
This is not the real deal.
It's the classroom, you know,and the universe is constantly
throwing it back to us.
If we didn't.
up level our lesson.
And you always see it.
when you're back in the pattern,the universe saying, come on,
babe, you got to up, level it.
You didn't, you didn't go deepenough.
And that's why we're here.

(50:25):
We're here to release it.
So when we go to that nextstage, we don't have to come
back.
We don't have to do because thisis very primal where we're at
now.
It's primal how we perceivethings.
It's primal how we, we give toour friends, everything is
primal.
And, you know, it's some daysare better than others.
And some days we're in the ofit.

(50:47):
And that's just fact.
And it's okay.

Yeah, it's

Belle (50:50):
always an opportunity to release and let go and let God
release and let go and let Godon a daily basis.

You answered my question, which was how do we,
once we do start to own ourgloriousness, our fullness, our
wholeness, once we do actuallycome into regulation with our
central nervous systems and dothat processing, how do we not
then.

(51:18):
Become full of ourselves, butit's the answer you was sort of
in the question that if it's toshow people, look at the work
I've done, look at how I look atme now, right?
Because, there's a fine line,which might not be too fine
between transformation of ahuman being and an ego trip.

Belle (51:41):
Totally.
Yeah.
I think transformation, you justare, you know, you become the
example, not manipulating it.
you're just comfortable in yourskin.

Yeah.

Belle (51:53):
And I think that, when you're feeling tone is in
alignment, you get it.
You know, you don't have to goout there and try to have you
love me.
You love yourself, you know,you're enough, and when you feel
that way, it really shiftseverything.

You have found that in your world, like it's a
different, it's a technicoloruniverse.
Yeah.

Belle (52:17):
I have more, I have more found it.
It's not like every day I wakeup and glory be, glory God.
It's a work in progress on adaily basis, you know, it just
is, It's it's constant prayer.
It's constant focusing.
It's constant meditating.
It's constant making a choice tobe a good human today.
I mean, it's constant, youalways have to stay on top of it

(52:40):
because I do feel a littletapping all the time that says,
Hey, you want to go down to theabyss today?
Not today.
Thanks.
You know, because if I do that,the speed of how that is
facilitated is amazing to me.
How quick I can go down therabbit hole.

(53:02):
And I don't want to do that.

So vice versa, what do you share with the people
that you help and facilitate?
How do you, once you've made thechoice, I'm not going down that
pathway.
What do you do?
You mentioned meditation.
You mentioned prayer.
what does that look like?
You know, when I

Belle (53:19):
counsel people, truly, I listen to what they're not
saying.
Because what they're sayingusually is something that's
keeping me at bay and I have togo deeper into what they're not
saying to see what patterns arevery prominent in their
consciousness that they areplaying with and they're testing

(53:42):
me, you know, I mean, You know,like I got this together.
Um, you don't, there's patternsthat are still need to be kind
of looked at.
Well, I think, um, you don't,you know, so it's a very
individual process of reallylistening to what is not being
said.
then I can go on an individualbasis and kind of like offer and

(54:03):
encourage.
But I have to know what that isbecause other than that, it's
just, it's all very unique toourselves, you know, I never
know what I'm getting into.
I just know that I pray before Igo into it and ask God.
I just ask God, I say, God, youknow, prepare me for whatever it
is that I need to kind of unfoldtoday and please bring light to

(54:27):
the situation and to the personthat I'm, I'm being able to
communicate with.

Is that how you personally stand in the
crossroads when to the left isthat day that goes down the
drain because I am, I'mdefaulting.
God, take this.
How do you, how do you getyourself.
You just say I

Belle (54:44):
surrender.
I give this to you.
I do not want to deal with this.
I give this to you or I will do.
This is one of my favorite ones.
I always go to the universe.
Halt.
HALT! And I can feel a shift,you know, it's my favorite.

(55:05):
I will go HALT!

What are you halting?
What are you talking to?
What are you saying?

Belle (55:11):
Whatever is coming forward that is not in alignment
with where I am, I want itstopped.
Stop.

I have chills everywhere.
I'm vibrating with the truth ofyour revelatory superpower and
the way that you literallyactivate that superpower.

Belle (55:33):
That's incredible.
And it's so, and it's so simple,you know, the simplicity of
owning that moment of saying,no, this is my journey.
I am the architect of my destinyand I am halting this right now.

(55:54):
And it works for me, you know,if I want to binge, if I want to
overeat, if I want to, you know,call somebody that I shouldn't
call, you know, anything I justhalt.
So it allows me for a moment tojust take a breath because we
forget to take a breath.

So that's your next moment you've, you deploy the
halt and then the next moment toget back into right mindedness,
you, you breathe and then,

Belle (56:24):
you know, it's, it's not, it's not unlike dog training.
Seriously.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
if you watch Cesar Millan, he'sso great but you know, when a
dog is anxious, he literally hasto tap them into getting out of
that anxiety so then they cantake direction but if you're
dealing with a very anxious dog,he doesn't know what to do

(56:45):
unless you stop it.
It's the same kind of a concept.
You snap your brain into gettingout of that thought process that
will eventually bring you into,you know, that rabbit hole that
is very, destructive.

Yes.
That is so useful to hear that.
It's a methodology, which is, itsounds, I mean, it's simple, but
it's like brilliant and profoundin its simplicity.
And also I've just never heard.
it that way, like a command touniverse, you know?

(57:21):
Yeah.
So, um, I would like this to goon for four and a half more
hours, but I know, I knoweveryone has a life to live, but
that was just such an amazingpiece so for people listening.
A lot of whom are creativelyinclined, a lot of actors,
artists, but also human beingsfrom all walks of life.

(57:44):
the people that maybe you havecounseled and spoken to what
would what in a world wherethere is a lot of divide
currently and a lot of sufferingglobally and on the personal
level what do you want to giveto, what do you want to give to
the world.
what do you want to give topeople What do you want people
to know?
What do you want them to hearthat, could help a little bit?

Belle (58:11):
You know, it's a very hard question.

Yeah.

Belle (58:14):
Especially when my heart is broken from the election.
you know, it's just a very sadtime for us.
I don't know.
I really don't know.
My heart is broken that so manypeople voted for him and really
think that he's for them.
So I just.
I just hold the space.
That's all I can do because I'mhurting So from it too.
Yeah.

(58:34):
You know, so I'm trying to healso I can be more of a light.
So do, what do I do?

yeah.
How do we hold the space?
I,

Belle (58:43):
I go to Agape, you know, I lean towards hearing and
getting and receiving from myspiritual, leaders and who I
admire a lot to help me with.
How to talk to people that voteddifferently than I did, you
know, that, that feel veryunsafe to me.

(59:04):
How do I still stay in theloving and how do I not get
really angry that I feel thatall of a sudden now they are
unsafe humans to be around.
You know, it's a lot of work.
It's just a lot of work.
And yet I know from the deepestpart of myself that, love is all

(59:25):
we have.
I know that.
And, it's really hard to stay inthe loving, but that's, that's
the practice right now for me.

Yeah.

Belle (59:33):
Is to want to daily stay in the loving.

Well, you are the loving, you are the love.
That's such a, um, the wisdom ofthat.
Like I hear you saying thesewords and I hear your 90 year
old version of you comingthrough with this high octane,
high level question.

(59:57):
How do I stay?
in the loving.
And I love that you startedwith, you know, I don't know.
I don't know which is why itmakes a difference to actually
ask.
Like, that's the prayer.
Like, I don't know.
Please God help me how do I stayin the loving so that I can be

(01:00:18):
the, the real me, ordained to bea light in a world where there
is.
a lot of darkness.
How can I still be that light?
And I love what you share thatwe don't do it alone.
We go to our teachers, we go toour teammates, we go to our

(01:00:39):
partners, we go to our friends,we go to the wise woman in
ourselves.
What would my 90 year old selfsay to me about this?
and as you said, it is apractice.
I want to make it a practice tohave these kinds of
conversations with you.
Love it.
I love it.

(01:00:59):
And I love what you're doing.
Thank you, Belle.
It is, it's for this, it's forthis, it's for you and can
people find you that want toreach out or, or seeking counsel
or, could use some love light intheir world?

Belle (01:01:19):
Yeah.
They can just call.
You have the number.
Okay.
They can just call and, I, Ijust kind of do referrals.

Robyn Cohen (01:01:26):
Yeah, you know,

Belle (01:01:27):
so yeah, that's so if

so anyone listening that wants to work with Belle
have a session with her.
Get in touch with me.
Yeah.
And you can find me on socialmedia, Facebook, and they could
also, is there a platform wherepeople might be able to direct
message you,

Belle (01:01:44):
just, yeah, you can text me on my phone.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And we'll go from there.
Yeah.

That sounds great.
I really appreciate moderntelecommunications and these
kinds of platforms when theyconnect hearts and souls.
I really do.
So get in touch with me, I'llget you in touch with Belle and
we'll, um, and we'll party onfrom there.
So I can't thank you enough.
This is I love you.
I love you.

(01:02:09):
It's Sunday today when we'rerecording this and, this has
been a.
Godly.
Unique.

Belle (01:02:16):
Lovely.
I love it.

Experience.
I loved it so much and I can'twait for more, more, more.
And thank you.
And always

Belle (01:02:23):
start out your podcast with dancing.

Will do, will do.
Here's to it.
here's to dancing in theconversation of life.
Exactly.
Okay.
Thank you.
God bless you, Belle.
Thank you.

Belle (01:02:39):
Bye honey.

Bye.
Bye.
Well, wow, that was sensationalBelle Zwerdling.
Yes, if you're interested inhaving a one on one session with
her meeting with her get intouch with me, and I'll put you
in touch but wow some of thetakeaways How do we lead with

(01:03:00):
love?
How do I remain loving andoffering that up as a daily
prayer, as a daily meditation,as a practice to get in touch
with the wholeness of who we areand the oneness of the universe?
We're also talking about takingresponsibility and ownership of
our worth and value and that ittakes something.

(01:03:22):
We might not wake up on thedaily like, I'm good to go,
whole perfect and complete, butrather we can stand in the
crossroads and choose and chooseagain and again toward the path
of.
Peace and ease and equanimityand lovingness and, um, and so

(01:03:43):
many more things, which I'll putin the show notes, but, uh, what
a, what a gift to share thistime in cyberspace with Belle
and with you all who arelistening in.
I just, I feel these lies ofseparation and scarcity just
melt away the more we connectlike this and the more we talk
about it, the really, really ofwhat's going on.

(01:04:04):
Life just starts to shimmer.
So thank you all.
God bless you and yours and havean amazing rest of your day.
There it is.
Wow.
What an exhilarating exchangewith Belle Zwerdling her wisdom.
It's like a radiant tapestry.

(01:04:26):
Weaving inspiration,authenticity, and practical
insider insights and gems.
Keep this marvelous journey upby joining our acting workshops
To register and stay connected,reach out to me at robyn, R O B
Y N,@cohenactingstudio.com.
And if you enjoy theconversation, I podcast, share

(01:04:51):
it with your friends and familyand leave a review.
It would mean the world and ithelps us reach even more
fabulous souls and creativeslike yourselves.
Also for more behind the scenesaction, follow me on Instagram
@RobynCohenActingStudio inappreciation for all of that, I
made a special audio gift toelevate your days and bolster

(01:05:13):
your sense of power and peace.
It's called Five Proven Ways toPeace and Power, because this
really is your moment to bask increativity and fortify your soul
with joy and with strength.
Till next time, yours truly,Robyn C.

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